How to find a substitute thermostat for freezer model FCM5DMCWH

[qkcam]

I have determined the thermostat is bad in my freezer and having a hard time finding a replacement .  the part number is WR09X10053.   the appliance part stores say it is not longer available and there is no cross reference.     the only one i can find is on ebay for $65 !   more than i think the freezer is worth.  

any idea on how I might be able to use a substitute  from a different model?  thanks 

[16345Ed]

If you don’t think it’s worth $65 buy a new one. Geesh. 

[qkcam]

well i think it cost me $40 bucks and  I have no idea how old it is . .looks very old.  i got it used.  have had it for  over 4 years..used it for ice machine following rotator cuff surgery.  a new one cost over $150.     and i am on a limited income.   so i had to get creative and will look for a new "used" one.  actually found one for free. 

and since I bypassed the thermostat.. i am using an appliance timer to run it about 1/2 time.   a repair person told me freezer run about 1/2 to 3/4 of the time.. so i am experimenting with the timer i had on hand in the meantime.      sometimes  i have to get creative.   i haven't yet found a tree that grows money.   

and considering i spend 10K a year out of pocket on health care-       a penny saved is a penny earned.    '

I also saw that something like this may work   

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074NYSHBM/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A1RUFFFCQ74BCW&psc=1

 

[Rob Fowler]

Considering they have discontinued the cold control for your unit and due to many factors they are not going to make a new part for a set of models of this age your find on amazon could work with some experiments to find the best placement of the probe. 

[darren412]

if you can't afford to spend $65.00 on a new  cold control as 16345ed  has explained you should be doing .   I would suggest you go on craigslist or something and get a free fridge or freezer if available. Even a free fridge that works  will have a freezer.   The advice he gave you is the only sensible professional answer and the proper one.  Any other answer to your solution would not be in your best interest. contact the seller on ebay also and you can make an offer on the cold control also.      Good Luck !

[Gnominator77]

I always had good luck with universal cold control kits made by Ranco. Not sure if there is a version in America but up here in Canada the VF3 is a popular universal replacement. 

https://www.amresupply.com/part/VF3-FREEZER-CONTROL-NO-S

[qkcam]

Gnominator77 gave me an idea.. i started searching for a "universal replacement"    then 

 i pulled out the thermostat it had this part number on it.   WPF 27A-L  just to see if i could open it up and see if there were any obvious things i could fix inside. . 

For now the appliance timer is working  just need to figure out how long to run the freezer and how long to off cycle it ?  

when i type in the part number WPF 27A-L    I found one in china

https://www.yoycart.com/Product/553225547370/

and a bunch on ebay .. if i match the specs I wonder will any of them work? 

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=wpf+27a-L&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=+freezer+wpf+27a-L&_sacat=0

also working at the free or low cost used solution.  however getting rid of my current freezer might not be as easy as pie. 

I will call the Canadian place and see if they know any distrubuters here in the US -  

thanks everyone

 

 

[qkcam]

check this out ..  

https://www.amazon.com/GE-WR50X10085-Freezer-Thermostat/dp/B00MNMPP4Y

it is the same part that is in mine..but the "vendor" model number changed from the  WR09X10053    TO what now is WR50X10085  !  

that is tricky! 

[qkcam]

Ok i have the new thermostat  and trying to take the old one out.. it is sealed in with caulking- managed to get the caulking off, but there is a big black "washer/ seal" type thing.. i have tried pulling and pulling on the thermostat probe but can' t get it to come out.   do i need to destroy the black seal that seems to be holding it in  ?  thank you

[DarkHorse96]

I've also been hunting for a substitute for the GE WR09X10053 part# GE says is the correct replacement for my FCM5DMCWH.  I had little or no luck other than what looked to be discolored, very used-looking parts on eBay.   After seeing QKCAM's post, I bought the Amazon WR50X10085.   But when I attempted to install it, I hit a snag.   The original thermostat on mine was screwed into the back of the temperature adjustment knob's mounting plate with two screws that went through 2 holes into plastic posts on the back of that plate. 

My problem is that the Amazon WR50X10085 has no mounting bracket at all.  So the only thing holding a device that's controlling full amperage 120v power would be the friction press-fit of the shaft into the freezer's control knob. That doesn't seem safe to me.
 

My freezer's original thermostat was labeled "CS6448N" and "WPF27S-103-032").  There was no significant number of visible threads on its shaft.   So I didn't see any obvious way to get the stand-off mount with the screw holes off the original thermostat and onto the WR50X10085.  The 10085's shaft is threaded.   It looked like the tab the knob hits to turn the freezer off prevents the spinner from rotating 360 degrees to unscrew the plate from the original one  (if it is threaded) or to re-screw the old mounting plate onto the 10085.

Just to further confuse the issue, I've since located a supposed "New old stock" WR09X10053 online. for nearly $100.   It's pictures show it does have what looks like a nearly identical mounting plate - but that plate has no screw holes at all.  So apparently the mounting for that thermostat has changed between revisions / serial numbers of this "Compact 5" freezer.

Does anyone have any ideas of how to move the mounting plage from the CS6448N to the WR50X1008?   

Thanks in advance.