Evap fan noisy and bogging and poss no defrost?

[jlardino]

Greeting all.  I have a GE GSL25JFPB and about 6 months ago, it started making God-awful noises.  It sounded like the blower fan inside the thing.  Not only was it making noise, but you could hear the motor bogging down.  So, I clean it out and pull the evap panel to find the evap coils frosted over badly.  Unplug the machine, put a fan infront of it and dry everything out real good.  Put it back together and plug it in and it works fine for about a week.  The, same thing.  So, this time, i took more of the machine apart, figuring that maybe there was an incroachment of frost into the evap fan's circumfrence.  Take ice maker out, everything, basically and get to where I can see the fan.  no obstructions.  Put it all back together.  Figure that maybe the fan is bad.  So, I go to my neighborhood appliance store (Gulgren's in Crystal Lake, IL) and get a new fan and harness.  Get home, take everything apart, go to put the new fan in and find that the replacement's harness is wired only the fan, not the same as the original.  So, put it all back together and back to Square 1.  couple weeks goes by and I can't take the dang noise anymore!!  Find your forum - yeah!  I have thoroughly read ALL similar/relevant posts and reference materials.  the links for the tech bulletin material was similar but not the same, but close enough that I could extrapolate differences.  Oh yeah, I should tell you, Im a fireman, so were good at three things, taking stuff apart, fixing stuff, and breaking stuff...Sadly on this unit, there are no digital readouts - only temp knobs, so I do not think I can run what would be otherwise helpful diagnostic tests.  But, using the Heavy frost on Evaporator algorhythm, I find the following things:  I unplugged the machine and took stuff out and removed the evap panel.  Remove the defrost heating element.  Check for continuity, and find YES, there is continuity.  Check the resistance, find it to be like 20-24 Ohms.  Plug the machine in and measure the voltage between the blue wire to the heating element and the pink wire for it.  Find it to be about 22 volts.  Strange, I thought.  Use the knobs off/on 5x in 10 seconds to try to initiate the defrost cycle and no change in voltage...Unplug the machine, put its innards all back together.  Go to the back of the machine to the main board.  Find what seem to be the relevant harnesses and connectors.  Find harness J7, pin9 - orange wire. measure the resistance from that to the J9 (DEFR) wire in the disconnected harness and find it to be 22.4 Ohms.  Close to what the algorhythm lists.  Plug machine in and start checking voltages.  With the machine plugged in and the harness disconnected from the main board, I found: J7(9) to J11 (LINE)=120v.  J7(9) to J9 (DEFR)=0v.  J7(9) to J8 (COMP)=0v.  J11 to J9=120v.  J11 to J8=120v.  So, the three wired harness that connects to the main board is getting power.  Coincidentally, the compressor started and the J11 to J8 went to like 25mv which makes since since with it running there would be no voltage potential difference, it would be the same.  Do the knob thing on/off 5x again and no change in the J11-J9 reading.  So, in the absence of any other ideas, I'm open to your input!!  Thermistor??  Defrost thermostat??  Putting fires out is easir than this!

Thanks in advance,
John  Lardino
Crystal Lake, IL

[Repair-man]

So, this time, i took more of the machine apart, figuring that maybe there was an incroachment of frost into the evap fan's circumfrence.

Most firemen I know don't use $64 words...probably for good reason


Have you considered the possibility that the board is bad?

[JWWebster]

Dude you are down to a control problem or a sensor problem. I would check the resistance on all the thermisters. That fancy board has to read a change in resistance from a sensor to kick the defrost on.

[jlardino]

$64 words - LOL - yeah...unless it's medical stuff...Of course, when I say stuff like pericardiocentsis, it makes my mom feel like the $$$ she invested in my college education 20 years ago was worth it...

I have considered replacing the board - even talked to my pals at Gulgrens about it...I don't want to pull the trigger on a board ($150?) and have it not be "what's wrong."  Seems too simple.  Of course, maybe I'll see if I can sweet talk them into letting me "try it" to see what happens.  *sigh*  Besides, that'd be too easy...

As far as checking the thermistors or the thermostat, I'm not sure what to check on them...I'd have to review the "generic" tech manual again to see if it describes what to look for...Sheesh...if it IS one of those things, that means taking all the crap out AGAIN and disassembling everything AGAIN and messing with those dang harnesses way in the back of the freezer AGAIN...Maybe the board would be a good place to start!

I though about trying to check the voltage sent to the fan since it was bogging down horribly, but it is unpredictable and besides that, I believe that it is a variable RPM based on need as determined by the processor anyway...

Always open to more ideas or suggestions!

Thanks for the replies!

Your friend,
John

[JWWebster]

you should be able to get sensor readings from the board with a meter.

[Repair-man]

As much as you are evading this repair, you can still get all you need to know from the following Manual. On page 39 it shows all the readings you can obtain from the rear board to diagnose the problem, plust a step chart after that to help you eliminate the problem step by step. This should have been fixed by now...

Manual

BTW, John,  before I moved to Austin in 1997 I was the EMS director of a small fire department in Galveston county...I understand pericardiocentesis. I was bored working for Maytag and became a paramedic at night to stay busy...not much pay, but all the action my pointed little head could take. Now the only arrhythmias I have to deal with involve appliances.

[jlardino]

Hi all!  Ahh, the world of Chicagoland winters has kept me busy with work for the past two shifts, but I am planning on tearing into this again today.  I had referrenced that manual (thanks for including the link just to make sure I was looking at the "right" one!) in my earlier explorations.  Like I mentioned, it wasn't exact, but it was close enough that I could make guesses as to what was what and what was where.  Alright, Out will come my trust multimeter... Following the dichotomous key for heavy frost on evaporator, I elected to go down the no path following the initial test for defrost heater coming on (attempted to initiate by turning control knobs on/off 5x in 10 seconds) since all exams found only 20V present at the defrost heater wiring terminals inside the freezer.  I measured the resistance between the DEFR pin on the board to the neutral on the (I think) "proper" wiring harness and got 22.4 Ohnm, which is close (in a macro-sense) to 27 as indicated on the chart, so, I opted for the yes path there.  Checking for 120V, I "think" I was finding it where it would be expected but it doesn't quite make sense to me...I will have to monkey around with this today...checking voltages - with the unit plugged in and the harnesses disconnected from the main board, between the DEFR and (what I think is (J7 orange)), I get Ov, which makes sense to me since there is no connection by way of the board from the J11 brown "line in" to anything, so there wouldn't be any voltage on the DEFR terminal.  I don't remember, but I would suspect that if I checked from J11 (line in) to J7(orange), I'd get 120v...Unplug machine, connect harnesses, plug machine back in...J11 (line in) pin on board to J9 (DEFR) pin on board now=120v as does J11-J8 (COMP) until the compressor kicks in then it goes down to like 0v since there is no longer a voltage difference (it's drawing current using the power)...SO, if I go down the NO leg there, I get do diagnostice test 0-7 for thermistors, but unfortunately, this unit is not equipped with this capability - no touch pad controls...So, I cannot test the thermistors that way...I will refer to the charts again and reinvestigate this...If the test yeilded a PASS for the thermistors, directions say replace board (that'd be way to simple)...OK - time to quit procrastinating and time to just tear into it...I think one last investigation, then I'll try a replacement board...I feel like I'm surrendering...LOL

As always,
Thanks and stay safe!!
Your friend,
John Lardino
Crystal Lake, IL

[jlardino]

Gotta love being a fireman...Checked all I could stand to check and was coming up with some whacky readings towards 0v where it should have been in the 3-4v range...sometimes you just gotta say what the...went up to Gulgrens and talked to my pal there.  Greg, you gotta board for this thing...Yeah, here - take it and see...Gotta love the try it first, pay later method...

Put the new board in 20 minutes (and 0 door openings) after taking the old one out...So far, no noise or fan bogging...time will tell...

Fingers crossed!

Your friend,
John Lardino
Crystal Lake, IL

[Repair-man]

Taking about try it first and pay later...How about that governor of ya'lls?

Just kidding

Hope you have a safe and merry Xmas!

[jlardino]

LOL - it's what makes the world go 'round!  Just have to be smart about it!  Duh!!!!!  My grandpa taught me two things: 1)  If someone comes to your house and breaks a window, you don't go back to his house and break a window.  That's how wars start.  You go back to his house and break every window.  That way it's not a war...2)  Never tell anyone you broke any windows...LOL

Your friend,
John

[jlardino]

Well, it's been about 6 hours and everything is running nice and quiet and consistantly with the new board!  I think this case is closed, inspector!

To all who shared ideas, guidance, and a few laughs at Rod Blagoyavich's expense, THATNK YOU for providing a great and friendly forum!

I look forward to continued membership in the group!!

Your friend,
John Lardino

[JWWebster]

Lets hope your ice box works better than your Gov. LOL
I hear they say the good Gov was dickering with Jesse Jackson Jr for the prestigious post of Obama replacement. Oh My!

[jlardino]

Well, considering that the ice box actually works, that seems to be pretty easy!

Your friend,
John