How To Replace The Defrost Thermostat In A Refrigerator And Defrost A Freezer

[ACoustaDC]

A few tips for all. Defrost with your steamer. I have a cheapo that I bought at goodwill and I can defrost in ten minutes. It makes a ton of fog in your fridge, blow away with a hair drier or suck fog out with a shop vac (vac works best.) To test timer, mark a spot on the timer and see if it moves a bit in 40 minutes. I think a full revolution takes 8 hours.. it moves clockwise. Only 3 things can cause this condition. thermostat, timer, and the heating element. I cant see how the lement can fail

[bajaaddict]

Thanx for the video. I followed your video intructions to diagnose and fix my frige's problem. AWESOME....THANX!

[hoohoohoblin]

@bajaaddict You're welcome! I'm glad it worked for you.

[luvthepie]

I was told by some clown the part was $60 (when I found it on line for $22) Serious? 200% mark up?!? Come on, I know times are tough, but this guy is a crook in Petaluma, CA!

[hoohoohoblin]

@luvthepie I believe it. Always look online for better pricing, no matter what you're buying.

[peter11203]

I hope that the ice didnt come back but i bet it did. The fridge has a defrost timer in it turn it clock wise slow and it will make a loud click thats derfost mode. Check and see if the heater comes on if it does replace the defrost timer.

[51homemaker]

sorry for my delayed response. thank you for the information.

[jhnoh58]

really thank you for your warm teaching~~

[hoohoohoblin]

@jhnoh58 You're welcome. I'm really happy that this video is helping so many people.

[hoohoohoblin]

@51homemaker I bought them from P&S Parts in Gardena, California. You can also order parts from the Sears website. I haven't tried eBay, but I bet some parts are available there.

[nasser4812163]

on the left and another on the right, on two ends.

One more thing, as you stated the price of the defrost thermostat is between $20 and $40, well here in Kuwait where I live it is almost half the price only $11, brand GEMLINE made in USA, part number ML45, GEMLINE Garden grove,CA92641.

My email is nasser4812163@yahoo.com.

Hoping to hear from you.

[hoohoohoblin]

@nasser4812163 That's a good deal. I guess people should shop around when looking for a replacement part.

[nasser4812163]

hoohoohoblin hi

Thanks for your contribution to DIY, I have a Leonard fridge; 35 years old and still going well except for the defrost thermostat, I followed your instruction by replacing the defrost thermostat of course a brand new one; it worked for a few days but went back to almost what it was before, I replaced it again with another brand you one; still the same.

I am not so sure of what I am going to suggest, so I need your advise, my suggestion is to place two defrost thermostat one

[RikWCrlsn]

i took the thermostat out tested it and now nothing happens but a lite goes on no motor running now

[RikWCrlsn]

what are the chances its the Thermostat ? my Sears Galaxy was stored for a while but was 1 year new before it was stored for a few years in a nice clean garage not temp controlled and everything seems to work but it wont get cold .... can you help

[hoohoohoblin]

@RikWCrlsn It's possible the coolant (I'm not sure if it's freon or something different) has leaked out of the refrigerator, making it unable to cool. If everything else seems to work, and fans are blowing, that may be it.

[darrelleric]

Check it to see if it is open at 32 degrees if it is it's bad if it's closed you don't need to change it !!!!!

[bobstricktips]

Thanks for the video. My refrigerator is practically the same model, and I used this video to replace the thermostat.

[hoohoohoblin]

@bobstricktips Great! I'm glad I could help. Thanks for letting me know it worked for you. It made my day. 

[mekugi]

Thanks for this; very useful.

[hoohoohoblin]

@mekugi You're welcome. I'm glad it helped.

[marcos0598s]

snow ball in sumer hahaha !!!!!!!!!

[happiestjoker]

jjgonzason@yahoo.com my kenmore refi the freezer works find but refigerator\ is not working help please

[hoohoohoblin]

@happiestjoker The cooling in the refrigerator is done in the freezer compartment, and a fan blows cool air from the freezer into the refrigerator section to keep it cool. If the fan stops working, or if ice forms in the freezer so that air can't blow from the freezer to the fridge, the refrigerator won't be cold. Check your fan.

[peter11203]

@hoohoohoblin I heard the fan going in the fridge its the timer

[happiestjoker]

jjgonzason@yahoo.com my kenmore refi the freezer but thej  refigerator is not cooling help please

[mjs20111]

Hi,my Refrigerator suddenly freezing everything,even when I turn the tem. to 0.what is the problem?

[hoohoohoblin]

@mjs20111 Sounds like the thermostat isn't shutting off when the temperature is cold enough to freeze, so it keeps cooling all the time. I'm not talking about the defrost thermostat. I'm talking about the thermostat which regulates the temperature of the refrigerator.

[mjs20111]

@hoohoohoblin so do you think changing the thermostat would fix the problem?I meant the thermostat inside with the temperature control.is it easy to change?I would like to learn and do it myself.

[hoohoohoblin]

@mjs20111 I bet it's easy to change. I haven't done it myself before, as mine never broke. You should look at the wiring diagram of the refrigerator and locate it, and then get a price from a local dealer or online. You should be able to find a wiring diagram on the internet. Most things on a refrigerator are really easy to get to and replace. It's a pretty simple machine.

[readGodsword]

Well, thanks to your super clear video, I FIXED IT!!! And I am 'just' a housewife!! :-) Saved myself a $75 service call. I really appreciate you showing the steps to do it so well. Its very satisfying to do it yourself and save money! Hopefully, no more issues from a Maytag that is only 4 years old. Thanks for sharing!!

[hoohoohoblin]

@readGodsword Awesome! I love reading comments like that about my videos. You can do anything if you have a clear idea of how to do it.

[readGodsword]

THANKS FOR POSTING!! I think I will cancel the service call and do it myself!!

[hoohoohoblin]

@readGodsword You can do it!

[thealbertogo]

I fixed it thanks man !!! :D

[hoohoohoblin]

@thealbertogo Awesome! You're welcome.

[thealbertogo]

OK I have the new Thermostat but I canot take out the old one

it is completly conected to the refrigerator wath do I do ?

[hoohoohoblin]

@thealbertogo I'm not sure what you mean by "Completely connected." Is it welded in place? It should be in a pressure-fit metal holder that you can slip it out of, and the connectors should be the type you can pull apart. I suppose if the old one is permanently stuck in place, you could just unhook the wires and hook them up to the new defrost thermostat, and leave the old one in there, but not connected to anything. It should be fine that way.

[thealbertogo]

in wich store did you bout the Thermostat plese tell ME !

[hoohoohoblin]

@thealbertogo I bought it from Coast Appliance Parts in Gardena, California. If you live in Los Angeles, it's easy to get to. If you live in some other state, do a search for local appliance part stores and you should find one.

[danseman1]

You might also want to check out a product called Noalox. It's a petroleum jelly, mixed with powdered lead. I sometimes put it inside wire nuts and it also works great on car battery terminals. I'm sure you will find many more uses for it as it's a great conductor and prevents corrosion. Thanks again for your tips.

[danseman1]

you mentioned "shoe-goo" Does that work pretty well? What about using silicone?

[hoohoohoblin]

@danseman1 Silicone should work fine. I love Shoe Goo for many different types of repairs. It's very hard and strong, but also flexible enough to maintain a bond on a flexible surface.

[ACoustaDC]

@hoohoohoblin it's pricey tho, especially compared to silly cone.

[danseman1]

Thanks for the video. Couldn't you have tested that thermostat to verify that it was faulty? How would you do that? It appears that the devise was not allowing the defrost heater go on. Is that correct. Thanks for your help. I have a similar problem as my unit is not cooling???

[hoohoohoblin]

@danseman1 Here's how to test it. Hook it up to an ohmmeter. The meter should display a reading of zero when the thermostat is cold and a reading of infinity when it is warm (40 to 90 degrees F depending on the model). If the thermostat does not pass this test it should be replaced.

[BEEPERHAWK]

so this is the 2nd time u replaced the def. therm ? did this solve the prob. ?I have a question. why would the def. therm freeze when it is designed to prevent freezing ?

[hoohoohoblin]

@BEEPERHAWK The first time it happened, I think it was because the defrost thermostat went bad. The second time it happened, which you see in the video, I think my freezer door was left slightly open, and it got all frosty, but I'm not sure. I had a problem with the door magnetic seal closing properly.

[miggs225]

Thanks for your video. I had a top freezer kenmore that had the same symptoms. I did exactly what you did and was able to avoid a PRO coming out to make an expensive house call. I bought my stat for $18 and it works fine now.

[hoohoohoblin]

@miggs225 Thanks. I'm hoping people will find this video and save themselves some money. It's simple to do once you get over the fear of taking it apart.

[phin3s]

@miggs225 Lucky us. I have a feeling the defrost heater is out on ours, as well as one of the fans. This fridge has been nothing but problems for us, but a new one costs far too much. I guess we will have to order those 2 parts and hope it fixes it

[hoohoohoblin]

@phin3s  I hope that fixes it. Refrigerators are pretty simple, and the parts are cheap.

[rhblakeman]

Actually that part is a defrost thermostat or defrost limiter. The part they call just plain thermostat is tied to the temp control. Some defrost thermostats have to be spliced into the harness.

[hoohoohoblin]

@rhblakeman You're right. Thanks for pointing that out.  I changed the title of the video to say "Defrost Thermostat."

[rhblakeman]

Most refrigerators (and washers and driers and other major appliances) have the schematic on the back glued on. You can get online parts (and part diagrams) at searspartsdirect-dot-com and repairclinic-dot-com.

[MrRichierich1990]

ours keeps running and running, and not shut off for the defrost cycle, and i noticed a little ice in the fridge. lol help please?

[zx12ryder]

i had a fridge in my last apartment that kept leaving puddles on the kitchen floor...the drain hole under the radiator like the one at the 3:31 mark in this vid kept freezing up and water would overflow down into the bottom fridge area. I would have to do exactly what you did in this vid (defrost the freezer)..with a screwdriver chipping away the ice carefully. The stupid maintenance folks came out once and still did not fix the prob so every other week or sooner i had to do the defrost dance.

[hoohoohoblin]

@zx12ryder In these situations it's usually either the defrost timer or the thermostat that need replacing. Refrigerators are pretty simple machines, and parts are cheap, but having someone come out and fix the refrigerator is expensive.

[fringbla]

This video is so timely. My two year old Frigidair is having same problems. On for twelve hours, off for three. Everything in freezer starts to thaw, then fridge turns on again. I will buy thermostat and show my husband that I can fix it myself without calling expensive repairman. Thanks

[hoohoohoblin]

@fringbla Awesome! Glad I could help. It should work after defrosting it and replacing the thermostat. I was happy that it was so cheap to fix.