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Frequently Asked Questions About Domestic Refrigerator Repair:

All components replaced but still not working

Please explain to me how a typical defrost system works (i.e., timer, defrost thermostat and heater). I am an electronics tech and have been having a tough time troubleshooting this thing. My refrigerator is a Norge model GS22Y8D. It stopped working some time ago and I have been periodically manually defrosting it. (fun-fun!). A repairman replaced the timer first. No change. I then discovered one of the elements in the heater loop was burned up and replaced the heater. No change. I then suspected that it had to be the thermostat (which I took voltage readings across w/ a digital multimeter) and I replaced it. Still no change. Is there a way to test the thermostat for proper operation? Any assistance you can give is greatly appreciated.

It sounds like you have all three devices replaced. You say though, no change. Does this mean the evaporator coils still fill with frost, or the frost won't leave automatically?

No the bottom part of the refrigerant coils have ice now but there was frost before.

Aw, I see what happened. You initially had a defrost problem. The tech you hired replaced the wrong component, but you solved the original problem by replacing the burnt out heater.

What you have now is a different problem. Ice staying under the coils has nothing to do with the defrost circuit not working but will produce the same symptoms because air will still not flow through the freezer coils.

What happens with the Nordge, Maytag and MagicChef designs that have the evaporator in the floor of the freezer compartment often is that the glass tube breaks then glass particles plug the drain fittings and tubes. You need to melt the whole thing down and clean out the drains under the coils so that the path is clear all the way to the condensate evaporator tray near the compressor. Once you’re done, test the operation of this by slowly pouring a glass of water through, it should end up where it’s supposed to. This should solve the problem.