Part Location Diagram of WP4387503 Whirlpool Bimetal Defrost Thermostat
See part 12 in the diagram
Replacing your Whirlpool Refrigerator Bimetal Defrost Thermostat
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Bimetal Defrost Thermostat

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$54.18
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PartSelect Number PS11742474
Manufacturer Part Number WP4387503
Manufactured by Whirlpool
Product Description

Bimetal Defrost Thermostat Specifications

This clip-on thermostat will sense the temperature increase in the evaporator during the defrost cycle and will cycle the defrost heater off after the ice or frost is melted.
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Replacing your Whirlpool Refrigerator Bimetal Defrost Thermostat

Replacing your Whirlpool Refrigerator Bimetal Defrost Thermostat
Troubleshooting
This part fixes the following symptoms:
Leaking | Freezer not defrosting | Fridge too warm | Freezer section too warm
This part works with the following products:
Refrigerator, Freezer.
This part works with the following products:
Whirlpool, Kenmore, KitchenAid, Roper.
Part# WP4387503 replaces these:
AP6009317, 2149641, 2149643, 2163894, 2172694, 2182380, 2183072, 2221677, 4343917, 4387503, 61002113, R0950042, WP4387503VP
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Customer Repair Stories
 Average Repair Rating: 3.5 / 5.0, 24 reviews. What's this?
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Sorry, we couldn't find any existing installation instruction that matched.
The frost free feature of the freezer was freezing over with ice and cooling coils were being insulated with thickening frost which caused the cooling air to rise in temperature from -5 degrees to 20 degrees.
I troubleshot the problem by reading the electrical schematic and concluding the heating elements (defrost cables) were either defective or the bi-metal temp sensor was open. When closed the temp sensor completes the circuit for the current to flow through the heaters to defrost the cooling coils every 8 hours and then when the bimetal opens at 55 degrees the circuit is open and the coils are cooled because the refridgeration motor is in run mode. A timer between the motor and heater elements also was defective. The timer controls the cooling period and the defrost period. I ohmed out each part according to the spec sheet of normal resistance of parts and thus the bimetal and timer were defective. I gather a surge of some duration and amplitude affected these parts because a storm 24 hours prior to refridgerator problem had passsed through the area and the AC electrical power had oscillated several times during that event. I used hand tools to do the repair. If you are not mechanically inclined a step by step proceedure would be moot. It is a matter of disassembly and assembly paying close attention to fragile parts.
Other Parts Used:
Defrost Timer
  • Lawrence from Grahamsville, NY
  • Difficulty Level:
    A Bit Difficult
  • Total Repair Time:
    1- 2 hours
  • Tools:
    Nutdriver
427 of 509 people found this instruction helpful.
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We were getting ice forming in the freezer compartment and water in the frig compartment
A. remove food from freezer and store in cooler etc.
B. turn off frig with dial in main compartment, then pull frig out away from wall and unplug and remove the cover ( It is located at the bottom of the frig and may be cardboard and contains a handfull of 1/4" screws) exposing the compressor and drain tube (this is a good time to vacume the compressor and coil area)
c. Take false back off from freezer by removing two 1/4 inch screws.
Next,
1. we made sure that the drain tube that runs down to a drain pan near the evaporator coil was clear, we did this by using a small aount of rock salt to speed up the melting of the ice then poured small amounts of hot water (boiling into the drain hole and soon the water flowed down the tube and into the pan below.
2. We then pushed a #12 standed electrical wire (with its end stripped back 1-1/2" then folding the strands back to create a broom) down the tube to the pan to push out any debree that may be present i.e. tin foil plastic bag particles, food chunks etc.
Making sure that this drain tube is clear is the first thing that could be causing the ice build up and water in the lower compartment!
However, I performed this several times and didn't change the problem so I chose to change the parts associated with defrost:
1. defrost heater, which is very easy to change. it is mostly plug and play but does require a pair of needle nose pliers to open a couple of metal fins to remove heater from its mounts, just be gentle with the process.

2. defrost thermostat, which is also very easy to change (Simply pull it off of a copper tube) but requires you to cut two wires near the old part and wire nut the new part wires to the remaining original wires, I added some anti oxident to the wires inside the wire nut to prevent a bad connection from developing do to moisture in this area (You can buy wire nuts with this already inside them, do this)and I taped the wire nut with a few inches of ELECTRICAL TAPE CLOSING OFF THE OPENING OF THE WIRE NUT.
You can then put his cabinet back together!
3. I also decided to change the defrost timer which is located inside a cover where the frig temperture setting dial is located. It is held to this cover by two phillips screws the cover is held in place by one 1/4" screw.
once you have the cover off and the defrost timer unscrewed you must remove a plug from the timer!
Now if you got the exact part you simply reinstall the defrost timer plug in the same postion on the new timer and screw the timer back onto its mount etc. However you may need to determine if the new timer is in the "DEFROST" position and you will need to take it out of that position by I assume rotating the timer mechanism (Ask a tech person about this)!!!!!!!!!
Then with all that done plug your frig vack in reposition it turn it on and be proud of yourself.

Now, if you recieved the timer I did it may look the same as the old one, but it may contain a black wire!!!
You will need to know which type of defrost timer application you frig uses:
1. Continuous run
2. version 1 Cumulative compressor run.
or
3. version 2 Cumulative compressor run.
I found a wiring diagram folded up and stored in the grill in the bottom of the front of the frig that helped me determine this. you will need to be able to read a wiring diagram but I found this situation to be simply a matter of matching examples of pictures (line diagrams). It is important though as you must determine which timer application your frig has because the black wire must be placed on a certain terminal for proper operation.

I replaced a three parts and may have, through trouble shooting, been able to save some money by not replacing all these parts. However , I found that when I went for guidance on trouble shooting that i.e. with the heater that ohmic values of the old part may be near the new part that it may still not be conclusive!? so for a hundred bucks my frig may last 5-10
Other Parts Used:
Defrost Heater Defrost Timer Cabinet Rear Roller - Kit of 2
  • Teri from West Valley City, UT
  • Difficulty Level:
    A Bit Difficult
  • Total Repair Time:
    1- 2 hours
  • Tools:
    Nutdriver, Pliers, Screw drivers, Socket set
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water dripping inside fridge due to drain hole being frozen over wiith ice.
first I diagnosed the problem with the whirlpool do-it-yourself repair manual, which was very easy to understand. as per the repair manual, "this part located on the evaporator or the back of the liner is used during the defrost cycle. This bimetal senses the temperature from the evaporator. When the temperature reaches 50-70 degrees (F) the defrost bimetal turnd the defrost heater off. " then I emptied the freezer. removed the the back panel to expose the evaporator. I looked for the bimetal defrost thermostat clipped on the evaporator. tested the bi-metal defrost thermostat, as per the manual, " the ohmmeter should show ZERO resistance (continuity). if not, the bimetal is bad and needs replacing." NOTE: the bimetal must be cold. it is also tested with the bimetal warm/hot, by running it under hot water. i used a styrofoam cup with hot water & dipped the bimetal in. as per the manual, " the ohmmeter should show an open circuit. if not, the bimetal is bad and needs replacing. then got online found partselect.com. ordered the part, recieved it in less than 2 days. within minutes after recieving the part, I removed the bimetal defrost thermostat and spliced in the new one. thanks to partselect.com my fridge is back up and running properly again. prior to installing the new bimetal, i tested it, as descibed above, you can hear & feel the bimetal open/close when it gets hot/cold.
Other Parts Used:
  • Edwin from Maplewood, NJ
  • Difficulty Level:
    Really Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    Less than 15 mins
  • Tools:
    Nutdriver
62 of 69 people found this instruction helpful.
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would stay in defrost mode for a long time, inside refrigerator would get warm.
Repair went fine, no problems, had to wait for fan and compressor to come on. New defrost timer must of been in defrost mode, came on in about 30 minutes and is working fine, should get a few more years out of it.
Other Parts Used:
Defrost Timer Kit
  • Bob from Pleasant Hill, IA
  • Difficulty Level:
    Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    15 - 30 mins
  • Tools:
    Nutdriver, Screw drivers
51 of 109 people found this instruction helpful.
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Freezer was cold, refrigerator was not.
After noticing my freezer was ice cold and the refrigerator was luke warm, I figured there was an airflow problem due to either a fan that failed or the evaporator coil iced over. Just by opening the freezer door I could hear the fan blowing so it had to be the evap coil. Sure enough after removing a couple screws and the back panel I saw the ice. I then unplugged the frige to let it thaw overnight. In the morning I inspected the coil and luckily noticed right away that this little piece didn't look right. The top of the bi-metal thermostat was raised up. Almost like it popped. I read the other reviews on this website reffering to using an ohm meter to see if it held continuity. Well it didn't because the piece really did "pop". The wire was severed. So the ohm reader read open even if the piece was warm. I ordered the part and in days was able to replace the part. NOTE TO BUYER. It did not come with electrical connecting nuts or whatever they are called. So you'll have to go to the hardware store and pick some up for about $2. Frige works fine now. Thanks parts select.
Other Parts Used:
  • Michael from Oak Creek, WI
  • Difficulty Level:
    Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    15 - 30 mins
  • Tools:
    Screw drivers
33 of 33 people found this instruction helpful.
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Water was dripping from the freezer into the non-frozen area, and the non-frozen area was not cooling
I first disconnected the power cord and then removed all the panels and disconnected the Defrost Heater at the quick-disconnect, and cut the wires on the Defrost Themostat. (The Defrost Thermostat had been replaced about 10 years ago when the Defrost Heater was replaced.) One of the reasons it took longer than 15 minutes was because there was a buildup of ice in the freezer section. I then soldered the wires and covered them with a plastic sleeve and wrapped them in electrical tape. After replacing all the panels and re-connecting the power cord, I restarted the refrigerator. After one week, there is no water dripping from the freezer and everything is working properly. Your diagnosis of the problem was exactly right. Thanks for the info.
Other Parts Used:
Heater, Defrost
  • A. M. from Bay Minette, AL
  • Difficulty Level:
    Really Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    15 - 30 mins
  • Tools:
    Nutdriver
33 of 42 people found this instruction helpful.
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no cooling in the refrigrator area
first thanks to part select for the info in the web site.last week notice the area in the refrigerator.was bearly cold. went to parts select read the coments.and whala.i am an expert.my wife was amazed.i was sure the evaporator fan not work,but reading in the web site i learn it can be few other parts so a change all 3 parts,just to make sure, thank you again part selact you are the best.and thank you for the magazines.. JOSE ANGEL
Other Parts Used:
Freezer Evaporator Fan Motor with Blade Defrost Timer
  • JOSE from GREENSBURG, IN
  • Difficulty Level:
    Really Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    15 - 30 mins
  • Tools:
    Nutdriver, Screw drivers
30 of 41 people found this instruction helpful.
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Water In Bottom Of Refrigerator
Basically, I read all of the remarks from other people that had the same problem , I replaced both the timer and thr defrost(bi metal) thermostat as the thermostat had a ohmic value when closed that I was not comfortable with. The unit is now up and running and defrosting as it's supposed to do. I could not get those pushdown clips that hold the timer unit , I ended up breaking them off at the plastic post but there was enough of the plastic post showing that a bit of hotmelt glue was able to hold the timer secure.
Other Parts Used:
Defrost Timer
  • daniel from acme, PA
  • Difficulty Level:
    Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    30 - 60 mins
  • Tools:
    Nutdriver, Pliers, Screw drivers
14 of 15 people found this instruction helpful.
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water was leaking down from freezer section to bottom part of unit
First, unplugged the refrigerator. Then removed bottom plastic liner of the freezer, 2 screws with 5/16 nut driver. At this point the ice maker had to be removed 3 screws, two on the upper part and the other under the ice maker. Now the back wall of the freezer section was removed by unscrewing 2 screws with the nut driver. This gave me access to remove the defective clip-on Bimetal defrost thermostat. It was located in the upper right corner on the back wall of the freezer. Cut off the 2 wires from the bad part( one pink the other brown)then used wire nut to replace with the new part and matched wires from freezer to new part( pink to pink and brown to brown) and clipped the part in one section of the coil. ( where the bad part was located) Put all back in place. And so far no more water leak inside the fridge.
Other Parts Used:
  • Eric from miami, FL
  • Difficulty Level:
    Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    15 - 30 mins
  • Tools:
    Nutdriver, Pliers, Screw drivers
13 of 16 people found this instruction helpful.
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Freezer compartment iced over, food thawing,
I deenergized the refigerator, removed the storage tray, three screws that hold the ice maker, two screws that hold the lower portion of the freezer, two screws tjhat hold the back portion of the freezer. Removed the ice maker and disconnected the wire connector and ground, Removed lower portion of the freezer which allowed the back portion to be lifted out. Once the back was out the bimetal defrost thermostat was located in the upper right corner clipped to a copper line. Using an ohm meter, I found the bimetal defrost thermostat to be electrically open, ordered part from information found on part, Once part arrived I deenergized the refrigerator and replaced bimetal thermostat by cutting the old thermostat wires (pink and brown), stripping the wires back about 5/8 inch and wire nutting the replacement parts like colored wires, clipped the bimetal part on the copper tube, replaced the covers in reverse order, and reenergized the refrigerator. Testing and replacing the part took about 15 minutes, waiting for the ice build up to thaw took considerably longer.
Other Parts Used:
  • Lawrence from New Bern, NC
  • Difficulty Level:
    Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    Less than 15 mins
  • Tools:
    Nutdriver
12 of 13 people found this instruction helpful.
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Questions and Answers

Ask our experts a question about this part and we'll get back to you as soon as possible!

15 questions answered by our experts.
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Thomas
October 19, 2017
How to test the defrost bimetal if is working or not?
PartSelect logo
Hi Thomas , Thank you for the question. You can tested the bi-metal defrost thermostat with a ohm meter. When the bimetal is cold it should show zero resistance or closed. If not, the bimetal is bad and needs replacing. You can also tested with the bimetal being warm/hot, by using a cup with hot water and dipping the bimetal in the hot water.The ohm meter should show open circuit. If not, the bimetal is bad and needs replacing. Hope this helps!

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Jeff
February 6, 2018
What is the upper/limit temperature that opens the defrost heater safety switch ? What is the range ?
For model number JCB2389GRS
PartSelect logo
Hi Jeff, Thank you for the question. The thermostat Limit is rated at L43-27*F. Hope this helps!

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Ken
September 7, 2017
At what temperature does the switch on the thermostat close?
For model number WP4387503
PartSelect logo
Hi Ken, Thank you for the question. The thermostat closes at 18°. Hope this helps!

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Miguel
November 27, 2018
Hello my name is miguel i have a question about my refrigerator freeze the drain of the freezer that goes down i have to defrost once a month what i can do or what part i should change
For model number ET8WTMXKQ07
PartSelect logo
Hello Miguel, thank you for your question. I would recommend you remove the rear wall of the freezer compartment to access the defrost drain. It is faster to use a screwdriver and hair dryer by standing the screwdriver up over the frozen drain and heating the screwdriver shaft to thaw the drain. Just blowing the hair dryer is not as effective and will take 15 or 20 minutes longer to accomplish the same thing. Once the drain is clear, pour a cup of hot water through it to clear any residual ice. I like to use a piece of weed eater line about 10 feet long to chase the drain. This ensures that there are no foreign objects in the drain. You should then put about 2 tablespoons of white vinegar in the drain to prevent bacteria from forming. Make sure the area is clear in the freezer so that the hole is not covered, and that the drain tube is not kinked. You may want to replace the tube just to be safe. The part number is PS331122. I hope this helps!

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Chelsey
January 22, 2018
What temp dose this part close and what temp dose it open? I need one to open below 37'f and close around 20'f. Do have one that meets my needs?
PartSelect logo
Hi Chelsey, Thank you for your question. This bimetal defrost thermostat has a limit of 48 degrees Fahrenheit. For more information on the correct part for your appliance, we will need your model number. I hope this helps. Thank you and have a great day!

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Vernon
June 5, 2019
Ice is building up in the bottom of my freezer and on the inside of the aluminum tray inside at bottom of the back wall. I've removed everything and cleaned all the ice, put it back together ensuring i have good air flow (done this a couple of times). Within a few hours ice is starting build up again. Does this sound like the defrost thermostat is bad and needs replacing?
For model number Whirlpool ET1CHKXKQ04
PartSelect logo
Hello Vernon, thank you for writing. You will want to consider either the Defrost Timer part PS11723171, this Bimetal Defrost Thermostat part PS11742474, or the Defrost Heater part PS11740357. We hope this helps.

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Alessica
February 28, 2019
Will part #4387503 work with this fridge?
For model number ET6WSKXKQ00
PartSelect logo
Hi Alessica, Thank you for your question. No, this part is not listed under your model number. The part number listed under your model number for the defrost thermostat with wiring harness is PS11739158. I hope this helps. Thank you and have a great day!

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Peter
October 9, 2019
Ok freezer is cold and the refrigerator is warm. Took off the back cover of freezer and the evaporator was iced up. Went inside the refrigerator to the timer and put a screwdriver in and turned it till it clicked and the compressor stopped running. I went up to the freezer to see if the heating rod was getting hot and it was. I got a hair dyer and got ice off while I did I heard the timer click and the refrigerator started running. Got it all deiced. I went to the refrigerator to turn the timer again and it clicked and went off. I went to check the heating rod it was not hot, yet it did just work before and got hot now its not. Is it the timer or the bi-metal thermostat? The heating rod worked before. Any answers please? Help!
For model number ETICHMXKT03
PartSelect logo
Hi Peter, Thank you for your question. If the refrigerator is warm, the timer and the bi-metal defrost thermostat are just some of the parts that you will need to check to see what is causing the issue. Here is a link from our website that you may reference on what parts to check, https://www.partselect.com/AdvancedModelSymptoms.aspx?ModelNum=ET1CHMXKT03&mfgModelNum=&fkMfgID=3&ost=ETICHMXKTO3&ModelMasterID=342909&PID=10. I hope this helps. Thank you and have a great day!

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Chris Coleman
September 16, 2019
Hi. I replaced the bi-metal thermostat due to ice buildup in the freezer compartment.After a few days or so ice buildup occurred again. next i replaced the defroster heating element, there appears to be frost building up again. my question is if ice buildup happens again are there any other parts to try to rectify that problem? thanks, chris
For model number GR2SHKXKL02
PartSelect logo
Hello Chris, thank you for your question. Yes, we would recommend replacing the PartSelect Number: PS11740238 Adaptive Defrost Control Board. This board turns the defrost cycle on and off to keep the unit frost free. It sounds like the control isn't working properly. I hope this helps!

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Harry
June 21, 2022
Freezer has ice buildup, and water is leaking into the refrigerator compartment. I'm thinking Bi-metal (thermostat) or Defrost timer...I can't afford a new fridge!
For model number ET8CHKXKT04
PartSelect logo
Hello Harry, Thank you for your inquiry. We would recommend checking the defrost thermostat, the defrost timer, and defrost heater. You can test the parts with a multimeter. If you are unfamiliar with how a multimeter functions, we have videos available to assist you. We hope this helps and if you need help placing an order, customer service is open 7 days a week. Please feel free to give us a call. We look forward to hearing from you!

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Model Cross Reference
This part works with the following models:
PartSelect Number: PS11742474
Manufacturer Part Number: WP4387503
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