A thermostat is a temperature control sensor used in every refrigerator. If your thermostat is not working, the compressor doesn’t know when to cut off and the evaporator space will not be cooling down to the set temperature.
Due to a broken thermostat, you can have issues with your water line, frost in your freezer, and too much electricity consumption too. Therefore, in this article, let us find out how to replace a thermostat in a GE refrigerator.
How to Replace GE Refrigerator Thermostat?
The thermostat in a GE refrigerator or any other refrigerator for that matter, can be found in the temperature control hub for older models. As for newer fridge models, they are found in the evaporator coil section located inside the rear end of the fridge. Also, for the freezer section, it is usually present in the evaporator coil which is on the rear side of the section.
Since there are different refrigerator models available, locating and removing the thermostat will slightly differ. So, we shall discuss the procedure to remove thermostats from different refrigerator models and fix the issue easily.
The thermostat in a GE refrigerator may be found in the following parts:
- Temperature control hub
- Evaporator coil
According to the refrigerator model, the thermostat can be found in any one of these areas. Let us now get into a detailed procedure on how to remove and replace the thermostat in each type.
Temperature Control Hub
If you look at older refrigerator models, you can find a temperature control hub inside the refrigerator. It will either be present on the roof side or on the rear end or on the side walls.
Therefore, first, locate the control hub. There will be some screws holding the hub and you have to remove them carefully. You have to unplug the connecting wires before completely removing the hub cover.
If you look inside the hub, you can find the thermostat connected to the control with a long temperature-sensing tube. Carefully remove the connected wires of the thermostat and separate them from the control hub.
Get the appropriate thermostat part from the store and replace it by connecting the leads appropriately. Replace the control hub wires and finally screw them to the refrigerator.
You can also check out this video guide that helps you to remove and replace the thermostat in this kind of refrigerator model.
Evaporator Coil
In the modern refrigerator models where you have digital temperature controls and settings, you cannot find a control hub inside the refrigerator. Rather the thermostat is present behind the rear panel where the evaporator coil is present.
So, in such models, first, you have to remove all the trays, shelves, and drawers from the inside of the fridge. Then you must remove the light bulb cover if it is present at the rear end panel.
Now, remove all the screws holding the rear panel along with the wires connected and carefully pull the panel out. You can now see the exposed evaporator coil with copper tubing at the side.
The thermostat is found behind the coil or near the copper tubing. Locate the thermostat and remove the wires connected to it. You may have to remove the zip ties holding the wires to remove the thermostat connectors.
After removing the thermostat wires, replace them with a new thermostat and connect the wires appropriately. Now replace the rear end panel and place back the screws.
If you are replacing the defrost thermostat in the freezer section, then you may have to remove a couple of extra parts such as the ice maker and other trays to reach the rear end panel.
You can also check out this video for a complete guide on removing thermostats from this kind of refrigerator.
What is the Best Temperature Setting for GE Refrigerators?
For GE refrigerators and for any refrigerator type, the best thermostat setting is to keep the freezer temperature at -17°C or 0°F and for the fresh food section, it is around 3°C or 37°F.
After replacing the thermostat, you have to set the temperature using the controls provided by the above-mentioned setting.
This setting is the recommended temperature as per the FDA in the US. In this temperature range, you can find a fridge to keep the food fresh for a long and doesn’t produce ice. So, you don’t have to defrost the fridge often.
If you don’t have a temperature display in your fridge, then try to buy a digital thermometer for the refrigerator and try to set the thermostat to the desired temperature.
Conclusion
With this guide, you will be able to remove the thermostat from your refrigerator and replace it effectively. You can also check out the video guides that help you to do it successfully. The thermostat helps you to maintain the temperature of your refrigerator and it is a must to check its integrity.
