I don't comment very often but this was sooooo helpful in understanding what's going on and with this info I was able to diagnose and then fix my faulty defrost timer. I actually took the timer apart after watching your video to see how that was all happening and found that the defrost leg was never engaging when the timer "notch" came around to trigger it. Thanks again. Well done!
I know this is an old video, but just wanted to thank you. I just ordered a new timer for my fridge. After hearing the noise of the timer, I remember I used to hear that noise from my fridge, and I no longer do, which explains why my freezer has frozen up on me. I confirmed by marking the position with a felt marker and it didn't move after 2 hours. It seems just like the old-school outlet timers used to turn the house lights on/off.
Excellent tutorial explaining the details of how the timer works. Plus Bill has such a personal friendly personality - the kind of guy you'd want on your side in times of appliance trouble - Thank you Bill !!
Thank you for putting in the work on this video Bill! Handyman here, glad to finally learn how this all works - my moms fridge died and I recon you just helped me save her hundreds of dollars!!! Adamant believer in doing it yourself- Ive never put a vehicle in the shop- so no damn refrigerator is gonna get my wallet either.
wow, the help me to understand how the Refrigerator system work, 100% so compressor run 10 hrs, then stop by the defrost timer and run for 30 minutes to clean up if anything is frozen, then will kick in to cool again,Thank you. now I feel confident that I can fix my refrigerator
Excellent video, Bill. I've been using your vids since before I was an HVAC Tech. I ended up specializing in Commercial Refrigeration, so I still stop by and take the doubt out of troubleshooting specific components like this on household refrigerators. Keep up the good work brotha, a big hello and thank you all the way from Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico homie!
Hi bill I believe my defrost timer is out on my Frigidaire fridge, my freezer built up a bunch of frost and my fridge was not cold at all. I manually turned the dial a few times when I was trouble shooting watching your videos. It made noise at first but now my fridge is working fine it’s cold and working properly. It’s been a few days now where it’s been working fine. Why is that? I already have a new one ordered. Thank you your videos are awesome.
good job describing the process and taking out of freezer to help visualization. your roach clips on the timer are causing me some shorting anxiety, probably cause my luck they would shift and short. but you took the time and have helped out people with real life problems and to that I tip my hat to you sir. good human you
Hi Bill, I came home today and my wife said the fridge isn't cold. I checked it out and found it as she said, not cold and the freezer looked like it was snowing. I unplugged, removed food to coolers and went to cleaning underneath and in the back where I knew it was going to have dust and dirt everywhere. Once I have everything cleaned and I plug in fridge, what fans or sounds should I see or hear if that resolved my problem? Should I attempt to reset anything first before plugging in? Thanks in advance for your help. Your videos are awesome. I just found them this evening and subscribed. Your videos are the most informative and professional of ALL the appliance videos. Thanks for all you do.
Oh, I forgot to mention I experienced this issue in the past where I had ice build up and just needed to let it melt and things were fine again, so I am doing that and see the water building up in the bottom of the freezer which is in the bottom of my Sears Elite bottom freezer refrigerator. Hoping this is all I needed to do.
Thanks Bill for this simple easy to understand video which helped me diagnose my timer as a good one (it turned out to be a bad lower heating element).
Bill, I removed the defrost timer 2162044 and connected pins 1 and 3 to an AC cord. I manually set the timer to defrost mode, and let it run overnight. Next day the timer pointer had moved very little, only just past the defrost mode, and then it stopped. And there was no ticking sound in the timer, only in the defrost mode. The timer must be faulty, so I ordered a new one. Thanks for the video!
this same thing just happened with my timer in my 30 year old whirlpool. i had to rotate it to cooling again manually. timer died, and had no compresosr or fan at all.
Bill, Thank you for this informative video. I was unaware of how the defrost timer / circuit works until now. The shop bench set up is excellent. I am chasing a cooling problem in my 17 y/o Kenmore and after confirming the compressor, start relay and capacitor are OK, i suspect the defrost cycle is “stuck” and the timer is suspect.. next stop is a new timer module. Thanks again.
Was the defrost timer the problem? When its stuck in defrost, approximate what voltage range was supplied to the compressor which prevents the compressor from starting?
Excellent video out of all I watched It was the only one to show how to set up the test on the bench and how to figure out if the timer is advancing. One question is there any thing that could keep the timer from advancing other than the timer motor is shot. Thank you
yea if there is no ground to the 4th pin the one that is by itself after the first three,. make sure that wire is grounded good. and no power to pin number 1 which second pin from left. no power or ground to the timer means it wont rotate or do anything.
Thanks very much for the excellent tutorial using logical thought and simple description of how this thing works. I used this information to test my new timer before installing and it worked great. God Bless you and thank you.
I have an upright freezer with a 12 hour timer. I’m trying to see how that timer works. I have a “0” and a “I” and a “I”. I don’t want this to run all the time if this is what this piece is. I’m just trying to learn how that timer works so I don’t mess anything up. Lol, I appreciate and information you can provide.
Thank you for this video, and others covering the top-freezer Frigidaires. Mine has been identifying as a snow machine and your vids on the defrost system have really kept me from my usual ZTDW method of troubleshooting and repair. (Zap! That Didn't Work method) I'm subscribed and hit the bell, who knows what else you might come across that will help. I appreciate your sharing knowledge in such an understandable way!
This is great. I have a NEW Hoover fridge freezer about 18 months old that was replaced due to a block of ice at the back of the fridge, then the timer was replaced because it began making a rhythmic noise and now the second timer has begun making the same annoying noise. I have purchased a new CANDY timer to replace it. Your video has been a great help. You don't know anything about sangamo timer switches I suppose?
apparently some batches of some models brands of timers are faulty,. or bad run of them.. id go with a different or better brand model of one then. some def timers last 30-40 years or more. like mine has,. in whirlpool fridge here.
Great Explanation, Didn't Know Milwaukee made a Multimeter, Have Many Of their 18 Volt Tools, Chain Saw, Sawzall, Hackzall, Others, and Their 1000 Volt Screwdriver Set Is Very Tough. Includes the ECX as Well. Good Video
Great video's Bill. I already tested the defrost thermostat; and the defrost heater, both were OK. The freezer cooling coils were filled with frost and ice. I think it must be a bad defrost timer. I will test the defrost timer, per your video.
I have my multimeter out and you are the 3rd videos. Despite the last one with the multimeter which didn't make sense. Maybe you can add a annotation to the video on testing continuity. Test between pins 1&2 for power to defrost circuit. Test between 1 & 4 for normal operation.
Hey Bill, just found this great video. I’ve had a classic problem in my Frigidaire refrigerator (freezer on top, refrigerator on the bottom) where the freezer was cooling very well but the refrigerator was not cooling at all. When I removed the back panel however there was no ice on the coils. There was thick ice all around the perimeter of the coils and into the airflow vents, but the coils themselves were free of ice. I checked continuity on the defrost timer, the thermostat, and the heater, and they were all good. I wonder if there was nothing wrong with the system at all, other than it had never been defrosted in 25 years? If the defroster system is not working, won’t the coils frost up?
I have a garage fridge I use to ferment beer in, so unless I'm making a lager it runs about 60-65F using a separate temperature controller with its own probe in the fridge. Worked great for years but suddenly it stopped. Light only. Neither fan turning. I replaced the run capacitor which did nothing and was considering buying a new start up relay device. Neither of which I was 100% sure were faulty. It was a $100 fridge off craigslist and, at some point, one has to stop guessing and shoveling $$$ at it. I never heard of a defrost timer. Without completely removing the timer and doing the set up shown in your video, or even metering it, I advanced the timer with a screwdriver (which without your video I would not have known about!) and the fridge came on. So, it's reasonable to assume the timer was not turning, stuck - if that's possible - in defrost mode and needs to be replaced(?) Question is does it ever need to be in defrost mode? What happens if it doesn't go through the defrost "cycle"? Iced coils?
But wait...when the temperature controller reaches set point it shuts the fridge off completely. It basically unplugs it. So that timer would stop running. But eventually it would start again. Fridge gets too warm, controller "plugs in fridge" timer advances out of defrost (if it was in it when shut down) and fridge starts cooling, no? Like I said I've been running this fridge like this for years. Lots of home brewers do this.
excellent video, was looking on how to check my timer, just unclogged mine today and was wondering if the timer or the temp sensor has a problem was completely covered with ice
An old video that came in handy for an old fridge. Thanks, FYI for folks. My new timer had different labels on the terminals, but the position of what went to what was the same: neutral: terminal separated from the others with a space (call it far right), next terminal after the space: to compressor/fan, next terminal: 120VAC supply, last terminal farthest left: defrost heater
Thank you for the excellent video. So Bill as a layman, what symptoms should I look for to decide if my timer needs to be replaced. Reason: my OEM ice maker quit making ice. So a replacement with a new ice maker, makes ice so very slowly, about a batch every a few hours. To me it sounds like that the problem is with the timer. Could the timer be the cause of small ice production?
Had defrost issues in 15 year old fridge. Replaced everything for about $80 in Amazon parts - timer, thermostat, cold control, heating element, evap. fan motor. Not sure what the issue was but figured I'd preemptively replace it all instead of spending $1400 on a new side by side. It's a shame these appliances get tossed out because a $12 plastic part goes bad. Probably the last fridge I'll ever buy after spending a couple of evenings learning how it works and how to replace parts.
Love your videos, have really helped me out! My dad raised me to be a Tomboy and I still, all these yrs later, do my best to fix anything that needs repair on my own! Question: I have the exact defrost time in your video here. What does the little wheel (looks like a wheel but it is spinning so not sure) that continues to spin do that is independent of the gears in your video ?
Excellent information and very accurate. I recently discover your channel. I wish I did before. Thanks Hey Bill how do you bypass an adaptive defrost control board on a whirlpool side by side
excellent tutorial 👍👍 i try to use frige timer to switch light between 3 lamps 2 work from heater pin and 2 lamps work on cooler pin 🤦♂️ like what u did fan on pin and lamp on pin - but I actually can't under stand where should I connect the positive line in common pin or in the spreated pin number 3 or to pin number 1 commne" pin" !!
VERY USEFUL to me, thanks! I have the exact same Frigidaire. I didn't think the defrost heater would really get orange, but damn, it did just like you said. Great video, I learned a lot! and I hope you do more!
That's actually kind of cool, I'm very flattered. I will make a point to explain in any upcoming video a little more of the set up and what i'm using. That cord might actually be from an old vcr or something. lol Thanks for Watching and Thanks for the support!
Hi Bill , excellent video. My fridge/ freezer was frosted up. I thawed it out and checked the heater and it's ok. My timer is making noise but doesn't seem to be moving on it's own. Is this a common problem with timers ?
I did it with your help. The problem was with some short circuit. It was sending timer's pin number-3 ~Live voltage:) it stopped the motor because of that circuit. i almost bought a new fridge:) but istead i bought a multimeter... so far i realised that i got live voltage on Neutral so i said WTF??? So i've just plugged the timer with different neutral cable..and boom everything works-))))! Finally i was able to hear that both of them: Timer, and compressor with fan works together: Bingo!-)) without you it wouldn't be possible to fix!i found the problem just because you showed the right wiring connection. So before buying a new fridge my dear friends, take a multimeter and check for the faults Follow along Bills video and remember the exact wiring connection of the timer. L= live N=neutral another words L=1 N=0 --------------------------------------- Timers wiring. 2= L voltage to the heater 1=L constant voltage (gives the timer's motor a power) 4 =L voltage to Fan and compressor 3=N This is a common Neutral for all of the pins! including the timer's motor (i had a LIVE voltage on that pin) istead of Neutral so thanks again man:))!!!!
Bill, I have an Admiral HMG-191367 fridge that is not defrosting. Replaced the heater, because it was bad. Testing the timer now. Does the timer "tick" in normal operation. I don't hear any noise coming from it. Also, how common is it for the defrost thermostat to go bad? Thanks for the video! Marcus
+Marcus Padilla: it is not normal for the timer to tick with any sound you would hear. Not so common for the thermostat to go out but if they do, they frequently (but not always) are physically deformed on the thermo-set epoxy body where the wires enter. The number one fail mode is the timer not the thermostat or heater. This is what little I have learned that I am sharing. God Bless.
Thanks for the video. My freezer builds up frost and it does not freeze and no more cold air in the fridge. I let the frost melt then I replaced thermostat thinking that would solve it but nope same problem. Evaporator fan works I'm thinking replacing defrost time and then hearts if that doesn't not work. what do you think? when ice melts everything works good. Is just the frost that builds up quick and in panel in freezer have to wait for it to melt to remove screws. I have a Kenmore side by side fridge. My parents purchased a new one but to me we can save that money but we do need fridge it gets expensive eating out. we still have a few days for delivery and goal is to fix it before delivery so we can cancel. Thanks
Very nice video indeed. It looks like that dial can be rotated either clockwise or anti-clockwise without breaking any mechanisms, right? Just asking - just in case! Thanks!
Thanks Bill! Another great video! Question: My fridge is not going through the defrost cycle and I cannot locate the timer! Do all timers look like this or some are different? I have an 2003 side-by-side kitchen aid...
Thank you so much. Your videos are really excellent!! I have a one question -- since i can't seem to find wiring schematics for my fridge anywhere (why is that?), does the power from the defrost timer for the evap fan also power the lights, so that the lights would be off in defrost mode? Both my evap fan and lights are not powered - but i tested them and they are good. So would a bad defrost timer also affect lights not coming on? Thanks
Hello Bill, I was diagnosing my frigidaire problems and one area I want to bring up with you is the timer. I manually turned the timer unitl the loud click. Within two minutes I touch the defroster and burnt my finger a little so that was working. Then I closed door and sat on the floor outside my fridge watching videos. Within about 19-30 minutes the compressor came on and I felt the cold in the freezer come on. My question is does this generally disqualify the timer as being the problem? I know that since I had the ward refrigerator problem that I have not ever heard the evap fan turn on?
thank you very much. I have a True under-counter TWT27f freezer. I know the refrig guys are trying to rip off the owner. Could it be the defrost elements and or defrost switch? need help unit too expensive to replace hard times. thanks
If you have no frost on the coils in the freezer and the compressor is running. Your refrigerator has either lost all the freon because of a leak, or the sealed system is restricted and no freon can circulate. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Thanks for Watching
Ok what about if alot frost is built up my refrigerator. Coils been ruing warm and frezzer wont go into the -0 i check the time buy tuner it till it shut off and the rob get hot and melt the ice but not sure how hot the rob to get can sorry my grammer suck i no but can a timer still be bad but it still come one was told cold be the thermostat that connect to coils to but seems my compresser runs all the time to
yes. what i did and found out mine was stuck off. open. wouldnt run compressor or fan. nothing. used ohmmeter on pin 1 and whichever pin was my cooling pin not the defrost pin. mine was stuck on defrost. but wasnt running still. so i rotated it til cooling pin was closed circtuit with pin 1 now its great fine cooling running again
It is a good idea to locate the timer on the refrigerator so if you lose power and are on a small generator, the last thing you want is a 30 minute defrost, knowing where it is, you can advance it and get out of defrost.
+Bill Newberry you're doing a great job man thanks for all this video. I appreciate the time you are taking to share your knowledge. I'm in school training to become a fridge an a/c tech. Your videos are really helpful to me. Thanks again keep me posted.
Bill I have a whirlpool gladiator freezer bottom fridge top item. I've used the videos to replace the bi-metal defrost and the heater coil. I've taken everything apart but can't find the timer defrost so I can replace the old one with new part I purchased. Can you help me locate the item? Thank you.
it is up in the fridge up high next to the thermostat, the two wires from thermostat run right to the def timer, red pink orange black wires four pins on timer.
Are you able to explain or tell me where to go to learn how to test an electronic timer for Maytag freezer frigerator and thanks for your effort and helping
If I can start a timer after it is heat mode with a screwdriver, and it gets stuck again after 8 hrs on the same heat cycle, does it mean I have a bad timer? Thanks for your help.
I have a side by side whirlpool. The ice door appears to be not sealing causing frost build up on the freezer side directly above inside of the freezer. My question that I want to ask you is that can that cause the frig side to not be cold enough to keep food cold. That’s what appears to be happening. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
If air leaks into the freezer compartment it will create too much frost. As frost builds-up, it will restrict the cold airflow into the fridge side, causing it to warm-up. Eventually, your freezer will become too warm as well. Try to fix the door gasket before it's too late.
![Refrigerator Not Cooling - How to Fix - What to Check [2020]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ocOW2GYxdTE/mqdefault.jpg)
Yesterday October 24 was 8 years since your untimely passing Mr. Newberry. Your videos are still helping many people. Thank you.
May his soul rest in peace
I don't comment very often but this was sooooo helpful in understanding what's going on and with this info I was able to diagnose and then fix my faulty defrost timer. I actually took the timer apart after watching your video to see how that was all happening and found that the defrost leg was never engaging when the timer "notch" came around to trigger it. Thanks again. Well done!
Years later, your video really did help me visualize what actually happens. Troubleshooting my defrost system is now easier. Thank you!
I know this is an old video, but just wanted to thank you. I just ordered a new timer for my fridge.
After hearing the noise of the timer, I remember I used to hear that noise from my fridge, and I no longer do, which explains why my freezer has frozen up on me.
I confirmed by marking the position with a felt marker and it didn't move after 2 hours.
It seems just like the old-school outlet timers used to turn the house lights on/off.
I understand the operation of this timer much better now. Thank you. This old video is still helping people.
Excellent tutorial explaining the details of how the timer works. Plus Bill has such a personal friendly personality - the kind of guy you'd want on your side in times of appliance trouble - Thank you Bill !!
Thank you for putting in the work on this video Bill! Handyman here, glad to finally learn how this all works - my moms fridge died and I recon you just helped me save her hundreds of dollars!!! Adamant believer in doing it yourself- Ive never put a vehicle in the shop- so no damn refrigerator is gonna get my wallet either.
😂😂 I love it!
holy crap 9 years ago!
Well done, just what I was looking for!
Thank you
10 years later after this video being posted, I found it more helpful, thanks fir sharing it.
After watching this I purchased the defrost timer and replaced it. Now I have the compressor running again. Thanks for this easy to understand video.
KenFaustmann Awesome!
The earth surely need the person like you, to benefit others.thanks bro
MrTonyshit80 Thanks for the Great Comment and Thanks for Watching!
wow, the help me to understand how the Refrigerator system work, 100% so compressor run 10 hrs, then stop by the defrost timer and run for 30 minutes to clean up if anything is frozen, then will kick in to cool again,Thank you. now I feel confident that I can fix my refrigerator
Excellent video, Bill. I've been using your vids since before I was an HVAC Tech. I ended up specializing in Commercial Refrigeration, so I still stop by and take the doubt out of troubleshooting specific components like this on household refrigerators. Keep up the good work brotha, a big hello and thank you all the way from Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico homie!
Hi bill I believe my defrost timer is out on my Frigidaire fridge, my freezer built up a bunch of frost and my fridge was not cold at all. I manually turned the dial a few times when I was trouble shooting watching your videos. It made noise at first but now my fridge is working fine it’s cold and working properly. It’s been a few days now where it’s been working fine. Why is that? I already have a new one ordered. Thank you your videos are awesome.
good job describing the process and taking out of freezer to help visualization. your roach clips on the timer are causing me some shorting anxiety, probably cause my luck they would shift and short. but you took the time and have helped out people with real life problems and to that I tip my hat to you sir.
good human you
Hi Bill, I came home today and my wife said the fridge isn't cold. I checked it out and found it as she said, not cold and the freezer looked like it was snowing. I unplugged, removed food to coolers and went to cleaning underneath and in the back where I knew it was going to have dust and dirt everywhere. Once I have everything cleaned and I plug in fridge, what fans or sounds should I see or hear if that resolved my problem? Should I attempt to reset anything first before plugging in? Thanks in advance for your help. Your videos are awesome. I just found them this evening and subscribed. Your videos are the most informative and professional of ALL the appliance videos. Thanks for all you do.
Oh, I forgot to mention I experienced this issue in the past where I had ice build up and just needed to let it melt and things were fine again, so I am doing that and see the water building up in the bottom of the freezer which is in the bottom of my Sears Elite bottom freezer refrigerator. Hoping this is all I needed to do.
Thanks Bill for this simple easy to understand video which helped me diagnose my timer as a good one (it turned out to be a bad lower heating element).
Thank you so much.. we need people like you to educate us how to fix home appliances..
Bill, I removed the defrost timer 2162044 and connected pins 1 and 3 to an AC
cord. I manually set the timer to defrost mode, and let it run overnight. Next day
the timer pointer had moved very little, only just past the defrost mode, and then it stopped. And there was no ticking sound in the timer, only in the defrost mode.
The timer must be faulty, so I ordered a new one. Thanks for the video!
Faulty timer for sure, nice job on your troubleshooting. Thanks for Watching!
this same thing just happened with my timer in my 30 year old whirlpool. i had to rotate it to cooling again manually. timer died, and had no compresosr or fan at all.
Bill, Thank you for this informative video. I was unaware of how the defrost timer / circuit works until now. The shop bench set up is excellent. I am chasing a cooling problem in my 17 y/o Kenmore and after confirming the compressor, start relay and capacitor are OK, i suspect the defrost cycle is “stuck” and the timer is suspect.. next stop is a new timer module. Thanks again.
Was the defrost timer the problem? When its stuck in defrost, approximate what voltage range was supplied to the compressor which prevents the compressor from starting?
Excellent video out of all I watched It was the only one to show how to set up the test on the bench and how to figure out if the timer is advancing. One question is there any thing that could keep the timer from advancing other than the timer motor is shot. Thank you
yea if there is no ground to the 4th pin the one that is by itself after the first three,. make sure that wire is grounded good. and no power to pin number 1 which second pin from left. no power or ground to the timer means it wont rotate or do anything.
Your videos are excellent. Probably saved me at least a couple of hundred bucks in service call labor! Appreciate it. Great stuff.
Thanks very much for the excellent tutorial using logical thought and simple description of how this thing works. I used this information to test my new timer before installing and it worked great. God Bless you and thank you.
I have an upright freezer with a 12 hour timer. I’m trying to see how that timer works. I have a “0” and a “I” and a “I”. I don’t want this to run all the time if this is what this piece is. I’m just trying to learn how that timer works so I don’t mess anything up. Lol, I appreciate and information you can provide.
Thank you for this video, and others covering the top-freezer Frigidaires. Mine has been identifying as a snow machine and your vids on the defrost system have really kept me from my usual ZTDW method of troubleshooting and repair. (Zap! That Didn't Work method) I'm subscribed and hit the bell, who knows what else you might come across that will help. I appreciate your sharing knowledge in such an understandable way!
Well done, I like the straight forward approach you use demonstrating the operation of the timer. Thank You.
This is great. I have a NEW Hoover fridge freezer about 18 months old that was replaced due to a block of ice at the back of the fridge, then the timer was replaced because it began making a rhythmic noise and now the second timer has begun making the same annoying noise. I have purchased a new CANDY timer to replace it. Your video has been a great help. You don't know anything about sangamo timer switches I suppose?
apparently some batches of some models brands of timers are faulty,. or bad run of them.. id go with a different or better brand model of one then. some def timers last 30-40 years or more. like mine has,. in whirlpool fridge here.
Thank you sir for a very in detail explanation and demonstration on the functionality of the timer
VERY helpful - organized, accurate, complete, and easy to follow. THANKS for uploading and sharing!
Great Explanation, Didn't Know Milwaukee made a Multimeter, Have Many Of their 18 Volt Tools, Chain Saw, Sawzall, Hackzall, Others, and Their 1000 Volt Screwdriver Set Is Very Tough. Includes the ECX as Well. Good Video
A very good explanation on how a defrost timer works!!!
Great video's Bill. I already tested the defrost thermostat; and the defrost heater, both were OK. The freezer cooling coils were filled with frost and ice. I think it must be a bad defrost timer. I will test the defrost timer, per your video.
Give it a shot and let me know how you make out! Thanks for Watching!
I have my multimeter out and you are the 3rd videos. Despite the last one with the multimeter which didn't make sense. Maybe you can add a annotation to the video on testing continuity. Test between pins 1&2 for power to defrost circuit. Test between 1 & 4 for normal operation.
Thanks Bill, now I understand how the defrost timer works, big thumbs up!
Hey Bill, just found this great video. I’ve had a classic problem in my Frigidaire refrigerator (freezer on top, refrigerator on the bottom) where the freezer was cooling very well but the refrigerator was not cooling at all. When I removed the back panel however there was no ice on the coils. There was thick ice all around the perimeter of the coils and into the airflow vents, but the coils themselves were free of ice. I checked continuity on the defrost timer, the thermostat, and the heater, and they were all good. I wonder if there was nothing wrong with the system at all, other than it had never been defrosted in 25 years? If the defroster system is not working, won’t the coils frost up?
I have a garage fridge I use to ferment beer in, so unless I'm making a lager it runs about 60-65F using a separate temperature controller with its own probe in the fridge. Worked great for years but suddenly it stopped. Light only. Neither fan turning. I replaced the run capacitor which did nothing and was considering buying a new start up relay device. Neither of which I was 100% sure were faulty. It was a $100 fridge off craigslist and, at some point, one has to stop guessing and shoveling $$$ at it. I never heard of a defrost timer. Without completely removing the timer and doing the set up shown in your video, or even metering it, I advanced the timer with a screwdriver (which without your video I would not have known about!) and the fridge came on. So, it's reasonable to assume the timer was not turning, stuck - if that's possible - in defrost mode and needs to be replaced(?) Question is does it ever need to be in defrost mode? What happens if it doesn't go through the defrost "cycle"? Iced coils?
But wait...when the temperature controller reaches set point it shuts the fridge off completely. It basically unplugs it. So that timer would stop running. But eventually it would start again. Fridge gets too warm, controller "plugs in fridge" timer advances out of defrost (if it was in it when shut down) and fridge starts cooling, no? Like I said I've been running this fridge like this for years. Lots of home brewers do this.
excellent video, was looking on how to check my timer, just unclogged mine today and was wondering if the timer or the temp sensor has a problem was completely covered with ice
Excellent! Thank you for the answer anyone can understand easily! (that has any understanding)
I like your teaching style and your laugh
Thanks for these educational video....help me a lot...new subscriber frm Philippines 👍👍❤
An old video that came in handy for an old fridge. Thanks, FYI for folks. My new timer had different labels on the terminals, but the position of what went to what was the same: neutral: terminal separated from the others with a space (call it far right), next terminal after the space: to compressor/fan, next terminal: 120VAC supply, last terminal farthest left: defrost heater
Good day, have got around in completing the website with the troubleshooting of refrigerator and washing machines
Thank you for the excellent video. So Bill as a layman, what symptoms should I look for to decide if my timer needs to be replaced. Reason: my OEM ice maker quit making ice. So a replacement with a new ice maker, makes ice so very slowly, about a batch every a few hours. To me it sounds like that the problem is with the timer. Could the timer be the cause of small ice production?
Had defrost issues in 15 year old fridge. Replaced everything for about $80 in Amazon parts - timer, thermostat, cold control, heating element, evap. fan motor. Not sure what the issue was but figured I'd preemptively replace it all instead of spending $1400 on a new side by side. It's a shame these appliances get tossed out because a $12 plastic part goes bad. Probably the last fridge I'll ever buy after spending a couple of evenings learning how it works and how to replace parts.
Love your videos, have really helped me out! My dad raised me to be a Tomboy and I still, all these yrs later, do my best to fix anything that needs repair on my own! Question: I have the exact defrost time in your video here. What does the little wheel (looks like a wheel but it is spinning so not sure) that continues to spin do that is independent of the gears in your video
?
Excellent information and very accurate. I recently discover your channel. I wish I did before. Thanks Hey Bill how do you bypass an adaptive defrost control board on a whirlpool side by side
excellent tutorial 👍👍 i try to use frige timer to switch light between 3 lamps
2 work from heater pin and 2 lamps work on cooler pin 🤦♂️ like what u did fan on pin and lamp on pin - but I actually can't under stand where should I connect the positive line in common pin or in the spreated pin number 3 or to pin number 1 commne" pin" !!
VERY USEFUL to me, thanks! I have the exact same Frigidaire. I didn't think the defrost heater would really get orange, but damn, it did just like you said. Great video, I learned a lot! and I hope you do more!
Bill, great video. But how to test the adaptive defrost control boards which have replaced these in many models?
Excellent video and best explanation
good lesson..the earth need the person like you....tq
That's actually kind of cool, I'm very flattered. I will make a point to explain in any upcoming video a little more of the set up and what i'm using.
That cord might actually be from an old vcr or something. lol
Thanks for Watching and Thanks for the support!
Give to us more knowledge , thanks lot
Thank you for explain how the defrost timer works. Very helpful.
Hi Bill , excellent video. My fridge/ freezer was frosted up. I thawed it out and checked the heater and it's ok. My timer is making noise but doesn't seem to be moving on it's own. Is this a common problem with timers ?
That was an awesome explanation. Love this channel
don't know why 110 people would not like this video, but thank you!
Very informative presentation Bill. Thanks a lot.
many thanks for explain how def timer works, Nice!!!
Nice work with the presentation it helped me a lot
Very simply put. Thanks for sharing. Already subscribed
Thanks Bill, great video and explanation...
good explanation...alot of times they just get stuck.
keep up the good work Bill!
I did it with your help.
The problem was with some short circuit. It was sending timer's pin number-3 ~Live voltage:) it stopped the motor because of that circuit. i almost bought a new fridge:) but istead i bought a multimeter... so far i realised that i got live voltage on Neutral so i said WTF???
So i've just plugged the timer with different neutral cable..and boom everything works-))))!
Finally i was able to hear that both of them: Timer, and compressor with fan works together: Bingo!-))
without you it wouldn't be possible to fix!i found the problem just because you showed the right wiring connection.
So before buying a new fridge my dear friends, take a multimeter and check for the faults Follow along Bills video and remember the exact wiring connection of the timer.
L= live N=neutral
another words L=1 N=0
---------------------------------------
Timers wiring.
2= L voltage to the heater
1=L constant voltage (gives the timer's motor a power)
4 =L voltage to Fan and compressor
3=N This is a common Neutral for all of the pins! including the timer's motor (i had a LIVE voltage on that pin) istead of Neutral
so thanks again man:))!!!!
+Dmitri Mironov Very awesome job!
Great Help man !!! God bless ya. Great Video and breakdown of the defrost timer and how it works. Thanks !!!
Bill,
I have an Admiral HMG-191367 fridge that is not defrosting. Replaced the heater, because it was bad. Testing the timer now. Does the timer "tick" in normal operation. I don't hear any noise coming from it. Also, how common is it for the defrost thermostat to go bad? Thanks for the video!
Marcus
+Marcus Padilla: it is not normal for the timer to tick with any sound you would hear. Not so common for the thermostat to go out but if they do, they frequently (but not always) are physically deformed on the thermo-set epoxy body where the wires enter. The number one fail mode is the timer not the thermostat or heater. This is what little I have learned that I am sharing. God Bless.
So help ful and clear bro Hvac from papua new guinea 👍💪🙏🙏
Thank you for all your help, great helpful videos
Thanks for the video. My freezer builds up frost and it does not freeze and no more cold air in the fridge. I let the frost melt then I replaced thermostat thinking that would solve it but nope same problem. Evaporator fan works I'm thinking replacing defrost time and then hearts if that doesn't not work. what do you think? when ice melts everything works good. Is just the frost that builds up quick and in panel in freezer have to wait for it to melt to remove screws. I have a Kenmore side by side fridge. My parents purchased a new one but to me we can save that money but we do need fridge it gets expensive eating out. we still have a few days for delivery and goal is to fix it before delivery so we can cancel. Thanks
Very nice video indeed. It looks like that dial can be rotated either clockwise or anti-clockwise without breaking any mechanisms, right? Just asking - just in case! Thanks!
Bill passed away that's why you haven't got his replying(www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/robert-newberry-obituary?pid=182144907)
yes that breaks it down into barney terms for me. thank you, sir
Wow! It's so clever and clear .thank you
Thank you!! Exactly what I was looking for.
Thank you Bill.... Very much appreciated!!
Thanks dude! straight to the point video.
Thanks for your efforts I found this most valuable
Thanks Bill! Another great video! Question: My fridge is not going through the defrost cycle and I cannot locate the timer! Do all timers look like this or some are different?
I have an 2003 side-by-side
kitchen aid...
Hi there if you don’t get response from Bill he passed away few years ago. He was a very decent man; he is in heaven now. RIP Bill.
So sorry to hear that! Rest in peace my friend!
thank you if i can not figure it out after watching this video there is no hope for me thanks
Excellent video! Exactly what I needed to test my timer....Thanks!
Thanks. Truly helped clarify a number of my doubts
You are the best . Thank you sir
Great video! So a faulty timer can cause the heating/defrost element to stay off? Or is that more likely the thermostat? Thank you
Thank you so much. Your videos are really excellent!! I have a one question -- since i can't seem to find wiring schematics for my fridge anywhere (why is that?), does the power from the defrost timer for the evap fan also power the lights, so that the lights would be off in defrost mode? Both my evap fan and lights are not powered - but i tested them and they are good. So would a bad defrost timer also affect lights not coming on? Thanks
Hello Bill, I was diagnosing my frigidaire problems and one area I want to bring up with you is the timer. I manually turned the timer unitl the loud click. Within two minutes I touch the defroster and burnt my finger a little so that was working. Then I closed door and sat on the floor outside my fridge watching videos. Within about 19-30 minutes the compressor came on and I felt the cold in the freezer come on. My question is does this generally disqualify the timer as being the problem? I know that since I had the ward refrigerator problem that I have not ever heard the evap fan turn on?
He passed away
Thank you sir.Sir if you use white table top it will be more clear to see wiring.
Also a tripod to hold the camera steady. I was getting dizzy watching the video.
Very good explanations thanks bro
thank you very much. I have a True under-counter TWT27f freezer. I know the refrig guys are trying to rip off the owner. Could it be the defrost elements and or defrost switch? need help unit too expensive to replace hard times. thanks
Thanks, this helped me diagnose and fix my upright freezer.
If you have no frost on the coils in the freezer and the compressor is running. Your refrigerator has either lost all the freon because of a leak, or the sealed system is restricted and no freon can circulate. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Thanks for Watching
Ok what about if alot frost is built up my refrigerator. Coils been ruing warm and frezzer wont go into the -0 i check the time buy tuner it till it shut off and the rob get hot and melt the ice but not sure how hot the rob to get can sorry my grammer suck i no but can a timer still be bad but it still come one was told cold be the thermostat that connect to coils to but seems my compresser runs all the time to
Thanks for the video. Couldn't you just check it with a multi meter for continuity?
yes. what i did and found out mine was stuck off. open. wouldnt run compressor or fan. nothing. used ohmmeter on pin 1 and whichever pin was my cooling pin not the defrost pin. mine was stuck on defrost. but wasnt running still. so i rotated it til cooling pin was closed circtuit with pin 1 now its great fine cooling running again
It is a good idea to locate the timer on the refrigerator so if you lose power and are on a small generator, the last thing you want is a 30 minute defrost, knowing where it is, you can advance it and get out of defrost.
+Baileygeep7 Good point, that will save you a few watts on the generator.
+Bill Newberry you're doing a great job man thanks for all this video.
I appreciate the time you are taking to share your knowledge.
I'm in school training to become a fridge an a/c tech.
Your videos are really helpful to me.
Thanks again keep me posted.
Excellent, this is what i was lookong for. Keep making good videos like this, appreciated.
Bill I have a whirlpool gladiator freezer bottom fridge top item. I've used the videos to replace the bi-metal defrost and the heater coil. I've taken everything apart but can't find the timer defrost so I can replace the old one with new part I purchased. Can you help me locate the item? Thank you.
it is up in the fridge up high next to the thermostat, the two wires from thermostat run right to the def timer, red pink orange black wires four pins on timer.
Great video! This was the info I needed to bench test my timer and trouble shoot my ice block of a freezer!
Was the ice block in freezer caused by evaporator fan failure?
Hi Bill. Are you able to add a thermal fuse and a defrost thermostat into this loop to show how they work in connection with the rest of the system
Are you able to explain or tell me where to go to learn how to test an electronic timer for Maytag freezer frigerator and thanks for your effort and helping
If I can start a timer after it is heat mode with a screwdriver, and it gets stuck again after 8 hrs on the same heat cycle, does it mean I have a bad timer? Thanks for your help.
How long would a noisy defrost timer last? (Sounds like a nousy clock) Mine started making a noise about a week ago. Thanks
Once again Bill Awesome explanation. Thanks you.
You're very welcome! Thanks for Watching!
Myboxoftools
I have a side by side whirlpool. The ice door appears to be not sealing causing frost build up on the freezer side directly above inside of the freezer. My question that I want to ask you is that can that cause the frig side to not be cold enough to keep food cold. That’s what appears to be happening. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
If air leaks into the freezer compartment it will create too much frost. As frost builds-up, it will restrict the cold airflow into the fridge side, causing it to warm-up. Eventually, your freezer will become too warm as well. Try to fix the door gasket before it's too late.