Rep: 71
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Hello -- I have frost build up in the back freezer wall of a GE fridge (model; GSH25JSXL SS). As a result, it is preventing any ice cubes to be formed and is causing the refrigerator to be less cold than usual.
I called a local repair shop on the phone and they want to replace the defrost heater, but I'm not sure.
What's the problem cause and suggestions to fix it? Thanks in advance!
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Rep: 26,3k
152
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Pretty much comes down to 3 items:
1).Defrost heater
2). Defrost limit switch - Usually a bi-metal switch in series with the heater and shuts it down if it goes over a certain temperature.
3). Defrost timer - The "brains" of the refrigerator. Tells the temperature switch when it is allowed to tell the compressor to run. Takes the temperature switch's control away (every 8, 10, or 12 hours depending on the setup) and tells the defrost heater to work for 20 - 30 minutes (depending on setup). Then gives control back to the temperature switch after the defrost cycle.
Slim chance but, still possible, is an ice bullet in the freon line or a burnt wire.
I don't know how anyone could know which is the problem child without going to where the refrigerator is and testing it. I have over 25 years experience repairing refrigerators. If you are handy with a multimeter and mechanically inclined, it is a repair you could do yourself. The repair place isn't really steering you wrong, in my opinion.
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Thanks for your detailed reply! I've ordered #1 and plan to DIY; I checked a YTube video to replace the defrost heater -- any particular things to be careful about? Any guides/videos on how to check for issues with #2 and #3 using the multimeter. For the ice bullet issue in the Freon line, would there be symptoms that I can look out for?
The repair place is asking $$$ just to check the issue + parts and labour so I'm inclined to give it a try myself.
Thank you bad ass info! I had the problem and felt so empowered calling the repair folks with intel like this so that I didn't seem like a idiot! APPRECIATED you rock! Thanks!
I Have the same problem and the place I bought it from sent a guy out he said we will unplug it let it sit overnight and he would come back and see what the problem is after the ice build up is gone! I Am no Refrig tech but I would think he could have tested whatever it may be the same day he came out I Emptied the entire Fridge already all he did was look at the board in the back used needle nose plyers and touched something that sparked. It has a warranty still and only almost 3 months old I had the same issue on another Fridge and that tech told me it was the seals on the Doors! On my GE it started out as a noise I thought it was a fan or the compressor rattling am not sure but that stopped after I turned it off and emptied it. I Turned it back on and no noise but it was not cooling or freezing still.
do u have any videos to show for a 1985 ge refridgerator that has ice buildup back of freezer wall and preventing fridge from getting cold enough
I just replaced the evaporator fan. the plug on the new fan only had four terminals the original had six.the missing two terminals went to some kind of metal sensor on the cooling coil.I cut the plug off the old fan and connected those two sensor wires but I may have reversed the polarity on the sensor. would that cause the auto defrost to stop working ?
Rep: 49
1
I pay dearly to keep the GE Profile refrigerator that I have in a service agreement because it requires service about every 6 months due to icing up the back panel. Also water accumulates under the produce drawer and freezes so solid that the drawer won't open. The service folks tell me these models were outsourced by GE to Samsung and Samsung will not provide GE with design to remedy the problem that is prevalent in all of these model. This is so wrong! I sure wish someone would initiate a class action suit. Right now we are deicing it to get us through the holidays .
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Add me to the list of people with this same problem. In our case, the fridge side will start warming up first and then the freezer side will rise above freezing. If we don't do anything, after about 4 or 5 days like that -- no "freezer", and using the freezer side as our fridge for those several days -- it will start working properly. First, the freezer side will go back down below 32 and gradually, the fridge side will start cooling, although I don't think it gets back as cold as it should. Then for about a week, it is fine and then it starts all over again. So I don't think it could be the defrost heater itself. So I'm guessing it's an erratic defrost timer. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Incidentally, we did the empty and unplug for 2 days with the doors open to completely defrost it. It worked for about 2 1/2 weeks that time before the ice started building up and it started to screw up again.
Well had this GE Profile old dinosaur refrigerator side-by-side with the ice maker with the same problem y'all are having but this is the first time I know in 15 years that this thing iced up I wish you all luck with your product. Just remember that even though they're servicemen they can also be salesmen I would get a second and third opinion if possible, and be prepared if you do defrost your refrigerator there will definitely be Bunches of water running out the bottom so keep towels handy
Check left side exterior wall use a temperature gun I have seen a void in wall allowing humidity to lean into fresh food icing up evaporator.use your hand to sense temp differences on the wall. Compare temp of left side wall to right side wall. Lastly push on the metal exterior of left side wall see if it flexes or pops. Voids are non repairable fyi
Rep: 49
1
I have same thing on a 2015 model where inside freezer beneath the drawers freezes up with ice & ice leaks all over floor. About every 10-14 days we have to empty freezer & chip ice out then replace drawers & food. Done this since 1 year warranty was up. Had repair man out who pushed warranty a little since it had been doing this and having extreme moisture condensation issues since brand new. Though it was just me, opening both doors too much or that it was a French door refrigerator. It was at the time the no fingerprints new finish.so entire kitchen over 10k in new appliances match. So getting a new one not an option. This is a ridiculous problem for GE not to address. The service guy did replace the freezer defroster motor/ fan and it fixed the condensation problem but not the bottom freezing up & water leaking all over the floor bi-weekly. No more GE for me ever! Husband says it bad engineering, & now an extra defrost freezer instead of a frost free. I call it a POS.
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I had every working part in the freezer changed all to no avail and I was told by the service tech that there was no fix and that it was deigned bad. Bought a new one for sure a different name brand GE is no longer what it used to be.
I basically have same problem with my GE refrigerator just keeps freezing up in back panel and reason I know it's froze is because I Can here the fan scrapping the ice had a guy Come by to fix it but he scraped all the ice out and said he didn't know what the issue was and he Couldn't find any research on it very disappointed in this brand I love how it's set up but to many problems
Hey Janey, not sure if you figured out your freezer floor freezing over yet, but i had this issue as well in my GE and had to use a hair drying to unfreeze the drain at the bottom of the freezer. Basically, the drain was clogged with ice and wouldn't allow the excess water to drain out of the freezer which would cause it to build up at the bottom and then freeze over. After I got that small drain hole in the bottom back of the freezer unclogged everything worked normally again.
Rep: 25
1
I've had this problem where the unit behind the back wall freezes up causing water/ice to form in the bottom shelf or developing ice that interrupts the fan. We have called a repair person out 3 times. His comment each time is this is a common problem with GE refrigerators caused by poor design and essentially not repairable. We are finally convinced the only solution short of buying a new one other than GE or to defrost it every one or two months. Repair guy says Samsung is even worse.
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We've had the same problem. The repair guy had us empty it and turn it off overnight. Then came in and installed a heater to prevent it from happening again. That was in April. It's now frozen again. He said the same thing, Samsung is even worse.
But, at least on our model, you needed to do that every 2 days, maybe 3 at the most. Eventually, I waited too long and it had frozen solid. In trying to break the ice free, the dial broke off completely.
But the good news, is that it solved the problem permanently, by making it impossible for it to freeze that opening/regulator solid. No problems for over 3 years now.
2 warnings: its probably using more energy, as the entire front perimeter of the freezer section is always incredibly hot -- mostly the top half of the front strip between the fridge and freezer
Secondly, the fridge control is useless.
It is always at about 35 to 37 degrees on the fridge side.
Again, that's great for food safety and longevity, but not very good for efficiency.
I guess I should add the third warring, in that I'm certain it's shortening the lifespan of the unit, but so far that's just conjecture.
Hifigator
Rep: 13
1
I Had my GE frosting up everywhere inside..Kept defrosting and cleaning it out, and the same thing kept happening.
Went away for two months, and when I got home, it was all frosted up inside, and there was a huge chunk of ice by the ice dispenser…that’s when I noticed the ice dispenser flap was open! I worked it back and forth till I got it to close on its own again, and it has fixed my problem for now…I’ll have to see how to replace the flap and spring mechanism that shuts it..
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John, if you haven’t already found out (& for others who have a ‘flap problem’, there’s nothing wrong with the flap. The problem is with a solenoid that gets worn &/or rusted from the ice dispenser. It’s a relatively easy replacement, done mine several times. The part is $15-35 depending on where you get it (Amazon or an online parts co.). GE repair is well over $100 to have them do it. If I recall, it’s just a total of 6 screws & plenty of instructions/videos online. Just search GE solenoid replacement & use your model # to get the correct part.
I’ve had all these replaced and still it freezes up on the back wall (freezer side) Refrigerator Defrost Bi-Metal Thermostat Quantity:1
WR55X10942. Refrigerator Electronic Control Board Quantity:1
WR55X10025
Refrigerator Temperature Sensor Quantity:1
I will never own a GE Refrig again as long as I live. They are horrible
Have had our GE side by side for 27 years and no problems. Just started icing on the freezer coils and my husband replaced the timer and thermostat and it still does it. I was thinking of getting a GE Profile, but am put off by these comments.
Don’t do it! New GE’s are made in China. Mine went out shortly after 1 yr warranty. I have replaced defrost heater, sensor, thermistor, evap fan assembly and it is freezing up again. So frustrated!
Rep: 49
1
Most modern fridges and freezers are frost-free but older models will need regular defrosting to prevent the build-up of ice. You should always defrost if the ice becomes 3mm or more thick.
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My GE profile did the same as all y’all I took my defrost heater out and seen one of the plugs were melted which melted term end of heater so put new spade connector on and install new heater and bi metal thermostat. Almost a year later and it’s working like a charm. Hope that helps. Matt Okc,Ok
Rep: 5,4k
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My sister’s GE had an identical problem. Technician replaced a control board. Though it was in need of new capacitors, it was not the cause of the problem. The typical cause of this problem is a bad freezer seal. After careful inspection of the seal, I could not see any leaks. I then removed the seal and as I closed the freezer door I sensed that something was keeping it from closing completely. I found that to be the lower drawer. For some reason it was sticking out just a little too far and it was not because something was holding it from completely retracting. I pulled the front plastic façade off and the door shut completely. I replaced the seal and everything was fine — until it developed another problem. She got rid if it.
A friend called me for an identical problem. I told him to check that the door was closing. He said it did. When I went over to see, it was not because a drawer was not fully retracting because it has come off the slides. After repositioning the drawer to retract, everything was fine.
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Had same ongoing issue with my GE side-by-side. The lower freezer coil would freeze up. I would defrost it manually with a hair dryer (or carefully with a heat gun). Then I would check the major components (defrost heaters, defrost thermostat, defrost timer) for continuity with an ohm meter. Everything would check out. I did this on my own after previously having repairmen out to fix the problem and they seemed sure it was the heating elements which they replaced. But, sometime later, the same frosting issue would occur. Now it happens about every two months even though the three elements mentioned above check out ok.
Then I started to wonder why is the bottom defrost heater the only one freezing up with ice and not the top heater? After doing a little more research I think my problem may be a weak refrigerant system (leak, blockage, low on refrigerant?). I am thinking due to a low pressure that an ice plug develops in the lower coil and then nothing gets through to the top coil. Thoughts?
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ABCellars answer sounds good but in the search for anytime similar for my GE side-by-side refrigerator #GSS25XSPABS in the freezer parts section I can only find a Refrigerator Temp Sensor and Defrost Thermostat. Would either of these be another name for a defrost heater, limit switch or timer?
door CK
Solution. Store your food in a good quality esky that will keep it cool or switch to non perishable food for a day or two-Turn the fridge off and make sure everything is out of the fridge and freezer including ice build up. If possible leave both doors open -take care if you have small children make sure they can't get into the fridge freezer spaces and close the doors-jam something in the space. Check the back to see if there is any dust on anything - vaccum this up-carefully not to break anything. Once the fridge has been off for awhile feel the outside fridge/ freezer walls to see if there are any cold spots-this is ice build up in the walls. Leave fridge defrost until this area becomes neutral-don't be impatient-this will take a day or two. Voila fridge is fixed. Get a fridge thermometer to check your settings when you switch it back on. Humidity is a bugger.
door canlen
How can the problem be fixed by just letting the refrigerator defrost on its owm for a day or two ???
door Bo Gregory
I agree, Bo. I am now completely defrosting my GE every two weeks. All moisture out, completely dry, two days. Fire it up, and it frosts up in 10 days. Completely blown off compressor, coils, etc in back. A clue might be there is no drainage coming out to the evap pan, so I am suspecting the "defroster heater". The water in the door has never worked because the line freezes up immediately! This was an expensive frig and is only about 6 years old.
door Jim Penson
Same problem--mine is an HSM25GFTSA, and I started having to defrost it manually about three years after I bought it. I've replaced the defrost heater several times, along with the defrost thermostat and thermisters. No more GEs for me.
door Buffy Finestone
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