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rcdr
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Posted: Thu Mar 20th, 2008 23:08 |
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Hi, I've got a GE Profile Fridge with a Freezer on the bottom that has a cooling problem. All this just before Easter too. The freezer part is very cold ("off scale", pulling in -13) with the fridge part approaching near room temp! The model number is PDS22SBRALSS.
From very quickly reading this site, it appears I may have a problem with the defrost stuff (circuit board or sensors).
Can anyone help with advice? Specifically, where are the sensors? I can see where the circuit board may be (panel on back of fridge). Does anyone have a service manual, wiring diagram or anything else that may be of help? Is this thing part of any recall?
Thanks in advance.
Last edited on Mon Mar 31st, 2008 03:32 by rcdr
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Econo Appliance
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Posted: Fri Mar 21st, 2008 00:00 |
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If the defrost system wasn't working properly, it would negatively affect the freezer temperature as well. I doubt it's the defrost system.
If the evaporator fan motor is working fine, the air duct from the freezer to refrigerator or air return line could be frosted up.
This happens if the refrigerator or freezer door was accidentally left cracked open for several hours.
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rcdr
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Posted: Mon Mar 31st, 2008 03:45 |
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Thanks Econo Appliance. Still have a problem but no idea what's going on.
We unplugged the fridge and basically manually defrosted the entire thing. After a day, we plug it in and things appeared to returned back into working order (both the fridge part and freezer part). Operation has since deteriorated again but now the fridge part is freezing food (in the bottom veg crisper compartments) and we've been noticing reasonably large temperature fluctuations in the both the freezer and fridge parts. The temperature is set to the default (the freezer part at 0 and the fridge part at 37) but we've see the freezer part dropping to -4 and fridge part down in the 34 range.
We were no noticing such problems (encounter at Easter and now) when we first got the fridge about 4.5 years ago.
Can anyone help? Please see my earlier message for questions and request
Thanks in advance.
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appl.tech.29501
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Posted: Sun Apr 6th, 2008 01:26 |
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Your Frige sensor is #241, and the freezer sensor will look just like it probably on the left hand wall at the bottom. In order to get a proper diagnosis you are going to need to remove the back wall of the freezer and verify the condition of the coils. post back your findings.
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rcdr
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Posted: Tue Apr 8th, 2008 02:57 |
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Thanks appl.tech.29501,
Should be able to find some time later this week. I'll use your diagram to investigate and will report back with pictures and description of what I find. Thanks.
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RegUS_PatOff
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Posted: Tue Apr 8th, 2008 03:30 |
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I found the service manual.
I could e-mail it to you. 1 MB
manual sent
Last edited on Tue Apr 8th, 2008 04:02 by RegUS_PatOff
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Keinokuorma
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Posted: Tue Apr 8th, 2008 08:08 |
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Hmm. Your serial number (PDS22...) is included in this list.
http://applianceguru.com/attachment.php?id=2933
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Bob-tech
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Posted: Tue Apr 8th, 2008 13:18 |
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I too have a GE Bottom Freezer profile fridge. PDS22SBRALSS.
I've been through 3 main boards, and with each board I seem to have a different issue. My main issue is keeping the fridge cool. The freezer doesn't seem to have an issue getting cold, but the fridge always seems warmer. When the fridge does reach the default values (0,37F) the evap fan keeps running. It never shuts off.
This morning my fridge was -3F, 40F
I have the latest "new" main board and peformed the wire cut on wire #2 in connector J1.
I believe this has made no change.
Where can I purchase this "mini manual"? I'm suppose to have paperwork with the fridge, which is located under the front kickplate or something..... but I don't see anything?
Sears has put some effort into fixing this thing. But no luck so far. Sears says this is one of the worse fridges for them. Great 
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rcdr
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Posted: Tue Apr 8th, 2008 14:40 |
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Hi RegUS_PatOff, Keinokuroma, Bob-tech,
Thanks for your reply and help. Will report back shortely to the group with investigations once I muster up some spare time and when I find another fridge to temporaily transfer some the more perishable food into.
In the meantime, am currently "manually turning off the fridge at the breaker" or moving stuff from the freezer to the fridge to help with temperature problems! The temperatures are currently fluctuating wildly from the fridge part not working (but the freezer part working) to other extremes noted in my original posting. Found the fridge part at 34 and freezer part at -10 last night. Temperature target set to default (37 and 0 respectively. I too am hearing a fan on the majority of the time (with some pauses - This isn't scientifically measured).
Specifically for each of your replies:
RegUS_PatOff:
Thanks!
Keinokuroma:
Thanks! Unfortunately, my serial number doesn't appear to be in the range they specify. It has an AG code which indicates a Jan 04 manfacturing date and is not in the Oct 04-Jul 06 period specified in your document. Any chance there is an earlier letter?
Bob-tech:
RegUS_PatOff has it. Contact him off list to get it or me off list if needed.
I'm sorry to hear that you are having (similar?) problems. Your description including the Sears comments is startling. I didn't expect to have problems with a Fridge given the price paid and one that had good consumer report ratings (I guess this rating was based on historical data on earlier models).
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Bob-tech
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Posted: Tue Apr 8th, 2008 18:02 |
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rcdr,
Thanks for the input. That mini manual might come in handy. Does your evap fan run all the time?
I'm determined to open up the fridge and have a look at this damper and such. There is a stepper motor in there driving the damper... (I guess).
I know there is a stepper motor because I recognise a chip on the main board.
I'm wondering if something isn't allowing the damper/door/valve... whatever.... to move it's full distance???
But I don't have a donor fridge 
The only thing SEARS will do is cover the majority of costs for a new fridge.
The thing that bugs me is, when the fridge does reach default values (0,37F), the evap just keeps blowing. It never shuts off.
BD
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Keinokuorma
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Posted: Tue Apr 8th, 2008 18:47 |
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rcdr wrote: Unfortunately, my serial number doesn't appear to be in the range they specify. It has an AG code which indicates a Jan 04 manfacturing date and is not in the Oct 04-Jul 06 period specified in your document. Any chance there is an earlier letter?
Intríguing... they list a PDS22 model number there... not serial... Yours is apparently PDS22BRALSS, the closest in RCC's list is PSD22BPALSS. The numbers in the PDF look like model numbers although they talk about serials...
I just tried, what the PDF says to be serial numbers are valid model numbers at RCC... maybe GE's mistake there... or whoever built the list.
Last edited on Tue Apr 8th, 2008 18:50 by Keinokuorma
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RegUS_PatOff
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Posted: Tue Apr 8th, 2008 19:03 |
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the columns are not in the right place...
this is the column for Bottom Mount French Door models: PDS22
serial numbers: Serial # HH0 - ML0
MFG dates: May 05 - Jul 06
Attachment: from GE_Refrig_board.png (Downloaded 107 times) Last edited on Tue Apr 8th, 2008 19:04 by RegUS_PatOff
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Bob-tech
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Posted: Tue Apr 8th, 2008 22:05 |
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My serial is AG041701
This fridge is driving me nuts. It now reads Freezer -13F, and fridge 38F.
Defaults (0,37F)
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Keinokuorma
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Posted: Tue Apr 8th, 2008 22:14 |
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RegUS_PatOff wrote: the columns are not in the right place...
Ah. That X-Plains it.
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rcdr
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Posted: Wed Apr 9th, 2008 04:41 |
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Hi RegUS_PatOff, Keinokuroma, Bob-tech,
Don't have much to add yet since I haven't had the chance to investigate but some observations:
Bob-tech:
I just reread your post. You have the near identical fridge in terms of exact model AND vintage. My serial number starts with an "AG" as with yours and according to the page 7 of the service manual, both were manufactured in Jan 04.
About your question, "Does your evap fan run all the time?", I'm not sure which fan is is ON much of the time (as I think there are two of them from the manual - One for the condenser and one for the evaporator). As I wrote in my earlier postings, my fridge is all over the place in terms of temperature. There is a fan on most of the time. I have noticed it stopping periodically. I haven't "scientifically" observed it but have casually noted that "the fan heard" has stopped all over the fridge/freeze temperature map. Its currently at -4/44 with the default 0/37 setting. I've just move some frozen stuff into the fridge to help manually transfer the cooling!
I had suspected that the circuit board may need to be replaced as powering down the fridge for some length of time produces different effects, more than what I'd thought would happen if it was just due to simply defrosting. NOTE: I'm a newbie at appliance repair so caution on my experience compared to the other truely experienced folks on this site.
You mentioned that Sears was involved with yours, that you've already gone through 3 control boards, and that Sears says this is one of the worse fridges for them. Have you brought the issue up with GE via Sears? Has Sears mentioned any sort of recall, etc.?
Bob-tech, RegUS_PatOff, Keinokuroma:
The GE_Refrig Board specifies products manufactured during May 05 - Aug 06 which is later than our "AG" (Jan 04). Is there any chance of anything other statement covering earlier fridges?
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Bob-tech
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Posted: Wed Apr 9th, 2008 13:22 |
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So very late last night I found my fridge at the following temps. (-13,40).
So I decided, at 11pm, I was gonna rip it apart and see what was happening.
I put all my freezer goods into the fridge, and pulled apart the freezer so I could get at the back panel. Basically once I got the back panel off I found a big ice cube. I opened the fridge and turned controls to "OFF", by pushing the fridge temp up all the way. Even though my fridge was off, my EVAP fan would come on when I opened the door.
I'm assuming the evap fan was going because the freezer coils were a block of ice. And thus trying to defrost the freezer. The thermodisc that sits on the coil must be in the ON state. The coil was so frozen up, that the fridge must be trying to defrost the freezer. Hence the evap fan always running.
I grabbed my wifes hair dryer......, and on it's lowest setting, with safe distance, I defrosted all the ice off of this thing. The water tray in the back of the fridge filled up so fast!
Once the freezer coil thawed out, I quickly put everything back together and turned the fridge back on. I noticed the fridge-freezer getting cold over the next hour so I put the freezer food back in the freezer.
I don't quite recall what the temps were when I went to bed (2:30am). But at 7:00am...only 4.5hrs later....the temps were (0,33F). And my evap fan was OFF!!! 
I plan on opening the compartment in the back of the fridge, to see how this beast operates.
Now that I've had this beast torn apart and have see the guts, my thinking is. Because the freezer was a BIG block of ice, the fan could not blow cold air up into the fridge. The block of ice basically filled the back compartment of the freezer with so much ice that there was no air flow. So... This big block of ice is either the problem, or something (Damper/valve) may still be issue at controlling how much cold air actually blows up into the fridge. I could still have a frost issue imbetween the fridge/freeezer. My so called defrost may have jostled something.
I took some pictures which I will try and post when I get home tonight. Depends on how tired I am. 
Someone on this forum said they did a defrost.... My question is, how long did you let it defrost, and how? With the ice build up I had, this would have taken a long time to melt on it's own. Especially with the freezer compartment closed in.
Bob
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rcdr
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Posted: Wed Apr 9th, 2008 13:58 |
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Hi Bob-tech:
OK. So its the defrost problem that the more experienced folks have written about earlier. Their suggestions in those situations were to check (1) Thermistors (2) Defrost coil (3) Defrost timer (4) Control board...
By the way, you are way ahead of me as I'm still in the manually transferring frozen stuff in the fridge (and back) stage. If you get yours fixed before me, perhaps you can come fix mine since they are near identical and probably were on same assembly line during the same month/year.
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Bob-tech
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Posted: Wed Apr 9th, 2008 16:15 |
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Our fridges are probably cousins.
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Bob-tech
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Posted: Wed Apr 9th, 2008 23:16 |
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I'm home and my fridge is at 0 & 38F. Very nice to find.
Although this doesn't mean the issue is confirmed fixed. I may still have a defrost issue. I'll have to wait and see what takes fold. If I can get my hands on this mini manual, then maybe I can identify which wires are which at the Main board and test the thermodisc, the defrost element, etc,etc
Here are some pics from my late night repair.
Bob
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Samurai Appliance Repair Man
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Posted: Thu Apr 10th, 2008 02:24 |
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Nice pix, thanks for posting 'em! 
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