How to replace a GE freezer defrost heater WR51X10131

Is your GE freezer not keeping things frosty enough? A faulty defrost heater might be the culprit, disrupting your appliance’s cooling power. Discover how to tackle this common issue yourself with our step-by-step guide, complete with a how-to video just below, to get your freezer back to its chilly best.

Is the freezer section of your GE refrigerator not getting cold enough? One common issue that can cause loss of cooling is a faulty defrost heater. This guide will walk you through the entire freezer defrost heater replacement process in a GE refrigerator. Follow these steps carefully and you’ll have your appliance back to keeping food frozen solid in no time.

What does it do?

The defrost heater is an important part of the defrost system in your refrigerator’s freezer section. It is located behind the rear cover panel.

This small heater comes on periodically to melt away any frost buildup on the evaporator coils. If left unchecked, thick ice on the coils will reduce cold air circulation.

Over time, the defrost heater can burn out or break. This will prevent the automatic defrost system from working properly. As a result, ice accumulates on the evaporator, cooling drops off, and the freezer won’t maintain proper temperature.

Replacing a faulty freezer defrost heater is a common DIY repair for GE refrigerators. This guide will provide step-by-step instructions for safely replacing the defrost heater yourself.

Watch the full repair here

Materials needed

Before starting, make sure to unplug the refrigerator or switch off the circuit breaker for safety. Gather the following tools:

• Socket wrench with 3/8” head
• Needle nose pliers
• 1/4” nut driver
• Flat blade screwdriver
• Replacement GE freezer defrost heater (WR51X10131)

With these tools and the new part, you’ll have everything needed to successfully replace your defrost heater.

Removing refrigerator components for access

To access the defrost heater, you first need to remove several freezer components. Start by opening the freezer door and sliding out the freezer drawer.

Use a 3/8” socket wrench to remove the three bolts from each side wall of the freezer compartment. Next, lift up the door and push in the door rails so the door can be fully detached.

With the door removed, take out both freezer drawer rails by pulling up and out. This will allow you to lift off the freezer drawer bins.

Locate and remove the rear motor cover panel. Insert a flat screwdriver into the opening at the bottom to pop it off, then pull it down and detach it completely.

Read More: Refrigerator or Freezer That’s Too Warm: Top 6 Reasons and Fixes

Removing the defrost heater

With the motor cover panel removed, you’ll see the evaporator coils and defrost heater inside the freezer compartment.

Start by disconnecting the divider panel wiring. Remove the connecting wire pin and squeeze the side clips to unplug the motor.

Use needle nose pliers to detach the drain heater tube from the aluminum evaporator drain line. Bend back the plastic locking clips securing the defrost heater.

Carefully pull the heater wiring connectors off the old heater element terminals. Support the base when removing it to avoid damaging wires.

Finally, press the old defrost heater element to detach it from the evaporator coil. Compare it to the new replacement part to make sure you have the correct heater.

Installing the new defrost heater

Insert the terminal ends of the new defrost heater wiring into the openings. Push firmly but gently to snap them into place.

Position the defrost heater element along the evaporator coil. Replace the plastic locking clips to hold it securely.

Reattach the drain heater tube into the drain line opening. Make sure it sits flush with the aluminum tube.

Plug the divider panel wiring back in and replace the connecting wire pin. Double-check all the wiring connections are solid before moving to the next steps.

Read More: Freezer Too Cold: Top 5 Reasons & Fixes

Reassembling the refrigerator

With the new defrost heater installed, replace the rear motor cover panel. Insert the bottom first, then press down along the top to snap into place. Insert and tighten the cover screws.

Slide the divider panel fully into place and replace both front and rear horseshoe clips.

Reinstall both freezer drawer rails and slide the freezer bins back into place.

Carefully lift the freezer door into position on the hinge rails. Insert the door hooks into the cutouts on the rails and replace the 3/8” bolts to secure.

Finally, plug the refrigerator power cord back in and verify the freezer is cooling properly.

More information

We hope this article helped and the repair was a success. If you have any other questions or can be of further assistance, feel free to contact us at 1 (877) 477-7278 and one of our pros will be happy to help. If you have any appliance repair needs or projects, don’t hesitate to explore our other resources and guides available at AppliancePartsPros.com. In addition to selling over two million original equipment manufacturer parts, we offer free tech support on our website, and tutorials on our YouTube channel.