[Jeremy Ball]

Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!

Have had a Whirlpool Side by Side for about 5 years. It broke down after a short time and the service engineer replaced the back board at that time, and I remember him warning about the front board inevitably needing to be replaced in time.

He said “blue means two” – some reference I think to the blue sticker up under the water dispenser indicating that the unit had vulnerable PCBs both back and front.

Anyway, recently fridge starts with front panel clicking and flashing – the click was the alarm piezo, not a back board relay. Luckily the fridge and freezer continued to function OK. Ice maker was OK too.

Front boards has electrolytics at C3, C6, C8 and C9 – all replaced to no avail (easily found at Maplins).

Film caps are at C5 (0.33), C15 (0.68), C14 (0.47), C2 (0.47), C1 (0.47) and C16 (0.047). My board had old style axials caps at all bar C16 which was a modern style rectanuagular radial package anyway.

Just replaced C5, C15, C14, C2 and C1 with perfect results.

Could get C5 to drop in no problems, but had to fit C15, C14, C2 and C1 to the rear of the board and dremmel away a small window in the back plastic guard plate. The caps I bought, which were the lowest profile I could find, are too tall to fit from the front, they hit the fascia.

RS part numbers were:

C1,2,14 470nF 22.5mm pitch B32923C3474K 334-704
C15 680nF 22.5mm pitch B32923A2684M 497-4270
C5 330nF 22.5mm pitch B32923D3334K 334-697

Have a number left over (had to buy bags of 5 or 10 variously) – contact me privately if anyone in the UK wants a set free.

Thanks to all here for inspiration.

J

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