Jump to content
Click here to check out this guide

FAQs | Repair Videos | Academy | Newsletter | Contact


DISCLOSURE: We may earn a commission when you use one of our coupons/links to make a purchase.
  • Upcoming Events

    • 30 March 2024 02:00 PM Until 03:00 PM
      0  
      All Appliantology tech members are invited to join in this workshop on all things Appliantological: bidness, customers, tools, troubleshooting, flavorite brewski, whatever. Webcams and microphones are open and live!
      This workshop is also a great time for any students at Master Samurai Tech to bring any and all questions about the coursework. We're happy to walk through any concepts you're having trouble with. Think of it like office hours with your teachers. 
      If you have a specific appliance problem you'd like us to talk about, post it here! We need a problem statement and a PDF of the tech sheet or schematic so we can all see it on screen share. If you have a PDF that isn't already in the File library here at Appliantology, send it to us by attaching it to the contact form. 
      Also, follow this Calendar Event so you'll get notified of new posts here. Look for the "Follow" button either at the top of the topic on desktop or below the topic on mobile.
      Who: This workshop is only available to tech members at Appliantology.
      When: Saturday, March 30 @10:00 AM Eastern Time.
      Where: Online via Zoom
      How:
      Click here to go to the forum topic with the registration link. If you're interested, register now. Arrive a couple minutes early to make sure your connection is working. Set a reminder for yourself for this workshop so you don’t miss it.  And check out past workshops here: https://appliantology.org/announcement/33-webinar-recordings-index-page/

GE Monogram ZISW420DRA freezer too cold fridge warm


WalterP12

Recommended Posts

Hello all,

I have been wrestling a GE Monogram ZISW420DRA side by side fridge for about 8 months now with the same problem... everything works fine (after a manual defrost & part replacement) until the freezer gets too cold (-10) and the fridge gets too warm (47)... this has happened multiple times at multiple intervals. i've replaced: evaporator fan motor, defrost heater, defrost heater thermistor, all thermistors in fridge and freezer and the main control board.  This happened to me again this past weekend and so i decided "let's replace some more parts", with 1 of which being the ice dispenser door/flap (it was icing up if i used it in the past). when i took the dispenser display/control assembly off, i noticed on the back of the circuit board that the 1 screw that held it in place actually screwed/dug into the board itself. it looks like it took out 2 or 3 pins with the screw, itself, showing signs of corrosion.  so my question to you folks is - could something like this, on this particular circuit board be the root cause of my temperature problems that i never would've guessed??? maybe it's shorting something?? causing bad ground?? 

i remember seeing on this forum once that someone had a similar problem and replaced the same parts as i did ALONG with his "fresh food defrost assembly" board under the assumption that THAT circuit board was causing problems for him. after all was replaced his fridge was working again but it wasn't determined what part really fixed it. (http://appliantology.org/topic/37379-monogram-ziss420drcs-side-by-side-built-in-frig-ff-at-42-deg/?page=2 )

thank you very much for any information or help you folks can provide! i really appreciate it!

-Walt

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 15
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • WalterP12

    7

  • Chat_in_FL

    2

  • 16345Ed

    2

  • Budget Appliance Repair

    1

Damper:
The fresh food compartment receives chilled air via an electronic damper that is positioned at the top rear of the fresh food compartment. The damper is controlled by the main control board and when open, allows the evaporator fan to push chilled air from the evaporator into the fresh food compartment.
Edited by Chat_in_RI
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep damper good suspect. 

 

Tell us about the procedure you used to replace the thermistors. 

I ask because if those connections get comprised by moisture they could send bad data to the control board. 

Edited by 16345Ed
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, Chat_in_RI said:
Damper:
The fresh food compartment receives chilled air via an electronic damper that is positioned at the top rear of the fresh food compartment. The damper is controlled by the main control board and when open, allows the evaporator fan to push chilled air from the evaporator into the fresh food compartment.

 

thanks chat_in_RI for the response. i have actually JUST replaced the damper today also (in an effort to change all major components). i'm a little hesitant about that being the problem, though, because when i flipped the breaker to turn of the fridge and got to the damper it was in the OPEN position. that tells me the fridge had the damper open at the moment i killed the power, no? so it was "trying" to send air to that side. 

 

11 minutes ago, 16345Ed said:

Yep damper good suspect. 

 

Tell us about the procedure you used to replace the thermistors. 

I ask because if those connections get comprised by moisture they could send bad data to the control board. 

thank you 16345Ed for your response.

I changed the thermistors by stripping and winding in wire nuts. then i placed silicone in the small gap in the wire nuts to "seal" them. 

 

So i'm guessing you guys think the damage caused by the screw into the dispenser display assembly circuit board isn't a major culprit?? 

 

thank you again for your responses! 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, WalterP12 said:

 

damper it was in the OPEN position.

 

Ok, so was air passing through it? Is there a difference in air flow through the damper when the freezer door is opened or closed?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you everyone! Replaced the damper and waiting on the display/dispenser assembly to be shipped (back order).  Will let you know how it goes. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Hi all,

Replaced the damper and the display/dispenser assembly and had my fridge running (for 4 weeks) like never before - it would actually stop running WAY more times during the day than it ever did and temperatures were holding great.  Now, I have a new, but similar, problem - i'm getting -7 to -9 readings in the freezer, but NOW my fridge stays perfect at 37. Could this be the thermistors in the freezer??? 

Thanks again for your help

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/29/2016 at 9:25 AM, WalterP12 said:

Hi all,

Replaced the damper and the display/dispenser assembly and had my fridge running (for 4 weeks) like never before - it would actually stop running WAY more times during the day than it ever did and temperatures were holding great.  Now, I have a new, but similar, problem - i'm getting -7 to -9 readings in the freezer, but NOW my fridge stays perfect at 37. Could this be the thermistors in the freezer??? 

Thanks again for your help

Scratch that.... ended up being the same problem... -11 in freezer, 45 in fridge.... so this time i tried a couple new mini experiments:


1. i threw some thermometers in the fridge and freezer. They were reading almost exactly same temperatures as the fridge was reporting back (-11 & 45)... so that leads me to believe nothing is wrong with the thermistors as you mentioned i changed above - looks like they are reading properly.
2. Then I jacked up the freezer temperature to 6 and lowered the fridge temperature to 34... doing so shifts my ACTUAL temperatures to -4 and 43... slightly "better" and closer to our nominal.. but clearly a delta of about 9 degrees on each side (from what is set, to the actual).... 

so am i back to a defrost problem??? the only components that i have NOT changed yet are the "thermostat cutoff" and the Pan that's in there... do i need to try that icing kit? 

or maybe it's NOT a defrost problem??... maybe i need another main control board or can it be the HMI board???.... running out of parts here, haha

Thanks again for all of your help!! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 years later...

I'd be very curious if you ever resolved this.  I've been having the same problem for years.  Have to manually defrost every few months.  Pls let me know, thanks! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

@walterP12

I am curious if you solved the problem too. 

I am having the exact same problem where freezer stays at -10F and fresh food 46F. I have tried to replace the two thermistors in the FF which did not fix the problem (the new and existing thermistors have almost identical impedance readings); I tried replacing the damper assembly to no avail (again the new and existing damper have the same impedance readings). 

The evap fan works OK: I feel strong cold air in the freezer -- there is an air duct in at the back of the ice maker, so I can feel it. On the other hand, I can feel cold air at the damper door when it opens, but air flow is not strong enough. 

I am running out of ideas where to look. Can someone help?

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

RE:  GE Monogram refrigerator side by side with icing problem, too cold in freezer and too warm in fridge

Anyone come up with a solution to this issue as stated in #37379?  I've been replacing parts but same problem.  I defrost manually then 7 to 10 days later freezer gets 15 degrees colder than I set and the fresh food side gets warmer than I set, usually about 15 to 20 degrees.  I am wondering if the problem relates to insufficient defrosting as I get no water under the compressor pan other than when I defrost.  Seems like replacing parts isn't the issue?  After defrosting I slowly get a buildup of ice and frost in the evap lower area.  The upper evap doesn't seem to get any permanent frost that I can see in the front anyway.  Seems like the icing of the evap slows airflow to the fresh food allowing it to warm up and the freezer to get much colder.  

Thanks!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Luv GE sounds to me like you may have a sealed system problem, (Low on Freon/R134a)

If only the lower part of the evaporator coil is frosting over it most likely never gets cold enough to close the defrost t-stat, (that is at the top of the evaporator coil), so when it goes into defrost the heaters never turn on. 

The compressor just shuts off during the 20-30 minute defrost period then restarts without melting any of the ice built up on lower section of the coil then when the lower section is all plugged with ice not more airflow can get to the refrig section and the compressor runs constantly trying to cool thus getting the freezer colder.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...