10641519101 Kenmore Refrigerator - Instructions

I saved my Whirlpool Refrigerator (Model ET21GKXHN00) and learned a lesson. Don’t put off cleaning the refrigerant coils underneath the refrigerator. I replaced the refrigerator about 10 years ago and began to notice that the sound of this one running had changed slightly. I remembered that’s what happened to the first one just before it died. I removed the panel on the bottom front and saw that the refrigerant coils were covered with dust. It was really bad. I vacuumed them with the “radiator attachment” on the vacuum cleaner and plugged the refrigerator back in. It still didn’t sound right and I couldn’t feel the air blowing out like it should. So I rolled the refrigerator out and removed the back lower cover to see the compressor and the cooling fan. The fan was clogged with dust so I vacuumed that as well. But the fan wouldn’t spin freely by hand. The fan motor only had 3 screws holding it onto the plastic fan bezel and was easily removed by unsnapping the electrical connector on the motor. I removed the fan motor and tried to clean it with a few drops of WD40 on the shaft. But when I put it all back and plugged it in the fan just barely started turning. I unplugged the refrigerator and ordered the fan motor from PartSelect.Com (Item Number PS371043). The picture looked exactly like the motor that was in my refrigerator. I threw everything away in the refrigerator, cleaned it out and left it unplugged until the motor came. The motor arrived in a few days and it looked exactly like the one I had removed. It had the same electrical specifications stamped on the back and the electrical connector was the same and in the same location on the motor. I put the fan blade on the new motor and installed it exactly like the old one was. It only took 15 minutes or so and was very easy to install. When I plugged the refrigerator in the compressor started right away and so did the fan. It ran like a champ. In a few hours the refrigerator got cold and began to cycle on and off like normal and the fan blows like new. The sound is normal and the total running sound is quiet again like a new refrigerator. So for $84.67 I saved my $1300 refrigerator and learned not to neglect checking the build up of dust in the compressor fan section. I’m sure that’s what happens to most of the refrigerators people put out for trash pickup in front of their houses. The cause of the problem is when air flow is restricted across the refrigerant coils too much heat returns to the compressor and eventually causes the compressor to fail. I appreciate that we live in a time when you can order exactly what you need on the internet and make home repairs when you need to. Thanks Part Select for sending me the correct part. It’s nice to have milk and cold drinks again.

An easy job for smaller hands. Removed the two bolts holding the light cover. Removed two electrical connections from the old switch by pinching the retaining clip,removed the switch, snapped in the new one and re-attached the connectors. Your online illustrations helped me to know that the plastic housing for the light switch would only swing down so far and was not intended to be removed. Saved me from breaking that plastic cover's tabs. This home repair saved me more than 5 times the cost of hiring a professional to do it. Very happy homeowner.

I found many helpful tips and pdf instructions online, removed the back of the refrigerator can remove the compressor relay. I ordered a new compressor relay or start relay kit, followed the instructions and put the new compressor relay in. Refrigerator is working great...

DISCONNECT POWER. Removed all shelves/baskets.Popped upper panel off (just clips in) Removed 6 screws in lower back panel ( 3 each side) slid panel in place but down. You can then easily see the defrost thermostat/defrost termination switch. Cut the wire connectors (pink n brown wire) stripped back wire, attached new defrost thermostat. Thermostat clips on. New thermostat ohm's at 5.5, old one was "open". Slid cover back up meeting the upper cover grooves. Screwed lower panel in. Put shelves etc back in. Plugged in. Turns on, put a bottle of water in freezer. Checked a while later, frozen. has been frozen for a week.
-James

I have a side by side so in order to access the bi-metal switch I first had to empty out the freezer. The switch is clipped on to the top of the evaporator coil. I had to remove 8 screws to remove the back panel of the freezer compartment. The bi-metal switch was right there in plain view. There are two colored wires that come out of the switch. I tried pulling them out of the socket they were plugged into but gave up for fear of breaking something. I ended up cutting the wires and splicing them together. I used the plastic twist caps. I made sure when I closed everything back up that the open end of the caps were pointing down so no water can accumulate in them. It has been 3 days now and so far so good

I took out the broken bin and put in the new one. This is about the 5th bin I've had to replace. That maxed out my repair abilities.

Removed the old one. Removed the handle attachment and placed it on the new drawer and slid it in place. Just that easy.

Parts arrived at 2:30PM.

Read instructions, gathered tools, and went to work. I'd already watched an online video at your site on how to do the repair.

Removed the hinge cover covering the hinge top by using a nut driver to remove the single screw holding it in place. (The video described an older frige and it did not have a screw. I figured that out when I finally went and got a ladder. I had tried to pop it out like the video shows.) There are three screws holding the hinge top in place. I tried using the nut driver to remove the screws but they were pretty firmly in place. I resorted to using my ratchet wrench and that made it easy. (Keep track of your screws, one of mine rolled under a cereal box on top of the frige and I thought I would never find it.)

I had emptied out all the items on the door of the frige, removing the shelves. It was easy to lift the door off of the bottom hinge and lay it on its side against the ladder. At this point I had my son hold the door steady (its kind of unwieldy and 'slippery' when you are trying to remove a screw from the bottom of the door.)

I removed the screw that held the plastic Door Closer, Upper Cam using the nut driver. I used a straight bladed screw driver to pry the old part out of the door (it has an insert for the hinge pin and it had been in place a long time). I also cleaned off the bottom of the frige door (you would be surprised what gets stuck on there - obviously someone spilled oranged juice on the floor and it splashed up on the bottom of the door). The old part had a lot of particle dust that came off it when I removed it. The new part popped right into place and I screwed it back in. The video shows that the repairman had to use a drill and tap set to rethread a larger hole but I just put the old screw back and it held fine. The video also showed the repairman adjusting the Door Stop Bracket but I didn't have to do that, the new cam installation wasn't impeded by the bracket.

I moved to the frige cabinet (again, good to have a second pair of hands to keep track of the door and not let it get damaged while I turned my attention to the Door Closer, Lower Cam. I used the nut driver to remove the screw holdin it to the hinge bottom. It came off easily (it practically fell apart and turned to dust). I placed the new cam and screwed it in using the old screw. No problem.

You could put the door back on with one person but it helps to have two. One to manhandle the door and the other to place it on the lower hinge post.

I put the upper hinge back on and put in the three screws but I left them lose so that I could adjust the door. When I tighted the single screw closest to the door after positioning the door, we tested how it opened and it was hitting the side of the interior cabinet when it closed - you could feel it dragging and it made a clunk/swoosh sound. We readjusted the door using the outside upper corner as a guide and retightened the screw. This time there was no problem. We tighted the other two screws using the ratchet wrench and then put the plastic hinge cover back on with the single screw using the nut driver.

Took us about 25 minutes and made my wife very happy (biggest benefit). The door now 'locks' open and 'locks' closed just like when we bought it and the two doors are aligned (level accross the top) which should have been a dead giveaway that the door closing cams had worn down.

Done by 3:00PM.

Replaced the compressor with the new one I purchased from you. Installed new parts and recharged unit. The refrigerator / freezer is working better than new. Thanks for the great deal on the compressor. It was here in 3 days. All the parts fit exactly and had no difficulty in the installation or startup. The directions for the wiring were a great help also. Thanks again.

Please read stories that apply to you on this web page, cause it can help you save big bucks.
My fridge is about 2 yrs old and one morning it simply stopped cooling. I heard the clicking noise coming from the back bottom of the fridge as if condenser wanted to start up. Pulled the fridge out took the back cover off and heard that same noise coming from the little black box ( start-device) attached to condenser. Went on this same web page and found exact same device for $49 whereas if I did not know much about electronic repairs, traditionally the repair guy would have had charge me at least couple hundreds. So do it here first, it wont cost you much.
Replacing this part is so simple, pull the device out away from condenser by hand as if you were unplugging an extension cord and plug the new start-dev in. SIMPLE. Make sure to take pic with ur phone to wire it back properly. (ONLY 2 WIRES)

due to over filling and closing the drawers with the door and kicking, the plastic runners broke. Also, over filling the drawers did not help.
AS for the repair, the only difficulty was getting the right drawer in the right spot. Since I replaced both the veggie and meat drawer at the same time, I got them confused. On drawer is longer than the other. other than that, no problem.

I ordered the parts, three days later they were in my hands, and installed in the door of the refrigerator. Total time, two minutes! Perfect fit. Ordering the parts was the easiest thing I have ever done. This site is the best! Thank You!

I unscrewed the bottom of the back panel and heard a clicking noise from the compressor starter. it was held in by a clip, flipped it to the side pulled the starter off and disconnected the wire harness. pushed the new one in reconnected it . And it worked. I have very little experience and it was very easy.

Remove the knobs and faceplate to get at the screws behind it. Removing the sensor is a bit involved but everything else is fairly straight forward. See other postings for description / order of operation. Replacement took less than 30 minutes.
Works great now!

Once I saw the replacement part I understood how to pry out the switch with a small screwdriver. Then just unplug the old one, plug in the new one and pop it into place.

The PartSelect site made it easy to correctly identify the correct part, it was inexpensive, and the shipping was fast.

I'm very pleased!