10648267890 Kenmore Refrigerator - Instructions

I saved my Whirlpool Refrigerator (Model ET21GKXHN00) and learned a lesson. Don’t put off cleaning the refrigerant coils underneath the refrigerator. I replaced the refrigerator about 10 years ago and began to notice that the sound of this one running had changed slightly. I remembered that’s what happened to the first one just before it died. I removed the panel on the bottom front and saw that the refrigerant coils were covered with dust. It was really bad. I vacuumed them with the “radiator attachment” on the vacuum cleaner and plugged the refrigerator back in. It still didn’t sound right and I couldn’t feel the air blowing out like it should. So I rolled the refrigerator out and removed the back lower cover to see the compressor and the cooling fan. The fan was clogged with dust so I vacuumed that as well. But the fan wouldn’t spin freely by hand. The fan motor only had 3 screws holding it onto the plastic fan bezel and was easily removed by unsnapping the electrical connector on the motor. I removed the fan motor and tried to clean it with a few drops of WD40 on the shaft. But when I put it all back and plugged it in the fan just barely started turning. I unplugged the refrigerator and ordered the fan motor from PartSelect.Com (Item Number PS371043). The picture looked exactly like the motor that was in my refrigerator. I threw everything away in the refrigerator, cleaned it out and left it unplugged until the motor came. The motor arrived in a few days and it looked exactly like the one I had removed. It had the same electrical specifications stamped on the back and the electrical connector was the same and in the same location on the motor. I put the fan blade on the new motor and installed it exactly like the old one was. It only took 15 minutes or so and was very easy to install. When I plugged the refrigerator in the compressor started right away and so did the fan. It ran like a champ. In a few hours the refrigerator got cold and began to cycle on and off like normal and the fan blows like new. The sound is normal and the total running sound is quiet again like a new refrigerator. So for $84.67 I saved my $1300 refrigerator and learned not to neglect checking the build up of dust in the compressor fan section. I’m sure that’s what happens to most of the refrigerators people put out for trash pickup in front of their houses. The cause of the problem is when air flow is restricted across the refrigerant coils too much heat returns to the compressor and eventually causes the compressor to fail. I appreciate that we live in a time when you can order exactly what you need on the internet and make home repairs when you need to. Thanks Part Select for sending me the correct part. It’s nice to have milk and cold drinks again.

This product comes in a bottle with a brush like Liquid Paper. It goes on incredibly easy. A second coat might be needed. I wanted to prevent rust from setting in so I covered the scratches and dings. The paint is a little brighter since my washer is 10 years old but it still looks great.

I have a side by side so in order to access the bi-metal switch I first had to empty out the freezer. The switch is clipped on to the top of the evaporator coil. I had to remove 8 screws to remove the back panel of the freezer compartment. The bi-metal switch was right there in plain view. There are two colored wires that come out of the switch. I tried pulling them out of the socket they were plugged into but gave up for fear of breaking something. I ended up cutting the wires and splicing them together. I used the plastic twist caps. I made sure when I closed everything back up that the open end of the caps were pointing down so no water can accumulate in them. It has been 3 days now and so far so good

DISCONNECT POWER. Removed all shelves/baskets.Popped upper panel off (just clips in) Removed 6 screws in lower back panel ( 3 each side) slid panel in place but down. You can then easily see the defrost thermostat/defrost termination switch. Cut the wire connectors (pink n brown wire) stripped back wire, attached new defrost thermostat. Thermostat clips on. New thermostat ohm's at 5.5, old one was "open". Slid cover back up meeting the upper cover grooves. Screwed lower panel in. Put shelves etc back in. Plugged in. Turns on, put a bottle of water in freezer. Checked a while later, frozen. has been frozen for a week.
-James

First of all, here's a warning to all -- I took the glass shelf / pan cover out to clean it -- with a sponge wet with COLD water and the shelf literally exploded on me. This is the second such incident. Both times I have been lucky and no one was hurt.

The shelf was easily identifiable by part number based on model number. Easy to locate the model number on plate above top shelf inside refrigerator (right hand side in my case).

Only had to carefully set glass shelf in frame -- no issues. I was able to use a screwdriver to remove the shelf support stud and basically pop the replacement back in with no issue.

Thank you Parts Select for your simplified system to order replacement parts, and the speed with which it was received.

Remove the knobs and faceplate to get at the screws behind it. Removing the sensor is a bit involved but everything else is fairly straight forward. See other postings for description / order of operation. Replacement took less than 30 minutes.
Works great now!

Once I saw the replacement part I understood how to pry out the switch with a small screwdriver. Then just unplug the old one, plug in the new one and pop it into place.

The PartSelect site made it easy to correctly identify the correct part, it was inexpensive, and the shipping was fast.

I'm very pleased!

a simple replacement

I had read here from someone that fixed there shelf support stub and it was very loose, so I was trying to advoid that problem. It took me less then 5 minutes and my only tool was a pair of pliers. A short turn clock wise from the 9 on a clock to the 12 ( which is the top left corner ). then pull the broke shelf stub straight out. Put the new shelf support in the same way you took the old one out and turn counter clock wise 1/4 or from 12 back to 9 and you should have a tight fit. I hope this helped.

Turn off the fridge and unplug the power. Inside the refrigerator unit, remove two plastic panels extending from the front to the rear cooling vent by unscrewing two screws. Gently unhook the thermostat tube from the rear vent.

On the control panel, gently pry off the two control knobs and the front control panel. Remove four screws to drop down the control assembly. Unplug the left electrical connector and unscrew the lever control arm being careful not to bend it. Disconnect the right side electrical connector and you can now remove the control unit to a table to easily work on it.

Undo two screws to remove the thermostat bracket. Undo two more screws to remove the thermostat assembly. Install the new thermostat and reverse the process just described. It takes about 15 minutes if you know what to do ahead of time. You will have to reuse the plastic tube that covers the thermostat sensing tube.

The plastic lower door closing cam was worn down. Replacing it was very simple: remove the top door hinge by unscrewing three nuts; lift the door off the lower hinge; unscrew and remove the lower door hinge; screw the new plastic lower door closing cam on to the new door hinge; screw the new lower door hinge; lift the door back on to the lower door hinge; screw the top door hinge.

Replacement was very easy as new ice maker was identical to the old one. Took about 10 minutes.

Removed the lower back panel (10 small screws)Found the condenser motor froze up and not moving air across the cooling coils.So I got a small table fan and set it behind the fridge and it kept the fridge cooling for 3 days till the new fan motor arrived. Removed 3 small screws holding the fan motor in the bracket and unpluged the wiring harness.Removed the fan from old motor and used it on the new motor.Replaced the fan in the bracket and plugged the wiring harness back in. Worked great. Very easy.Did not have to empty fridge because table fan kept coils cool. Ordering part was easy and shipping fast.Great job guys!!

The fridge side would freeze everything regardless of setting. First, unplug the unit. Remove control knobs and pry off the face plate which is snapped on. Remove the four nuts holding the control box to the top of the fridge. Note there is a mettle rod and the thermostat sensor lead inside a clear plastic tube leading from the control box to the back left corner of the fridge. Remove their cover (one screw). Under this cover in the back is the vent assembly screw. Remove it. On the freezer side, you also have to remove the light cover (snap on) and the vent cover behind it (one screw). This allows access to remove the vent on the fridge side. Squeeze the tabs on the vent(freezer side) that lock the vent in place and push it through to the fridge side. Now disconnect all wire connectors between the control box and the fridge. They have locking tabs that have to be pried out to release. Remove the two screws holding the thermostat to the control box, and one at a time transfer the wires from the old stat to the new one and mount the new one in place. Snap the old thermostat sensor lead out of the vent assembly, straighten it out and pull the plastic tube off. Put a lubricant on the new stat lead to ease in inserting it into the tube. Do not kink the lead. Re assemble in reverse order, plug up the fridge.

I was about to waste $1000 on buying a Refrigerator. Took 1 mins to search on google "Refrigerator doesn't work". Found a video on youtube, showed a step and step video to solve my problem. Order the part $50 and it took me less then 5 mins to install it. =)