The defrosting system is common in most of the refrigerators and in Whirlpool refrigerators as well. It helps to keep the food fresh, soft and not stuck with one another.
However, the system can malfunction after a while that results in colder temperatures and ice building up around the cooling coil mostly at the back of the refrigerator wall.
Whirlpool refrigerator not defrosting
The Whirlpool refrigerator may not defrost if its main components that are associated with the defrosting system like the defrost heater, defrost timer or the thermostat get damaged. If the components are functioning normally, then the control panel may malfunction causing build up ice inside.
As the refrigerator works continuously in the lower temperature, it can lead moisture in the air to condense and build a layer of ice or frost most of the time around the evaporator coil.
Also, opening and closing doors of the refrigerator can cause this moisture that eventually forms the layer of ice.
The defrosting system of the Whirlpool refrigerator works to prevent this frosting inside the refrigerator and saves from damaging the freezer.
The Whirlpool defrosting system works by defrost heater, defrost timer or control board and most importantly defrost termination switch or the thermostat. Any issues on these components will hamper the defrosting system.
Whirlpool French door refrigerator:
The Whirlpool French door refrigerator may not defrosting:
Faulty defrost timer:
Normally, the defrost timer initiates the defrost system and advances the cycle by sending power to the defrost heater to melt the built up ice around the coil.
If the defrost timer becomes faulty, the defrost heater won’t get any signal and will fail to defrost.
Issues in defrost thermostat:
The main motive of the defrost thermostat is to continuously regulate the temperature of the evaporator coils. It supplies power to flow to the heater and melt up all the stored ice. If the thermostat has any damage, it may not sense the accurate temperature and fail to supply power to the defrost heater.
Whirlpool top freezer refrigerator:
The Whirlpool top freezer refrigerator may not defrosting:
Defects in Defrost Heater:
Due to any electrical fault or physical damage, defrost heater can become defective.
If so, the defrost heater which works to melt away the frost or ice around the evaporator coil by getting signal from the defrost timer, won’t work anymore and has to be replaced.
Failure in thermal fuse:
To prevent overheating and damaging to the fridge, thermal fuse works efficiently.
When heat is terribly built up on the defrost heater, the thermal fuse initially will be activated, will blow up and disconnect the power supply. If it fails doing so, the electrical components will be damaged and hamper defrosting.
Whirlpool side by side refrigerator:
The Whirlpool side by side refrigerator may not defrosting:
Issues on the control board:
Control boards can sometimes glitch and need to be replaced after a certain period. If the control board gets defective, the power it supplies and voltage it sends to the electrical connectors will be hampered.
So, if you face your whirlpool side by side refrigerator not defrosting, check the control board first.
Broken or defective thermostat:
It’s a common problem in Whirlpool side by side refrigerators. After a fixed time, you need to change the thermostat as it no longer senses the correct temperature of the evaporator coil.
There can be seen issues in heater turn and off and the ice will be building up in the freezer.
How do you reset the defrost button on a Whirlpool refrigerator?
Defrosting system helps to maintain a consistent temperature in the refrigerator and preserve food well. It doesn’t let ice build up in the freezer, shorten the space, prevent bacterial growth and damage any electrical components due to the building up ice.
Almost all the freezer have this defrosting system that works automatically. If due to any damage or defect the system hampers, you can manually reset the defrost button.
The defrost button on a Whirlpool refrigerator is usually located at the bottom of the fridge near the control panel or back of the fridge, sometimes in the lower kick plate. Switch the fridge off, cut all power, remove any connected wires.
Then you need to pull out the thermostat knob. It comes with the defrost button that you need to cramp using the spanner. Turn the defrost timer counterclockwise until the fan stops and place the thermostat knob again. Turn on the fridge; it has reset the defrost button.
How long does forced defrost take on a whirlpool refrigerator?
The amount of ice that is stored within the Whirlpool refrigerator will determine how long it will take to remove the frosted ice from it. The ice normally defrosts in six to eight hours, but if all the food is removed or you use a fan, the process could go more quickly.
The Whirlpool refrigerator should defrost in no more than eight hours if the thermostat and heater are working properly, but if there are issues, the procedure will take longer.
The amount of moisture inside and outside the refrigerator also affects how long it takes to defrost. Inside the Whirlpool refrigerator, there is a defrost mode that cycles and lowers the interior cooling temperature.
Normally, this takes eight hours, but if there is less ice, it will only take five to six hours because of the advanced system that has a force defrost option, which is quick and removes the ice very quickly.
How do I force my Whirlpool fridge to defrost?
The whirlpool refrigerator’s defrost system might glitch when there is an accumulation of excess ice in the temperature sensor, which leads to the accumulation of extra ice on the back panel and prevents the food inside from reaching the proper temperature to keep it fresh.
Forcing the defrosting process is the only way to restore the refrigerator’s functionality in this situation. There are a few steps to take.
First, remove the food and other items from within to melt the ice because deforestation takes time and there is a chance that the food will spoil. This will also help the deforestation process go more quickly.
Disconnect the power source:
The cycle procedure will be simplified if the button is turned off when there is too much ice in the refrigerator and left off until the ice melts or is removed.
Use the force defrost cycle setting on the whirlpool refrigerator if there is a lot of ice inside and you don’t have time to wait for a lengthy defrosting process.
Pressing the force defrost button:
The frosted ice in the refrigerator is periodically melted by the Whirlpool system’s force cycle button. The system can be turned off by pressing a button.
After turning the device off, if the screen is still black, wait a minute and then push the button three more times in a 10-second period. The letters D and F will then appear on the screen as a result.
Press the F button to force defrost through cycles of defrosting inside the refrigerator. This will cause the ice to melt automatically.
There are options depending on how much ice is present in the refrigerator; if the defrosting system has less ice, choose S. Choosing the L option, which stands for long-force deforestation cycles, would be wise if there is an abundance of ice.
How do you fix a whirlpool refrigerator that is not defrosting?
There could be technical issues that prevent Whirlpool’s distinctive defrosting technology from working properly, which could lead to an overabundance of ice on the refrigerator’s back panel.
If someone has the necessary information or guidance about how to resolve this issue, there are certain measures they should take.
The first step is to have a thorough understanding of how the refrigerator defrosts; the manual includes all the details. After reading it, the mending should begin. Gather the equipment required to repair the forest after learning of the potential causes.
The thermostat may not be functioning properly, the heater may not be in normal operating order, or there may be internal problems in the Whirlpool refrigerator’s rear panel.
Identifying the cause:
The electrical control board’s functionality may occasionally be compromised. To check this, first turn off and then on the refrigerator.
Then, see if the Whirlpool refrigerator heater is heating properly; if not, the issue may be with the deforestation system rather than the heater. Then proceed to fix the following discovery.
Verify the thermostat:
Check the condition of the thermostat if the whirlpool heater has continuity. By turning the Whirlpool refrigerator’s switch off, you must first unplug the rear panel.
Now check the multimeter reading; if it reads OK, there’s a likelihood the thermostat is faulty. Usually, a new one must be purchased to replace this one.
If the reading is not displayed, a wiring issue may be to blame; therefore, repairing the wires will allow the deforestation system to function once more.
Replace the components and switch the button on:
The last step is to replace all the components of the rear panel that were removed to correct the thermostat or heater function.
After switching the whirlpool refrigerator’s button to the on setting, check to see if the deforestation is now able to function as intended.
Final Thoughts
As the refrigerator works to keep food fresh under the freezing point of water, moisture can easily build up inside. The defrosting system of the refrigerator prevents this. But any malfunction in its components from thermostat to control board can hamper this process and build up ice inside.