GE CFE29TSDCSS refrigerator fan? noise

[Catherine57]

The refrigerator is nearly 2 years old.  Recently it has gotten very noisy, like a fan when the bearings start to go.  This particular fan-like noise stops when you open the refrigerator door.  It does not stop when you open the freezer drawer (bottom).

This weekend we opened it up from the front -- removed the panel on the inside back wall of the refrigerator compartment and accessed that fan.  It was fine.  Also, it does not shut off when you open the door.

I can see the fan in the back of the freezer compartment.  Is it worth trying to check it?  1) the sound does not stop when I open the freezer door.  2) It looks like it's running when the sound stops.

I know there must be another fan in the back with the compressor, but that surely doesn't cut off when the refrigerator door opens. from the front to check?  If I just knew where the fan(s) is/are that turn off when the refrigerator door opens it would help a lot.   

Thanks for any help or tips.

Catherine  

[Budget Appliance Repair]

I'm not at all familiar with this model but it is one with the ice maker in the refrig door.   Air is blown into that ice compartment in the door from one of the two fans in the refrig section.

The parts break down shows a refrig evaporator fan and a damper fan assembly in the fresh food evaporator cover, I think that is the one that also supplies the air to the in-door ice compartment, (if not that one then the main fresh food evaporator fan motor).

Did more looking and found another separate fan in the freezer compartment (Case Part Diagram) that is labeled as "Fan Motor Im Asm / Sensor), this is most likely the one that supplies the air to the refrig door ice compartment.

Part number: WR60X10342

[Hiroshi]

You have a "dual evaporator" model, this means there is a set of 'coils' (which is the tubing containing the refrigerant) in the freezer AND the refrigerator sections, when the traditional units only have 'coils' in the freezer. A common problem in these is that the 'coil' in the refrigerator side will frost up and begin contacting the fan blade of the fan mounted over it. The fan is hiding under a plastic and styrofoam shroud at the bottom rear of the fridge behind the drawers. Most likely, you will need to defrost the whole mess in order to remove the shroud and access the 'coil,' then replace the thermistor that is inserted into an aluminum block BEHIND the 'coil.' This is NOT a do-it-yourself repair as one false move will cause a leak in the sealed system, ruining the fridge.

[Catherine57]

Thanks to Willie and Hiroshi for both your replies.  In the meantime I've been studying the pictures at http://www.searspartsdirect.com/model-number/cfe29tsdcss/0432/0161000.html# and comparing them to my refrigerator.  We've actually already eliminated the fan over the coil in the refrigerator compartment -- it wasn't easy to get to but we did dig back to it over the weekend and the coils were not frosted over plus it continues to run while the refrigerator door is open.  My sound stops when the door is open.  I can see the fan in the freezer compartment because it is just behind a cage.  This fan still spins when the refrigerator door is opened also so that can't be the problem.

The case diagram shows two more fans I think -- the WR60X10342 down near the floor and WR60X10353 next to the odor filter in the top.  I think Willie is probably right that it is the 10342 fan, but we will probably check the 10353 one first since it is so much easier to get to.  I am not looking forward to digging out the freezer compartment to remove the drawer and slides to get to that 10342 fan, but it will be a good excuse to give everything a good cleaning plus maybe try for a little better organization.  Now to decide whether to go ahead and get a replacement fan so we can install it while we're down there for the inspection.

Catherine

 

[Hiroshi]

there is an optional fan mounted near where the coils pass from the freezer in to the fridge in some units, it is more of an impeller type fan without a traditional blade, it is there to minimize frosting between the two temperature zones...

[Budget Appliance Repair]

Hiroshi, you might want to look up the unit you are giving advice on, (especially in the DIY section as these people usually aren't techs and you could easily confuse them by giving totally wrong advise).

This unit is a dual evaporator system, freezer and refrig compartments are completely separate from each other.

Catherine, I didn't even notice the WR60X10353 Fan Filter Asm but that is only for the air filter, the air for the in-door ice compartment has to come from the freezer, (air from the refrig section wouldn't be cold enough for the ice maker to work).

I'm quite sure you're going to find that the  Part number: WR60X10342

Fan Motor Im Asm/Sensor, (another fan in the freezer compartment that you can't see until you remove the freezer evaporator cover is going to be the one making a noise.  It may not be a bad motor, you might have ice build up around the fan causing the noise.

Edited May 19, 2016 by Samurai Appliance Repair Man
Embedded part number

[Catherine57]

Progress report:  As you suspected, it was not the little blower that circulates air in the fresh food compartment.  It was so easy to get to that we wanted to eliminate it as a possibility before digging out the freezer compartment.  That pretty much only leaves the 10342 fan.  I plan to move the freezer food to the downstairs chest freezer and maybe we'll tackle that one this evening.  From the picture http://www.searspartsdirect.com/model-part/cfe29tsdcss/0432/0161000/h1411301/00010.html it looks like the fan is located in the lower front left corner of the case, maybe behind that rectangular cutout shown in the diagram, behind the freezer door slides, pretty much straight down from the inlet and exit vents for the icemaker in the fresh food compartment.

[Budget Appliance Repair]

They don't really show where the fan is actually mounted and I've never worked on one of these so I don't know if it is actually behind the freezer evaporator cover or some other small cover near or behind freezer basket rails.

[Chat_in_FL]

GE Appliances Service Bulletin REF05-15

 

June 2015 Fresh Food Evaporator Fan Contributing to Warm Temperatures

Possible Symptoms:

• Fresh food temperatures warm overall

•Fresh food temperatures warm in the top of the compartment and freezing at the bottom

•Fresh food temperature intermittently warm, then cools normally

•Excessive fresh food fan sounds from the fan surging while attempting to reach normal operating speed

•No display on the UI (User Interface)

•Interior LED lighting inoperative

•Compressor not running

•Complete shutdown of refrigerator

•Possible 106, 107 or 108 error code displayed in Service Diagnostics

 

Action:

To improve performance, install fresh food evaporator fan kit WR49X25197and use the included SUM to update the main board software.Follow all instructions included with the fan kit

 

[DurhamAppliance]

brother chat is correct for your model if it has a serial number  within the Serial Range: HD – FF (May 2014 – Mar 2015)

Although you believe it isn't your fresh food fan,  you may want to triple check.  Ive had noise issues as you described and the fan/software update kit solved it. 

Edited May 22, 2016 by DurhamAppliance