RB19HY-2A Magic Chef Refrigerator - Instructions

Researched this problem on the web. Disassembled the main refrigeration unit (slide out freezer floor panel). The cooling coils were completely iced up. Thawed overnight. Tested the coil thermostat with a multimeter and discovered it worked. Note that the activation temp on this thermostat is 15 degrees Fahrenheit so the ice-water bath test on many web videos will NOT work. My test was in another refrigerator freezer compartment (everyone has two, right?). When the temperature went below 15 and stayed there for 15 minutes, the thermostat opened the circuit. Further investigation revealed that the defrost heater was burnt and shorted. Replaced the defrost heater only to discover that the defrost timer was also broken. After replacing the defrost timer and testing each component thoroughly, the refrigerator is back in service. Freezer maintains about 8 F and the main refrigerator stays at about 36. The unit cycles off properly and the defrost timer is correctly initiating a defrost cycle. Further, when the defrost heater is cycled on, the thermostat correctly shuts it off once the coils are defrosted. Watch the youtube videos. Find your parts and note their specifications so you can test them properly. And good luck.

Received the part the day after ordering. Appreciated the quick service and repair took less than a minute.

I unpluged the refrig, removed the shelves and the back panel on the freezer side of the unit. This exposed the fan motor and fan blade. I removed two screws holding the fan unit in place, unpluged the wires connecting the fan unit to power, and then removed two other screws securing the fan motor to the bracket. I removed the fan motor blade from the old unit and installed it on the new fam motor. I replaced the fan unit into the bracket, pluged the wires back into the fan motor and secured the motor to the refrig. Replaced the back panel and shelves, pluged the refrig into the wall.....easy.

Unscrewed the right control knob. Removed the left temperature control knob (there is no screw holding it), removed one screw to rear of small panel then pried open from the rear of the small panel, there are two plastic tabs in front of the small panel holding it in place. Unscrewed the failed control unit and replaced it with the new one. Replaced the small panel and screw then the left side control knob, making sure of the alignment in the "off" position as the knob has to be pressured into a clamp arrangement on the cold control thermostat. Re-screwed the right knob into place, as well.