97 replies to this topic

[lucyluc67]

i have a jenn air side by side that is about 3 years old and cost me a lot of money by the way....lately the food is not staying cold...it started about 2 weeks ago..the freezer seems to be fine but i noticed today that some of the food is frozen and others are not.....what are my options? i read here that you should start by manually defrosting it and see if it works properly after that....if it does work properly after i defrost it what caused the problem in the first place? also i read that i should clean the evaporater coil on the bottom because of dust build up...i have never cleaned it underneath so how do i go about getting to the coil?   i would be very greatful to you thanks.......lucyluc67

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

Given that this is a Jenn-Air, a Maytag product, it's highly likely that you have a bad adaptive defrost control board.  But, this is a generalization based on the brand.  Post your model number for more specific help.

[lucyluc67]

model# JCD2389DES-jennair...thanks

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

Yes, yours has the infamous and failure-prone adaptive defrost control board. 



Check the back wall of your freezer carefully, I mean pull every thing out and really check it for any build up of frost on that back wall.  If it's there, you've had a defrost system failure.  If so, then almost always on these fridges, the problem is the adaptive defrost control board.

[lucyluc67]

:):):)...thanks so much!!!

[lucyluc67]

i forgot to ask you ....if i do it myself ,what would it be on a suds scale? and where is the adaptive defrost control board located on my refrigerator?

[lucyluc67]

hi again...i bought the part you suggested to me from fixit.com but now i need help on how to go about starting this project.....should i let the refrigerator thaw out completely before starting? and where is this replacement located on my refrigerator, and how do i go about installing it?  lol...i know i know so many questions..can you please give me the answers? thanks by the way for your outstanding help...i must add that i was very impressed with the fix it.com people also.....the part was $10.00 cheaper at fixit.com than it was from where i bought my disfunctional washer...thanks again

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

Thanks.  I think the website you're referring to is http://www.fixitnow.com.  That's my website, as you could probably tell from the hauntingly familiar samurai theme. 

The defrost control is item 13 in this picture.

This is all happening in the fresh food compartment, up top.  Be sure to unplug the fridge before disassembling or you could get a nasty shock.  Been there, done that.

If you don't defrost the fridge manually, then you should let it defrost on its own by turning it off and leaving the freezer door open.  Usually, I take apart the freezer and defrost the evaporator.  But, if you can get by without it for a few days, just let the fridge defrost on its own.

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

[user=155]lucyluc67[/user] wrote:

i forgot to ask you ....if i do it myself ,what would it be on a suds scale?

A single mug on the SUDS scale. 

[iceman]

Hi Lucy or Samurai.  If you want to send me a broken one I am willing to try to reverse engineer it and post my findings.  If the fault is repairable, I will also post repair instructions.

You could mail it to me, as there is no rush.  Let me know if interested and I will get my snail addr to you.

 

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

Hey, that'd be cool, Iceman!  I have several of those boards laying around.  Private message your address to me and I'll send one your way.

[denrayr]

it seams like the most common failure is the relay. often times when testing if i tap the relay on the board. it will start defrosting.

[iceman]

Thanks for the tip Denrayer, I will inspect it for fused contacts.  :borg:

Here is some info I found:

http://www.invensysa...rostControl.pdf

Looks like you are right, in the July 1999 version, the relay looks to be of a higher current handling capacity than the 1996 unit pictured above.

But wait, what does a Siebe board have to do with Invensys you ask?  Read on...

http://www.invensysa...istory_1_EN.cfm




 

[The Seven]

[user=136]iceman[/user] wrote:

Looks like you are right, in the July 1999 version, the relay looks to be of a higher current handling capacity than the 1996 unit pictured above.

I would concur with you and Denrayer. The 1996 is much worse than the 1999.

My comments to these control boards:
1) Most defrost heater takes about 3A to 4A at 120V.
2) Most compressor-motor during normal running takes a full-load current of 2A to 3A at 120V.
3)At start, the motor could take a lock-rotor current (LRA) which is 6 to 10 times the full-load current (say, LRA = 12A to 30A).
4) The lock-rotor current is the most damaging current which tends to melt the contacts in the miniture relay. The contacts could fuse together to form a permanent ON circuit. Or they could melt apart to form a permanent OFF circuit.
5) The copper tracks on the circuit board may not able to carry the heater current and motor current. These copper tracks may be heated up and cause some melted soldering points at the relay. This will cause "intermittent" fault.

See the attached JPG photo. Melted soldering points at COM (compressor) and DH (defrost heater)

The under-current rating "relay" and "copper tracks" are the two main failure causes of these boards.

Attached Files

•  FaultyCircuitBoard.jpg   85.72K   313 downloads

[iceman]

Wow

[kwantlenappliance]

 

 Re: Adaptive defrost - this operation varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. To understand the operation visit: http://www.kwantlent.../technology.htm and scroll down to Adaptive Defrost. This will also answer those questions as to how to "force" a defrost - do I jump L1 and test? do I close and open the light switch 5 or 6 times? do I unplug - turn cold control off - then power up again? etc., etc. Forcing a defrost to diagnose a problem varies which each make of refrigerator. With the newer electronic touch pad models it becomes even more exacting (tech sheets and service information becoming even more vital) as the adaptive process is now built in to the main electronic board. Also visit our site at: http://www.kwantlent...appliancerepair

Ken Freeborn, Instructor, Appliance Servicing, Kwantlen University College, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

[The Seven]

Ken Freeborn,

Thanks for your website link which is very informative.

Wander if you could enlighten me on the circuit part of the damper of "Frigidaire A.D.C (Automatic Defrost Control) � Adaptive".

Is the damper always energized?
What are functions of the Front and Back Damper SW? Seems some part of the circuit is missing.

The Seven

[TJO]

Is the Jenn-Air JCD2389DTB the same thing?  I think i have the same problem

[Breezyr]

I got a new ADC under warranty and did not use the plastic cover that came with it. A Maytag repairman at the dealer, Affordable Maytag in Huntington Beach, Calif, told me the cover is the culprit  as it traps the heat and causes the relay to burn out. he said he has actually seen some melted.

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

TJO:  yes

Breezy:  This theory, while creative and, on the surface, plausible, is unlikely given that the relay board is in a refrigerated space!