I have a side by side four year old GE profile refrigerator. A repairman has been to my home and replaced the mother board. It is still not cooling properly and the repairmai has told me the he needs to replace another part that has been on order for a week now. What do you think the problem is?

SOURCE: ge refrigerator model TFH22JW problem

You most likely have an automatic defrost problem. When one of more of the defrost components fails, frost accumulates behind the freezer wall and restricts airflow to the fresh food side. You will still generate cold into the freezer section but will have virtually no cold to fresh food side. If it is a few years old it is most likely the defrost heater which is defective. Replace the defrost thermostat (bi-metal) as well.

John Tripp

• 4656 Answers
• Posted on Mar 25, 2009

SOURCE: Refrigerator will not cool

Unplug power, pull refrigerator away from wall and gently remove and examine both sides of control board, Look for burn marks or smell of burns and then let me know what you find. Thanks, Sea Breeze

SOURCE: GE PROFILE REFRIGERATOR MOTHER BOARD PROBLEMS

Go into the diagnostic mode on your touch display .
1) . Press any button on the display 1 time except the temp adjust buttons.
2) Press the temp up and down on both the freezer AND refrig (all 4 at the same time)
3) when 0's show , release the buttons and press any button except for the temp adjust buttons .
4) NOW , fress the temp adjust buttons until the freezer side displays 0 and the refrig side displays 7 . 0 and 7 is for the thermistors test .
5) After 0 and 7 display , press any button again except temp adjust , and this will start the thermistor check .
6) You will have 7 thermistor tests , indicated on the refrig display , starting at 1 , then 2 then .......
7) The feezer display will tell for the corresponding thermistor , indicated by the refrig display , if the thermistor p = pass , s = short , b = bad (replace board)

After determining if or which thermistor is bad , then adjust the display to 1 on freezer display and 6 on the refrig display . This ends the testing procedure and resets the refrig back to normal .

Charles T Nevin

• 4070 Answers
• Posted on Nov 17, 2009

SOURCE: GE PROFILE REFRIGERATOR SIDE BY SIDE IS NOT COOLING

The evaporator coil behind the cover on the back wall inside the freezer will ice up under normal conditions. Every 8 to 10 hours for around 20 minutes the defrost timer (or in most newer models the electronic adaptive defrost control) will turn the defrost heater on to melt the built up ice. There is a defrost thermostat which prevents the heater from overheating the freezer by breaking the heater circuit when the temp reaches close to 32 degrees F. The entire cooling system shuts off during the defrost cycle and starts back when the timer advances through the cycle.

If this ice is not melted it will continue to build up until the air can’t flow over the coil to circulate the cold air through the freezer and into the fridge. The temperature change in the fridge is usually noticed first followed by the freezer.

If the defrost thermostat is bad it can prevent the heater from coming on OR it won’t turn the heater off when it gets too warm. It is clamped to the evaporator coil at the top to sense the temp. If it appears to be misshapen it is bad.
With an ohm meter it should show continuity when cold and none when warm.
You can also bypass the thermostat to see if the heater comes on then. If it does then you know the thermostat is bad and needs replaced.

The defrost heater is located on the evaporator. It is in a tube which is at the bottom and can also go up the sides of the evaporator. On some types you can see a burnt spot if it’s bad. With an ohm meter it should show continuity from end to end when disconnected from the wiring in the freezer. You can also test the wiring for voltage when it’s in the defrost mode.

If you have a defrost timer you can test it. It can be located under the fridge behind the kick panel on the front. Some are in the fridge with the controls at the top. You can turn the defrost timer till it clicks and everything shuts down. The heater should now come on. If it does, replace the timer because that means the timer is not running. If it doesn't, check the heater and defrost thermostat. Turn the timer again till everything starts back up to end the defrost cycle.

If you have an adaptive defrost control instead of a timer, replace it if the heater and thermostat test good. It is located in the fridge with the controls in some models and on the back in others.

Terence Fourie

• 909 Answers
• Posted on Jun 06, 2010

SOURCE: I own a GE Refrigerator model#GBS18HBRAWW Bottom

You are dealing with a reasonably technical problem that requires proper expertise.(testing equiptment). S.A frica fridges are a little different to yours but in effect all the same manner of function. Right, if this icing up continues, yes there is a defrost issue. Firstly with the unit totally defrosted, and unplugged, remove freezer panel untill you get to the "evaporator." ( question is"do you have a fully electronic fridge with a digital display, or a defrost timer type fridge.)Im taking it to be a mechanical timer type.) With panel off, look on the righ hand side of the evaporator. There will be 3 important components that are imperrative to the defrost. One) Is the defrost element faulty or not?Should read about 1.6 K.Ohms. a soft heat. If so good. Two)There will be a round component attatched to the evaporator.and has 2 wires comming out of it.(normally Red or Brown).It is called a clixon. Replace it. Next three) you will see a thin plastic tube usually attached to the evaporator by small cable straps. This is called a thermal fuse. Replace it. Normally this thermal fuse will open circuit if the clixon goes faulty. Once replaced, system will definately work correctly again.
If electronic type, let me know so i can direct you through that one.