Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!

[anthonyskipper]

Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!

I have had a Whirlpool S25B since 2003. Have replaced boards in 2004 and then in 2008 for reasons most of you have suffered. Fortunatley this was the first time I took out extended guarantee.

Now I have intermittent power failures. My thoughts are that fridge freezer is tripping RCD. Have changed all 9 caps using kit from this site. Seems to happen less frequently. Now happens about once every 24 hours.

I have searched most posts, but cannot see any link. Hope someone can advise.

Thanks

[upnadown]

Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!

I have a Whirlpool american style fridge freezer Model no S20BRSB21-A/G 858615115001 / 110522021077 it has a problem that in the fridge compartment on the top shelves it seems to freeze everything, 🙁 Also when you use the drinks dispenser it has started flashing, does anyone know what the problems can be look foward to hearing your views.

[kwatt]

Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!

See reply in this thread 😉

K.

[Mr Grey]

Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!

Hi, read the forum with interest – sad indictment of Whirlpool quality control.

Our fridge/freezer is suffering with the standard problems; chattering, spirting water dispenser, annoying clicking sounds and now a warm freezer compartment – thawing most of the contents!

Model No. S20DRSS33-A/G 858615815020 / 110423000312

Can I use the PCB Repair Kit sold on this site? – I accept it may not fix my issues.

If I can’t use the kit do I need to change both front & rear PCBs or can I just change the rear?

Thanks for your help.

Note my question re the PCB Repair kit is because it references PCB 481221778213 and I think I need PCB 481221778217.

[bandit2510]

Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!

Check out the defrost heater..usual fault if tripping periodically.

[moleboy]

Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!

Just a quick message of appreciation for BroddersBaldrick.

I had the usual clicking which stopped, then the fridge was heating up and the fan was going all the time, occasional alarm warnings. I spent much time perusing this thread and he’s had a bit of stick at one point in this thread (most unfair).

I ordered the kit of ebay. The instructions are really easy to follow, there was great communication from Brodders and now my fridge/freezer (none ice making) works a treat.

The added bonus is that I now know how to use a soldering iron and my g/f thinks I’m a whizz!

many thanks

[DaveB666]

Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!

Without sounding like I’m jumping on the praise-bandwagon.

I had to reply to say how impressed I was with ‘brodders-baldrick’.

I bought a kit 8 months ago and repaired my front board. I never fitted the rear board in true “if its not broke don’t fix it style”. Well… 8months later it broke after a power cut, and I couldn’t find the bits for the rear board.

A chewed ear from the wife, a desperate phonecall to brodders-baldrick, and a swift drive to south yorkshire saw me at brodders (Johns) house while he established what was wrong with my boards. The front board was fine, but the rear was totally screwed – the main chip was fried.

After some playing about with chips and some programming software I went away with a working, fresh rear board without having to shell out several hundred pounds for a new one.

John doesn’t just do ‘repair kits’, he can now do exchange boards for those not confident witha soldering iron..

Can’t recommend him enough..
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/broddersbaldrick … rom=&_ipg=

[frosty99]

Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!

If any one can help id greatly appreciate it. LIke lots of others i have one of these freezers and had the clicking, intermittent water dispense etc, then it stopped cooling completely.

Read the thread, ordered the capacitor and fitted to rear board. No more clicking, although front board still beeped and showed — and no cooling.

Fan is working at the back of unit at the bottom. Fan inside the freezer is working. Condenser appear to vibrate slightly, all sounds like it should work but not cooling anything.

Am i at the point where i have to call the infamous engineer? I haven’t changed the front board capacitors, would this have any impact, sorry no manual or wiring diagram to trace back

Thanks in advance if anyone can help

[kwatt]

Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!

Not cooling is a whole different issue I’m afraid with any number of causes.

K.

[127donut]

Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!

my Whirlpool fridge freezer is having many of the problems described in this thread (have not read the whole thread, just the first 12 pages and the last few, due to my broadband connection being very slow just now – but thats a whole other issue!)

I have a S25DRSS33-A/G purchased new in 2005.
the other 2 numbers are
858616815010 and 110443022488

Fridge and freezer are at correct temperature, no obvious build up of ice that I can see (though i haven’t removed any of the panels etc), never needed to defrost so assume auto-defrost is working correctly.

but, ice maker has recently stopped making ice – seems to be no water getting to it, even though water dispenser still working fine.

also, over past couple of years have been experiencing the following intermittnetly (but seem to be more frequent recently):-
– clicking & flashing interior lights which stop when open doors
– loud beeping which continues for an hour or more then stops (and freezer temp display shows – – then goes back to normal)
– thumping/clicking/loud sound often at night
– water spurts when being dispensed, sometimes is also a clicking noise.

do I need to replace one or both of the control boards, or is there a cheaper option ?(I’m not confident enough with soldering iron to tackle changing components myself though)
I read about a “kit” supplied by Broddersbaldrick – is this what I need??

is the lack of ice-making related to the control boards, or a different issue?

thanks

[broddersbaldrick]

Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!

I have had a Whirlpool S25B since 2003. Have replaced boards in 2004 and then in 2008 for reasons most of you have suffered. Fortunatley this was the first time I took out extended guarantee.

Now I have intermittent power failures. My thoughts are that fridge freezer is tripping RCD. Have changed all 9 caps using kit from this site. Seems to happen less frequently. Now happens about once every 24 hours.

I have searched most posts, but cannot see any link. Hope someone can advise.

Thanks

Hi, as has been previously mentioned, the most common cause of a side by side tripping an RCD is the ‘defrost’ heating element going partially short circuit to ground.
They should have no continuity between either of the terminals and the actual metal element case or over one million ohms minimum.
The resistance of the element between the 2 terminals is about 85 ohms.
2 The second cause is the heating element for the ice maker. Just unplug the ice maker to rule it out.
3rd, the wiring on older units running through the top hinge of the freezer door chafe and short the live or neutral to ground.
Last but not least is the compressor.

[broddersbaldrick]

Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!

my Whirlpool fridge freezer is having many of the problems described in this thread (have not read the whole thread, just the first 12 pages and the last few, due to my broadband connection being very slow just now – but thats a whole other issue!)

I have a S25DRSS33-A/G purchased new in 2005.
the other 2 numbers are
858616815010 and 110443022488

Fridge and freezer are at correct temperature, no obvious build up of ice that I can see (though i haven’t removed any of the panels etc), never needed to defrost so assume auto-defrost is working correctly.

but, ice maker has recently stopped making ice – seems to be no water getting to it, even though water dispenser still working fine.

also, over past couple of years have been experiencing the following intermittnetly (but seem to be more frequent recently):-
– clicking & flashing interior lights which stop when open doors
– loud beeping which continues for an hour or more then stops (and freezer temp display shows – – then goes back to normal)
– thumping/clicking/loud sound often at night
– water spurts when being dispensed, sometimes is also a clicking noise.

do I need to replace one or both of the control boards, or is there a cheaper option ?(I’m not confident enough with soldering iron to tackle changing components myself though)
I read about a “kit” supplied by Broddersbaldrick – is this what I need??

is the lack of ice-making related to the control boards, or a different issue?

thanks

Hi 127Donut
First of all, the front modules on S20D’s don’t go wrong and don’t cause clicking and flashing.
Your problems are on the rear module.

A kit would sort the ‘clicking’ and possibly the ice maker issue but, most ice maker problems are caused by other issues on the rear module or the Infra-red panel on your freezer wall not repaired by the kit here or anywhere else.

Just for confirmation, it is the Ice Maker itself that sends the signal to the water solenoid to ‘request’ water but that’s only if the freezer is close to minus -18 degrees.
That’s a logical way of saying ‘contacts close inside the ice maker and power up the solenoid’ for a given time.

Sometimes one of the capacitors found in the kits will fix the problem but you’ve already said you’re not confident with a soldering iron.

In my experience, it’s usually (but not always) another rear module fault or a component on the Infrared panel that inhibits the ice maker from functioning.
As far as making ice, all the rear module does is – stop it from delivering ice until 40 minutes has passed from the previous yield.
The Ice maker is a pretty dumb device so doesn’t often fail.
It consists of a motor, a thermostat and a heater and will keep demanding water every time the internal thermostat closes.
It doesn’t know that minus –18 degrees for 60 seconds isn’t going to freeze the water it holds.
That’s why the rear board has to use it’s little bit of intelligence to slow things down lol

[127donut]

Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!

just posting to say a big “thank you” to BroddersBaldrick, both for the advice on here and for the speedy despatch of a replacement rear module and infra-red panel via eBay.
Having fitted both (an easy job thanks to the clear instructions received!) our fridge/freezer no longer makes any clicking/beeping/flashing noises, and the ice-maker is happily making ice again.

[corvette]

Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!

I’d like to express big gratitude to all members who contributed in this thread. Esp. Broddersbaldrick & others, posting capacitor data and fixes.

Our Whirlpool had various problems, ranging from mild clicking and non-working icemaker, to shotgun noise and rapid flashing later. Finishing with everything stopped except the fridge, no cooling abilities and various alarms.

The fix was simple:
– changed all the tricky caps on rear board
– changed the C3 front and replaced the four ones with two bigger, see the pic below for all the info
– I’ve ordered the compressor relay too, but replacement wasn’t necessary

Now the Whirlpool purrs like a kitten 😉

Note: the two 1UF caps on front have to be mounted on backside of the PCB due to lack of space.

Again, big thanks. Costed me a bit of time, but saved me a whole lotta money!

[eldar]

S20B RSS31 A/G failing again.

My trusty Whirlpool S20B RSS31 is failing again. The front panel is flashing about twice a second with a relay clicking, sounds like it is coming from the front board. Otherwise its working properly, cold enough and water and ice OK.

The front and rear boards were replaced a few years ago, together with the icemaker. Since then, I’ve replaced the capacitors on the rear board, as guided here with the kit on sale here, which fixed the last batch of problems.

Is this the front board, and can it be repaired, or does it need replacement?

Thanks.

[Author]

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