[pvc]

I put the defrost heater back in. The cover over the coils remains off. The coils are frosty. The ice maker is making ice cubes and they are not melting.

I will keep an eye on the coils over the next few days to try to determine if it's not defrosting properly.

[woodchuck]

Test the defrost thermostat and heater. If they are good, I wouldn't replace them.

Test here-Refrigerator Repair Guide: How To Fix a Refrigerator - ACME HOW TO.com

[pvc]

Originally Posted by woodchuck

Test the defrost thermostat and heater. If they are good, I wouldn't replace them.

Test here-Refrigerator Repair Guide: How To Fix a Refrigerator - ACME HOW TO.com

Ok, thanks woodchuck. Here's my plan. I will test the thermostat (probably tomorrow). I will watch the coils to see if I have a defrost problem evidenced by the coils becoming iced over.

If the defrost problem resurfaces and if my thermostat and defrost heater both test OK, then I will consider replacing my motherboard as a first step.

[pvc]

Something happened while I was monitoring the freezer!!! The evaporator fan inside the freezer has quit running. The temperature went up, ice cubes in the ice maker started melting, the coils lost their frost as the frost started melting too. I touched my hand around the defroster heater and it was not on. The defroster heater was not hot at all.

I looked into the back of the unit (see the attached picture). The condenser fan (white fan on the right of the picture) was running and the condenser is clean. The compressor (black round tank on left of the picture) was very hot to the touch. I could not hold my fingers on the tank for more than a few seconds. The compressor was running from the sound of it (noisiest thing in the back).

I cut the power to the unit for a few minutes, then turned the power back on. It’s starting to cool down again. The evaporator fan inside the freezer is running again. The frost is building on the coils again.

I’m guessing something else is wrong aside from a faulty defrost cycle???
Click the thumbnail picture to enlarge the image:

[pvc]

After more reading I discovered how to force my motherboard into turning on the defrost heater. First I turned off the power, and then I jumped the motherboard's J11-LINE with J9 –DEFR. After turning the power back on the defrost heater glowed bright red and the coils started defrosting from the bottom up (see attached pictures).

However, the heater stays on even after the coils were very warm. I removed and tested the thermostat. It allows current to flow (shorted) when it is cold. Problem is, the thermostat also allows current to flow (shorted) when is is warm. So the thermostat tested bad. It does not turn the heater off when it gets warm.

I removed the thermostat by snipping the two wires leaving two wire ends in the freezer. If I twist those two wires together the defrost heater comes on when I apply my J11 to J9 jump. If I leave the two wires separate then the defrost heater remains off. By twisting/separating the two wires I am simulating the function of the thermostat.

If will take me a day or so to get a replacement thermostat. Click on the thumbnail pictures below to see the J11 to J9 jump and the defrost heater glowing red:

[redliner]

GE Profile Arctica, model:PSS25SGMDBS – Freezer is warming.

It seams that I have the same issue, can you let me know what was the solution to you
Problem?

My freezer will not drop below 15 degrees no mater how low I set the tempter on it,
It fluctuates between 15 and 25 degrees. Did some research and decided to replace the thermostat because it was the cheapest thing to change. Nothing changed still have the same issue. Took measurement on the defrost heater and it looks fine. Is there a way to test the controller board to see if it has a problem, before I change it.

Thanks for the help.

[pvc]

After replacing the thermostat my problem still persists.

I am giving up on this refrigerator! Too many problems with this model GE.

I already bought a new LG side-by-side at the Sears scratch and dent store. If you put refrigerator magnets over the dents it looks brand new.

[jsmithy1975]

Originally Posted by redliner

GE Profile Arctica, model:PSS25SGMDBS – Freezer is warming.

It seams that I have the same issue, can you let me know what was the solution to you
Problem?

My freezer will not drop below 15 degrees no mater how low I set the tempter on it,
It fluctuates between 15 and 25 degrees. Did some research and decided to replace the thermostat because it was the cheapest thing to change. Nothing changed still have the same issue. Took measurement on the defrost heater and it looks fine. Is there a way to test the controller board to see if it has a problem, before I change it.

Thanks for the help.

Mine was doing this after the freezer door was accidentally left open a small crack one night. It turned out the control board was bad. I do not know if it is testable by the average joe.

[trigntmth]

I have a GE profile side by side Model PSF26NGTD BB that was also having the same problem. At first both the freezer and refrigerator started getting too warm (15 and 56 respectively) but they would eventually come back down to (0 and 37). However, the both began going through a cycle of high temp and coming down again too often. Eventually within a couple of days the temperature remained high. I took the panel off from the freezer and tested the thermostat and defrost heater and both seem to work okay. The fan however seemed like it wasn't working but when I checked it it was working fine and after I plugged it back into the system it started to work again. The temperature of both freezer and refrigerator went back down to normal for about a day and then began the cycle of warm and normal again as if the defrost timer was off. Is this indicative of a bad circuit board?