9 replies to this topic

[AzJazz]

Hi!

I have a PSW23PSTASS GE Profile Refrigerator that has been giving us grief for years. We were experiencing problems with the ice bucket melting for quite a while. After replacing the ice maker (NOT the problem) and a temperature sensor (NOT the problem), I eventually got the ice maker working properly by replacing the motherboard (P/N WR49X10152).

Everything was great for a few months. Then, things started getting really screwy.

We have since seen problems where the Custom Cool colis on the refrigerator side have frozen solid and the refrigerator temperature climbs up to about 44 degF (It's set for 36 DegF). I haven't seen the fridge temp near 36 DegF for months. The freezer side is almost always rock-solid at 0 DegF (which is what it is set at).

Adjusting the "Deli Fresh" slider to the warmest setting seemed to reduce the Custom Cool coli freeze-over problem (possibly because of increased airflow across the coils).

The coil freeze-over may be related to the humidity level in our house, but I seriously doubt it. We live in Arizona, and humidity isn't really a big problem here. It's just that the freeze-over issue seemed to occur at the same time of the year (Mar-Apr) for 2 years in a row.

Regardless, the Custom Cool coils aren't iced over right now, and the refrigerator is reading 42 DegF.

Sooo .... Before I purchase any new parts (probably the motherboard), I would like to put the refrigferator into Diagnostics Mode to see if it can detect the problem. I looked in the Samurai Repair Manual database, and it only listed a Diagnostic Mode method for where the freezer / refrigerator temperature settings were for values of 1 <=> 5 (not actual temperatures).

Does anybody have a Service Manual or Diagnostic Mode procedure for the GE Profile Arctica PSW23PSTASS?

Also, any other advice on how to fix our problems would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

AzJazz

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

This sounds suspiciously like the dual evaporator ice ball problem. There's a kit out for this problem ==> http://www.repaircli...9X10180/1394386

I've PMed you the service bulletin on this problem. See if this what's going on with yours. Post any followups or replies here, not in PM.

[AzJazz]

Awesome, Samurai! This sounds exactly like my problem!

I have ordered the WR49X10180 Kit. I will reply back with my results after I do the installation.

BTW, do you know how to get into the Diagnostics Mode for this GE Profile model? I'd like to know for future reference.

Edited by AzJazz, 07 October 2012 - 05:16 PM.

[RegUS_PatOff]

http://appliantology...-w-custom-cool/

[AzJazz]

Thanks, RegUS_PatOff! You guys are awesome!

I'm glad I paid the full membership price - It's worth every penny

[AzJazz]

After far too many months of a refrigerator that struggled to keep the fresh food side temperature at 40 degF, I was finally able to spend a day repairing my 'fridge.

 

And, I found the problem!

 

Since the Fresh Food evap coils would occasionally freeze over, I decided to check out the thermistor that is attached to the coil.

 

I put the coil thermistor in a glass of water along with a brand new WR55X10025 thermistor that I had purchased a while back. After waiting a few minutes for the thermistors to stabilize to room temperature, I measured the resistance of both sensors.

 

The new thermistor read around 5.4 kOhms (around 74 degF according to the table in the Service Manual). The old thermistor was reading around 9.2 kOhms (53 DegF). It looked like the old Fresh Food evaporator coil thermistor was the culprit!

 

Sure enough, I replaced the old thermistor with the new one, and my fridge is now at 0 degF (Freezer), and 36 degF (Refrigerator). It's been quite a few months since we saw that!

 

I haven't installed the ice block "band-aid kit" that I purchased yet. I will wait to see if I see an ice block forms again, now that I have the refrigerator working properly.

 

Thanks again, guys!

 

AzJazz

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

Nice work and domo for the followup!

[RegUS_PatOff]

... It looked like the old Fresh Food evaporator coil thermistor was the culprit!

 

http://fixitnow.com/...ed-thermistors/

[AzJazz]

http://fixitnow.com/...ed-thermistors/

That's good info, RegUS_PatOff! Since I was already in refrigerator-repair mode (and, my wife wouldn't mind), I checked all my existing thermistors to see if they were the old defective type so I could replace them before more stuff would go wrong.

 

As it turns out, all of my thermistors are the newer sealed and flat-topped style sensors. I even pulled the bad one out of the trash, and it was the newer style as well.

 

It looks like my Fresh Food evap thermistor just went out-of-spec. That probably doesn't happen very often. I guess it was my lucky day?

[RegUS_PatOff]

 and it was the newer style as well.

It looks like my Fresh Food evap thermistor just went out-of-spec.

that's good to know it can happen ...