Chosen Solution
My GE Profile is warm on the top and the bottom freezer. The lights are on and I cleaned the coil and that did not help. I also do not have an ice build up on the coils, so I don’t think it’s thermostat related. Is it the mother board?
Cause 1 Condenser Fan Motor The condenser fan motor draws air though the condenser coils and over the compressor. If the condenser fan motor is not working properly, the refrigerator won’t cool properly. To determine if the fan motor is defective, first check the fan blade for obstructions. Next, try turning the fan motor blade by hand. If the blade does not spin freely, replace the condenser fan motor. If no obstructions are present and the fan blade spins freely, use a multimeter to test the fan motor for continuity. If the condenser fan motor does not have continuity, replace it. Cause 2 Evaporator Fan Motor The evaporator fan motor draws air over the evaporator (cooling) coils and circulates it throughout the refrigerator and freezer compartments. Some refrigerators have more than one evaporator fan motor. On refrigerators with only one evaporator, the evaporator is located in the freezer compartment. If the evaporator fan is not working, it will not circulate the cold air to the refrigerator compartment. If this occurs, the freezer may still get cold, while the refrigerator will not get cold. To determine if the evaporator fan motor is defective, try turning the fan blade by hand. If the fan blade does not turn freely, replace the fan motor. Additionally, if the motor is unusually noisy, replace it. Finally, if the motor does not run at all, use a multimeter to test the motor windings for continuity. If the windings do not have continuity, replace the evaporator fan motor. Cause 4 Start Relay The start relay works in conjunction with the start winding to start the compressor. If the start relay is defective, the compressor may sometimes fail to run or may not run at all. As a result, the refrigerator will not be cold enough. To determine if the start relay is defective, use a multimeter to test it for continuity between the run and start terminal sockets. If the start relay does not have continuity between the run and start terminal sockets, replace it. In addition, if the start relay has a burnt odor, replace it. Cause 5 Temperature Control Thermostat The temperature control thermostat directs voltage to the compressor, evaporator fan motor, and condenser fan motor (if applicable). If the temperature control thermostat is not working properly, it may prevent the refrigerant system from running. To determine if the thermostat is defective, rotate the thermostat from the lowest setting to the highest setting and listen for a click. If the thermostat clicks, it is not likely defective. If the thermostat does not click, use a multimeter to test the thermostat for continuity. If the temperature control thermostat does not have continuity at any setting, replace it. Cause 6 Temperature Control Board The temperature control board provides voltage to the compressor and fan motors. If the temperature control board is defective, it will stop sending voltage to the cooling system. However, this is not a common occurrence. Control boards are often misdiagnosed—before replacing the control board, first test all of the more commonly defective components. If none of the other components are defective, consider replacing the temperature control board. Cause 7 Start Capacitor The start capacitor provides a boost of power to the compressor during start-up. If the start capacitor isn’t working, the compressor may not start. As a result, the refrigerator will not cool. To determine if the start capacitor is defective, test it with a multimeter. If the start capacitor is defective, replace it. Cause 8 Thermistor The thermistor monitors the refrigerator temperature and sends the temperature reading to the control board. The control board regulates power to the compressor and evaporator fan based on the thermistor readings. If the thermistor is defective, the compressor and evaporator fan may not run when necessary. As a result, the refrigerator will not be cold enough. To determine if the thermistor is defective, test it with a multimeter. The thermistor resistance should change in conjunction with the refrigerator temperature. If the thermistor resistance does not change, or the thermistor does not have continuity, replace the thermistor. Cause 9 Compressor The compressor is a pump which compresses the refrigerant and circulates the refrigerant through the evaporator and condenser coils. If the compressor is not working, the refrigerator won’t cool. However, this is rarely the case. Before replacing the compressor, first check all of the more commonly defective parts. If you have determined that all of the other components are working properly, check the compressor. Use a multimeter to test the continuity between the electrical pins on the side of the compressor. If there is an open circuit, the compressor is likely defective. If the compressor is defective, it must be replaced by a licensed technician. Cause 10 Main Control Board The main control board might be defective. However, this is almost never the cause. Before replacing the main control board, test all of more commonly defective parts. If none of the other components are defective, consider replacing the main control board. UPDATE 9/29/18 Here’s the parts for your fridge: https://www.repairclinic.com/Shop-For-Pa…
Hi @trimer , Please verify the model number as it is not showing any results? If the refrigerator compartment is not getting cold enough it could be a sensor problem or a damper problem or even an evaporator fan or defrost problem as the freezer will always be nearly at the correct temp with a faulty defrost action (evap fan, defrost heater, defrost thermostat) as the evap unit is located there but if the fan is iced up or faulty or the damper is faulty, no cold air will be blown into the fridge compartment. The freezer temp varying could be the auto defrost cycle in action. During the auto defrost cycle, the freezer temp is allowed to rise to ~0 C. This allows the ice build up on the evaporator unit to melt and drain away to the evaporator pan under the fridge. The defrost cycle occurs once every 6-11 hours (depends on manufacturer) and lasts for about 15-25 minutes. During the defrost cycle the compressor and the evaporator fan are both turned off. The defrosting is sped up by turning on a defrost heater in the freezer under the evap unit as you don’t want the food to even begin to thaw. After the defrost cycle has been completed the compressor and fan are turned on again to drive the freezer temp back down to ~18-20 C and the refrigerator temp back down to ~3-5 C. This takes a bit of time depending on how often the freezer and fridge door are opened due to normal use as the evap fan is turned off when a door (any door) is opened to prevent the cold air being blown out of the compartments. Obviously warmer outside air gets in which may slow down the drop in temperature. Do not confuse the evaporator fan which is inside the freezer compartment behind a panel with the condenser fan which is outside the compartments near the compressor unit. The condenser fan can run whether the doors are open or not.
@allieb , The digital display not working along with the refrigerator not running is not a good sign. Was there a power surge or outage just before the fridge stopped working? Try to reset the refrigerator by disconnecting the power cord from the wall outlet and then wait 5 minutes before plugging it back in and check what happens. If it still won’t start then there may be a problem with the control board
Hi @G Corpus What is the make and model number of the refrigerator? Are the condenser coils clean and free of dust. Usually the condenser fan’s operation is controlled by a thermistor near (on?) the condenser that signals the control board to turn the fan on or off depending on the temp of the condenser. Since the compressor is running hot, what are the fridge/freezer temps like? If both warm, check for oil residues below the compressor and on condenser coils. If any this may indicate a leak of refrigerant. What is the problem with the refrigerator?
