[chipCavall]

Hello,

I have a GE side by side that is about 7 year old. Since I purchased the unit I have had to replace the defroster one to two times per year. I am use to removing the cover to the coils and using a hair dryer to melt the build up of ice. However, without the heater working this is only a temporary fix. I am getting tired of paying a repair man to fix something that appears very easy to repair myself.

First, how do I determine that my problem is limited to just the heater? Is it possible that the heater is fine but the the defrost thermostat is the problem? Should I just replace the heater and see what happens? What other aspects should I be testing to make sure that my problem is not just the heater? I just want to make sure that replacing the heater is all that I need to be concerned with.

Thanks for the advice.

[denman]

Here is a link to a service manual. Says it includes several gss models and they are probably close to yours
Free Appliance Repair Forum - Downloads
You will have to get a volt / ohm meter
The manual says your defrost heater should measure about 27 ohms
Always undo one side of whatever you are measuring for resistance.
This ensures you are not measuring the resistance through another wiring path

[chipCavall]

Thank you.