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Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!
Hi there,
New to the forum but really hoping someone can help.
Just moved house and specifically negotiated to keep the Whirlpool Fridge Freezer cos it looked snazzy! Little did I know that it would have the problems described on this board and it would no doubt cost me an arm and a leg at the worst possible time!!!
Anyway, the model is S20B RSB21-A/G with the service codes being 858615115001 and 110341015970. I don’t seem to have the worst of the problem but I am getting the following symptoms:
– Both Freezer and Fridge temperature lights flashing – although temperature in both appears to be keeping the food safe.
– Clicking along with the flashing lights and also when the ice maker tries to do something…
– Ice-maker does not work at all, no ice is created, however, water is obviously connected as the water dispenser works. It is not that cold but it doesn’t spurt it is a steady flow – albeit not that strong.Obviously I would like to avoid an expensive service charge and so in order of preference I guess I would like to:
a) To go home and it be working and never to have the problem again – “wishful thinking”!
b) Get them to fix it for free by using my excellent negotiation skills – “fat chance”!
c) Fix it myself using my limited electronics skills – “unlikely”
d) Get a warranty that doesn’t cost too much and get them to fix it under that – “maybe”
e) Pay to get it fixed – “expensive”!If anyone could offer advice as to how to achieve a-c then please advise. Also, if anyone has experience of the same problem and could give an indication as to whether this is likely to develop into a bigger problem i.e. warm fridge / freezer it would be much appreciated.
Fingers crossed and thanks in advance for any help you can offer!!!
Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!
Hi, Sharker, (not the “chippy-chat” sharker?)
I’d suggest you take a bit of time and read through the WHOLE of this massive thread.
A professional will just replace the boards….his time is expensive, liability issues if he has to make several attempts to nail the fault(s), mean repairing a board is not worth his while.once you have studied the thread, you’ll know what the issues are,then you will also know how to access the boards and remove them.
Having sussed out a local radio / TV/ electronics repairer, you’ll take the boards to him/her,to replace the faulty components at a fraction of the cost of new boards…..then you’ll refit them, and WITH A BIT OF LUCK you’ll have a working appliance.
that’s the best you can do…..highly unlikely any warranty company would fall for that one(apart from fraud being illegal and immoral!)
that counts as a hybrid C/E fix 😆
Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!
HELP! I have read through this entire thread and am hoping someone can help me!
I have a Whirlpool side by side fridge freezer, model number S25B RSS31-A/G. Service codes 8586 166 01012 and 11 0350 005315. (Haven’t seen those service codes on this thread – does that mean anything??)
OK – the machine is 4 years old, I have it insured under an agreement with a firm. I have now had 11 visits from them trying to fix the thing and still no joy. To cut a long story short:
Initial Problem – water juddering and lights flashing when trying to dispense water. Knocking noise from the rear. Sounds familiar to many on this thread.
So – the engineer initially changed some valve round the back then changed both boards. Initial success – no more of the problems mentioned above. BUT – a few hours later we had the high temp warning light flashing and things started to thaw. Tried switching it off which worked for a while.
Had the boards replaced again – seemed OK. BUT we now have problems with a slow ticking noise and a grinding noise coming from behind where the water is dispensed.
Called the engineer out again – changed the front board, still noisy – changed the ice maker, ticking and grinding now worse.
If you are still with me – Thanks!! Any ideas? I have called whirlpool to ask about new boards as I’m wondering if the boards are different depending on your serial number? The engineer just took my model number, I don’t think he took the serial numbers although not 100{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} on that.
WOuld really appreciate any replies!
Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!
ELEVEN visits? -that sounds a bit excessive, -but there again, if it’s a general repairer, they’re unlikely to know, or keep, the common breakdown items for every make/model.
Therefore I asume each fault needed a visit for diagnosis, another visit to fit parts ordered as a result of first visit….then a third visit to fit parts ordered as a result of 1 being wrong and 2 not curing the fault! 😥 ….that means , at the least, 3-treble visits and one double!!!!
I’d suggest a letter to the manager /chief engineer,of the warranty company, pointing out their failure to accurately diagnose and rectify the fault and ask that they send a dedicated Whirlpool engineer from the manufacturers own service department……sounds like you have been extremely unlucky and I would suspect another,obscure,underlying fault is continuing to give trouble.
You have an extended warranty in place,I don’t advise you to sidestep the providers, as this is likely to void that warranty.
One of the visits actually only lasted a few minutes when it turned out they had brought the parts to re-repair my washing machine which they had fixed on a previous visit!! But you are right – diagnosis, fitting, re-fitting etc. I won’t bore you with all the details!
I’m not sure it is an extended warranty – it’s one of those policies with a utility company (not sure if allowed to name them on this board?) which covers various household applicances. I am going to phone them again but in the small print somewhere it says if they can’t fix it they will refund me x months of policy premiums. Can see it going that way!
Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!
Well, thanks for the forum.
Like most I’ve read this thread inside out.
The Whirlpool American FF about 2 1/2 years old has had the usual warm up syndrome flashing hyphens etc. Temp alarm going off etc etc.
We seem to have cured that part with a rebuild of the rear board with new capacitors.The machine is still making ice but will not dispense it.
When the lever is pressed nothing happens apart from the light comes on.
No noise no nothing.A repair guy took a look at it and thought the 220v DC motor might be seized? The power is getting to it apparently.
Have any of the site experts any ideas?
The water dispenser seems to be working fine, always has, no pulsing no noises.Many thanks for any help in advance.
Don’t want to chase shadows and waste moneyby changing unnecessary bits.
cheers
Kevin, South WalesRe: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!
Kevin, If you have repaired your board, you should have no difficulty removing the motor and testing it. (if it’s a brush-motor, brushes can stick)
If it’s seized,that’s a mechanical problem and usual procedures apply to unseize and re-lubricate.
You should NOT test live. a simple resistance-check should confirm if the motor is burnt out or shorted to earth(which would likely burn it out, anyway!)
I find it odd that your engineer could not give a positive diagnosis…(unless this was a time-constrained “free /low-cost diagnosis) -.also, it’s not uncommon for appliances to switch the NEUTRAL…so just because there was a supply,does not indicate the return -path is complete.
you need to be patient, unplug and do a METHODICAL circuit -trace on the circuit concerned..Buying a motor will not be a “magic bullet” if it doesn’t need one!
Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!
Hi all,
A big thanks to everyone who has contributed to this very informitive thread. I , like a lot of you , am having ALL the symptoms discussed. The clicking went on for over a year (ff is abt 3 yr old). On friday it finally stopped working altogether. ( — on freezer side and alarm) . I ordered the parts from rs for the back board and yesterday fitted them. When i switched the ff on , it was back to the usual clicking, but the fridge and freezer part had started working again. I have now removed the front c/board and identified the 5xcaps to replace on there. i am waiting for them to arrive and will keep you posted as to my endeavors as and when.
Again , a big thanks to all concerned , and even if it doesnt work, its been an interesting task 🙂Regards
JRe: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!
Thanks Steve, for the advice.
I have the motor in my hand right now.
It’s a sealed unit unfortunately so i don’t think you could lubricate it. 😡Part no. Whirlpool : 2198592
European P/N: 4619 588 02732Did a google search any nothing coming up.
I have measured the resistance and it’s 195 ohms.
anyone know what it should be?
It may be frozen but I can’t turn it at all, would you expect to?
I would have thought I should be able to?
once again any advice welcomed.
Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!
OK, a bit of an update into my investigations.
Motor must be defrosted by now but I still cannot turn it in either direction, even with a lot of force.
My guess is that its geared inside as it needs a fair amount of torque to crush ice.
I’ve checked the voltage coming out of plug to the motor and its 195 VDC when the ice switch is pressed.
In summary I’m pretty sure the motor is screwed!Anyone any ideas where’s the best place to get one?
I will try the site of course.
Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!
Kevin,- I wouldn’t suggest putting the motor in series with a 110V bulb, to test it, as that would be extremely silly for the average user to do. 😆
You have nothing to lose by attempting to dismantle the motor.
is it fully -enclosed? synchronous induction or brushed? can you see the armature? (if so, you should be able to turn it. ) can you see any shaft-ends / bushes in the housing?
If the motor is at 90* to the output-shaft, you can be pretty sure that it’s a worm-drive ,in which case you’d be unlikely to turn it, though the armature should revolve freely.
If the output is parallel with the motor shaft-axis,but offset, that would indicate a gear-train. if it’s not onlyparallel, but inline, it’s either direct -drive or an epicyclic gear-train.
any exposed bearings/shaft-ends could be dosed with penetrating-oil /WD40, followed by light oil . – motor resistance sounds OK, but both terminals should be infinity with respect ground (frame)
can’t suggest further, except to say, study it carefully and work out how it’s supposed to work and how it was assembled….then reverse-engineer! 🙂
Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!
Hi again Steve,
the motor is completely sealed into a white plastic case.
just the two terminals exiting the bottom.
A hexagonal female drive in the top. This drives (or should drive) a shaft to the ice crusher above.
The case is moulded no screws at all, so get inside i would have to cut it open.
Can’t see the inner workings at all.
As I mentioned before I’m getting voltage at the motor when the ice lever is pressed. But the motor clunks slightly inside and thats it, no rotation at all.
Certainly looks like the motor is seized.Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!
If the motor “clunks slightly”. that would suggest that something moves and then stops suddenly!
(hint!- Armature is powered, gear-trains, at this level of engineering, WILL have backlash )
The motor is almost certainly OK (well, free, anyway) the fault lies in a siezed drive-train…..another clue:- shaft points up, water runs downwards)
put some penetrating oil/ paraffin/ WD40 or even *Coca cola!!!!! on the joint where the shaft emerges from the casing.
a small hex. socket or good-fitting spanner should be able to freely “rock” the shaft in forward-backward rotation…..if it doesn’t-the shaft is siezed in it’s bearing and that is the most likely point of siezure.
* Coca Cola contains Phosphoric-acid, a rust-eater which passivates as well.
Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!
Hi all i have found the replacement caps that fit straight in no fussing or bending required just fitted mine 5 min ago fingers crossed
this site has realy helped so thanks to all of you out there
My caps came from bitsbox http://www.bitsbox.co.uk or sales@bitsbox.co.uk
super fast delivery as well hope this is of help to you all
PBFRe: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!
Finally freed of the motor, took a good soaking in releasing fluid and a lot of torque with a socket wrench and an allen key, got the motor turning quite freely in both directions. you can feel the gearing inside.
Unfortunately the motor is still dead when connected to the fridge freezer. 🙁
I think I’ve found the motor at e-spares, £145.00 😯The whirlpool spares people “4whirlpool.co.uk” couldn’t help amazingly.
The website shows 3 different motors no description or pictures, really useful NOT!!! 😕Decision time??
£145.00 or insurance???
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