Whirlpool S20BRBB20-A/G [american style] excessive freezing

[PhilElli]

Well it’s been a while since my last post and it looked like everything was sorted. A new air diffuser (Whirlpool name) aka damper sorted my fridge problem just fine.

Unfortunately it now appaers that the unit is trying to single handedly start the next ice age!!!

Whilst on holiday, probably 18 days after having the damper fitted the I received a call saying that the alarm came on and the freezer was starting to defrost at the top, the bottom was fine. Not too much of a problem, my parents took everything out of the top of the freezer, took it home and put it in theirs.

The engineer was called on my behalf and he arranged to come out on Monday afternoon, when we were back from our hols.

Monday comes and so does the engineer, he removed all the cowling on the interior of the freezer and the problem with reduced cooling was that all the vents were blocked with ice, just let me point out here that the prior problem was that the damper had packed up we had no ice build up and a replacement sorted it. No air could now circulate around the unit at all. The freezer unit hidden in the back of the freezer section [looks like a finned radiator] was completely solid with ice.

Our engineer is sure that the freezer has lost the ability to auto defrost.
So he defrosted the finned freezing piece with his steamer in order to start checking stuff out.
He has checked the heating element circuit using a multi meter and it seems fine. He has frozen the little black sensor located near the fan, the thing that has about six multi coloured wires attached to it, which he says should trigger and auto defrost and he thinks that is okay. What he does think is that the problem is with the PCB, his logic behind this being that when the appliance is turned on at the wall it should alwaysgo into defrost mode and then after a short time span it should start working normally and be heard chugging away. Everytime it is turned off at the socket and then back on, regardless of the interior temp of the freezer it just starts chugging away and onward with it’s ice age quest.

So would it appear that this is a PCB fault, has the appliance lost it’s “brain”?

The reason I would like opinions on this is the cost of Whirlppol parts. The diffuser was £95 + £15 carriage + VAT roughly £130, the PCB we understand is £198 + £15 carriage + VAT roughly £250.

Not cheap! I wouldn’t mind the carriage charge but thats for a 7-10 day turnaround, for £15 + VAT it should be next day before 9.00am!

£250 plus fitting is a lot of money to spend on something that at 3.5 years old is basically now perceived as unreliable, my partner is of the opinion that we cut our losses and get a new fridge freezer on interest free credit from Curry’s.

Any opinions anyone?

Cheers,

Phil.

[admin]

Re: Whirlpool S20BRBB20-A/G [american style] excessive freez

Hi,

have you the 12nc number of this appliance please…..it begins 85 and is usually 12 digits long.

The prices you quote for parts seems high to me…..and depending on the 12 nc there might be modified boards for your appliance which means changing two not one!

Kevin

[PhilElli]

Re: Whirlpool S20BRBB20-A/G [american style] excessive freez

Thanks for the quick reply Kevin.

The 12 digit number is 8586 152 15000.

If I could figure out how to insert an image or attach a file I’d post a .jpg of the sticker with all the details on.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Phil.

[admin]

Re: Whirlpool S20BRBB20-A/G [american style] excessive freez

hi,

the boards on yours have changed the original number is 481244079019 which changes to 481244079126.

I will have to seach for my chart and I’ll advise later if you can interchange new for old without fitting a new user board too.

Dave, if you read this can you price up a 481244079126 with postage?

Kevin

[admin]

Re: Whirlpool S20BRBB20-A/G [american style] excessive freez

hi,

The board has changed again but I get the board at £120.00 plus vat which is £70.00 cheaper than you say…where are you getting your price from???

The new part number is 4812 217 78192 …however I still need to check compatability with the user card…

Kevin

[daza]

Re: Whirlpool S20BRBB20-A/G [american style] excessive freez

Idealy before you pay out any more money get some one to check your appliuance out who has a SAM Module this is purpose built for all Whilpool appliances,this will self diagnose any fault with your appliance and re configure the main pcb,this will help you determine what the problem is. 😉

[admin]

Re: Whirlpool S20BRBB20-A/G [american style] excessive freez

Hi

Assuming that the engineer you’ve had has diagnosed this correctly and you do have a board fault you need to look at the serial number of the appliance which is on the label where you found the 12nc code.

The electronics have changed on this machine. The early ones were prone to failure and were superseded. These modified boards had to be fitted in pairs, ie the rear power card, along with the user board in the freezer door. To determine if you need both boards your serial number will tell you when it was made.

Serial nos. are 12 digits long. First 2 x digits are factory code, next 2 digits are year of manufacture, next 2 digits are week of manufacture eg
110242000001.
11 = factory code
02 = year, ie 2002
42 = week, ie week 42 of 2002
From week 30 of 2003 the new boards were fitted. If your machine is older than this you need to change both. If newer you need just replace the faulty one.

I hope I haven’t confused you – if you post your serial no. I’ll look up the part nos. accordingly.

Also the SAM module will only be available to a Whirlpool engineer as Whirlpool do not sell them to anyone else. So the only way you can make use of SAM module is to go through the Whirlpool service route. If you want to do this phone 0870 6008989.

Kevin

[PhilElli]

Re: Whirlpool S20BRBB20-A/G [american style] excessive freez

Kevin,

The number is 110237006633.

Are these boards able to be fitted as a diy job?

Although the comment regarding the SAM module makes me think I should get Whirlpool to check it out first.
K’ching….k’ching….k’ching.
Anyway a price for the boards would still be good.

Thanks,

Phil.

[admin]

Re: Whirlpool S20BRBB20-A/G [american style] excessive freez

hi,

my apologies for the slow reply, been busy working.

I’m afraid you need both boards, ie the “user” and the “power” boards. Whirlpool have had failures of these early boards and the replacements are a pair although bought seperately. As long as your original diagnosis was correct you need…

1) 481221778192 “power” PCB @ circa £119.51 + Vat
2) 481221778168 “user” PCB @ circa £136.50 + Vat

This is not a DIY job.

Because poor reliabilty of one PCB has caused a situation where you need to buy 2 PCB’s to get the repair completed, you should consider speaking to Whirlpool and see if they will offer you a reduction in price. This is after all a situation they are aware of, thats why they modified the original control PCB’s.
I used to be a Whirlpool service agent and you will find customer care a problem, but unless you try you’ll never know.

Good luck.

Kevin

[PhilElli]

Re: Whirlpool S20BRBB20-A/G [american style] excessive freez

BLOODY HELL !!

Well, I’ll give Whirlpool a whirl (pardon the pun).

But I’m not holding out for a god result.

Looks like a new appliance could be in the sidelines.

Any thoughts one what to buy? Must be side by side with chilled water and cubed/crushed ice.

I have looked at Currys and Comet (they now seem to be as cheap as anywhere on the internet), and offer interest free credit.

I’ve spotted these models, any thoughts on them? What to avoid etc.

Samsung RS21DCNS £699 Currys
Daewoo FRS2031IAL £699 Currys
Hotpoint MSZ703NFD £799 Currys

Samsung RS21DGRS £800 Comet (Ins was £169.99)
LG GRL206CPQA £599 Comet (Ins was £209.99)

Cheers,

Phil.

[admin]

Re: Whirlpool S20BRBB20-A/G [american style] excessive freez

I would avoid all of them, the samsung suffers from ice build up, the daewoo……not a chance, and the hotpoint, lets just say no thanks.

Kevin

What you require is the real american models, not these clones made in Italy. Your present “american” is italian made and not a patch on the whirlpool real “american” appliance.

Perhaps Dave or Don can provide model numbers for you. I’ll ask them to post here if they can.

Kevin

[PhilElli]

Re: Whirlpool S20BRBB20-A/G [american style] excessive freez

Thanks, Kevin, that would be most helpful.

Cheers.

[Dave_Conway]

Re: Whirlpool S20BRBB20-A/G [american style] excessive freez

http://www.maytag.co.uk 😀

Dave.

[PhilElli]

Re: Whirlpool S20BRBB20-A/G [american style] excessive freez

Haha!!

Maytag

Performance you can rely on……….

at a price you can’t afford!

Cheers Dave, I’ll check it out.

Phil.

[PhilElli]

Re: Whirlpool S20BRBB20-A/G [american style] excessive freez

Dave/Kevin,

What are GE or Admiral appliances like?

Some of these come with a 5 year warranty and claim to be true American kit.

Whilst dearer than any Currys or Comet kit when you take a Currys or Comet appliance add the costs of a 5 year warranty and delivery the GE or Admiral pieces aren’t too much more expensive.

Cheers,

Phil.

[Author]

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