FP18TLW2 Frigidaire Refrigerator - Instructions

It was fairly easy to replace the thermostat. Unplug the refrigerator first. Then remove the refrigertor light bulb and 3 screws on the plastic cover that houses the thermostat and defrost timer. Unplug the thermostat from the wiring on the refrigerator and remove the plastic housing holding the thermostat. Remove two screws holding the thermostat and replace with the new one. Put everything back together in reverse order. Unfortunately, this did not corrrect my problem. The refrigerator is well over 30 years old and I had narrowed down the problem to the thermostat because the old one was hard to turn to adjust. About 10 years ago, I replaced the defrost heater in the rear of the freezer compartment for the same problem, and didn't think that would be the problem this time. Well, as it turned out, I checked the resistance on the defrost heater and it was was bad again. I replaced the heater this week I got from PartSelect, and the refrigerator cycles fine now. Replacing the heater is a little more work that changing the thermostat. You have to remove the freezer compartment fan, fan vent, and back inside wall of the freezer section to expose the coils and the heater element. You just need a socket screw driver. Then you have to reach inside and unplug each end of the heater to check it with your ohm meter. A bad element will show up as an open circuit. Then to replace it, you have to maneuver it around to get if away from the coils and remove a couple of clips. Anyone with some common sense can do it, but it can be a bit challenging.

This is a top and bottom frige. I unplugged the fridge and I took off the sheld in the freezer and removed the blower fan cover and unplugged the fan to remove the back freezer panel. Be careful when moving the fan. It looks sensitive. I used a hair dryer to melt the frost to get to the screws. Because it was frosted the back panel was hard to take off. Don't force it too much, just keep melting the ice. Once it was off the radiator looking thing was completely frosted and iced over and I couldnt even see the thermostat. I started blowing it with the hair dryer and it started melting. It took an hour to get the ice melted enough to actually see and remove the thermostat. You may want to leave the fridge off for a day. I didnt have a choice because I didnt have anywhere else to place the food. I was using the freezer as the fridge. Thats how cool the freezer was. I cut the wires for the thermostat. Im sure you could check which is positive and which is negative. I just looked at the direction the wires went. This works but it is not guaranteed. Check for ground. Google it if you need to know how. I used the clamp connector things but I didnt have a clamper so I used a plier. It works but I didnt like how it clamped. The little tubing didnt work for me becuase I didnt have a solder gun to warm it up and using a match is not good. You'll burn the wire. Buy electric tape and wrap it around. Dont use regular tape. Go to home depot it costs 99 cents. Make sure all ice is melted. Go over everything with the hairdryer to melt the ice. You dont want it to start freezing and clog up the vents, expsecially the one that goes from the fan to the fridge. Before I put everything back together I changed the defrost timer because I figured its best to change it since you never know. I loosened the two screws but first I took offf the screw holding the timer panel. I changed the defrost timer and connected it back. Then I screwed everything together. Then I screwed in the back freezer panel but not the fan cover so I could see if the fan is working. I plugged in the fridge and the fan didnt work. If you look under the defrost timer panel, the timer has a round part that you can move with a flathead screwdriver. Move it lightly clockwise and the fan will start. I read that the fan goes for 8 hours and then it turns off for a half hour. Seems like a lot of time to be on but its been a week and the fridge and freezer are working real good. This website is good and the aprts are cheaper than Sears.

I original tried to repair the motor but was not able to. I remove the screws on the back plate and removed the the back plate. Removed the shroud for the motor and screws, unplug the power connection and removed the fan motor. Installed the new fan motor and reassembled everything. The refrigerator is working great.

Turned off Refrigerator by thermostat switch in Freezer Compartment,(allowing for light to work in freezer). Then removed all food from freezer side,then all shelves & basket drawer. Next, unplugged refrigerator from electrical source. Removed back of inside of the freezer. Located the Thermostat for defrosting cooling coil. Removed and replaced with new part.(Tip-unplugged the wires for the original thermostat, remove from freezer and cut off and splice with connectors provided with new part, it's easier because you're not trying to do this in the narrow space of the freezer). Then attach the thermostat with new bracket and plug thermostat wires back in, replace back panel, shelves, plug in power supply, turn thermostat switch in Freezer to normal setting. Wait for Freezer to cool and replace food. It's currently working like new. BTW I thought I need a defrost time as well...however after I ordered that part and received it, I turned the existing defroster timer manually with a straight ended screwdriver very slowly and it cycled and the defrost rods glowed/functioned just fine. Therefore I didn't replace defrost timer. I'll save the new timer for future repair if needed. All in all it was fairly easy, and I didn't have to buy another fridge. I was really pleased with the service of this website...and the parts arrived very quickly via Fedex. Thanks www.partselect.com ! KJ

The temperature was slowing rising in the refrigerator section of a side-by-side. As a precaution, I changed out the defrost timer and defrost thermostat. The parts were not expensive. I then tested the defrost heating element with a multimeter and found the actual culprit was a burned out heater coil. I ordered the part one day and it was delivered by FEDEX the next day. The three parts were much cheaper than a new refrigerator and took little time to install, thanks to the Parts Select website and the how-to-install videos. Now the fridge works great and we saved having to buy a new appliance.

Part Select suggested probable causes and supplied videos of how to make the repair of a 25 yr.old refrigerator along with the specific parts to order. I was about to trash the old refrigerator but after replacing the parts for a total of about $40 and 1 hour of time it works fine now.

At first my husband did not think the parts fit right and were too lose. But I was able to click them in and it was just perfect. Thanks, Joan

Based on the diagnosis on this site I thought the 66% odds of the problem being the Defrost Timer looked pretty good, $30 including shipping versus a Sears tech phone estimate of $250-300. BINGO! Just follow the online installation instructions and don't forget to use the reset switch as described. Works like new! THANK YOU

Problem not consistent. OK for 2-3 weeks, then freeze coils. Mark and observe the defrost timers manual rotating adjuster. Timer would stop mid cycle. One revolution equals 8 hours of compressor run time followed by 30 minutes of defrost. Replacing timer took 5 minutes.

Watched the video once. Removed four 1/4 inch screws with a nut driver unplugged the unit, took out two screws securing the timer. Replaced did all of this in about 10 minutes. It was "exactly" as the video showed and it's worked perfectly since the replacement of the faulty timer. I saved a $75.00 service call minimum and the part was more than likely cheaper from Part Select than from the repair facility. Although I'm a pretty good handy man, you would not need any experience to make this repair. The instructions are precise and the part fit perfectly.

tested the thermostat, cleaned the coils, checked seals all clean. defrost timer did not cycle so replaced it but issue not resolved. even though freezer was working while refrigerator was problematic, proceeded to open freezer panel. discovered that fan was not pushing cold air into refrigerator compartment due to ice build up in connecting tubes. cleaned ice and replaced panels to positive result

I put the model number in the browser bar of internet and your site among others popped up.I was thrilled to find that you still supply this older model refrigerators hardware items. After Comparing prices, your site also listed the best price. The pictures you show of hardware I was needing was extremely helpful as it gave me assurance I was ordering the right product.From purchase to Delivery of item at my door a couple days later was a simple and fast. I was able to snap in new end cap brackets that hold the cross bar which holds back frozen foods in door compartment from falling out.

open freezer door two screws just below unscrew slide piece to side unplug reinstall very simple.

I first thought the defroster heater broke - took the back wall of the freezer off and cooling fins were fine. Then took the defroster timer out and opened it up. The contacts were badly burnt so the compressor and fan ran during only part of the cooling cycle. Replacing the timer took less than 5 minutes - turn off the power, remove one screw to take out the control box, cut the ground wire (new timer housing is plastic and does not have a ground connection), remove two screws to unmount the timer, unplug the old timer, plug in the new timer, fasten with two screws, put the control unit in and fasten with one screw, turn power back on.

Looked up troubleshooting info on your web site. Decided to replace the defrost timer. Ordered it using Paypal. Received the Shipment in about 1.5 days in Rural NC. Watched Your Video, cut off power to the fridge, removed the top self and unbolted the panel, removed the defective defrost timer, installed the new one and re-installed the panel and top shelf. Set the timer to defrost to check the operation (looked inside the freezer to see that the defroster was glowing red - it was) waited about twenty minutes to ensure that the fridge started cooling again. Fixed!