GSS23WSTASS General Electric Refrigerator - Instructions
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Water Leaking @ Quick Releases (Blue and White)
Had previously replace the plastic Water Tank, but when installing it I didn't realize how the quick connects worked. Instead of simply pushing inward in the direction of the blue part of the disconnect, I had pulled out the white ring on the outside of the disconnects. This ruined the inside connections and caused them to leak thus requiring these repairs. Had I known that I wouldnt have bought these parts too. Just Always REMEMBER to push in outside white ring on the quick disconnect and as you push it in pull out the hose when you remove it. To put the hose back in, just push it back in without pushing on ring this time at all and it will lock in place, and shouldn't be leaking. I had to run water into a glass to test if it was leaking, otherwise the line had no water pressure.
Parts Used:
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randy from vancouver, WA
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Difficulty Level:Really Easy
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Total Repair Time:15 - 30 mins
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Tools:Nutdriver, Screw drivers, Wrench set
57 of 70 people
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Fan motor making noise due to broken fan blade
1) Unplugged fridge and removed cover over light in freezer.
2)Removed screws holding cover over motor.
3) Removed screws on bracket holding motor in place.
4) Un plugged motor and used razor blade to cut grommet holding wires in place.
5) Plugged in new motor and routed wires through grommet. Then used zip ties to hold grommet together.
5) Re-attached motor bracket and installed new fan.
6) Reinstalled cover over motor.
2)Removed screws holding cover over motor.
3) Removed screws on bracket holding motor in place.
4) Un plugged motor and used razor blade to cut grommet holding wires in place.
5) Plugged in new motor and routed wires through grommet. Then used zip ties to hold grommet together.
5) Re-attached motor bracket and installed new fan.
6) Reinstalled cover over motor.
Parts Used:
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James from Gainesville, VA
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Difficulty Level:Easy
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Total Repair Time:15 - 30 mins
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Tools:Nutdriver
64 of 93 people
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Fridge and Freezer would no longer cool (coils iced over)
First I posted the symptoms on appliance repair forum. Within a very short amount of time, an expert responded with suggestions (that ended up being right on!) and links to How-to articles, diagrams, and the correct parts catalog. They diagnosed it as a failed defrost heater or a bad defrost thermostat that caused the heater to go bad.
I removed all the food from the freezer, removed the shelving and ice maker tray, then removed the back panel (nut driver). The coils were severely iced over. I let the coils defrost (didn't take long in the summer heat). The water from the melted ice completely saturated about two full size bath towels. DO NOT let the coils drain into the normal drain hole. Then I removed the defrost heater (2 screws) and the glass element was dark and cloudy like a burnt-out light bulb.
I placed my order on Parts Select with normal priority shipping. The defrost thermostat was listed as in-stock and the defrost heater was listed as "on order". Both parts arrived 4 days later. The thermostat was a genuine GE part and the heater was a universal aftermarket. My original was a single element heater and the replacement was dual element. The wiring was slightly different, but they included instructions on how to wire up the dual element. The heater wires had to be re-routed and extended (wire cutting, stripping, and crimping are required). The extra length of wire and the wire crimp connector were included with the replacement heater. I also (per the instructions) sealed the crimp connector with RTV sealant. After completing the wiring, I re-attached the heater using the 2 factory screws. Then I had to cut the thermostat wires and splice in using wire nuts (not included) and RTV to seal the connection (not included).
Then I re-attached the back panel using the factory screws and attached the grounding clamp. I installed the shelves and ice maker tray and started the unit. It has been running fine for two weeks now.
The overall repair experience was fantastic. This fridge is only 3 years old and has broken twice in the last year costing me over $500 in food (total for both failures). I also bought a chest freezer last year when the fridge failed the first time. That minimized my frozen food loss this year. The failure last summer was the controller board. I paid the GE technician to come out and fix that because I did not know about this website. I am an engineer and I much prefer the DIY approach, especially when they make it so easy on this website to diagnose and get the right parts.
My only complaints (and they are so minor that complaint might be too harsh of a word) are:
The repair was easy, but would have been significantly easier if they had supplied a direct replacement single element heater.
I wish they would have included the RTV sealant in the repair kit. I happened to have it, but I have to imagine that not everybody will and they won't know that they need it until they read the instructions.
The replacement dual element heater was slightly wider and thus a slightly tighter fit than the original equipment.
Lastly (and this really is no big deal). I got my "Order Shipped" e-mail 6 days after the parts had arrived.
Overall 2 thumbs up!
I removed all the food from the freezer, removed the shelving and ice maker tray, then removed the back panel (nut driver). The coils were severely iced over. I let the coils defrost (didn't take long in the summer heat). The water from the melted ice completely saturated about two full size bath towels. DO NOT let the coils drain into the normal drain hole. Then I removed the defrost heater (2 screws) and the glass element was dark and cloudy like a burnt-out light bulb.
I placed my order on Parts Select with normal priority shipping. The defrost thermostat was listed as in-stock and the defrost heater was listed as "on order". Both parts arrived 4 days later. The thermostat was a genuine GE part and the heater was a universal aftermarket. My original was a single element heater and the replacement was dual element. The wiring was slightly different, but they included instructions on how to wire up the dual element. The heater wires had to be re-routed and extended (wire cutting, stripping, and crimping are required). The extra length of wire and the wire crimp connector were included with the replacement heater. I also (per the instructions) sealed the crimp connector with RTV sealant. After completing the wiring, I re-attached the heater using the 2 factory screws. Then I had to cut the thermostat wires and splice in using wire nuts (not included) and RTV to seal the connection (not included).
Then I re-attached the back panel using the factory screws and attached the grounding clamp. I installed the shelves and ice maker tray and started the unit. It has been running fine for two weeks now.
The overall repair experience was fantastic. This fridge is only 3 years old and has broken twice in the last year costing me over $500 in food (total for both failures). I also bought a chest freezer last year when the fridge failed the first time. That minimized my frozen food loss this year. The failure last summer was the controller board. I paid the GE technician to come out and fix that because I did not know about this website. I am an engineer and I much prefer the DIY approach, especially when they make it so easy on this website to diagnose and get the right parts.
My only complaints (and they are so minor that complaint might be too harsh of a word) are:
The repair was easy, but would have been significantly easier if they had supplied a direct replacement single element heater.
I wish they would have included the RTV sealant in the repair kit. I happened to have it, but I have to imagine that not everybody will and they won't know that they need it until they read the instructions.
The replacement dual element heater was slightly wider and thus a slightly tighter fit than the original equipment.
Lastly (and this really is no big deal). I got my "Order Shipped" e-mail 6 days after the parts had arrived.
Overall 2 thumbs up!
Parts Used:
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Erik from Chardon, OH
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Difficulty Level:Easy
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Total Repair Time:1- 2 hours
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Tools:Nutdriver, Screw drivers
52 of 60 people
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Gasket wasn't sealing
Replaced gasket. No tools requires. Just pull the old one out and press new one in channel with hands. TIP: heat the new one slightly with a hair dryer or a heat gun on low. Makes it more flexible
Parts Used:
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Joe from Succasunna, NJ
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Difficulty Level:Really Easy
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Total Repair Time:Less than 15 mins
51 of 59 people
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ice maker tube would freeze up
installed new double water outlet and tube assembly and it fixed the promblem. I think the water valve was leaking by causing the tube to freeze up inside.
Parts Used:
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Ed from Chesterfield, VA
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Difficulty Level:Easy
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Total Repair Time:15 - 30 mins
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Tools:Nutdriver
50 of 59 people
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Fridge smelled like something electronic was burning
Removed the back cover of the fridge with it still pluged in. The next time the compressor tried to kick on, a small piece of black plastic next to the black tank caught fire, and then went out. I unpluged the fridge, unpluged the two wires feeding the black box. Then the box unpluged from the tank. I searched on the internet for the part using the model #. It ended up being a overload/ptc or relay. There was a smaller black box attached with I think is some sort of an overload. I unplugged the overload and it plugged right into the new relay I had overnighted. Although the new relay was white (not black) and the plug attachments were in different locations, it work great.
Parts Used:
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BENJAMIN from LAKESIDE, CA
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Difficulty Level:Easy
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Total Repair Time:15 - 30 mins
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Tools:Nutdriver
50 of 59 people
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water and ice maker stopped working
Removed the cover on the bottom of the rear of the fridge and the top left of the fridge where the tubbes exit.. Then just simply disconnect the tube coming from the fridge and the supply line. Next go inside the fridge, remove the cover of the filter mount, and remove the 2 screws securing the filter mount in place. Now pull the tubes through the opening and reinstall in reverse order.
Parts Used:
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Robert from Sandston, VA
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Difficulty Level:Really Easy
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Total Repair Time:30 - 60 mins
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Tools:Screw drivers, Socket set
47 of 51 people
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fridge side freezes some items
went to your website and viewed exploded view to find the sensor( there are two I just picked one to replace for now), pried the cover off carfully and pulled out the sensor. I snipped the wire in the middle leaving plenty to work with. I shortened the wire on the new piece, spliced the wires together and with some 3M rubberized, tape wrapped them up, replaced the sensor back into the cover and snapped in place.
Parts Used:
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Anthony from Murfreesboro, TN
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Difficulty Level:Really Easy
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Total Repair Time:Less than 15 mins
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Tools:Screw drivers
53 of 74 people
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freezer cold / fridge warm
put fridge into test mode, failed One sensor. Took it out, Tested it, Ordered part also picked up splice kit from electric store spliced it truned on and good to go
Parts Used:
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Mark from Mancos, CO
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Difficulty Level:Easy
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Total Repair Time:30 - 60 mins
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Tools:Screw drivers
44 of 52 people
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Water dispenser leaked - tubing broke
Ordered parts from another vendor - got wrong parts (1/4 in parts instead of 5/16 in parts). With your parts, I just cut out the bad portion of the tubing, and replaced it using the 2 union connectors. Thanks.
Parts Used:
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Thomas from Poway, CA
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Difficulty Level:Really Easy
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Total Repair Time:15 - 30 mins
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Tools:Screw drivers
48 of 65 people
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Freezer Temp Warm
Freezer would not defrost and ice would accumulate on the coils. After the GE repairman quoted me a price to defrost and repair it – which was ridiculous – I decided to tackle the problem myself. I am posting this comment as I found other comments very helpful with trouble shooting my problem. After reviewing other home owner repair comments I decided to first replace the upper sensor, thermostat and heater bracket assy. The longest task to do this was defrosting the coils. What a mess that turned out to be. The items were fairly easy to replace. The sensor and thermostat needed to be spliced and I used good techniques and sealed the splices with electrical tape. Defrost thru repair was about 3.5 hours. Unfortunately, this did not solve the problem and the temperature started rising after the coils froze over again. I decided to go one step further and replace the main board. One repair comment said that it is important to completely remove all of the frost before engaging the new main board – which made sense to me. The defrosting was easier and faster the second time as I plugged the drain below the coils, used hot water and then my shop wet vacuum to remove all the defrost water. Then I reversed the air flow to completely dry the coils. The main board installation instructions were fairly easy to follow. I took a picture with my camera just to ensure all the wires were installed properly. However, that was not necessary the plugs are unique and will only fit one way. The only problem was plugging in the power connector as it was in a different location on the board. With a little careful nudging it was successfully installed. Overall, a good experience and I am thankful for these repair comments by other!
Parts Used:
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Richard from Chandler, AZ
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Difficulty Level:A Bit Difficult
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Total Repair Time:More than 2 hours
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Tools:Nutdriver, Pliers, Screw drivers
42 of 47 people
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Ice maker wasn't pushing the ice out the door
My teenage daughter and myself (2 women!)completed this task with little issue! I first made sure to read others stories as not to repeat any issues they had. Just member the threads are backwards with taking the washer end off and everything will go easy. We are both kinda handy with repair items so if that describes you than you should be fine.
Parts Used:
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Scarlett from Midlothian, TX
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Difficulty Level:A Bit Difficult
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Total Repair Time:30 - 60 mins
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Tools:Pliers, Screw drivers
41 of 44 people
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Ice maker wouldn't work and the fan was making a clicking noise.
First, I must say that I was told that the mother board might be the problem. I called my husband to tell him what I was told the problem might have been and how much the part was. A little expensive, but still cheaper than calling a repair man. He told me to order the less expensive part first to see if that fixed it. The fan motor. We hung up the phone and for kicks I scrolled down the page to see if it might give any more information on the part and what it controlled, etc. I don't usually read comments, but was amazed at the ones I read. The second comment on the page said that his refrigerator made a whooing sound like a ghost. Our Frig has done this since the day we bought it! He replaced the mother board and the "ghost" moved out! The third comment was that his refirg made a clicking noise and the ice maker doesn't work! I immediately called my husband back and told him I was ordering the part! It arrived the next day. So extremely easy to put in! I removed 3 screws from the cover, disconnected a couple of wires, a few plastic clips; pushed the new part on the clips rehooked the wires and put the cover back on. I bet it took less than 10 minutes! My husband thinks I'm a genius!! Thank you so much for all of your help!
Parts Used:
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Debra from Keystone Heights, FL
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Difficulty Level:Really Easy
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Total Repair Time:Less than 15 mins
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Tools:Nutdriver
40 of 43 people
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The freezer was whining and growling like a baby
I replaced the motor that runs the fan in the freezer compartment. Had to remove a number of shields to get to the fan and then some wires and screws to get at the motor. It came with a plug with 4 wires in it and I was supposed to pull 2 wires out of the old plug and place them in the new plug. Long story short the pins would not extract from the plug and the wiring harness was molded in solid plastic, so I ended up cutting the 4 wires to the motor and splicing in the new one and taping them with electrical tape. So far no more moaning and the ice cream is still hard, so I think we nailed it.
Parts Used:
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James from Madison, CT
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Difficulty Level:A Bit Difficult
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Total Repair Time:1- 2 hours
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Tools:Nutdriver
43 of 54 people
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Cold water reservoir tank was cracked and spraying the interior of the fridge
Symptom was water running out of bottom of fridge. Found water pooled up under bottom drawer. Removed (3) drawers and found water was "spraying" from the reservoir tank at back of fridge. Unboxed the new "tank" and confirmed it was the right one by holding it up to the one still in the fridge. Pulled fridge from the wall; removed the rear bottom cover panel on the back using the nutdriver. Removed the solenoid assy by taking that single hex screw out. Push down on the blue circular flange where tube supply enters solenoid, and release the tubing from the solenoid. Remove front bottom cover with phillips screwdriver. Located 2nd tubing connector below freezer (under the unit) and used the same procedure to release that tube from the coupling. Removed screws from tank on inside of fridge, after removing several shelves that were in front of it. Pulled the tubing from the old unit up and out. Discard. Got new unit and fed tubes through the hole the others came out of (back right corner of fridge) MAKE SURE THE NEW TUBES HAVE THEIR "stoppers" IN PLACE. You don't want to contaminate the new tubes with insulation or other debris. Make sure the "o" ring that seals the tubes on the inside of the fridge (supplied with new unit)and the styrofoam insulation stays in place to keep air from leaking through the holes the tubes go through. Installation of the (2) tubes is simple, simply push them into the connector on the solenoid, and the coupler under the freezer. You'll need to feed the longer tube from the back to the front left corner where this coupler is. After making the connection, I bolted the solenoid unit back to the fridge (only 1 screw) and then tested the unit to see there were no leaks before I buttoned everything up. NO LEAKS!! Put the front bottom grill back on with the (2) phillips screws, and the back bottom cover back on with the hex screws removed near the beginning. Probably took longer to write this than it did to make the repair.
Parts Used:
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Thomas from Waynesboro, VA
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Difficulty Level:Easy
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Total Repair Time:15 - 30 mins
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Tools:Nutdriver, Screw drivers
41 of 49 people
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