Is your GE fridge freezing food? This can cause the taste and texture of your food to completely change. So in this article, we will discuss the possible reasons your GE fridge keeps freezing food, and how to fix it.
The following are the most common reasons your GE fridge is freezing food (along with the solutions to these problems):
Table of Contents
1. Food Placement
The part of the fridge you stored your food may be the issue. Fridges often do not have a uniform temperature and some places are colder than other parts.
The fridge stays cool because cold air is supplied into the fridge from air vents. And the part where the air vent is located is often the coldest spot of the refrigerator. If you store your food in a cold spot, the food may freeze up.
To solve this, keep your foods away from air vents.
2. Temperature is too Low
A low temperature is one common reason your GE fridge is freezing food. If this is the case, you need to adjust the temperature.
Check the temperature controls to see if the fridge is set to a proper temperature. If your model has temperature dials, set it at “5” and “5” or “C” and “5”. If you have a model with a digital display, set the temperature between 37 to 42 °F.
3. Not Enough Food
If you do not have enough food in the fridge, the food stored at the bottom of the fridge may begin to freeze. This is because the fridge needs enough food to absorb all the cold air that is being supplied into it.
To solve this issue, simply stock up more food, we recommend you keep your drawers and other compartments at least half (1/2) way full.
4. The Coils are Dirty
If the coils of the fridge are dirty or dusty, the compressor will work harder than it normally does. This will make the temperature of the fridge too cold.
Switch off the fridge; disconnect the power cord from the socket. Turn the fridge from the wall so the coils are accessible. Clean the coils and then turn the fridge back on.
5. Faulty Component
A part of your fridge may be faulty. While any part of the fridge can get faulty, not every part will cause the fridge to freeze up when they are bad. To fix this issue, the faulty component has to be found and replaced.
The following are parts of your GE fridge that when faulty can cause your fridge to freeze up food. How to check for faults in each part will also be discussed.
i. Thermistor
This is the part of the fridge that monitors and reads the air temperature of the fridge. It then sends its reading to the fridge’s temperature control board. The temperature control board directs voltage to the compressor and evaporator fans using this reading.
If the fridge’s thermistor is bad, its readings of the air temperature will be incorrect. Consequently, the voltage directed to the compressor and evaporator fan will also be incorrect, and the temperature of the fridge may become too cold or too hot.
If the temperature is too hot and your freezer is not freezing food, check out this article for how to fix it.
To check if your thermistor is faulty or working properly, you need a multimeter.
This video will show you how to test your thermistor
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ii. Damper Control Assembly
The damper control supplies the right quantity of cold air into the fridge. It is designed to open and close periodically to achieve this. If it is faulty, then it may stay open, allowing too much cold air into the fridge. As a result, the fridge will become too cold.
Replacing the damper is not complex, so you can do it yourself.
How to Replace a GE Fridge Damper
To replace the damper of your GE fridge, follow the steps below:
i. Locate the damper control assembly in your fridge and use a screwdriver to loosen all screws attaching it to the fridge.
ii. Disconnect any wire connected to the fridge and damper control assembly.
iii. Take out the damper control assembly. The damper will be accessible to you from this point.
iv. Remove all wire harness connected to it, and take it out.
v. Put in the new one, connect the wires back, and reattach the assembly back in the fridge.
iii. Main Control Board
The main control board regulates the voltage being supplied to the whole appliance. If it gets bad, the other parts of the fridge may not function the way they are meant to.
Sometimes, a faulty main control board may send voltage continuously to the refrigerant system. This will result in the fridge getting too cold and ultimately freezing food.
Testing the main control board for fault is difficult. However, you can visually inspect all components for loose wires and burning.
To replace your main control board, you have to contact a repair technician.
iv. Temperature Control Board
The temperature control board directs voltage to the compressor and evaporator fans. A defective temperature control board will send voltage to the evaporator fans and compressor nonstop.
You may also need a repair technician to fix this as it is rather complex to DIY.
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