Part Location Diagram of WR50X10068 GE Defrost Thermostat
See part 240 in the diagram
Replacing your General Electric Refrigerator Defrost Thermostat
( Grid squares measure 1x1 inch )
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Defrost Thermostat WR50X10068

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★★★★★
18 Reviews

Rated by 103 customers 

Easy 

30 - 60 mins 

Ratings submitted by customers like you who bought this part.

$ 29.26
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PartSelect Number PS1017716
Manufacturer Part Number WR50X10068
Manufactured by GE
Product Description

Defrost Thermostat Specifications

This defrost termination thermostat (Defrost Limiter Thermostat, High Limit Thermostat, Refrigerator Defrost Bi-Metal Thermostat) acts as a safety device to stop the evaporator coil from overheating, by turning off the defrost heater at the end of the defrost cycle. This part attaches to the tubing of the evaporator coil in the freezer. A faulty defrost termination thermostat may result in the defrost heater never heating and a solid frost buildup on the evaporator coil, which results in too warm temperatures. The thermostat contacts are normally closed and have continuity until it reaches 140 degrees. If this high limit thermostat is open at room temperature or colder, it is defective. This limit thermostat has an attached mounting clip and comes with pink and amber wire leads. The thermostat is 1 inch in diameter and 1/2 inch thick, the 2 wire leads are 10 inches long.
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Part Videos
Difficulty: Easy | Tools Required: Screw drivers,Nutdriver
Repair Tip: Before you replace this part, ensure that there is no frost buildup in your freezer as it can interfere with the thermostat reading.

Replacing your General Electric Refrigerator Defrost Thermostat

Replacing your General Electric Refrigerator Defrost Thermostat

What Causes Frost Buildup in Your Fridge?

What Causes Frost Buildup in Your Fridge?

Test If Your Electrical Part is Failing - Multimeter Tool

Test If Your Electrical Part is Failing - Multimeter Tool
Troubleshooting
This part fixes the following symptoms:
Fridge too warm | Freezer section too warm | Freezer not defrosting | Frost buildup
This part works with the following products:
Refrigerator.
This part works with the following products:
General Electric, Hotpoint.
Part# WR50X10068 replaces these:
AP3884317, 1170024, WR50X10068, WR50X10015, WR50X10017, WR50X10018, WR50X10028, WR50X10051, WR50X10052, WR50X10053, WR50X10054, WR50X10074, WR50X10075, WR50X10079
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Customer Reviews
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Customer Repair Stories
 Average Repair Rating: 3.4 / 5.0, 103 reviews. What's this?
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Sorry, we couldn't find any existing installation instruction that matched.
The tempeture for both the freezer and the fridge would be all over the place
Troubleshot the tempeture sensors and the resistance was alot lower than the specs called for had to replace the evap fan being 1 of the sensors is connected to the evap fan . Start by removing all the food from the.freezer and bottom section of the fridge . Remove all the shelves and bins in freezer and shelf and drawers.on the lower section of the fridge .remove the ice bin , and the ice.machine remove the light shroud, and.bulbs, push tabs on the light sockets and pull the sockets from the housing.. and then push the sockets through the holes of housing remove all the screws from the rear wall from top to bottom upon removal of the section just under the ice.machine and behind the light socket you.will find the evap fan and it's bracket remove the 2 screws and pull straight up on the fan blade be carefully to not break its best to pull from the center of fan blade .remove the clip and thermistor that's connected to top of the evap coil. While your there remove the defrost thermostat to do this the clamp that holds it to the coil is a split clamp and you gently push on the clamp upper section and pull the lower section and it will seperate enough for you to remove the thermostat the other thermistors are in the fridge section 2 are on the divider wall behind the plastic oval plastic.housings one just above the the middle.of fridge the other is.lower section. And finally 1 more is at the very bottom of fridge last drawer on right hand side to.remove this you need to remove the light cover. Remove the plastic half round plastic deflector and the foam behind it remove the water reservoir screws and open the freezer at the bottom center wall at the back is a round plastic damper cover with a Phillip screw remove that ,on fridge side remove the 4 screws that hold the lower damper housing to the bottom of fridge gently and slowly work your way around the center seam and aeperate the upper cover of damper housing and expose the thermistor and replace. Note on all the thermistors just cut off enough to splice in replacement I personally used water tight heat shrink soldered type butts work great
Other Parts Used:
Evaporator Fan Motor Dispenser Door Solenoid Assembly Defrost Thermostat Temperature Sensor
  • Joseph from CANOGA PARK, CA
  • Difficulty Level:
    Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    30 - 60 mins
  • Tools:
    Nutdriver, Screw drivers
4 of 4 people found this instruction helpful.
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Freezer coils icing over, not defrosting
diagram from part select matched my fridge perfect. i ordered all parts that involve defrosting coils. ( defrost heater 618, defrost thermostat 620, defrost thermostat 627 ). two wires involved with thermostat, just removed all old parts and replaced with new. Part Select videos helped demonstrate the projects well.
Other Parts Used:
Defrost Thermostat Defrost Thermostat Temperature Sensor Defrost Heater
  • John from BELLEVILLE, IL
  • Difficulty Level:
    Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    30 - 60 mins
  • Tools:
    Pliers, Screw drivers, Socket set
2 of 2 people found this instruction helpful.
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Refrigerators part send was incorrect at first
Sorry didn't receive the part to repair has not arrive on 8 now is later not good gold on 11 day to repair a part order this pass weekend no change for mail soon or giving a 10% discount
Other Parts Used:
Run Capacitor Defrost Thermostat
  • Alexander from INDIAN LAND, SC
  • Difficulty Level:
    Really Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    30 - 60 mins
  • Tools:
    Wrench set
1 person found this instruction helpful.
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THE REFRIGERATOR SECTION WAS WARM
I removed the freezer main draw, top draw, plastic guide rail and the metal right side rail. I also removed the ice maker and ice draw. Then remove back panel that holds the evaporator fan. Once panel is removed you can access wires for thermostat and temperature sensor. Then followed video instructions on replacing each part.
Other Parts Used:
Run Capacitor Defrost Thermostat Temperature Sensor
  • texton from flushing, NY
  • Difficulty Level:
    A Bit Difficult
  • Total Repair Time:
    1- 2 hours
  • Tools:
    Nutdriver, Screw drivers, Socket set
3 of 4 people found this instruction helpful.
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freezer frosting in back, refrigerator compartment warm
I followed the partselect videos for the temp sensor and defrost thermostat and the refrigerator has been working well for a about a week now. The refrigerator is old enough that I was just going to replace it. When I called the repair company I use, they said it would cost $200 to $300 for the repair, but I didn't want to put that money into an old refrigerator. I did a little research, found this site and figured it would be worth buying about $20 in parts and giving it a try. I have absolutely no experience working on refrigerators, but the videos were so easy to follow, everything went smoothly. The old thermostat was definitely broken when I checked it with a meter, so I'm pretty confident that the problem is fixed.
Other Parts Used:
Defrost Thermostat Temperature Sensor
  • Scott from EL DORADO HLS, CA
  • Difficulty Level:
    Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    1- 2 hours
  • Tools:
    Screw drivers, Socket set
1 person found this instruction helpful.
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The refrigerator and freezer were running hot.
I followed the onsite video and had no problems. Shut off refrigerator, removed storage trays and bind, removed the rear panel under the light, identified the orange and pink electrical wires and cut them. Spliced the new wires of the thermostat with refrigerator wire and capped them, applied electrical tape to insure no moister makes contact with wires. Replaced rear panel and storage racks and bind. Plugged in the refrigerator and it is operations like new. I was about to purchase a new refrigerator for $ 1,300.00 and the thermostat costed $ 13.00. What a Christmas present!
  • Glenn from GLENSIDE, PA
  • Difficulty Level:
    Really Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    30 - 60 mins
  • Tools:
    Pliers, Screw drivers
2 of 2 people found this instruction helpful.
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Our side by side refridgerator the freezer side was freezing up.
After turning off power and unthawing back cover so I could remove it. Then I had remove all of the ice from the coils with a hair dryer. After everything was unthawed I removed the temperature sensor from the coil tubing and cut the wires. I skinned the wires on the new sensor and crimped a butt splice on each wire. I skinned each wire in the freezer then crimped butt splices to each wire. After taping the connections with black tape I reinstalled the back cover and turned on the power. So far it has been two weeks and there Is no frost and the refridgerator is working fine.
Other Parts Used:
Defrost Thermostat Temperature Sensor
  • David from UPPER SANDSKY, OH
  • Difficulty Level:
    Really Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    30 - 60 mins
  • Tools:
    Nutdriver, Screw drivers
1 person found this instruction helpful.
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Staying on defrost too long. Ice melting and as a result ice maker not working do to re-freeze
Per vidios
Other Parts Used:
Defrost Thermostat Temperature Sensor
  • Paul from TOMS RIVER, NJ
  • Difficulty Level:
    Really Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    30 - 60 mins
  • Tools:
    Nutdriver
1 person found this instruction helpful.
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Refrigerator warm, freezer cold.
I diagnosed the problem using the guidelines on the website using the refrigerator model number. Refrigerator was warm and freezer had frost buildup on back panel. I followed the instructions in the video and removed the back panel with a screwdriver. The coils were completely covered in ice. I let the ice defrost by itself as this is a spare garage refrigerator and I had the time. Once the ice was melted I was able to remove the defrost heater harness with a screwdriver. The tube was black as described by others. Installation of the new heater harness was easy and the wires didn't need splicing because they were long enough. I also replaced the defrost thermostat as well as the sensors since I had the thing apart anyway. I am a 69-yr old woman DIY-er. Videos were very clear and I was able to save at least the cost of just a repair visit before parts and labor. Fridge has been running great for two weeks now.
Other Parts Used:
Defrost Heater Harness Kit Defrost Thermostat
  • Annette from IOWA CITY, IA
  • Difficulty Level:
    Really Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    30 - 60 mins
  • Tools:
    Nutdriver, Screw drivers
1 person found this instruction helpful.
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Refrigerator warm, Freezer too cold, not defrosting
After unplugging the refrigerator-freezer and emptying out the contents I snipped off the refrigerator thermistor, stripped off the wire insulation and used a butt splice. That did not solve the problem. So, a day later I unplugged the refrigerator again, transferred the freezer contents to a newly purchased small freezer unit, took off the back panel inside the freezer portion, and saw a large amount of ice build-up on the silver coils inside. This ice was quickly melted off using a hair dryer and packing towels below this accumulated ice. Then I snipped off the two freezer thermister sensors and the defrost sensor. I soldered the wires together for a hard splice, wrapped the individual wires with rubber electrical tape, and then wrapped that with plastic electrical tape. After re-assembly, the refrigerator-freezer has been working flawlessly for over a week at optimal temperatures.
Other Parts Used:
Defrost Thermostat Temperature Sensor
  • Daniel from Rindge, NH
  • Difficulty Level:
    Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    1- 2 hours
  • Tools:
    Nutdriver
1 person found this instruction helpful.
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Questions and Answers

Ask our experts a question about this part and we'll get back to you as soon as possible!

49 questions answered by our experts.
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Sorry, we couldn't find any existing answers that matched.Try using some different or simpler keywords, or submit your new question by using the "Ask a Question" button above!
Diaz
July 20, 2017
I was told to replace the defrost limiter thermostat when I realized that my freezer is getting too hot during the defrost cycle but it didn’t fix the problem. I don’t want to keep guessing and checking what the problem is because that will eventually get too expensive. Based on my symptoms what should I check for next?
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Hello Diaz, the thermistor found on top of the evaporator is the most likely reason you are experiencing these symptoms. To replace this part, you can find it here WR55X10025. Best of luck with this repair.

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Tania
July 20, 2017
My fridge is maxed out on settings and will not get cold. The freezer seems to be in good condition though. What could be causing only my fridge to stay warm? Where should is tart looking/what am I looking for?
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Hi Tania, we recommend first checking the evaporator coils in the freezer to see if there is ice affecting them. Then we suggest checking the evaporator fan motor to make sure it is running. If the coils are impacted then you are looking at a defrost problem, and the defrost thermostat and defrost heater need testing for continuity. If that check goes well that leaves you with a defrost control issue.

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MATTHEW
August 12, 2017
Is their a way to test the defrost thermostat?
For model number 6SS23SGSASS
PartSelect logo
Hi Matthew, Thank you for your inquiry. Yes there is a way. You will have to us a multi-meter to test the defrost thermostat. What you will have to do first is calibrate your multi-meter. Set it all the way to its lowest setting. Then calibrate the needle so that it is set on to zero. After you have disconnected the power to your appliance and taken the part out, take both probes and touch them to the defrost thermostat's terminals. If the needle stays on zero or reads infinite ohms, that means that your part needs to be replaced. Good luck with your repair!

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Ian
December 23, 2017
My freezer was jam packed with frost and ice. I manually defrosted it with a hair dryer. What should the defrost thermostat read in ohms? If at room temperature? And if in ice water?
For model number GSH22JFTA
PartSelect logo
Hello Ian, Thanks for your question. This part should read 0 ohms in a frosty setting. It will read "closed" at room temperature.The defrost thermostat opens at around 150 degrees as it is an overtemp. We would advise testing the sensor on the upper left side of the evaporator for resistance as well. In frost, it should read 42.2k ohms, and would read 5k ohms at room temperature. I hope this helps.

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Related Parts:
Radu
October 26, 2017
I took a thermistor original by GE and it has a red thick cable and a white one.How can I fit the cables with the red and orange of the original thermistor?
For model number PIG21MIMHFBB
PartSelect logo
Hi Radu, Thank you for the question.The defroster thermostats do not have a positive or negative side so it makes no difference which of the 2 wires connects to each other, It is just passing voltage from one side to the other when in defrost. Hope this helps!

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Henry
July 20, 2017
I installed the defrost limiter thermostat and my fridge will no longer turn on. What did I do wrong when making this installation?
PartSelect logo
Hi Henry, installing a defrost thermostat incorrectly would not affect the fridge turning on. If your unit is not running at all, the most common reason would be a problem with the defrost control. Please let us know if you have any further questions.

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Gary
January 10, 2019
At what temperature does sensor open and close
PartSelect logo
Hello Gary, thank you for your question. Unfortunately, we do not have the specifications on this part. We were able to find some information on what the reading should be when tested. The defrost thermistor located on the evaporator should have a resistance of 42.2K ohms of resistance. I hope this helps!

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James
September 15, 2017
Refrigerator isn't getting cold and the freezer is workin fine. What part do i need?
For model number GSS22JFMDWW
PartSelect logo
Hi James, Thank you for your question. I would suggest checking your defrost thermostat, defrost heater, and your temperature sensor. You can test these parts with a multimeter. Good luck with your repair.

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Fernando
October 10, 2017
Where this part is located in freezer? Thank you.
For model number PSC23SGRDSS
PartSelect logo
Hi Fernando, Thank you for your question. This part is attached to your evaporator. You would have to get at the part through the back panel of your freezer. Good luck with your repair.

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Joe
July 31, 2018
Is there a way to check thermistor with a meter
PartSelect logo
Hello Joe, Thank you for the question. Yes there is a way to test the thermostat . You will have to us a multi-meter to test the defrost thermostat. What you will have to do first is calibrate your multi-meter. Set it all the way to its lowest setting. Then calibrate the needle so that it is set on to zero. After you have disconnected the power to your appliance and taken the part out, take both probes and touch them to the defrost thermostat's terminals. If the needle stays on zero or reads infinite ohms, that means that your part needs to be replaced. Good luck with your repair!

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