8ET18N Whirlpool Refrigerator - Instructions

First I replaced the thermostat that I had ordered thru Partselect but that did not seem to effect the reair. According to the schematic diagram the only other thing in the circuit was the defrost timer. Immediately on its arrival I went to the refrigerator and removed the two screws that hold the timer in place and disconnected the tw ... Read more o wires and installed the new one from Partselect in reverse order. It took about 15 minutes and it was back to running.

Unplug the refrigerator first,then Remove shelves and back inside cover from the freezer. Cut old bi-metal thermostat off and installed a new one. This fixed the problem. Ordered a new timer also which I didn,t need but installed it any way. On the fridge side ,top front, removed the knobs and cover, R&R timer, ins ... Read more talled cover and knobs. Pay close attention to the instructions on where to put the black wire on the new timer. My refrigerator works great now. This was easy to repair if you are handy with electrical and mechanical repairs, if not get some help.

Glass sheet came in perfect condition, just put back in refrigerator and has been fine ever since. Not the first time I had ever taken out to clean, but it will be the last. From now on, I clean it in the refrigerator.

First disconnected the quick release electrical connection. Then loosened the three screws that were holding the motor in the bracket. However, space is limited and even with small hands it was rather difficult as the screws were in there very tight. There are a few sharp edges on the bracket and in the surrounding area of the motor ar ... Read more ea, and nicked myself a couple of times. Removed the fan blade from the old motor and attached it the new motor with the old flat washer/screw. Reconnected the electrical connection and that was that. All-in-all an easy repair.

1. Unplug refrigerator to remove power!
2. The timer is inside the control housing located at the top of the refrigerator compartment.
3. Remove two control knobs (the pull off).
4. Remove the front panel escutcheon. The panel is not held in place with screws, but can be gently pried off.
5. Remove two screws from the ... Read more back that hold the housing in place.
6. Remove screws from the front that hold the housing in place.
7. Drop housing down (still attached by wires - do not detach). Timer is inside housing, located on right.
8. Follow the instructions provided to identify your particular wiring setup. You'll find the wiring diagram (on my model) at the bottom of the refrigerator, alongside the defrost catch pan, behind the airflow grille.
9. Remove connector from timer terminals (4).
10. Remove two screws/nuts that hold the timer in place.
11. Install replacement timer following included directions. Read and follow ALL instructions applicable to your particular model and wiring setup.
12. Reassemble by reversing the steps above.
13. Note: You may need to "jog" the replacement timer when you first plug the refrigerator back in, if the timer happens to be in a "defrost cycle" (the compressor won't start). This can be done by inserting a wide bladed screwdriver into the hole below the timer, aligning it with the timer shaft, and slightly turning the shaft CW. Don't force it, and don't turn it very far.

I saved my Whirlpool Refrigerator (Model ET21GKXHN00) and learned a lesson. Don’t put off cleaning the refrigerant coils underneath the refrigerator. I replaced the refrigerator about 10 years ago and began to notice that the sound of this one running had changed slightly. I remembered that’s what happened to the first one just before ... Read more it died. I removed the panel on the bottom front and saw that the refrigerant coils were covered with dust. It was really bad. I vacuumed them with the “radiator attachment” on the vacuum cleaner and plugged the refrigerator back in. It still didn’t sound right and I couldn’t feel the air blowing out like it should. So I rolled the refrigerator out and removed the back lower cover to see the compressor and the cooling fan. The fan was clogged with dust so I vacuumed that as well. But the fan wouldn’t spin freely by hand. The fan motor only had 3 screws holding it onto the plastic fan bezel and was easily removed by unsnapping the electrical connector on the motor. I removed the fan motor and tried to clean it with a few drops of WD40 on the shaft. But when I put it all back and plugged it in the fan just barely started turning. I unplugged the refrigerator and ordered the fan motor from PartSelect.Com (Item Number PS371043). The picture looked exactly like the motor that was in my refrigerator. I threw everything away in the refrigerator, cleaned it out and left it unplugged until the motor came. The motor arrived in a few days and it looked exactly like the one I had removed. It had the same electrical specifications stamped on the back and the electrical connector was the same and in the same location on the motor. I put the fan blade on the new motor and installed it exactly like the old one was. It only took 15 minutes or so and was very easy to install. When I plugged the refrigerator in the compressor started right away and so did the fan. It ran like a champ. In a few hours the refrigerator got cold and began to cycle on and off like normal and the fan blows like new. The sound is normal and the total running sound is quiet again like a new refrigerator. So for $84.67 I saved my $1300 refrigerator and learned not to neglect checking the build up of dust in the compressor fan section. I’m sure that’s what happens to most of the refrigerators people put out for trash pickup in front of their houses. The cause of the problem is when air flow is restricted across the refrigerant coils too much heat returns to the compressor and eventually causes the compressor to fail. I appreciate that we live in a time when you can order exactly what you need on the internet and make home repairs when you need to. Thanks Part Select for sending me the correct part. It’s nice to have milk and cold drinks again.

rmv panel (5min) rmv fan/motor 3 screws (10 m) cut wire 2in from motor, re route remainder of wire to front so can strip for wire nuts. ( 10m) attach old fan to new motor, place in old opening ,3 screws, a little fussy to align, ( 15m ) route and strip wire from new motor , zip ties work well, wire nuts , plug in fridge vola, no noise, c ... Read more lose up, reverse panel. ( 20m). i also took time to clean grilles with small vac and damp rag, ( looks and sounds like new) bob Wi.

After noticing my freezer was ice cold and the refrigerator was luke warm, I figured there was an airflow problem due to either a fan that failed or the evaporator coil iced over. Just by opening the freezer door I could hear the fan blowing so it had to be the evap coil. Sure enough after removing a couple screws and the back panel I sa ... Read more w the ice. I then unplugged the frige to let it thaw overnight. In the morning I inspected the coil and luckily noticed right away that this little piece didn't look right. The top of the bi-metal thermostat was raised up. Almost like it popped. I read the other reviews on this website reffering to using an ohm meter to see if it held continuity. Well it didn't because the piece really did "pop". The wire was severed. So the ohm reader read open even if the piece was warm. I ordered the part and in days was able to replace the part. NOTE TO BUYER. It did not come with electrical connecting nuts or whatever they are called. So you'll have to go to the hardware store and pick some up for about $2. Frige works fine now. Thanks parts select.

DISCONNECT POWER. Removed all shelves/baskets.Popped upper panel off (just clips in) Removed 6 screws in lower back panel ( 3 each side) slid panel in place but down. You can then easily see the defrost thermostat/defrost termination switch. Cut the wire connectors (pink n brown wire) stripped back wire, attached new defrost thermostat. ... Read more Thermostat clips on. New thermostat ohm's at 5.5, old one was "open". Slid cover back up meeting the upper cover grooves. Screwed lower panel in. Put shelves etc back in. Plugged in. Turns on, put a bottle of water in freezer. Checked a while later, frozen. has been frozen for a week.
-James

An easy job for smaller hands. Removed the two bolts holding the light cover. Removed two electrical connections from the old switch by pinching the retaining clip,removed the switch, snapped in the new one and re-attached the connectors. Your online illustrations helped me to know that the plastic housing for the light switch would only ... Read more swing down so far and was not intended to be removed. Saved me from breaking that plastic cover's tabs. This home repair saved me more than 5 times the cost of hiring a professional to do it. Very happy homeowner.

I have a side by side so in order to access the bi-metal switch I first had to empty out the freezer. The switch is clipped on to the top of the evaporator coil. I had to remove 8 screws to remove the back panel of the freezer compartment. The bi-metal switch was right there in plain view. There are two colored wires that come out of ... Read more the switch. I tried pulling them out of the socket they were plugged into but gave up for fear of breaking something. I ended up cutting the wires and splicing them together. I used the plastic twist caps. I made sure when I closed everything back up that the open end of the caps were pointing down so no water can accumulate in them. It has been 3 days now and so far so good

I first disconnected the power cord and then removed all the panels and disconnected the Defrost Heater at the quick-disconnect, and cut the wires on the Defrost Themostat. (The Defrost Thermostat had been replaced about 10 years ago when the Defrost Heater was replaced.) One of the reasons it took longer than 15 minutes was because ther ... Read more e was a buildup of ice in the freezer section. I then soldered the wires and covered them with a plastic sleeve and wrapped them in electrical tape. After replacing all the panels and re-connecting the power cord, I restarted the refrigerator. After one week, there is no water dripping from the freezer and everything is working properly. Your diagnosis of the problem was exactly right. Thanks for the info.

We took the edge out of the slot and pulled the old one off then put the new one on. Once we got the plastic edge started into the slot it was a breeze. Only took about 5 minutes. We were very pleased with the results.

Definatly a two man job. I suggest you put a pad down to protect your floor. Remove the filter, grill, and bolts per instructions. Everything is straight forward. Move the frame back 1/2 to 1 inch then tilt the frig back on it's side about 4 inches. If the frame doesn't drop down, move it back until the front of the frame comes of th ... Read more e front lip of the frig. Place a block under the frig lip NOT the frame and WATCH YOUR FINGERS. The wheel should be hanging down. Just pull out the pin, replace the wheel (make sure you have it facing the correct way) and tilt back and pull the blocks. Move the frig back in place and replace the bolts. Took me and a buddy less than 30 minutes.

Just removed the old timer and attached the wires to the new one and replaced the old. That simple!