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Customer Questions and Answers for Defrost Thermostat by Ge

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Manufacturer Part
4.89 (64)
By: Ge
Part Number: OEM11390457
Manufacturer Part Number: WR50X10065

The Defrost Thermostat is an OEM part for GE refrigerators. This component is essential in regulating the defrost cycle, ensuring that the refrigerator's evaporator coils do not become frosted over, which can impede airflow and cooling efficiency. The thermostat monitors the temperature of the coils and activates the defrost heater when necessary to melt any accumulated frost.

Symptoms of a failing Defrost Thermostat include:

  • Excessive frost buildup on the evaporator coils
  • The refrigerator or freezer compartments being too warm
  • The refrigerator running continuously without cycling off
  • Water leakage inside the refrigerator due to melting frost
  • Unusual noises as the compressor overworks to maintain temperature

Causes of a bad defrost thermostat can include normal wear and tear over time, exposure to moisture that can cause electrical issues, or a failure in the internal sensing mechanism that prevents accurate temperature regulation.

This GE replacement part is also compatible with Hotpoint, RCA, and some Kenmore models.

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Questions & Answers

For Ge Defrost Thermostat (Part Number: OEM11390457)

Alan for Model Number GE GSH25JFXB

Hello, My defroster is coming on and staying on for a long period causing condensation at the top of the fridge and the ice to melt. After the defrost has finished, the evap fan and compressor stay off for at least another 15-20 minutes. Then the compressor comes on, and the evap fan takes another period of time to come on. I have replaced thermistor sensor (the white one), the trip sensor for the heater (the cylindrical one). I tested both components in Ice water and heat. The thermistor reads 14-15 ohms in ice water, which is believe is in spec. I have also replaced the control board, but the new board also exhibits the same problem. If I unplug the heater, the fridge cools properly and seems to function well until the coils freeze up. I'm at my wits end on trying to figure out where the problem is. Does anyone know what else I can check? Much appreciated.

1 Answer

Alan, the freezer and evaporator thermistors WR55X10025 should both measure 14,000 (or 14K) Ohms at 37°F. However, the defrost heater WR51X10055 would need to be tested for resistance and it should measure 21 Ohms of resistance.

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Kevin for Model Number PFSS5PJXBSS

Everything in the freezer defrosted suddenly. Researching, it appeared that the evaporator fan might be the cause as it didn't seem to be running to me. So, I replaced both that and the freezer compartment temperature sensor. Started it up and it got nice and cold in both compartments right down to the set temps. Something like ~36 hours went by and all of a sudden the freezer temp started climbing. 0 degrees went to 4, 5, ... 8... 10... 12... and so on until eventually it was back to room temp. And the refrigerator section started climbing eventually as well. Evaporator fan clearly running. Condenser fan running to when I've had the refrigerator pulled out of alcove and can observe it. Unpowered the unit to further diagnose. Nothing readily apparent that I could find. Fan circuits test fine; mother board has no apparent burned components. Turned it back on and again it immediately got nice and cold (both compartments) and again held this for 36 to 48 hours, before suddenly going through the above warming cycle again. Note that we were not actively using the fridge during this time given it's problems, so only opened and closed it occasionally to retrieve the one or two items we put back into it. My suspicion is that the issue is everything starts out fine, then at some point the defrost cycle starts and the sensors that tell it when it is "hot enough" are not working, so it just stays hot, continually trying to "defrost" even though it has actually finished the cycle already, thus slowly continuing to heat the unit from the freezer section up. The poor evaporator fan continuing to run, frantically trying to cool things back down. I am thinking to change the defrost thermostat and temperature sensor to address the issue. Does my theory make any sense?

1 Answer

Kevin, Based on the information provided this sounds like an issue with the main control board. You can however check the thermistor/thermostat with a multimeter. Using the (tech sheet packaged with your unit) you can also check (with a multimeter) the input and output voltages at the main board.

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Kevin for Model Number GSL25JGCBLS

I replaced defrost heater, defrost thermostat and temperature sensor of my 10-year old GE refrigerator when the freezer produced a lot of ice. Now the freezer keeps thawing and freezing every week. There is a lot of frost buildup and then it defrosts completely to become water. The freezer then starts cooling down and part of the water freezes. Then the thawing and freezing cycle repeats. No dust in the coil or anywhere but this problem still happens. Can you help?

1 Answer

Kevin, if the evaporator and freezer thermistors WR55X10025 have been replaced, the next step would be identifying if water is freezing underneath the evaporator. If it is, the defrost drain would need to be thoroughly cleared as the collection of water can accumulate onto the evaporator and prevent proper air flow.

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1 Answer

Ed, the defrost cycle timing can vary based on how many times the door is opened and the compressor run time between defrost cycles. Generally, a defrost cycle should occur a minimum of every 8 hours of compressor run time.

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Deana for Model Number GSL25JFXBLB

My 12-year-old GE refrigerator is not working properly. For no apparent reason, the freezer starts getting warm and the ice melts. It stops freezing and the fridge gets warmer. After 5 or 6 hours it starts freezing again without doing anything to it. In July 2019 we had the defrost heater replaced and everything was nice and cold. The ice cream was hard and it lasted about a year. This thawing and refreezing goes on all week, thawing every other day?! I’m so confused reading all of the repairs mentioned and I don’t want to have to buy a new one if I can just replace some parts. I’m a 63 year old grandma, but I have a good brain. I’m thinking that the defrost thermostat is not working. Could you please help? Repair service is nonexistent here on the eastern shore of MD!

1 Answer

Deana, based on the information provided, it sounds like the unit is going into a defrost cycle but is not getting down to the proper temperatures fast enough. It would be recommended that the condenser coils are inspected to identify if they have dust building up. If they do, they would need to be cleaned as this can cause the compressor to have to work harder and for longer amounts of time to be able to cool properly.

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1 Answer

Hello Julian, part WR50X10065 is a defrost thermostat, not a defrost timer, and it is different from WR50X10068 and is not interchangeable.

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Anwar for Model Number GSH25JFXNBB

Hello, Is there a difference between WR50X10065 and WR50X10068 the defrost thermostat? They both say L140-30F. When I tested my defrost thermostat by blowing a hair dryer on it for long enough, the resistance between the wires showed a few ohms and sometimes none. I do have ice build up on my evaporator. Also when I tested the thermistor in ice water the resistance showed around 14K instead of 16.3K. So is it possible both are faulty the defrost thermostat and the thermistor? Many thanks.

1 Answer

Anwar, The defrost thermostat would not be the issue if it opens when you put a hairdryer on it. The thermostat is a limit thermostat and will not open until it gets to around 140 degrees and will close back at around 110 degrees. If the unit is not defrosting the thermistor would be the most likely cause or faulty control board. The thermistor reading is showing around 36 degrees in the ice water so you will want to check the temperature of the water to be sure of what the actual temp is. If it is below 36 degrees then this would be a faulty thermistor.

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1 Answer

CB71, The defrost thermostat would not be checked for resistance but would be tested for continuity. At room temperature, this defrost thermostat would have continuity as it is an over-temperature protector. The defrost sensor would be what controls the defrost on this unit and is located on the evaporator. The sensor should have a resistance of 5 Kohms at room temperature. At 0 degrees the resistance should be 42.2Kohms.

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1 Answer

Jeff, the frost pattern of the evaporator can be a great way to identify what may be happening. With the unit plugged in, if the compressor has been running there should be a light frost pattern coating the entire evaporator. If there is not a frost pattern, and the unit has been on for 24 hours, then there is a sealed system issue. If there is a heavy frost pattern built up on the entire evaporator, this can prevent airflow and would be a defrost issue (as long as the evaporator fan is operational). The thermistors WR55X10025 are tested for resistance and the resistance value they should have depends on the temperature they are in.

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1 Answer

Charlie, Part # WR51X10055 is your defrost heater.You can do a simple continuity test to see if its good.This part is located behind the back wall of your freezer under your coils.There is also the defrost thermostat part # WR50X10065 which requires same test if this part is in a cold environment.

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