Z1CS360NRGLH - GE monogram bottom mount freezer - not cooling

[Don Mill$]

Hi Master Samari Techs. 

I hope that you all had a great holiday and you aren't partying to hard on a Saturday night.

A couple days ago, my ( 2006 made ) fridge was found warm. The fans were working, the lights were on, the temperature display showed no sign of error codes.  I cut the power, carefully cleaned very dirty coils,  turned it back on and patiently waited a day for changes.  After waiting a day , It seemed to be working again, the temperatures were at the set points, and the compressor was a bit warm.  I was greatly relieved. 

Unfortunately it didn't last.  The fridge and freezer has gone warm again. Fans, lights etc continue to work.   I went searching for answers and found an excellent video of yours that describes how to test an inverter and compressor.  As I was about to go through the steps, and I had a thought ( uh oh) to check temperatures, thinking that I could measure the temperature increase of the compressor and invertor to see if they were working.  Anyway I pulled out my Digital Laser Thermometer and found that the temperatures were indeed higher than the surrounding area and settled to about 2.5 degrees higher.   Ok, so I thought, it must be working, and so I waited .  I checked again and found that the temperature has gone down to ambient, actually slightly cooler, but that's due to the fan I think. 

Before I begin pulling apart the fridge to find the main board, is there any correlation to the symptoms I'm seeing and a bad inverter, compressor or motherboard?

If any of these things are bad,, do they go bad slowly in spits and spurts?  for example will a bad compressor work for a day and then not work for a day? will a bad inverter work and then shut down?

Also, I'm not sure if the fridge fan is supposed to slow down after a while.  it seems that when initially depressed it is feeling and sounding strong, but a little while later (20 secs?) it seems to sound slow er, almost if it has begun to take a load on.

While I'm at it, in the comments section of the video, about 5 years ago, there is reference made to cycling the power on the inverter. While it seemed to be a valid thought,  there is no discussion of the process after that early set of comments.  Should I bother with that process?

Also any idea where i'm going to find the main board? is it in the back? or hopefully its under some sort of panel inside so I don't have to try and pull this fridge out of the cabinets. 

Your help and patience with my lack of expertise is greatly appreciated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Chat_in_FL]

ZiCS360NRGLH The main control board, located behind a metal cover at the top of the refrigerator in the machine compartment, manages the operation of the refrigerator by calculating response from various inputs. May not be able to see attachment without membership:

Edited January 6, 2019 by Chat_in_FL

[16345Ed]

Need to determine if compressor is actually running is first step. 

Is it vibrating and humming?

if not. Then we diagnose why no power. 

Less color commentary will get you more responses. (Less to read)

[Don Mill$]

Thank you Chat_in_Fla for responding. 

I had already begun the process to take out the fridge so I'm ecstatic to have gotten the message now, as opposed to having pulled it out to find nothing. 

Since I've removed the inverter I can't actually do the diagnostic, but I've determined that I'm getting 7ish volts from the j15 on the mother, and the compressor windings are relatively consistent, but higher than what is in the video.  I suspect that its ok.  By process of elimination I'm thinking it's the inverter that is the problem, but no-one has advised that the inverter can fail and then work again and then fail again.

Also there is some discoloration , like heated areas, on the inverter casing.  Going back to the video comments I think someone suggested that the discoloration is another indication of a bad inverter.  I've looked on one face of the inverter board and don't see any burned out connections, or broken solder.  Perhaps its on the other side, which I didn't figure out on how to remove form the plastic case in was inserted to. 

Without knowing what else to consider I'm looking for an inverter.  WR55X10490

Any other suggestions?

Thanks again .

 

[Don Mill$]

Hi 16345Ed .  sorry for the extra words, I get it. Thanks for responding.

I was not able to sense any vibration or humming, others have mentioned that its very quiet and so I figured heat might indicate to me on whether it was operating. 

I have checked the windings and they are relatively consistent.. could it still be a compressor problem?

[16345Ed]

No likely either main board or inverter. 

Usually inverter. 

[Don Mill$]

ok thanks for the confirmation.

[Don Mill$]

looks like the new inverter is what it needed.. thank you.

[16345Ed]

16 hours ago, Don Mill$ said:

looks like the new inverter is what it needed.. thank you.

Thanks for coming back and following up. 

Good job!