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TFT20SAXAWW General Electric Refrigerator - Instructions

All Instructions for the TFT20SAXAWW
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Refrigerator would turn off and never come back on.
First unplug the refrigerator!

Removed the top shelf of the refrigerator. Pulled off the knobs from the temp slider controls. Popped the cover off of the light and temp control section. This Hotpoint model has both
thermostat and defrost timer easily accessible in the refrigerator compartment. Used a socket set
driver to loosen the screws and remove the
temp control section and unplugged the wire connectors. This freed the whole temp control
section. On the workbench removed the old
thermostat by unscrewing the screws with a socket driver. Unplugged the wires from the old thermostat then put the new one in. Then put the
new one in the same holes, reconnected the
wires and reassembled the everything. Then
simply put this temp control box back in the
original place (and reconnect the wire plugs)
and put the screws back in . The hardest part is re-aligning the holes and the control levers, but this is not too bad.

Plugged it back in and so far it has been turning
on and off normally. (The old thermostat contacts
were oxidized so I think this was the problem).
Parts Used:
Temperature Control
  • Allen from High Point, NC
  • Difficulty Level:
    Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    30 - 60 mins
  • Tools:
    Nutdriver, Pliers, Screw drivers, Socket set
20 of 25 people found this instruction helpful.
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The refrigirator light would not come on.
Poped out with screwdriver the old swithch and unplugged the two wires. Plugged in the wires to the new swithch and pushed it back in the hole where the old switch was before.
Parts Used:
Light Switch
  • Jania from Novato, CA
  • Difficulty Level:
    Really Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    Less than 15 mins
  • Tools:
    Screw drivers
24 of 39 people found this instruction helpful.
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Heater / Defroster not working
The job was fairly easy. Removed 4 screws and removed panel. Disconnected cable assembly, removed 4 more screws holding heater coils. Reconnected cable assembly and replaced screws & panel. Partselect was quick to ship and would do business with them again.
Parts Used:
Defrost Heater with Thermostat
  • James from Cleveland, OH
  • Difficulty Level:
    Really Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    Less than 15 mins
  • Tools:
    Screw drivers, Socket set
16 of 17 people found this instruction helpful.
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Cams On Freezer Door Broke
Removed top hinge and electrical connector (freezer door has ice and water dispensers) then had to turn off water supply to unit and disconnect the hose to the door and remove the spring protector from the hose -- this required removal of the compression fittings in the water line so spring would come off of the tube. Then removed bottom hinge from the door and used saw to remove the rivet that had held the cam to the hinge, used a nut and bolt to attach new cam. Put other cam (used two) in the hinge and replaced lower hinge unit on the door. Then reattached both hinges to the refrigerator and lined up the door put the spring protector and compression fittings back on plastic tubing and reconnected the water supply and electric fitting, turned on water to unit and prayed there were no leaks. Prayer was answered, the water dispenser worked properly and the ice maker filled with water so I then replaced the hinge cover on top of the unit and the grill at the bottom and had a pepsi. A few years ago I had replaced the cams on the other door which had no water/electic connections and was a much simpler job.
Parts Used:
Door Closing Cam
  • WALTER from FROSTBURG, MD
  • Difficulty Level:
    A Bit Difficult
  • Total Repair Time:
    30 - 60 mins
  • Tools:
    Screw drivers, Socket set, Wrench (Adjustable)
16 of 17 people found this instruction helpful.
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Switch failed on which kept the refrigerator warm due to heat generatered by light bulbs.
While the switch did last for 9 years, the design is poor due to the failure mode. The failure should be to fail off or not able to turn on the lights which would be inconvenient but would not warm the refrigerator contents. Arcing at the contacts eventually caused the switch to "weld" closed. It is not obvious that this is occurring so it took some time to recognize why the temp inside the ref was high while the freezer was OK. Replacing the switch was easy once it was recognized as the problem. All that was required to replace the switch was to remove the screws holding a fiber cover and then pulling off the aluminum cap which covered the switches. Unplug the switch an squeeze the keeper on the switch to release it and pull down. Pop the replacement switch in place and plug the wires harness back in. All in all it took much less time to replace than it has to write this up. T Pope
Parts Used:
Light Switch
  • Terry from Simi Valley, CA
  • Difficulty Level:
    Really Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    Less than 15 mins
  • Tools:
    Pliers, Screw drivers
18 of 26 people found this instruction helpful.
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Door hinge cam crumbled
Simple job, empty the door shelves, remove top hinge, lift door off bottom hinge, remove bottom hing. The reassembly is the reverse, with a little cleaning along the way and a little white lithium grease on the hinge pins and cams.
Parts Used:
Bottom Hinge Assembly
  • Ralph from Portland, OR
  • Difficulty Level:
    Really Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    30 - 60 mins
  • Tools:
    Nutdriver
14 of 16 people found this instruction helpful.
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Refigerator door would no longer self close
Moved all items from door storage into refrigerator shelves. Removed top hinge cover held by single screw and top hinge plate held by two bolts. Lifted up door to clear bottom hinge pin and removed door. Covered open front of refrigerator with plastic wrap to keep cold in refrigerator with door removed. Laid door on kitchen counter top and removed bottom hinge assembly held on by two bolts. Replaced upper cam located on bottom of door and screwed the hinge assembly back on to bottom of door (helps to keep the three plates in same sequence and note the position of cam). Drilled out the rivet that holds the lower cam to the bottom hinge pin. Removed old lower cam and and replaced with new cam and secured to lower hinge assembly with pan head screw and nut (instead of rivet). Replaced door back onto lower hinge pin and secured upper hinge pin with original bolts. Placed cover on upper hinge assembly and secured with original screw. Removed plastic wrap from front of refrigerator and moved the items that originally were stored in the door back to provide weight needed for door to close properly. All done and the door works like new, and all in less than 45 minutes. Would have been a more difficult job without the pioneering of people on this site. Thanks to all!
Parts Used:
Door Closing Cam
  • Melvin from Philomath, OR
  • Difficulty Level:
    Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    30 - 60 mins
  • Tools:
    Screw drivers, Socket set
13 of 14 people found this instruction helpful.
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Existing light switch was hard to remove.
The existing light switch was very hard to remove. I ended up having to grab it with a pair of pliers and pull it out. Once it was out, it was very easy to put in the replacement and it seems to be working fine.
Parts Used:
Light Switch
  • Stephen from Jupiter, FL
  • Difficulty Level:
    A Bit Difficult
  • Total Repair Time:
    Less than 15 mins
  • Tools:
    Screw drivers
14 of 18 people found this instruction helpful.
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support clip broken.
After figuring out how to remove the old broken clip, replacement was easy. Had to use a small putty knife to open the release on the bottom underside of the clip(between the clip & the refrig) . By looking at the replacement piece it was easy to figure out.
Parts Used:
Freezer Shelf Support
  • Arturo from Killeen, TX
  • Difficulty Level:
    Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    Less than 15 mins
  • Tools:
    Screw drivers
16 of 25 people found this instruction helpful.
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The cam broke apart and the pieces were on the floor. The door did not close automatically. This was on the freezer side.
I used the same steps as described in other descriptions listed here. Since I was changing the hinge assembly on the freezer side the difference I discovered was that there was a nylon water hose inside the hinge assembly that I did not at first know how to remove. I finally called a repairman I happened to know and following his instruction simply snapped the hose loose where there was a connector and placed a cloth under it to catch the moisture that drained. Having done that, the rest of the assembly went just the same way as the other instructions listed here said that it would. Door now functions like new.
Parts Used:
Bottom Hinge Assembly
  • Bennie from Gainesville, FL
  • Difficulty Level:
    Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    30 - 60 mins
  • Tools:
    Nutdriver, Pliers, Screw drivers
12 of 14 people found this instruction helpful.
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Refrigerator Door Wouldn't Close Right
Get 2 "door closing cams" yep. Same as some others here. Found some black plastic pieces on the floor, when door wasn't closing right. I took the door off by taking off the top bracket. Very easy. Bottom bracket has the broken cam riveted to it. Need hacksaw to get this off then punch it through with hammer and a screwdriver. This is the only part that took a little while. Replace the closing cam and find a small nut & bolt or screw to replace the rivet you just sawed in half. Replace the closing cam that is on the bottom the the door as well. Even if yours isn't broken. Replace it anyway. Put door back on and done. Not a diffucult project if you know about the rivet and needing 2 closing cams beforehand. Good luck
Parts Used:
Door Closing Cam
  • Anthony from Highland Lakes, NJ
  • Difficulty Level:
    Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    30 - 60 mins
  • Tools:
    Screw drivers, Wrench set
13 of 17 people found this instruction helpful.
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Defrost Thermostat quit working
Take the back panel off inside of freezer side. Cut the wires off old Defrost Thermostat and strip the ends. Attach the wires of the new one and tighten with wire nuts. Put back panel back on.
Parts Used:
Defrost Thermostat
  • Jimmy from Palmer, TN
  • Difficulty Level:
    Really Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    Less than 15 mins
  • Tools:
    Screw drivers
11 of 13 people found this instruction helpful.
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Refrigerator door wouldn't close automatically.
Removed the top hinge with a socket and lifted the door off. Removed the bottom hinge from the refrigerator with same sized socket. Used a Dermel to cut out the old rivet holding the old mangled cam. Attached the new cam with a screw, washers and nut. Reattached bottom hinge to the refrigerator. Removed the bracket holding the second cam on the bottom of the door. Replaced the shim and cam. Reinstalled the door. No problems. Just don't make the same mistake I made. You need two cams. They interlock and work together to close the door automatically. The cams are identical. They are just off set by 90 degrees when the door is closed.
Parts Used:
Door Hinge Shim Door Closing Cam
  • Christopher from N. Merrick, NY
  • Difficulty Level:
    Really Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    15 - 30 mins
  • Tools:
    Pliers, Screw drivers, Socket set
10 of 10 people found this instruction helpful.
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botton half of refrigerator not cooling
easy as 1.2.3 remove and replace before even thinking. just to let you know i also do this for a living but it is one of the most difficult thing when you have to stop and fix your own
Parts Used:
Defrost Timer - 120V 60Hz
  • HANCEL from ELMONT, NY
  • Difficulty Level:
    Really Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    15 - 30 mins
  • Tools:
    Nutdriver, Screw drivers
25 of 55 people found this instruction helpful.
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The refrigerator section of my side by side was not getting as cold as it should have been.
It was easy after finding PartSelect online. It wasn't obvious at first that my evaporator core(in back of freezer side) was frosting over, (since I have a flat white panel that is about 8 x 30 inches covering it), until I reached inside and ran my fingers over the cover and noticed a thin layer of frost on it. At this point I told my buddies to go get ice for our beer cuz I was fixin to do a lock out/tag out on the Fridge. Seriously, Do disconnect the electrical power before taking it apart. After taking the 9 screws (6-1/4" hex heads & 3-#2 phillips)out and removing the panel, I saw that the evaporator core was completely frosted over. I then put a large towel in the bottom and let it thaw for a day. Next day after getting the old Defrost Heater Kit with Thermostat out (4-#2 phillips, plug-in electrical connection, thermostat snap on clip) , I noticed it was burnt inside the filaments and did not pass the continuity test. I then ordered my part from PartSelect and took the oppurtunity to clean my fridge spotless. 3 business days later, I received my part, installed it, and now have a "like new" refrigertor. Actual repair time - 30 minutes, Overall down time - 4 days, Saving the cost of a new Fridge - a heck of lot more beer!
Parts Used:
Defrost Heater with Thermostat
  • Wayne from Magnolia, TX
  • Difficulty Level:
    Really Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    15 - 30 mins
  • Tools:
    Nutdriver, Screw drivers
10 of 10 people found this instruction helpful.
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All Instructions for the TFT20SAXAWW
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