Part Location Diagram of R0161088 Whirlpool Bimetal Defrost Thermostat
See part 21 in the diagram
Replacing your Amana Refrigerator Bimetal Defrost Thermostat
( Grid squares measure 1x1 inch )
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Bimetal Defrost Thermostat

$78.67
  In Stock
PartSelect Number PS2167866
Manufacturer Part Number R0161088
Manufactured by Whirlpool
Product Description

Bimetal Defrost Thermostat Specifications

This part will cut out at 48 degrees Fahrenheit and kick back in when the temperature drops to 33 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Replacing your Amana Refrigerator Bimetal Defrost Thermostat

Replacing your Amana Refrigerator Bimetal Defrost Thermostat
Troubleshooting
This part fixes the following symptoms:
Freezer section too warm | Fridge too warm | Fridge and Freezer are too warm | Freezer not defrosting
This part works with the following products:
Refrigerator.
This part works with the following products:
Amana, Kenmore, Litton.
Part# R0161088 replaces these:
AP4247470, 992, R0161088, 10544005, 12017806, 12017816, 12017823, 67003693, R0161088, R0161088VP
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Customer Repair Stories
 Average Repair Rating: 3.7 / 5.0, 24 reviews. What's this?
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Defrost Erratic, Evaporator Fan Would Not Run, Stopped Cooling
I had pulled evaporator cover panel to observe and to defrost with hair dryer. I managed to coax it to run for a few weeks with the hair dryer and by recycling the defrost clock. I finally ordered a replacement for the defrost thermostat and the heater. When I replaced the thermostat, everything went back to working okay. The evaporator fan and the old heater are now functioning just fine. Apparently the thermostat needs to be closed for the fan to run. The brown wire used to drive the heater during defrost must also function as the return for the motor in the cooling mode! - Same thing occurred four years ago and I called a repairman through amana - cost over $200 including thermostat and fan motor (which was still running fine - but he recommended that I pick up a new one at amana and replace it my self).
Other Parts Used:
  • Larry from Bacliff, TX
  • Difficulty Level:
    A Bit Difficult
  • Total Repair Time:
    30 - 60 mins
  • Tools:
    Nutdriver, Pliers
64 of 68 people found this instruction helpful.
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Both freezer and refrigerator section were not coled
First I did some research on the internet based upon the symptoms. Found several excellent articles that described my symptoms and their possible causes. I was able to isolate the problem to the thermostat by jumpering around the thermostat. In one scenario I was able to determine that the heater was working and in the other that the evarporator fan was also functioning. That left only one source and it was the thermostat. Ordered the part on-line and was happy to pay the extra shipping fee to expedite delivery. Sears was going to charge me $65 to show up and diagnose the problem. Parts and labor were then extra. What convinced me to look into fixing it myself was the week wait to have a repairman actually schedule an appointment. Two things - the internet is very helpful and Parts Select prices are very reasonable in comparison. Hopefully I will not have to fix anything else soon, but if I do, I will return to Parts Select for my part.
Other Parts Used:
  • Kenneth from Eldersburg, MD
  • Difficulty Level:
    A Bit Difficult
  • Total Repair Time:
    30 - 60 mins
  • Tools:
    Nutdriver
30 of 36 people found this instruction helpful.
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Evaporator coils were freezing up and the water dispenser would not work
I was not sure what the fix was on my refrig, so I ordered the defrost timer kit, bimetal defrost thermostat, and the evaporator heater(about 100.00 in parts)
I think my entire problem was the bimetal defrost thermostat, as it was somewhat bulged out on the plastic side.
The evaporator coils would freeze over--the evap. fan would not work and the cold water dispenser would not work. I did't have time to just replace one part at a time so I ordered all three parts that have to do with the defrosting of the evap. coils.
The parts worked and the refrig. is operating fine. Thanks to parts select for a super fast delivery(one day).
Other Parts Used:
Defrost Timer Kit - 120V 60Hz Defrost Heater
  • Sammy from Clarksville, TX
  • Difficulty Level:
    Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    15 - 30 mins
  • Tools:
    Nutdriver
22 of 25 people found this instruction helpful.
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Refrigerator & freezer not cooling / freezing
First of all, I do not have a history of repairing appliances or even the knowledge of what all the parts are named or how it all works. That said, please excuse my other than technical explanation of the repair. After reading a few posts, I decided to order the two parts and give it a try. The Defrost timer was easy to remove - two screws to remove the housing and two screws to remove the timer. The bimetal defrost thermostat was an easy installation - after removing the cover plate (back of freezer section) I removed the two wire caps that was connecting the existing thermostat to whatever it connects to - I guess the heating element and ? I was a little confused because the replacement thermostat had more wires that the existing one. I decided to cut away the extra wires and connect it just like the old one was connected. I didn't work at first and I was about to call in a pro. I turned the defrost timer knob and everything started to work. It has worked beautifully since and I got to brag a little to my wife - that was short lived because she reminded me of the other "stuff" that needed to be fixed! Thanks to the folks that posted before me - it helped me understand the problem and the repair.
Other Parts Used:
Defrost Timer Kit - 120V 60Hz
  • Ken from Birmingham, AL
  • Difficulty Level:
    Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    15 - 30 mins
  • Tools:
    Screw drivers, Socket set
20 of 20 people found this instruction helpful.
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water stop pumping follow by refrig stop cooling
the problem was the evaporator has frozen causing the water line to freeze also.
I opened the cover to see the evaporator, verify it was frozen, try to unplug and let it thaw, but it would freeze again. Thought the defrost thermostat was not working but did not verify, order new one and replaced; it did not work. After a long time of experimenting different things I found out that the defrost thermostat was supposed to be clamp to the line. It was not clamped to the line, was just hangin from its wires when I found it. So.....it works now!!! but I don't know what happen in the first place: the clamp fell off, or did it come from mgfr unclamped but happen to work since it was cold new, now getting old and not cold enough to close the thermostat unless on the line? anyway, it works and I decided to keep the part for spare. Hope this help someone else!
Other Parts Used:
  • Tuan from Garland, TX
  • Difficulty Level:
    Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    15 - 30 mins
  • Tools:
    Nutdriver
15 of 15 people found this instruction helpful.
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Freezer is not constantly holding temp
Removed the back wall (several screws) of the freezer too get at the thermostat and removed the thermostat and after checking to makes sure I plugged the wires in correctly I replaced the defrost timer by removing the housing that held it in place, which was located underneath the freezer compartment on outside of the unit. That was it!
Other Parts Used:
Defrost Timer Kit - 120V 60Hz
  • Dominik from Palos Hills, IL
  • Difficulty Level:
    A Bit Difficult
  • Total Repair Time:
    30 - 60 mins
  • Tools:
    Pliers, Screw drivers, Wrench (Adjustable)
14 of 17 people found this instruction helpful.
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The freezer and refrigerator stopped cooling
I unplugged the unit, removed the freezer racks and removed the back panel to expose the evaporator. I removed the defrost thermostat, unplugged the wires, and installed the new thermostat. I replaced the panel and racks then removed the defrost timer kit by removing the two screws that fastened the cover to the refrigerator and the two screws that secured the timer to the cover. The timer is centered behind the front toe grille assembly. I installed the new timer, replaced the cover, and plugged the refrigerator in. It took several minutes for the defrost timer to advance before the evaporator fan would come on.
Other Parts Used:
Defrost Timer Kit - 120V 60Hz
  • Kenneth from Bahama, NC
  • Difficulty Level:
    Really Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    15 - 30 mins
  • Tools:
    Nutdriver
12 of 12 people found this instruction helpful.
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The refrigerator had been acting for like a month, it would get cold then for no reason it would just stop working. But the bottom always stayed colder then anything else, so I googled until I found a forum for doing it yourself
I first removed the panel in the bottom so I could see the fan and the Bimetal thermostat. Also removed back panel so I could see the tester wire and make sure I was going to be able to pull it though the small hole. Removed the old thermostat. Clipped new one on made sure I had reconnected all plugs correctly. Turned on refrigerator and waited about 30 minutes to see if fan kicked on and all was good replaced panels. This was totally great for me, I'm a woman and for me this was very exciting for me to be able to fix it myself without having to call in a repair man or just replace the refrigerator.
Other Parts Used:
  • Tammy from Okeechpbee, FL
  • Difficulty Level:
    Really Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    Less than 15 mins
  • Tools:
    Screw drivers
10 of 12 people found this instruction helpful.
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freezer would work ,then heat up melt all ice then freeze the water , temps up and down fridge would be warm ,cold, warm ,cold
took out back panel of freezer compartment , exposed fan and coil thermostat was clipped on to coil, removed ,replaced,each wire one at time , the 2 extra wire that go out back dont go to anything its for factory testing.clipped them off pulled out from back, put wire ties on to keep wires from fan area . closed up . timer is in a metal box under the freezer door pulled off bottom facia 1 screw on metal box remove old timer installed new . everything working great now. no more warm beer
Other Parts Used:
Defrost Timer Kit - 120V 60Hz
  • vincent from Huffman, TX
  • Difficulty Level:
    Really Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    15 - 30 mins
  • Tools:
    Nutdriver, Pliers
10 of 13 people found this instruction helpful.
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Freezer/Fridg warm & middle strip between doors warm
Timer: Removed 2 screws from cover. Removed 2 screws to remove Timer. Installed new Timer & reassembled (15 min).
Thermostat: Removed screws from lower panel in the freezer. Removed thermostat from the cooling coil. Disconnected electrical connections. Had to cut 2 wires coming from fridge & install plastic piece provided. Made up all electrical connections (1 hour).
Other Parts Used:
Defrost Timer Kit - 120V 60Hz
  • Edward from Clinton, CT
  • Difficulty Level:
    Easy
  • Total Repair Time:
    1- 2 hours
  • Tools:
    Nutdriver
8 of 8 people found this instruction helpful.
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Questions and Answers

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3 questions answered by our experts.
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Mike
October 4, 2017
Fridge and freeze are both warm. Evap fan does not come on. I plugged fan into outlet and runs fine. What would cause an interruption in current for this fan. I'm thinking bi-metal thermostat on evap coil. Any help would be great.
For model number SQD26VW
PartSelect logo
Hi Mike, Thank you for your inquiry. There are some parts that you will need to check to see which one is causing the issue. You will need to check the compressor start device and capacitor, the condenser fan motor, the bi-metal defrost thermostat and the defrost timer. I hope this helps. Thank you and have a great day!

4 people found this helpful.

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Jacob
November 16, 2017
Replaced thermostat, ice was forming in freezer, i replaced heater line and fans not coming on what do i do
For model number W1TXEMFWQ00
PartSelect logo
Hi Jacob, Thank you for your question. I would suggest you check your run capacitor and your start relay to see if those parts are working correctly. If they are working, then it may be your control board that is the issue. I hope that helps. Good luck with your repair.

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Ed
March 27, 2018
Does this frig have an overload button
For model number SXD23VL
PartSelect logo
Hi Ed, Thank you for the question. There is no overload button but there is a overload relay on the compressor, PartSelect Number: PS11738220. Hope this helps!

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Related Parts
Model Cross Reference
This part works with the following models:
PartSelect Number: PS2167866
Manufacturer Part Number: R0161088
Brand
Model Number
Description
Amana
1999A
Refrigerator
Amana
1999A-P1193906WL
Refrigerator - SIDE BY SIDE REFRIGERATOR
Amana
1999W
Refrigerator
Amana
1999W-P1193906WW
Refrigerator - SIDE BY SIDE REFRIGERATOR
Amana
2599A
Refrigerator
Amana
2599A-P1190419WL
Refrigerator - SIDE BY SIDE REFRIGERATOR
Amana
2599W
Refrigerator
Amana
2599W-P1190419WW
Refrigerator - SIDE BY SIDE REFRIGERATOR
Amana
2699A
Refrigerator
Amana
2699W
Refrigerator
Litton
58632
Refrigerator
Amana
58632-P1317501WW
Refrigerator - SIDE-BY-SIDE REFRIGERATOR
Litton
58635
Refrigerator
Amana
58635-P1317501WE
Refrigerator - SIDE-BY-SIDE REFRIGERATOR
Litton
58637
Refrigerator
Amana
58637-P1317501WL
Refrigerator - SIDE-BY-SIDE REFRIGERATOR
Kenmore
59650392000
Refrigerator
Kenmore
59650392001
Refrigerator
Kenmore
59650392990
Refrigerator
Kenmore
59650394000
Refrigerator
Kenmore
59650394001
Refrigerator
Kenmore
59650394990
Refrigerator
Kenmore
59650399000
Refrigerator
Kenmore
59650399001
Refrigerator
Kenmore
59650399990
Refrigerator
Kenmore
59650692000
Refrigerator
Kenmore
59650692001
Refrigerator
Kenmore
59650694000
Refrigerator
Kenmore
59650694001
Refrigerator
Kenmore
59650699000
Refrigerator
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