Whirlpool freezer frosts up and fridge stops working

[bpjenson]

Model Number: WRF560SFYM02
Brand: Whirlpool
Age: 6-10 years

My freezer has been frosting up every couple months. The fan got really loud the first time. One time the freezer section stopped working. Most recently the fridge loses all its cold air. I’ve cleaned the dust buildup around the outside, I’ve thawed it completely multiple times. I’ve added a drain strap that was never there. I most recently removed the defrost heater (new part #WPW10436849) and bought a multimeter to check it. The YouTube video from Parts Dr said it should read between 10-150 ohms. Mine read 300 so I bought a new one but the new one also reads 300 so I don’t think the heater is the problem. The thermistor seems fine too. Any thoughts? Thank you!

[Doc Ryan]

Do you see a defrost thermostat in the freezer anywhere? I don't see one listed for this model.

I think they may have skipped using a defrost thermostat and instead used a fuse on the brown wire on the part linked below. If this fuse is blown, it could indicate a failure of the main control board as well since it overheated. Let me know what you find.

Wire Harness - WPW10487766 (PD00035496)



Main Control Board - W11035836 (PD00037186)

[bpjenson]

I don’t recall finding a thermostat, just the thermistor. I tested the brown wire (and all the other wires) and the only one I can get a reading on is the ones for the ice maker which I don’t use. So would that mean the control board needs replacing? Or the harness? Or both?

[Doc Ryan]

Test continuity of the brown wire on each end like I have marked in the photo below. Let me know the results.

(Click to enlarge)

[bpjenson]

Can’t get a reading on the brown wire. It just stays at 0. Same with all the wires except the one that goes to the ice maker.

Test continuity of the brown wire on each end like I have marked in the photo below. Let me know the results.

(Click to enlarge)

[Doc Ryan]

Can’t get a reading on the brown wire. It just stays at 0. Same with all the wires except the one that goes to the ice maker.

The reading for the brown wire is the same as the rest of the wires or different?

[bpjenson]

Sorry I looked at the image incorrectly and tested the wrong thing. I just tested between the two arrows you had, from brown wire to brown wire and it gives me 0. It will flash a few different numbers like its reading the continuity and then it always stops at 0.

[Doc Ryan]

That fuse is probably blown then. To fix it, I would replace the wire harness and the main control board at the same time. If you fix it, let me know how it goes for you.

[bpjenson]

Ok thank you! What if that doesn’t fix it though? What else could it be? And is there any way I get some money back for those parts?

[Doc Ryan]

There isn't anything else that could cause the problem besides a wiring issue that I can see.

Our company does not accept returns on parts that have been installed. You can read through our return information details here: https://partsdr.com/returns/

[bpjenson]

I can’t figure out where the main control board is in my fridge to replace it. Any help?

[Doc Ryan]

It should be at the rear of the refrigerator at the bottom, near the compressor.

[bpjenson]

That fuse is probably blown then. To fix it, I would replace the wire harness and the main control board at the same time. If you fix it, let me know how it goes for you.

I replaced the main control board and wire harness a couple weeks ago and the freezer has already frosted up.

[Doc Ryan]

When you installed the new parts, did you manually defrost the evaporator coil to get it caught back up?

[chuckcintron]

Don't mean to butt in here, but diagnosing this ought to include checking the function of that evaporator thermistor. It is part of the defrost cycle.

I had two refrigerators fail recently, Ryan helped out here with one of them. The other one was doing similar to yours -- and I thoroughly checked the defrost timer, evaporator thermistor and defrost heater. All were good. Ended up concluding that the unit had lost part of its refrigerant charge. The big clue was that when the evaporator froze up, the ice buildup was predominantly at the input side of the evaporator.

[bpjenson]

The fridge had been unplugged and completely thawed for about a month when I replaced these parts and started it up again.

Thanks for the input Chuck. The frost is completely full across the whole back of the freezer. I tested the thermistor and defrost heater and I think they were fine but I’m not 100%.

[Doc Ryan]

Chuck, that is a good point. This refrigerator should have a thermistor on the evaporator coil. Try testing it as we show in the video below. Sometimes a thermistor can test good but still be bad if moisture has gotten inside the part.

Also, have you checked to see if the fuse has blown again?

[chuckcintron]

Also, on my fridge, I was able to find the amperage for the compressor (0.9A) and I used an inductive clamp meter to measure it while running; it was only 0.4A -- which was further indication that it had lost refrigerant charge (less material to compress, less demand on the compressor).

Ice buildup can only be due to a small set of reasons:

- bad door seal (would have to be really bad)
- low refrigerant charge
- lack of airflow over the evaporator
........obstruction - could even be due to too much stuff piled up against the vents inside the FF or freezer box
........fan failure
........improper (too low) fan speed
- failure of automatic damper (between FF and freezer)
- failure of defrost cycle

Obviously, some of these can be a result of a bad control board or a wiring/connector problem.

I'd focus on that thermistor and also try to get the compressor amperage rating and measure actual current draw when running, to compare.

Again, sorry for barging in. Unfortunately I've had to learn a lot about these systems recently, and I do have a background in industrial HVAC so a lot of that translates over to these annoying food containers ; )

[bpjenson]

Also, on my fridge, I was able to find the amperage for the compressor (0.9A) and I used an inductive clamp meter to measure it while running; it was only 0.4A -- which was further indication that it had lost refrigerant charge (less material to compress, less demand on the compressor).

I have no idea what all this means! Haha

[bpjenson]

I tried checking the thermistor and I can’t get a reading at all. I’m not sure if the probes were back far enough in the clip to touch the wires but this was the furthest I could get it. Thoughts?