106526 Kenmore Refrigerator - Instructions

I replaced the control bracket, which has mounts for the switches used to activate the ice and water dispensers. The water switch mount was broken, so the switch would not activate. It was great that I could find this part (the control bracket) on PartSelect's site.

If the person doing the repair has a little patience, then he/ ... Read more she will be rewarded!:

The first step is to pry off the front panel: I pried off the panel at the bottom. It will pop off, but takes a little effort. I used a couple of screwdrivers to pull it up at a couple of spots at the same time. Once the bottom pops out, then I pulled straight up on the panel. (If you try to pop out the panel at the top, you will damage it, so make sure to pop it out at the bottom.)

Next, disconnect the wiring that goes to the panel, and put the panel aside.

I then took a digital picture of the arrangement of wires and switches on the control bracket.

I disconnected any wires going from the inner part of the refrigerator to the control bracket, and then unscrewed the control bracket.

After removing the old control bracket, I carefully noted how the two switches (one for ice, one for water) mount into it. I removed these switches and put them into the new control bracket.

I then remounted the control bracket into the refrigerator, screwing it into place. I used the digital picture that I had taken earlier to make sure that I knew how to reconnect all of the wires.

I plugged the the remaining wires to the front panel, and then snapped the front panel back into place on the refrigerator door.

I was done!

Removal of the old assembly went quickly once I
understood about the "push and release" tubing
connectors. The exception was the connection from the water inlet assembly to the water filter which uses a different diameter connection at the inlet end, and would not "push and release".
So to install the new valves, I simply b ... Read more y passed
the old inlet assembly and used the extra push
splicer furnished in the kit for the water inlet to the
filter. All the other connections were easy push ins.
Next time will be 1/2 hour maximum!

Remove the cover plate from the bottom. Use care and patience when performing this step. It takes longer to remove the cover plate than replacing all of the parts involved. Slide off each switch, unplug electrical connectors and trust me when I tell you that you can figure out the rest. E Z, E Z, E Z!!!!!

The CAUSE of the LEAK were the O-rings on the water filter itself. My son followed others suggestions on how to detach the water hose from the filter housing, advise was helpful. After replacing the water filter housing, helpful, and inflow water tube the leak was still there. So my son then inspected the water filter and replaced. Water ... Read more filter light was still green so we did not think it needed attention.

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. :-)

First I installed a defrost timer, (the old timer had burnt out contacts in it) It seemed to work for a few days, then went back to not comng out of defrost cycle, I then installed a defrost thermostat. It seems to be working better than before. I found out that maybe I wasn't running it cold enough. So I turned it up colder. Now it ... Read more works ok for 2 - 3 days, then I check the Temp in the freezer and its up to 6o. So I manually reset the timer and it works for 2 - 3 days. Don't know what to do now to fix it.

I removed the screws on the upper hinge and removed the door. I removed the lower cam in about 2 minutes and had it replaced. The upper cam was a tight fit in the door and I resorted to vise-grips to remove it. Total time to replace cams and put the door back on was 30 minutes. This saved me $100.
Thanks

Repair was easy and producing ice within five hours.

Unplugged refrigerator. Used nut driver to remove small bolt retaining wire cover on right side of ice maker. Removed wire cover, used flat head screw driver to depress side-rail clips. Ice maker slid out, unplugged. Timer module cover pops off easily. Three screws removed the timer module. Installation was reverse of removal. Had ice in ... Read more less than an hour, bin was full by next morning. If you have a screw driver and know what it's for, this job should come easily.

Snapped the large end of the coupling onto the main line coming from the water source and snapped the other end onto the small line leading to the ice maker. Quick and simple.

Review the video on parts select. Do this first!

The actual repair took less than 30 minutes, including pulling out the refrigerator, performing the repair, and replacing the refrigerator.

Remove the screws holding the cardboard backing to the bottom rear of the refrigerator. Remove the screws holding the pump in ... Read more place. Remove the electrical connectors and the water hoses from the pump. I needed the wrench to disconnect and reconnect the main inlet hose. Hook everything back up (the sizes of hoses and connectors are different). Replace the cardboard backing. Done!!

I would use Parts Direct again.

I removed the glides under the edges of the meat pan, remove the old pan, put the new pan in and replaced the glides. I was very pleased with PartSelect. I ordered my part, and it arrived the very next day. I will definitely order my next replacement part thru PartSelect.

I installed the new cap on a new filter, which I will install when the old filter needs replacing. No tools required, but it is sometimes difficult to turn the filter cc wise, when replacing.

Mine is a simple tale of the missing ice cube dispensor guide. When we moved, the guide was missing so when I built our new home with a kitchen in the basement I wanted to hook up the ice dispensor but when I did, the ice cubes always fell off to one side. I decided to order the misssing part on-line. I ordered it paid for it and then rec ... Read more eived it the next day-wonderful. Within ten minutes, I was ready to go. Thanks for great service. Rick Davis, Bloomington, IL.

part arrived within 24 hours.
1. remove plastic front of freezer door water and ice dispenser by looking at bottom edge of plastic for two slots within which to place a stiff scraper blade. very difficult to pop loose and very fragile plastic so take care not to break it. it just pops off two spots on the bottom side and hangs from ... Read more the top no screws or anything.
2. remove the two screws holding the water dispenser spout in place. oh yeah don't forget to turn the water off.
3. this is a long plastic water tube that runs from the dispenser thru a plastic tube channel set in the solid foam core of the door thru the bottom hinge and connects to the water inlet junction.
a. this replacement must be pulled from the dispenser area thru the door and out the bottom but it will not fit without cutting off the end of the spout. the hole in the hinge that it passes thru at the bottom of the door is to tight to allow anything other than the thickness of the tubing.
b. pull the spout end of the tubing upward after disconnecting at the bottom in front behind the air grill. if it moves freely you are in luck - if it does not move freely then it is taped in place on the back of the dispenser area and now that whole assembly has to be unscrewed from the front of the freezer door in order to remove the tape so that the tubing can be pulled thru.
4. once the tubing pulls easily as short distance in either direction it is time to attach the new tubing to the old tubing and pull it out the bottom of the door. i tried to use tape but it pulled off when i got to the door hinge on the bottom and it would not fit thru the hinge.
a. on my model even one layer of tape would not fit thru the hinge. so i put some bricks under the freezer door to hold it up and removed the bottom hinge off of the tubing that was disconnected only a short distance away.
5. use tape or place a screw with the head removed into both the old tubing and the new tubing so it can be pulled from the bottom moving the new tubing into place.
mine broke off in the middle of this process and i had to remove the freezer door. take it completely apart to expose the conduit the tubing slides thru, then run an electrical fish tape thru the conduit and drag the new tubing thru, not a fun process but doable - just takes a bunch of extra time.
6. once the tubing was out the bottom i could then simply thread it thru the hinge easily and reassemble everything.