GE (PSS26MSRSS) Side by Side Refrigerator Logo
Posted on Aug 16, 2009
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Bottom of ice maker is frosted up & leads to food getting frost

The bottom of ice maker is constantly frosting up. Food on shelves below it get frost on them too. Frost also gathers around ice shoot/door. I don't have a "cover" for over the ice maker where ice is stored so I am wondering if the ice itself is providing the moisture for the frost to develop

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John Tripp

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  • GE Master 4,656 Answers
  • Posted on Aug 16, 2009
John Tripp
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Sounds like your freezer is pulling outside air into the freezer from the dispenser door or around the door seals. This could be a defrost problem beginning as this is moisture remaining inside the freezer compartment and not being taken out during defrost. So it may be a good idea to look into the back of the freezer and see if there is frost forming also on the rear wall. If yes you will need to manually defrost by unplugging the refrigerator and removing the rear panel in the back of freezer to expose the evaporator coil. If frozen over I want you to defrost with a hair dryer until we can have a look at the defrost heater below these coils. The heater in your model PSS26MRSS has glass around the heating elements and will be easy to see if the element is burned out. If burned out the defrost heater part number WR51X10055 and the defrost thermostat part number WR50X10068 should be replaced. Let me know if you are ready to begin or if this is helpful. If by chance these 2 parts look OK then we will need to look over the main control board for burn marks or signs of heat damage. I'll be here if you need me Thanks, Sea Breeze

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  • Posted on Sep 24, 2009
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Here is how I fixed mine. Shine a flashlight down the ice shute. There were two rubber flaps....one was up as it should be and the other was down, causing a small crack that was drawing in outside air that in turn, created ice in shute and on bottom of ice maker. Solution was to open door and reach up and manually open flap....work rubber into an up position and then allow flap to close. Check after dispensing ice that both flaps remain in the correct position.

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Top shelves in freezer not freezing food. Also no ice from ice maker. Seems cold air has stopped coming out of top vent

We had the same problem with our refrigerator just yesterday. Defrosting (even tho frost-free) cleared up the airflow problem-- If it's frost-free, when it defrosts enough to allow air flow, the automatic defrost can take over. Cause was stored food blocking the vent between the freezer and lower part of fridge.
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Roper brand, not that old--no ice maker--freezer ok, but frosts up--BUT a loud knock comes from the back, not constant and not all the time--if I turn the thermo, to get the bottom colder, it frosts up...

Is the frost on the evaporator cover in the freezer? If so, then you have a defrost problem ( bad defrost heater, defrost thermostat, or defrost timer/ Adaptive defrost control).Does the knock in back happen when the frig shuts off? If so its probably your compressor. Check you warranty.
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Cold on the top part but not cold on the bottom

Check the fins in the back of the "bottom" part for frost / ice buildup. It may be time to defrost your fridge.

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Frosting up in the freezer and not cooling in the food compartment kenmore 363.9557852

It sounds like you have a defrost problem.

All the cooling for both sections takes place in the freezer behind the back wall. A fan back there distributes the cold air throughout the freezer and fresh food section. Every 8 - 10 hours a heater comes on for about 20 minutes to eliminate the frost from the evaporator coils back there. If this defrost cycle fails the frost will build up to a point of no air flow so the fresh food side and most of the freezer start to warm up.

The best way to take care of this is to turn it off and unload the freezer, take the shelves out and the screws holding the back panel inside the freezer out. Remove the back panel from the freezer. Use hot water and a hair dryer to unthaw the ice and frost, you will need lots of towels as the melting will bring lots of water on to the floor. Once the frost is gone you will need to install this part WR51X443. The picture below shows it. The kit contains new heaters and thermostat.

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Frost is building up in bottom freezer. Amana ABB2224DEW

I have this problem as well, only nobody is leaving anything open. The defroster is defective of these things and the duct between the fridge and freezer gets frozen over and the cold air can't get in the fridge, so the freezer keeps working until it's blue in the face.
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GE GSS25KGSA.... the freezer is no longer freezing regardless of temperature setting. It gets cold but no freezing. There used to be more noise during cycles, but that has stopped also.

The fan that circulates air in the freezer compartment is frozen & not circulating air - resulting in a freezer compartment that is cool but not cold. The reason is that the “heater & bracket” that warms & defrosts the evaporator coil & the fan above it has died & w/no defrosting, the coil & the fan load up with frost & ice & stop working.

Temporary Solution:
1) Unplug the frig.

2) Take all the food & shelves out of the freezer. Put it ALL in one cardboard box; this will keep it from defrosting while you get the freezer working.
3) Take out the ice maker storage bin (the thing that's full of ice cubes) & dump the ice cubes. (if you leave them in the freezer, they will melt & refreeze & make a disaster).
4) There is a metal panel below the lights & it should have frost & ice built on it.
5) Get two (not one) hair driers, set them on high heat & melt all the frost & ice & keep on melting & defrosting for about 10 minutes.
4) Plug the frig back in.
5) The freezer fan should be turning.

6) Put the shelf & food back in & close the door.
7) Expect this problem to reoccur in one to four months...


Solution:
1) Get a “heater & bracket” GE part number WR51X10055, about $30 w/shipping on eBay. This is for a GSS25KGSA GE side by side (the last two letters WW, BB, & CC are colors). If you have a different GE side by side, the correct part number can easily be found at www.searspartsdirect.com. Nice drawings.
2) Unplug the frig.

3) Take all the food & shelves out of the freezer. Put it ALL in one cardboard box; this will keep it from defrosting while you get the freezer working.
4) Take out the ice maker storage bin (the thing that's full of ice cubes) & dump the ice cubes.
5) Take out the light cover. One Philips screw on top & two press-to-release plastic things on the bottom.
6) Unscrew the light bulbs.
7) Take out the metal panel below the lights. Four ¼” screws. It is held in by two tabs at the top, so swing the bottom out & pull it down. Be careful not to bend it.
8) Get two (not one) hair driers, set them on high hot & melt all the frost & ice on the evaporator coil. Do NOT touch it.
9) Remove the “Heater & Bracket” by unscrewing the two Phillips screws and then unplugging the red & blue wires.
10) Install the new “Heater & Bracket” by plugging in the red & blue wires & replacing the two screws. Be careful not to get it backwards when plugging the wires; only goes one way.

11) Put the back panel back in & secure it with the 4 ¼” screws.
12) Reinstall the lights & cover.

13) Plug the frig back in.
14) Put the shelves & food back in & close the door.
15) Expect this problem to reoccur every 3-4 years; great designs fail after the warranty is up, and keep the repairmen & parts people employed …

p.s. about once a year, you should vacuum all the accumulated dust off the condenser coils. They are hidden behind a metal cover at the bottom back of the refrig. If you don't, expect the dust eventually block all airflow & the compressor will burn up & you will be buying a new frig.


Generic GE Side by Side Refrigerators GSS25KGSA, GSS25KGSAWW, GSS25KGSABB, GSS25KGSACC.
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Fridgedaire Elite frost proof fridge part not cooling, Freezer sems fine

If the frozen side is colder than normal and some extra frost is forming where the fan blows,and there is ice in the bottom of freezer compartment, and the cool side is not cool enough, their is a good possability the defrosting unit is not removing all the frost and ice . the defrosting unit has a timer (usually near thermostat) that turns off the cooling fan and compressor and turns on a small heater around the evaporator ( about 20 minutes every 2 days) (evaporaror is cold heat exchanger coil inside the back wall behind a cover near the recirculating fan0, the fan circulates air to both compartments through two small openings, if these openeing are closed by ice buildup cool air can not circulate to the cool side. cure 1. remove all food and leave fridge off for 24 hours with doors open (take precautions to ensure children can't get locked in side and suffocate, if you get a qt of water in bottom of unit (may leak on floor) ice buildup that the defrost heater can not remove melted and was your problem . turn frig on replace food on unit. cure 2. turn frig off, remove food from both sides, remove shelves that block access to evaporator, remove cover over evaporator if you see the evaporator coils free of ice look at openings (2) to other side, one may be blocked with ice the other with frost, carefully melt ice with hair dryer.
If the evaporator coil is solid ice heater or timer or fan has failed. good luck
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