• Appliance Repair and Maintenance Info »
  • Appliance Repair Aid Sections
  • Appliance & Household Tips
  • Appliance Fun Stuff
  • Appliance News and Appliance Recalls
  • Appliance Maintenance Calendar
• Appliance Info: FAQs & Resources »
  • FAQs
  • Q and A Forum
  • Resources Section
  • Mfr. Phone Numbers, Locate a Warranty Dealer/Service
  • Manufacturers' Web Sites
  • Measurement Conversion Chart
  • Need to Complain?
  • Repairclinic.com Appliance Newsletters
• Purchase Info for Appliance Parts & Manuals »
  • Need Parts? See our ever growing Appliance Parts sections
  • Purchase help / compare prices links
  • Purchase Repair Manuals
  • Parts Breakdown Sites, Use & Care Manuals
  • Tools, Accessories & Maintenance Items

Home

Appliance Repair and Parts Help, New Purchase Info and More!

Welcome to Appliance Repair Aid, Your Online
Appliance Repair Shop

ApplianceAid.com is your resource for appliance repair help and appliance parts. We also have appliance purchase help information if your old appliance is just too far gone for fixing, and a wealth of other appliance information.

Appliance tip of the week.

Most Frequent Causes for a bad defrost thermostat.

The defrost thermostat can be found in the evaporator coils.

A bimetal switch used to open the electric circuit to the defrost heater once a set temperature is obtained. The defrost cycle will continue until the timer (or electronic board) advances into the cooling cycle, however the heater will no longer be energized. This thermostat will reset to a closed position once a set colder temperature is again reached. These have been called defrost thermostat, defrost limit switch, defrost heater switch, defrost stat, bi-metal defrost thermostat.

How can a defrost thermostat fail?

A defrost thermostat can fail open and the evaporator coils will all get plugged up with white snow or frost. It can loose it's temperature value and fail to open or close at the correct temperatures. It can also stick on and keep the defrost heater on too long and this could effect or warm up the freezers temperature.

Can it ohm ok and still be bad....yes!

Can it open and close and still be bad....yes!

Can it intermittently work?....yes!

Can they physically break?....yes!

Can they loose their temp rating?....yes!

Can they stick?....yes! (open or closed).

A broken defrost thermostat, looks like moisture gets inside and freezes and this pops the defrost thermostat open and it is now bad for sure! If you see yours bulging apart like the picture = new defrost thermostat time for sure.

Refrigerator Defrost Thermostat Testing

I find that most defrost thermostats are fairly cheap to purchase so I don't put too much time into checking one. If I suspect that the defrost thermostat is bad I would just replace it with a new one.

Refrigerator defrost thermostat. The thermostat clips onto the evaporator.

Refrigerator defrost thermostat, clip-on

Wire harness - Comes with defrost thermostat

Refrigerator defrost thermostat

Appliance Parts

Copyright © 2000-2018 ApplianceAid.com. All rights reserved.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: The Author of this web site assumes no responsibility for inconveniences or damages resulting from use of the information he supplies. The consumer or reader is individually responsible for his or her use of the information supplied and uses this information at their own risk. The author of this site has no liability for errors, omissions, or any defects whatsoever in the information or instructions, or for any damage or injury resulting from the utilization of said information or instructions....