Timer

Timer

What Is A Refrigerator Timer?

A refrigerator timer, also known as a defrost timer, is a device used to control the amount of frost that accumulates in a refrigerator. It turns on and off to enable frost in the fridge to melt and prevent frost accumulation. To maintain frost levels reasonably consistently, most contemporary refrigerators employ a timer. If a refrigerator begins to build frost, does not cool correctly, or is excessively cold, this might indicate that the timer is faulty and needs to be changed.

How does a refrigerator timer function?

It works like a clock, rotating between the cooling cycle and the defrost heater to keep the thermostat temperature fixed, preventing the machine from being excessively hot or cold. If the fridge is not maintaining its temperature or has frost buildup, the defrost timer may need to be changed.

Testing of refrigerator timer

The defrost timer is normally located beneath the refrigerator’s front grill “toe kick.” It can also be found within the refrigerator or freezer under a cover plate, in the temperature control panel, or behind the refrigerator near the compressor.

Locate the advance screw and spin it clockwise until you hear a click to see whether the defrost timer is simply failing to progress. This progresses it to the next mode. If it was previously cooling, it is now in defrost mode.

Simply wait 35 minutes to see if it has exited defrost mode and restarted cooling (listen for the compressor). If it does not advance, the timer motor is most likely faulty, and the complete timer must be replaced. If it moves as it should go to the next step to electrically test the switch.

Changing A Refrigerator’s Defrost Timer

• Find the defrost timer.
• Remove the panel beneath the refrigerator doors.
• Using a screwdriver or a socket wrench, remove the rear bottom panel.
• There will be a circular notch on the front of the defrost timer.
• Turn the knob until the refrigerator fan is turned off.

Faulty refrigerator’s timer

The freezer thermistor, together with the fresh food thermistors, will provide signals to the mainboard, which will determine when to turn off/on the compressor, speed up/slow down/turn off the fans, or open/close the damper. The refrigerator will not cool properly if one of the thermistors fails.

Where is the defrost timer on a refrigerator?

Locate the defrost timer on your refrigerator. It can be found beneath the bottom kickplate of the refrigerator, in the control panel of the refrigerator, or even behind the refrigerator on the rear wall. Almost all defrost timers have four metallic connections protruding from the bottom. Once you’ve found it, turn off the timer.