16 replies to this topic

[AppGuy]

Customer calls and says there GE top mount isn't cooling correctly.  I go out see a defrost problem.  everything seems to check out so I assume timer sticking as it was just at the point of going into defrost.  few days later called back.  Go out see no appearent problems except fridge cranked up explain how it closes the damper door to the fridge adjust the knobs and leave.  few days later same call.  go out see slight defrosting issue again.  Everything checks out again, so assume intermitent terminator.  Few days another call.  place logger in fridge everything seems ok.  few more days another call.  This time we see the defrost problem showing up again.  So now what?????  anyways I pull the heater out and notice that it says 220v on one end of it!!! I ask customer and she says yeah it was replaced last year before they left to go back north.  She still had the box and it was labeled witht the correct p# but obviously had the wrong one packaged!  I was so relieved to finally find the problem. 

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

Word up!

[appl.tech.29501]

That's freakalicious....good find.

[kdog]

So does the heater have a diferent resistance than a 120v version ?

[AppGuy]

yes! It would get hot enough that you could tell it was working but never hot enough to get the red glow. I talked to a couple techs around the area and one other tech had mentioned he had this problem once on a fridge. The others thought I was nutz.  The only marking was a small white stamp saying 220v to diferentiate it from the regular 110v one.

[RegUS_PatOff]

it would only have about 25 % wattage at 120v

 

[kdog]

what is the difference in the resistance of the two ?

[appl.tech.29501]

The real question is what units take a 220V heater??? Never heard or seen a unit that would take such a heater.

This one might even stump Reg.

[RegUS_PatOff]

[user=27301]appl.tech.29501[/user] wrote:

The real question is what units take a 220V heater??? ...

Not in the U.S.

[kdog]

Would be interesting to know what the difference in resistance actually is just the same

[RegUS_PatOff]

here's info from a Maytag International Fridge

GS2325GEKB Wiring Diagram

left side of page 2

Evaporator heater

Volt................ 230 VAC

Wattage.......... 435 ±5% watts @ 230VAC

Resistance....... 121.6 ±7.5% ohms 

[BrntToast]

i had a call one time back when i first started out that took me probably just as many trips
customer would call about every 2 months, i would find a frosted evaporator
tried all the parts you did
finally one time as i was working i commented on the time i saw on her clock, cause i thought it was much later already
customer informed me that clocks with hands didn't work right in her house for some reason, being a newb i asked GE tech support about this and was taught all about frequency
turned out her house wasn't getting 60 hertz

[RegUS_PatOff]

[user=20728]BrntToast[/user] wrote:

.. her house wasn't getting 60 hertz

shouldn't matter on a Heater

[BrntToast]

nope, it mattered on her timer, it caused all clockwork motors to turn very slow
but she always had a tv going when i was there  <shrug>

[AppGuy]

wow how the heck could she not get 60hz???? Now that is weird. I have seen wierd crap like that when houses have a bad neutral...

[madbrad]

It's impossible. The generating station would have to be using an old 25 hz generator and then everybody would be getting 25 hz. Of course, none are still in service. Unless there's some remote place not attached to the grid. Or a 60hz generator turning at the wrong speed. That's also impossible. It must be synched to the rest of the grid before connection. If it's separate from the grid which is unlikely then again a whole community would be affected.

People sometimes make assumptions about what the problem is and tread in a technical realm they know nothing about. My father in law bought an internet video phone and he told me some tech told him there wasn't enough power coming out of that plug on the wall(pointing to a plug on the wall). He believed the guy. He even said it in a way that suggested he was telling it to me like he's informing me of the technical condition of the plug, knowing that I'm an electrician to boot! I as usual told him to stop talking. He wouldn't know a volt from a buttercup.

[Jimi]

That is why I am a geek with manuals and specs. I would have checked all the parts in the defrost circuit the second time out. Just seeing it come on is not enough. Most parts specs are available to authorized service companies.