Unit is in a garage. Fresh food side started freezing (28 degrees), damper cycles when unit is shut off and restarted, freezer works fine. Replaced damper with a new control kit, PN 5304482075. With new control kit, the freezer and fresh food side stay at 38 degrees, compressor hardly runs at all, temps controls do not seem to have any effect. Re-installed old control box and set the temp per advice in this column (warmer freezer setting/colder fresh food setting). Fresh food side is now 32 degrees, freezer is 10 degrees. What’s up with the new controll box?
Turn the cold control all the way up to the coldest setting, then check freezer temperature after a few hours, then post.
— Begin quote from richappy;771924
Turn the cold control all the way up to the coldest setting, then check freezer temperature after a few hours, then post.
— End quote
Per my post, the refridge currently has the old control box back in. If you are talking about the new box, I will have to re-install.
Adjust the refrigerator control to the coldest position, then after a period of time, measure the freezer temperature.This control should have an off position.
— Begin quote from richappy;772034
Adjust the refrigerator control to the coldest position, then after a period of time, measure the freezer temperature.This control should have an off position.
— End quote
Re-installed new control box last night. I double checked all connections and the only thing I noticed was the connector on the damper motor might not have been picking up all three contacts. The damper cycled when the freezer control was turned off and on. The unit was fired up and it appeared to run fine, however this morning the temps were a little high (freezer 12 degrees/fridge 39). I set the controls to the factory settings and will monitor temps and post results.
— Begin quote from rkiburis1;772119
Re-installed new control box last night. I double checked all connections and the only thing I noticed was the connector on the damper motor might not have been picking up all three contacts. The damper cycled when the freezer control was turned off and on. The unit was fired up and it appeared to run fine, however this morning the temps were a little high (freezer 12 degrees/fridge 39). I set the controls to the factory settings and will monitor temps and post results.
— End quote
Setting the controls colder made the freezer warmer! If I didn’t know better, I’d say the control harness is reversed. The color codes of the wires on the original box controls are opposite in the new box. The cold control is installed on the proper side of the control panel (left side of panel). The control for the fridge (right side of panel) has it’s cap tube going to the damper housing, but the wire colors are opposite of the original control box!
Should we be thinking about a return?
If the connector for the control box is polled so you can only plug it in one way, and the wire colors are not the same on both sides, it seems there is a problem with it.
If the compressor and fans are running constantly and the freezer temperature is only 12 degrees, you have refigeration problems that gauges and amprobe would confirm.
It’s also possable the condensing fan motor in the back is not running, just check.
— Begin quote from richappy;772128
If the connector for the control box is polled so you can only plug it in one way, and the wire colors are not the same on both sides, it seems there is a problem with it.
If the compressor and fans are running constantly and the freezer temperature is only 12 degrees, you have refigeration problems that gauges and amprobe would confirm.
It’s also possable the condensing fan motor in the back is not running, just check.
— End quote
Fan is running, but compressor doesn’t kick on when cold control is rotated to a higher setting. Only comes on when control is set to a less cold (1 or 2) setting. Control acts like it’s backwards.
— Begin quote from rkiburis1;772135
Fan is running, but compressor doesn’t kick on when cold control is rotated to a higher setting. Only comes on when control is set to a less cold (1 or 2) setting. Control acts like it’s backwards.
— End quote
Confirmed that compressor comes on when the freezer control is rotated to a warmer setting, almost to "0". Compressor shuts off when control is rotated to a colder setting.
Well that sure confirms a mis-wired control.
— Begin quote from richappy;772144
Well that sure confirms a mis-wired control.
— End quote
Do you have to authorize a return?
You must call the place where you ordered it, should remind them they are lucky it didn’t blow out the compressor!
— Begin quote from richappy;772148
You must call the place where you ordered it, should remind them they are lucky it didn’t blow out the compressor!
— End quote
FYI. Contaced Appliance Pro and they sent a second new control box, no questions asked. Guess what? The second box was wired like the original, so the first new box was for sure wired wrong. I installed it and the damper closed at 45 and stayed closed. In desparation, I removed the box again and relocated the damper limit switch connector from the switch closest to the damper, to the switch closest to the motor. The temps are now 3-5 for the freezer, and 38 to 40 on the refridge, with the controls set between "0" and "1". There appears to be an adjustment screw on the end of the control switches. Are they to calibrate the knob positions?
Has anyone on this forum ever installed one of these "new and improved"
control boxes and had it work? The forum is full of complaints for this part. Quality is obviously not job one at Fridgidaire.
No, I never have installed one of these, you are just lucky you got it working.
Some units were shipped with the freezer and refrigerator controls reversed. Verify that the yellow labeled control is indeed for the fresh food and the blue labeled control is for the freezer. If not you have found your problem. Make corrections and you’ll be ok.