CST20KABCWH Hotpoint Refrigerator - Instructions

about every 5 to 7 days I had to take freezer panel off and take a hair dryer to get the ice out or fridge would get warm. Thanks to finding this sight and a little reading I replace the Defrost heater Harness which came with two Heaters and a Defrost thermostat. GE wanted $87 just to come out- Service Charge. Got part here for $54. There are two screws at top of freezer panel and two at bottom of panel. Removed and took hair dryer to get ice out -about 15 minutes. Replace heater harness. two screws on bottom heater and two screws on top heater. Wiring harness was already prewired. just had to take out the old one and put the new one in . Took about 5 minutes to put the two heaters in place, put screws back in and plug harness back up at top of evaporator. Very easy. put panel back on and done. Works great again. Found out one of the heaters was burn out -the bottom. Could have just got the bottom heater but would had to cut and splice wires. The wiring harness came all together. Thanks -PartSelect for the info.

View this helpful video provided by PartSelect. Watch in entirety and especially note the instruction to turn the frost timer's dial before returning the unit to the fridge, mentioned at 03:30 in the video.

Removed top hinge, lifted door from bottom post. Removed post with nut driver/socket, removed corresponding bracket/receiver from door. Attached new parts to refrigerator base and bottom edge of door. Was careful to replace part pieces in the same order as original, and secured tightly. Lifted door onto bottom hinge post, leveled the door and replaced top hinge.

I blocked the bottom of the door(CAREFULLY!!) in position to elevate the door & take strain off the lower hinge & pivot post, while maintaining proper door alignment. I removed the two screws holding the hinge & post assembly from the frame, saving the screws & spacer for reuse. I removed the two screws holding the upper cam bracket on the door, again keeping the attaching parts. I installed and carefully aligned the new cam, original spacer & retaining plate to the lower edge of the door. I installed the new hinge & post assembly using the existing spacer & screws. I aligned the door & seal while checking the gap from top to bottom and from side to side. I carefully tighten the screws and rechecked the gap between the door & frame as well as the alignemnt of the door seal. Once satisfied with the alignment, I finished tightening the screws. I emphasize care and extreme caution in reinstalling the screws, they are a self-tapping (self-threading) type of fastener and this requires caution to make sure they are started and installed in the original threads of the door & frame. I put them all in using only finger pressure until I was positive they were started straight, going into the original threads, NOT trying to cross-thread or cut new threads, the structure is too thin for that and stripped threads will result! The door alignment and gap spacing is critical, make sure to check these adjustments carefully to ensure proper operation. Total time of repair, less than 15 minutes. I hope I have not over-simplified this because I have over 55 years of Automotive shop experienced and an ASE Certified Master Auto & Truck Technician...:-)

Thank you for the video on how to replace defrost timer. We watched the video twice and it went rather smoothly. Thanks for your help. The frig is working like a charm.

Just as your video described, although due to the age of the fridge, it took a bit longer to remove the defective switch. Your video made this so simple, I can't imagine why we lived with a dark fridge for so long! I was ready to buy a whole new fridge, as repairmen are often nonexistent for small repairs. I am the biggest fan of your company & it's repair video. THANK YOU SO MUCH

I did a web search to trouble shoot my fridge's problem and I found PartSelect's site. There I found the answers to the problems I had, along with very useful videos for exactly what I needed, and how to fix my refrigerator. I reviewed the videos a couple of times and figured that even I could do what was shown, so I ordered the two sets of parts I decided I needed. I got the parts in 2 days (AMAZING), and for only about $7.50 shipping - WOW! While I was waiting on parts, I removed the freezer's internal back panel and put a fan in front of the open freezer section to thaw it out - it was solid ice, and it took about 20 hours to thaw. When the parts arrived, I followed the installation procedures exactly as shown in the videos, and everything went smoothly, and everything worked when I restarted the fridge. TWO THINGS TO REMEMBER: (1.) On the defrost timer, be sure and "reset" the internal clock before starting the unit... with a screw driver in the timer's slot, turn clockwise until you hear a heavy click, then slowly turn it for about 2 or 3 more clicks. (2) In the freezer compartment, be sure to put tape over the water drain hole to keep any dropped screws from entering the drain. EASY - PEASY! I sure wasn't ready to buy a new fridge, especially when these parts and shipping only cost about $90 and my labor only took about 20 minutes. Thanks PartSelect ! ! ! !

Removed everything from freezer, Removed back panel, defrosted coils. removed thermostat top left, cut wires and used heat shrink to splice back together, clipped thermostat back on. I actually replaced the defrost timer and defrost heater also. Best bet is to do all 3 at one time. Part Select will have the new parts to you in days. Great Service and the online repair man is great. I saved hundreds of dollars doing myself.

The removal of the back panel was easy, but had to completely defrost the back coils before I could work on it. Once it was completely free of ice, it was very easy to remove the old heaters and replace with the new ones. It was obvious this was the problem when I saw the black smoky glass tubes with the coils inside being burned into. It took me a total of about 20 minutes to put it in and get everything re-installed. The only challenge I had was getting the back cover on, but found I hadn't tucked the wires far enough inside and it was putting the back cover in a bind. I'm very grateful for the tips and help from PartSelect to help me diagnose this problem. We almost replaced the refrigerator, but after spending a little over $30.00, it's as good as new. Thanks PartSelect!

It was a piece of cake. I just unscrewed two screws on each rail and screwed the new ones on. Fast and easy. Also I would like to add that your parts web page was easier to get through then the GE page. Thanks will order from you again. Kim

I removed the lower cover plate and placed a small scissor jack (used my car jack) under the refrigerator door, loosened the upper hinge, slightly raised jack to take the weight off of the lower hinge, removed the hinge with a 5/16 nut driver and the cam with a 5/16 socket. Installed new hinge and cam, removed door support and secured top hinge, check operation. Worked GREAT, did not have to remove door.

The Hinge Cam Riser came as ordered and arrived in 1 day! The original riser was clearly broken in half. After installing the new one on the door hinge and adjusting it several times, the door closed a little but still didn't close all the way. Finally, I re-installed all the door trays and filled them with the usual perishables, and the door closed perfectly! Apparently, the extra weigh on the door was needed to complete the job.

take fan out,put new in

Empty all the good stuff stored in the door. Remove top hinge, lift off door. Remove bottom hinge from door and refrigerator, replace with new hinges. Replace door and reinstall top hinge. Very simple. Worst part was removing all the stuff stored in the door then putting it back! My parts arrived very quickly and I'm very pleased with Part Select.

The lady of the house was happy. Started shopping for a new fridge. Went on line and found this site with U-Tube video on how to replace the defrost timer. Armed with this newly found knowledge I purchased one from a local vendor for $ 40. Parts Select had it listed for $26. The lady of the house had her doubts and a new unit all picked out so I had to move quick. I removed the rear cover in the freezer section. Put down a couple towels and defrosted the evaporator coils and installed the new defroster timer. Tested the old defrost timer and confirmed it was bad. After 24 hrs the temperatures were good. Still the lady of the house was still shopping. To prove to her I am a refrigerator repairman I pulled the the back cover off the freezer section off again to show her what an expert I am. Dang if it wasn't frozen up again. Checked the defrost heater for continuity and found it to be faulty as well.. Defrosted coils again and ordered new defrost heater from parts select for $68. Local vendor wanted over $120 and it wasn't in stock. Got part delivered regular shipping in less then 72 hrs. By now I am a pro at taking off back cover and defrosting coils. Replaced defrost heater in less then 10 min. Put unit back in service. A week later removed back cover and inspected. All is well. The lady of the house is looking at vacations now instead. I highly suggest this site to save a ton of money. A volt meter helps a lot when it comes to trouble shooting these issues. Bottom line Parts Select saved the day not mention a few cases of beer!