HSM25GFRFSA Hotpoint Refrigerator - Instructions

I am a single mom of two with limited funds. I had a repairman come out and find the problem and give an estimate. We were told that it was the evaporator fan motor and and the main control board. The repair would cost $400 and no guarantee. So I checked the cost of parts and it was $200 so for no guarantee I figured why not try it myself and possibly save $200. So I ordered the parts from partselect. Even though I paid the cheapest postage they arrived the next day. So from what I read and saw this would be a piece of cake. Well let me just say if the freezer section was gutted to begin with it might not have been that big of a deal. As it was getting to the top screws of the panel that covers the evaporator fan required the removal of the icemaker and all. I am not a tall woman nor am I a thin woman and fitting my body in that small freezer section was not easy. There were times that I had to have my teenagers reach a long arm in and hold a part up for me. After that I discovered that the fan I had purchased only had 4 wires. The one from my old fan had 6. I discovered that 2 of the wires went to some sort of sensor. Long story short I rigged it. I was able to remove the 2 prongs for the sensor and insert them into the empty holes on the new fan harness. It wasnt easy. I have limited tools too and I wont even get into how I did it. They did not fit the greatest so I used the electrical tape to cover the whole connection. I put the whole thing back together and debated on trying it without putting in the main board but I decided to trust the repairman this time and go for it. Getting to the main board was no big deal. But what disturbed me was the main board I held in my hands did not look exactly like the main board I was about to take out. I watched the video 3 times my how easy it looked. I then read the directions that came with it. It talked about removing a pin and cutting a wire. Well I about had a stroke worrying. I finally found the serial # on my frig and thankfully mine was not on the list. However the directions did still say something about if there wasnt a wire in pin 2 proceed to step 3. Well I had a wire in pin 2. So it was confusing. My serial # wasnt one of the models #'s given but I did have a wire in pin 2. I just took a chance and trusted the serial #'s and ignored the rest of it. I plugged the wires on the new board one at a time. Put the cover back on and prayed as I plugged it in. A soft purr began. It was running. The freezer was around 60 degrees. I put a room thermometer in to make sure it was going down. It kept going down. Around 3 hours after I finished there was a loud noise from the freezer. It had made ice something it had not done in months. I stayed awake most of the night watching and listening to it. It got down in the single digits I was afraid that maybe it would never shut off. It finally shut off as I was making the kids breakfast the next morning. Of course I was worried that it would not restart. So I opened the freezer and fanned in room air. It worked. Since then we have purchased no more dry ice or regular ice. We bought a tub of ice cream and more than one day of school lunch stuff at a time. Bottom line it works. Thanks to everyones post and to partselect for the video. I hope that I never have to do it again though.

Cause: Failed relays on main circuit board. Fix: Main circuit board replacement: Unplugged refrigerator. Removed 10 screws securing main circuit board metal cover (located on back of refrigerator) using a nutdriver. Disconnected 7 multi-pin electrical connectors from the circuit-board by firmly pulling each connector from the circuitboard sockets using a needlenose plyers. Depressed the small locking prong on each of the 4 plastic circuit board mounting pegs while pulling the board off the mounting pegs.
Pressed new board in place over mounting pegs. Re-plugged in all connectors (no confusion because each connector has unique pin counts). Replaced all mounting cover bolts, making sure to pin green ground wire to last bolt. Plugged in refrigerator. Done.
Note: I determined the main circuit board was bad by removing the auger motor assembly from the freezer and testing the auger motor harness power pins. AC voltage should jump when ice demand lever is pushed (while pressing the internal door light off switch). If no voltage jump, then auger motor relays on main circuit board have failed, indicating board replacement is needed.
Another check would be connecting an extension cord to the auger motor terminals and plugging it in. Motor should run. If it does, then motor is good and main circuit board is bad. If it doesn’t then auger motor is bad and needs replacement.

I have unlock the black panel. With a screw driver I have removed 2 screws and removed 3 conectors from circuit board. So, I had access to solenoid set. From this point on was intuitive. Very easy.

I recomend these parts be replaced once time for each two years.

Frig and freezer were defrosting and refreezing other than normal. Home warranty contractor told me ice maker was faulty. Purchased new ice maker. Unplugged frig, loosened 2 screws with nut driver. unplugged old ice maker, lifted old ice maker out. Took old fill cup off old unit and put on new unit since new fill cup was a different size. Swapped ice maker insert from old to new unit. Plugged in new ice maker, slid over the 2 screws, tightened, and plugged in frig power. New ice maker works fine but still have defrosting and refreezing problem. Figure old ice maker probably works just fine. New contractor still trying to solve problem. Have had problems with this GE Monagram keeping proper temps since it was new in 2005, don't recommend it.

Took panel off back of inside of freezer section, took off old sensor from the evaporator, spliced new sensor into the existing wires, waterproofed spliced connections, snapped sensor back onto evaporator, then put panel back on the inside of the freezer. Really, it took only 10 minutes to fix. Now refrigerator defrosts like it used to, and temps have settled in at specified temps.

after finding the video describing the same problem, i gave it a shot. Major problem was figuring out how to take outside trim off of the ice/water dispenser. Everything i tried did not work like the videos i had seen. Looking thru some of the posted blogs i found another way to get behind the control panel without even taking off the trim piece. i pressed a 1/8th allen wrench into the two outer holes on the bottom of the control panel which released the panel to pull out from the bottom. after that it was simple to release the three plugs from the circuit board and remove the control panel. 4 phi lips screws later the ice chute comes straight out revealing the flapper door which is held in by 2 more screws. once that assembly is out the solenoid is held by three more screws. there was nothing difficult at all about this repair once the secret was out about the first step about the three holes (use only the outer two) in the bottom of the control panel

Very easy repair to do. Read instruction sheet before starting! Unplug unit prior to removing panel cover.

Remove three hex head screws holding control panel cover in place and reveal the circuit board.

Remove all the wiring harnesses by gently pulling them from the sockets on the board. Do not pull the wires - make sure you pull on the plastic socket so that the wires aren't damaged. If plugs seem tight use needle nose pliers to gently wiggle them out. Remove earth (green) wire from spade connection on fridge chassis. The new board has a slightly different connection for the earth wire.(No spade connector - wire now has a ring connector that attaches between panel cover and fridge chassis using one of the hex head panel screws when the cover is replaced.

Using needle nose pliers locate four plastic mounting tabs holding the board in place and squeeze in the end of each tab whilst gently pulling the board off it. Repeat for all four tabs and remove old circuit board.

Making sure the new board is the right way round locate it on the plastic tabs and push gently until you hear the tabs click. Gently pull the circuit board to ensure it is locked in place.

Re-install all the wiring harnesses. Put a hex head screw through the cover panel and slip the earth wire ring over it and screw panel to chassis. Replace two remaining hex head screws and plug fridge back in.

Voila!! No more ticking sounds and a plentiful supply of ice and water!!

Noticed the problem in November 2009. Replaced Hi Limit Sesor for Defrost thinking it was the freezor temperature sensor. Did not fix the problem. Replaced Motherboard. Did not fix the problem. Called Sears Repair. They mis-diagnosed the problem and told me it was the sealed system. I doubted them and sent them home. Replaced the correct freezer temperature sensor that connects to the motherboard. FIXED.
Removed a panel, cut two wires, soldered and insulated two wries, reinstalled panel.

Dis-assembly only consisted of three screws, but for the not-so mechanically inclined, I would suggest taking a picture of the ice crusher blades before removing them from the auger shaft.

first replace the solenoid behind the front display. than replace the mother board on the back side of the fridge due to a relay being burned out on it.

GE Wanted $300 + to come out and do the repair.

With partsselect and a little time I cut that cost in half.

Thank you,

Mike

Actually this was a two part repair of which I purchased both parts. The micro switch Pt # PS296176 and also a double outlet water valve Pt # PS304374 from Parts Select as well.

The difficult part was accessing the area to get to the micro switch.

The trim had to be removed, then the cover.

Then one unplugs the board and removed the face plate which also contains the micro switch.

Once removed the two electrical terminals had to be disconnected, the micro switch installed and terminal reconnected.

Then reverse the removal procedure.

Then on to the double outlet replacement.

Suggest watching the installation video for the replacement although it was really a straight forward repair.

Two things to remember.

1. Unplug the fridge

2. Shut off the water to the dispenser

Overall it was not bad at all.

This was my first attempt at refrigerator repair and it went well.

Good luck on yours.

John

Not only were the parts delivered in 2 days....but a phillips head screw driver and matching up the new rails with the old ones turned out to be a super easy and fast repair!! A monkey could do this repair!! But now I noticed the left hand top drawer rail is cracked! It stinks that the quality of the original parts are so poor...but at least I'm saving some money doing it myself!!!

unscrewed old filter by hand, installed new filter.

First, had to use punch tool to pop out electronic face panel. Face unit still connnect via wires. Use painters tape to hold against refrig. Next, Remove ice/water dispenser and also tape to door. This will give you access to solenoid. Remove the 3 screws holding it in place and unplug fsolenoid from Face Panel. Screw new solenoid and place and connnect to Panel. Goood idea is to unplug regrig. while doing this and put a little WD-30 on shaft of solenoid. May want to order new screws, could be rusty, that hold solenoid in place. Sounds a bit complicated but not that bad a job. You'll save over$100 over GE's service.

On one severe winter cold night my fridge dispenser door stopped water supply, but ice maker was working. First I disconnected power supply to the fridge then turned off main water supply from the wall to fridge and with wrench set disconnected water supply pipe from wall to fridge while disconnecting the pipe make sure to collect the water from the both end pipes. Then removed the cardboard from the back side of the fridge. I disconnected the blue element (dispenser water) the red element (ice maker). [DOUBLE OUTLET WATER VALVE]. If you would try to pull the pipes white (dispenser water) and black (ice maker) you woudn't succeed because once the the white and black pipes are insereted into the water valve those pipes are clamped tightly in the valve. So I cut off those pipes and removed the old water valve, then I conncected the new water valve first conncected those white and blue elements and inserted the white and black pipes pushed in closed with round plactic caps comes with new one.I reconncected the main water supply pipes from wall to the frige and turned on the water supply from wall and plugged the power supply. First surpisingly I doubted it will work, actullay the water dispnser did'nt work immediately I have to wait 2 to 3 hours of time, in the mean time I checked the pipe connections from the bottom of the front left side door ( if you open the two doors bottom you can see the plastic cover it can be removed by pulling towards and pushing in you can close it back into normal position) which water supply pipe comes through the bottom of the door to water dispenser. I disconnected the connector and pusheed the dispensor several times to flushout any leaky water or air then I reconnected the pipes to the connector. I pushed the dispenser with a cup to dispenser, it started working as it is normally. While I was working my 7 years old son helped me as he always eager to learn and explore things.