106726540 Kenmore Freezer - Instructions

The refrigerator light in our Kenmore fridge has been flaky for a number of years. The slightest bump would knock it out of the hole it fits into leaving the bulb dangling. Usually since we were used to it, we could avoid bumping it so it was no real problem, but a recent visitor bumped it and it once again was hanging. I decided this time, to take a serious look at it and fix the problem for real. I had options, duct tape, hot glue gun, goop...or a new part! A quick search on the internet, and I found www.PartSelect.com I entered my model # , quickly found the correct part number. The part came 1 1/2 days after I ordered it. The repair was very simple, I unplugged the fridge, removed the wires from the spade connectors on the old light socket, and attached them to the new socket. I then pushed the socket into the hole, and with new spring clips, it snapped snuggly into place. The socket came with extra wire connectors which I didn't need, the socket fits multiple brands of appliances. It also came with a bulb protector, but that wasn't needed for my fridge either. I was very pleased with the speed and ease of the repair. No more dangling light bulbs!

Removed the old timer from the housing. The replacement came with good instructions. I followed the instructions corresponding to the color wires in my unit. The first time it was installed, the fridge did not come on and the temperature rose after a couple hours. Looked at the part and realized the defrost cycle must have kicked in. Needed to slightly turn the gray slotted part to initiate the timer so it would stop the defrost and start the fridge. That did it! It must have advanced the timer so it could accumulate run time. Whole repair saved us $3000 in a new fridge.

Replaced refrigerator cooling control. No luck. Replaced freezer cooling control. No luck. Coils were icing up. Unplugged frig and allowed coils to defrost. After more poking around, found that condenser fan was not spinning. Touch it and it'd start. That was definitely in need of replacement. Replacement was easy. Refrigerator is now running as it should.

First, I removed the two thermostat knobs, then the snap-on plastic cover. Then, I removed the 4 screws holding the housing for the timer, thermostats, etc., and dropped it down enough to remove the timer and the wiring harness going into it. Installing the new one was the same process, in reverse. Quite simple!

I didn't. Don't know how to get to light bulb to change it for this specific model

First defrosted it to makes sure all Air flow was opened. Tested the Defroster heater with omh meter, it was OK. Found the location of the defrost timer on the online diagrams. Used nut driver to remove cover.
Replaced timer. The hardest part was decieding how to wire it up, tis was a universal kit and depending on how it was wired as to how often the defrost ran. The firt choice was every 8 hours. Since this was going to be opened often, I picked that one.
Plugged it with in 24 hrs freezer wall mesured -5 and the fridge was at 30, so had to warm it up a bit.
Now all complaints gone, Ice making has been doing better also.

Second time in about two months, and it's never done it before in the 19+years we've had it.
Several good YouTube videos on replacing the "Heat Probe", though generally for newer models. You can probably figure it out, though.
Unplug the 'fridge
1. empty the freezer
2. take out the shelf and ice maker (three screws w/ 1/4" nut driver)
3. remove the "floor" of the freezer (two screws w/ 1/4" nut driver)
4. remove the back of the freezer (two screws w/ 1/4" nut drive)
You will see ice buildup in the drip tray and in the drain hole. That's the problem.
This is probably a ton of ice under the freezer floor. I used a thin metal spatula to pry up the sheets of ice, up to the metal drip tray.
I used a heat gun (a hair dryer would probably work) to thaw the ice around the drip try and pry it out. Don't over heat anything. Take your time. Don't melt anything other than the ice and do that slowly.
Be VERY careful around the fins and refrigeration tubes.
It took about an hour to get all the ice out except for the iced up drain hole.
Boiled some water and carefully poured it on the ice in the hole. Blot out the melted ice with a sponge or paper towel. Do this over and over until the ice is about a half inch below the lip, still plugging hole.
Use a turkey baster or a funnel with a piece of hose and keep pouring hot water into the drain hole. The baster is good because you can not only add the water, you can suck out the melt water.
Keep doing this until you start hearing water draining into the drip tray underneath the 'fridge. The drain hole is now clear.
Wrap the heat probe around the black tube under the refrigeration coils and fins and insert the tab into the hole.
Crimp the heat probe tightly around the black tube and attach it tightly with the screw.
NOTE: My refrigerated did not come of a heat probe originally and the kit did NOT come with an attachment screw, so I had to improvise. If you are replacing you probe, save the screw.
Reassemble the freezer in reverse order of disassembly. Hooking the ice maker back up is a royal PITA. And make sure you attach the little grounding wire to the tab on the back panel before you attach the panel.
Plug the refrigerator back in. The ice maker won't work until the freezer is cold enough to make ice again. That will take several hours.

Unclogging the drain was not the main problem. The cause was the problem. Back panel in back of freezer was rusting over the years, and rust and pieces of paint were clogging the drain. Would have had continuing problem. Sanded all the rusted areas on back of panel, and then covered them with strips of duct tape, and reassembled. rust wont break loose and clog the drain. That is the permanent fix! Tape prevents droppings that clogged drain. Pieces of rust and paint clogging drain was the cause, nothing more. Checked tape, and it's doing it's job, and holding tightly, even with freezing and moisture. Fixed for another 19 years. Part was not necessary so far. Rust over the years was the problem. Sorry, but this doesn't sell parts, does it?

Order the part from the Internet on Sunday, it mailed out on Monday and I received it on Tuesday. I unplugged the fan then undone 3 screws that held the fan bracket to the refrigerator pulled it out unscrewed 3 more nuts and replaced the fan on the bracket and I cut the old wire plug off the old fan and with 2 wire nuts put it on my new fan. Replaced the fan and bracket back on the refrigerator plugged it in and it works like a new refrigerator.

I took out the old socket by moving a clip. Reattached the electrical wires, clicked in the socket and that was it.

removed back cover, removed fan motor and replaced with new one. connected new power wires. worked right away

Pop off six mounting screws and the ground screw. Remove the fan blade and reattach. Reinstall. Save yourself big bucks.

The parts were reasonably priced, shipped promptly and received in a couple of days. I reviewed a YouTube video before starting that was beneficial. Huge savings over retail repair service. A+ replacement parts house and I would highly recommend.

Removed the ice brucket,
Removed the light shield by releasing one screw using a nutdriver.
Replacing the bulb and reinstalled the light shield.

Your web site is one of the best and most helpfull service sites I ever used. Just wish that in the future you will ship parts overseas.

It's self-explanatory. The procedure is obvious; it's just a little difficult. The only hard part is attaching the mounting brackets to the fan. If you can't tighten the mounting bolts, loosen them and reposition the brackets. You might end up mispositioning them at first, because they are hard to reach.