If you have ice building up in your freezer, or if your freezer is getting too warm during the defrost cycle you may need to replace the bi-metal defrost thermostat. The function of the defrost bi-metal thermostat is to clip onto the evaporator and protect your evaporator from overheating during the defrost cycle. If your refrigerator does not defrost properly you can test both the thermostat and the heater to figure out which part is at fault. For this repair, you will need a Phillips screwdriver, a 1/4 inch nut driver, a flat blade screwdriver, a pair of wire strippers, a roll of electrical tape, and a few butt splice connectors.
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Replacing your Whirlpool Refrigerator Bi-Metal Defrost Thermostat
Troubleshooting
This part fixes the following symptoms:
Fridge too warm | Freezer not defrosting | Freezer section too warm | Fridge and Freezer are too warm
Keep searches simple. Use keywords, e.g. "leaking", "pump", "broken" or "fit".
Sorry, we couldn't find any existing reviews that matched. Try using some different or simpler keywords.
★★★★★
★★★★★
Francisco Velez J - December 8, 2022
Verified Purchase
Cold freezer, hot refrigerator
Lucky this part was easily accessible on the back wall of the freezer , cut two wires, spliced and taped. And refrigerator is as cold as ice
★★★★★
★★★★★
Thomas L - July 18, 2022
Verified Purchase
Easy repair quick service. Function is great
Quick shipping arrived in quality packaging
★★★★★
★★★★★
Donna H - March 17, 2022
Verified Purchase
Easy repair
Refrigerator working fine now
★★★★★
★★★★★
James P - November 3, 2021
Verified Purchase
Piece of cake
My refrigerator was freezing on the fridge side. Freezer side was working fine. I went on youtube and was informed that there was a 50 something percent chance that the problem was the bi-metal defrost Thermostat. It also said there was an 18% chance that the problem was the thermostat itself. I bough both items and replaced them. Everything works fine now.
★★★★★
★★★★★
Rex C - March 1, 2021
Verified Purchase
Great Product, I really appreciate your training on everything you sell.
I received this part in record time. My refrigerator is up and running. Great product, easy fix.
★★★★★
★★★★★
John C - November 28, 2020
Verified Purchase
about 5 minutes to install ,took longer to empty the freezer
it worked so i am happy
★★★★★
★★★★★
Thomas K - July 26, 2020
Verified Purchase
It worked . . . great.
The diagnosis help at this website was very good. High probability that a working freezer, but warm fridge was a broken bi-metal defrost thermostat. Never dealt with that before, but gave it a try. Ordered the part, got the defrost 'fins' cover off, and cut out the existing thermostat. Was very hard to unplug the 'harness' that plugs into the back of the fridge, so tried to connect the new thermostat one to the existing wires. Could not put two hands in there at the same time, but with help of needle nose pliers managed to use a normal wire nut, and on the other wire got a butt joint on, with a little finesse, and the pliers helping to hold it. Absolutely delighted that the fridge is now back down under 40 degrees.
Earlier replaced the ice maker, which was also bit of an uncharted adventure, but actually worked.
I find the Partselect site to have good schematics, and very very helpful videos specifically addressing well defined problems. Saved hundreds of dollars on this thermostat situation, but also got the satisfaction of having pulled it off - although in now this would be easy in any similar set of diagnostic parameters.
★★★★★
★★★★★
Donald C - June 24, 2020
Verified Purchase
Easy repair
Installing this part was easy. A video was included in the email for the part, and it showed exactly how to make the repair. The fridge is back up and running normally. Thanks
★★★★★
★★★★★
Judi Van Z - May 11, 2020
Verified Purchase
Great part
Easy replacement and fit great
★★★★★
★★★★★
John L - March 6, 2020
Verified Purchase
Correct part and easy to install.
Correct part. My coil was frozen with heavy ice and drain was frozen. I tested the defrost coil and it was good.
To install this part you need to empty the freezer then remove shelves and on the lower side track remove the rear 1/4 screws and let track drop.
Remove the rear coil cover 1/4 screws (6) and then remove cover as you turn it sideways. you will see the coil and at the top you will see the fan motor and just below you should see the replacement part (may be cover in ice) you need to check if you have correct part ..should look like your old part ( wire colors may be different..no problem) if it's correct then you cut the wires and install your new part and connect the wire correctly with the wire connectors in the kit.
Defrost the coil and clear the drain tube (water must flow to the drain pan that is under your refrigerator) a hair dryer can be used for defrosting.
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Customer Repair Stories
Average Repair Rating: 3.1 / 5.0, 26 reviews.
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Sorry, we couldn't find any existing installation instruction that matched.
Refrigerator No Longer Cooling Properly
Approximately:
1. Unplugged refrigerator. 2. Emptied Freezer. 3. Removed Ice Maker. 4. Waited a few hours for ice to melt around back panel & nuts. 5. Removed back panel and the cover over fan and fan motor. 6. Waited many more hours for ice to thaw over fins, wiring, etc. 7. Easily replaced the bi
... Read more-mental defrost thermostat. 8. Replaced panel, fan cover, ice maker. 9. Plugged in refrigerator and waited a bit.
This worked! Yahoo.
p.s. I am a 65+ year old mechanically minded woman. :-)
Read less
Elizabeth from DELRAY BEACH, FL
Difficulty Level:
A Bit Difficult
Total Repair Time:
More than 2 hours
Tools:
Nutdriver, Screw drivers
6 of 6 peoplefound this instruction helpful.
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Fridge constantly cycling off/on, beeping
Bi-metal defrost thermostat tested bad, so replaced. To remove back freezer panel on this model, remove top left and right shelf pegs (use a screw driver). This will let back freezer panel slide up and out.
Control board, located in metal box above the inverter board had a bad 200uF electrolytic capacitor (bulging top) and 12v
... Read morerelay. Replaced all 5 electrolytic capacitors on the board and all 4 relays.
Part went bad the freezer was freezing up and refrigerator not getting cold
I pulled off the panel covering the part in the freezer cut and stripped the wires. Used crimper and connectors put the new part on put the wires band panel back on and plugged the refrigerator back in. Everything works just fine now.
Jessica from WILLIAMSBURG, VA
Difficulty Level:
Really Easy
Total Repair Time:
15 - 30 mins
Tools:
Nutdriver
2 of 2 peoplefound this instruction helpful.
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Top half of freezer & fridge were not cooling. Freezer fan had been making unusually loud noises.
Piece of cake. It took me longer to remove the food from the freezer, remove shelves and back panel than to do the repair. I heard the fan making some noises so I replaced both the fan and defrost thermostat. I used the instructions submitted by a another customer. My 20+ year old fridge is like new now.
rich from PEMBROKE PNES, FL
Difficulty Level:
Really Easy
Total Repair Time:
30 - 60 mins
Tools:
Nutdriver
2 of 2 peoplefound this instruction helpful.
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Freezer No Longer Cools
Our spare 25+ year old Kitchenaid refrigerator (side-by-side model) refused to produce cold air. I could hear mechanical sounds and things "clicking", but the temps kept raising. This specific unit only had cooling coils in the freezer, and some ducts that route cold air into the fridge.
I emptied the refrigerator completely,
... Read more removed the ice cube bin and shelves, and left it unplugged for two days with the doors open. Once everything was dry, I plugged the unit back in -- within 8-10 hours, the unit was cold again. Lights worked, and fans in the freezer and back of unit worked. However... once the compressor turned off, it never came back on. This told me that the root cause lies with components that control when to turn off/on the cold flowing into the coils.
I looked up my model on PartSelect website, and looked through their "likely to fail" list for my model. The defrost thermostat and defrost timer were at the top of the list, and symptoms made sense. Those two parts arrived within a week. The defrost timer was easy to install -- unplug old, plug in new. The defrost thermostat involved cutting existing wires, stripping a small section of sheathing, and attaching the wires to the new part with crimp caps and electrical tape. The electrical tape was there to cover the exposed area of the crimp cap and bundle the wires together. (I used 3M's "Super 33+".) Finally, reattach the harness to the socket, and attach the other plugs and grounding clamp.
After re-attaching the rest of the required components, I plugged the unit back in. After about 24 hours, it had gone through at least one cycle and was appropriately cold. After letting it churn for another couple days and watching it closely, I felt confident that the problem had been fixed.
** Side Notes **
Definitely use caution around the fins on the coil. For my unit, the harness plug is directly above the fins, and required some effort to safely remove while not slicing up my hands. Extra long screwdrivers and patience helps a lot. Put a wedge behind the wheels of the refrigerator so that it doesn't back away from you while you work. And, of course, do all this while it is unplugged.
** For the PartSelect Website Maintainers **
If possible, please provide some better guidance on where to place the lead coming off the defrost timer. The Youtube video was nice, but some clarity on which pole/spade to attach it to (and where to find that info, besides "consult your manual") would help many people.
I spent several hours defrosting the unit. Making sure the vents were all defrosted and free of ice. The part replacement is fairly straight forward; remove the thermostat, cut two wires, reconnect the wires following color codes, attach to coil and restart. And, "Yippie!". Nothing. Zilch. Zero. Because I could not connect with the online
... Read more repairman, I spent 40 bucks for nothing; problem was not resolved. Thanks for taking my money. I'm bummed and with just a little less money in my pocket. Never again will I ever purchase another Whirlpool product. Or buy from your outfit again (because of the over priced part). I replaced a 25 year old 'working' General Electric fridge for this junk that sat in the warehouse for four years before this was delivered to me in 2018 and sold to me as a "new" appliance. This was found out only when it crapped out and I needed to have it checked out for repair. Oh yea, I only had the comment section and the part recommendation to go by, and the latest comments are at least two years old. I'll be surprised if this even gets posted.
Read less
Daniel R from CONCRETE, WA
Difficulty Level:
Really Easy
Total Repair Time:
More than 2 hours
Tools:
Nutdriver
1 personfound this instruction helpful.
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refrigerator not freeze
i didn't repair replace capacitor, bi metal defrost thermostat and still not freeze also replace light door switch any suggestion thanks
edgar from PAWTUCKET, RI
Difficulty Level:
Really Easy
Total Repair Time:
30 - 60 mins
Tools:
Nutdriver, Pliers, Screw drivers
2 of 2 peoplefound this instruction helpful.
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Fridge won't start
When you plug in the fridge it will begin to make noise, but never get cool. When you open the door it will stop and will not turn back on.
RELAY-STRT (PS11770133) is listed as one that can fix the problem, but the installation video does not match my fridge.
I've replaced the capacitor (PS11757023), the compressor
... Read more start relay (PS11740412), and condenser fan (PS1957416) and none of them have fixed the problem.
I really don't want to throw this fridge out. Please help! justin@jplt.com
ordered the parts ,defrost timer and bi-metal thermostat,assumed it would be more practical to replace both than take a chance . watched a video on how to disassemble the control panel and remove the the timer and the back panel of freezer for the bi-metal thermostat,very clear instructions provided .took about 25 minutes to replace both
... Read moreparts and now is working properly again,,Thanks Again PartSelect for the fast service and delivery
fridge and freezer stopped maintaining proper temp
I followed the repair videos that were provided by partselect and installed a bi-metal defrost thermostat in the freezer and a thermostat assembly in the fridge. The installation was not hard and everything is now working as it should. Thanks
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87 questions answered by our experts.
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Keith
November 6, 2017
My Whirlpool side by side (model #gs6shaxms00) is not staying cool. Unplug and replug, and it will go for a while, then compressor stops and temp starts climbing in both freezer and fridge. No ice build up. All ducts free and clear. All fans and compressor are running (when it's working). I replaced relay starter and that didn't seem to do it. Have a feeling it's either the bi metal defrost thermostat in the freezer or the electronic control board (don't think this unit has a separate cold control switch behind the temp control knob in the fridge? I think that info all gets relayed down the main board?). Bad thermistor? Most feedback to the above parts in this site indicate the ecb. Any insights?
For model number GS6SHAXMS00
Hi Keith, I suggest testing the Bi-Metal Defrost Thermostat.The best way to do this is to remove the Thermostat from the refrigerator so you can control the temperature of the sensor. You can let the sensor warm up to room temperature. With the sensor warmed up to room temperature the sensor should read approximately 6.2K Ohms at 68°F. With the thermistor submerged is a glass full of ice water, the sensor should be very close to 32°F which should read approximately 16.3K Ohms. If the values that you are getting are far off from these readings, then the sensor is bad and should be replaced. Hope this helps
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Angela
September 13, 2017
Refrigerator is warm, freezer works fine. What parts do. I need
For model number W8txngfwq02
Hi Angela,
Thank you for the question. When the fresh food section is warm you will need to check a few things. You can start by checking for frost build up in the freezer and on the coils on the back of the appliance. If there is frost build up you may need to replace the Bi-Metal Defrost Thermostat or the Defrost Heater.
If you do not have a frost build up you need to listen to see if the fan at the back of the freezer is kicking on. The Evaporator Fan circulates air over the refrigerator coils. These coils will convert the heat into cool air, which is then circulated into the fresh food section If the fan is not running then the air will not circulate.
It is also a good idea to check the gasket around the door. If there are gaps or if it is not sealing properly it will let warm air in. You can turn a flash light on and put it inside the fridge and turn the lights off in the kitchen (evenings are best) and watch for any light coming through around the gasket.
If everything else checks out you may need to replace the Thermostat. This thermally operated switch, controls the compressor circuit and therefore the temperature of the fresh food compartment.
Hope this helps!
My Whirlpool freezer coils get covered in frost and the fridge starts to get warm after the fan can't push cold air (i'm assuming). I have replaced the bi metallic defroster part three times in 6 years. This last time only lasted two weeks before it frosted over again. Any suggestions on something else i might need to replace? This fridge is a complete lemon by the way. If it's still produced i would avoid at all costs.
For model number ED5FVGXWS01
Hello Steve, thank you for your question. I would recommend checking the defrost heater and Defrost Control Board. The heater and thermostat work in connection with each other to keep the coils defrosted and the control board works like a timing mechanism. I hope this helps!
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Jorge
March 26, 2018
My fridge upper section is getting warm, even when i set it to coldest mode. The freezer works well, is freezing correctly. What could be wrong? Thank you
For model number KSRS25IHWH02
Hello Jorge, thank you for your question. The first parts I would check would be the Bi-Metal Defrost Thermostat Part Number: WPW10225581, Air Diffuser Part Number: WP2209751, Electronic Defrost Control Board with Wire Harness and Screws Part Number: 4388932, Heater, Defrost Part Number WP2323198, and the Evaporator Fan Motor - 120V 60Hz Part Number 4389144. If there is frost buildup on the evaporator coils, which are behind the back wall of the freezer section, that is a good indicator that there is an issue with the defrost thermostat, the defrost heater, or the defrost control board. If the evaporator fan motor isn't turning that needs to be replaced, as the fan motor blows cold air into the fridge section from the freezer. If the diffuser isn't opening the cold air is not able to come from the freezer to fridge. I hope this information helps!
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Jim
August 28, 2017
I have removed the bi-metallic defrost thermostat from the coils in freezer and measured open with a resistance check. What should i read at ambient temperature? What is the normal "shelf state" reading on this thermostat? Thanks
Hello Jim, thank you for contacting us. If you test the defrost therm at room temperature it should be an open circuit. If you put the thermostat in some ice cold water, after a few mins you will hear a click, if you test it again it should be a closed circuit. Hope this helps!
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Orlin
November 14, 2017
Refrigerator and freezer are intermittent. I have replaced the relays on the compressor because the compressor would not run. It works but now sometimes the freezer will stop cooling for too long and water will drip. Also the compressor will come on for a short time and turn back off sometimes after more than one try it will stay on and the freezer will go down to -10 or 15 degree f and may work of for several hours. When it is not cooling properly I think the ice maker is also off. I suspect the defrost timer and maybe the thermostat. Is there a thermostat other than the defrost thermostat that controls when the compressor comes on and off. I removed the panel to gain access to the defrost timer and when I tap it with a wooden dowel after the temperature is too high in the freezer the compressor will come on.
For model number ED20TQXEW00
Hi Orlin, Thank you for the question.This sounds like the Defrost Timer issue.You can also test the Bi-Metal Defrost Thermostat. The best way to do this is to remove the thermostat from the refrigerator so you can control the temperature of the sensor. You can let the sensor warm up to room temperature. With the sensor warmed up to room temperature the sensor should read approximately 6.2K Ohms at 68°F. With the thermistor submerged is a glass full of ice water, the sensor should be very close to 32°F which should read approximately 16.3K Ohms. If the values that you are getting are far off from these readings, then the sensor is bad and should be replaced. Hope this helps!
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Robert
August 22, 2017
My refrigerator will not restart after defrosting without unplugging the frig for about 10min then plug back in, runs good until the next defrost cycle. Will this fix the problem?
For model number ED25DS
Hello Robert, that is a good question. It does sound like it would be the defrost thermostat. You can test this with a multi-meter to determine if it is faulty. Good luck with the repair!
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Pete
November 7, 2017
Refrigerator side was a little warm , and lower vent in the middle of refrigerator was iced up completely , started as frost and turned to ice ,, took every thing out let it thaw out , cleaned condenser coils at bottom , seems ok now ,how much ice is to much ice on evaporator for air not to pass the coils get frosty but that’s it ?? also if vent was blocked by a box or plastic bag would that cause frost or ice to block passages from vent .?? middle of refridgerator side
For model number ED5PHEXRLOO
Hi Pete,
Thank you for your question. Any amount of ice forming on the evaporator fan motor is not a good thing. A blockage may cause the ice to build up, but frost or ice could also build up as a result of a faulty evaporator fan motor, a burnt out defrost heater and the electronic control board. I would check these parts with a multimeter to make sure they are working correctly. I hope this helps. Thank you and have a great day!
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Dale
January 1, 2018
I have a Whirlpool side by side the freezer will not get cold enough, it goes form 13 deg. To 52 deg. And this is running this range for several days. The refrigerator side is running 28 deg. To 36 deg.. (these temp. are the highs and lows for a 24 hour. period) the fans are running when you open the doors. freezer setting is turned as cold as it will go, but it does not change the temp. very much. any thoughts what might be the problem.
For model number ED5LHEXTD00
Hi Dale, Thank you for the question. I suggest testing the thermostat. The best way to do this is to remove the thermostat from the refrigerator so you can control the temperature of the sensor. You can let the sensor warm up to room temperature. With the sensor warmed up to room temperature the sensor should read approximately 6.2K Ohms at 68°F. With the thermistor submerged is a glass full of ice water, the sensor should be very close to 32°F which should read approximately 16.3K Ohms. If the values that you are getting are far off from these readings, then the sensor is bad and should be replaced. Hope this helps!
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Matt
January 17, 2018
I don't think this model has a defrost timer? What controls when it goes into the defrost cycle? Thanks matt
For model number GD5RHAXNQ00
Hello Matt, Thank you for your inquiry. That would be the main control board, it takes the input from the thermostat and sends a signal to the defrost heater. Hope this helps!
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