8ET14GKXFN01 Whirlpool Refrigerator - Instructions

Pulled refrigerator out so door would open all the way.Removed broken shelf and slide new shelf into slot at crisper drawer's.

My owners manual said to unplug fridge from elec outlet, use a kitchen knife to gently pry off the switch plate
(manual had a pictoral example), unclip the two wire, replace with on new switch and replace the switch. Close
door and plug back in. Open door to check that the lite
works. Walla! It did. Thanks!

Sincerely, Ron Marshall, Billings, MT

Popped the old one out with a kitchen knife and popped the new one back in. It tool less than 15 seconds!!

Looked up the process on you yube and watched the repair video from the parts website

Please bear in mind I am 65 years old & it was harder to get up & down off the floor then to change the switch. Was very easy - watched video, unplugged unit. I used the putty knife at the right front corner to work loose, when it came loose had to loose the left side a little. The unit pulled out easily. detached the wired that had a single plug with 2 prongs on it. Attached the plug, pushed new switch into place. There was no way you could place wires on wrong prong. When done, plugged refrigerator back in & checked if working. I CAN SEE THE LIGHT and the food in the freezer now. Thank you for making an easy repair.

Everything worked perfectly---thanks to the suggestion of your call center agent. She suggested that since the replacement door handles were no longer available, I should consider repainting them--it worked like a charm. Please tell her she was a life saver. We rent that house in Fl and my returning tenants had complained about the discoloring refer handles. Thank you

Researching reasons for the freezer to not defrost, there were determined to be three potential causes: malfunctioning defrost timer, defective bi-metalic switch, or a defective defrost heater element. Research indicated that the most common source of the issue was a malfunctioning defrost timer. So, I purchased the defrost timer (which was the lowest cost option) and installed it, which took about 30 minutes. I would rate the replacement effort as "easy". Most of the time was spent collecting the proper tools and planning the repair. When placed back into service, the freezer did not appear to begin defrosting. I gave it about two days, and based upon visual evidence that the problem was NOT fixed, I removed the panels in the freeze to inspect the bi-metallic switch and the defrost heater. Using a VOM, I determined that the heating element was good; however, the bi-metallic switch appeared to be failed open, even after placing the switch in ice water while testing for continuity. So, I ordered a new bi-metallic switch which included a wiring harness. It took about 4-5 days to diagnose the problem, order, and receive the new switch. During this time, I did not have cause to inspect the freezer. Once received, I collected the needed tools and opened the freezer, only to find that the freezer was fully defrosted! So, in the final analysis, the defrost timer was the culprit! It apparently took 4-5 days for the defrost timer to cycle enough times into defrost to effect the true defrost of the freezer. Lesson learned: give the defrost timer time to do its job!

After ordering the ice-maker, but before it had arrived, I installed a valve in the pex water line in the room right below the fridge. I had to rent a pex clamp kit from Home Depot. It cost $8 for 4 hours and came with the crimpers and band cutters. I then ran a poly line to an in-line filter which I mounted to an exposed stud and fished the line up the wall and out a small hole I drilled behind the fridge. When the ice-maker came, it took less than 30 minutes to install and start my first batch of ice. With the in-line filter, the ice forms with practically no sediment flakes. Part Select was the only place I could find a replacement ice-maker. In addition to the parts in the ice-maker kit, I had to buy 12 feet of poly water line, a ball-valve, the in-line filter and a compression fitting. A total of $20 at my plumbing contractor store.

I'm not sure you really want to know. We had to use one of the two refrigerator shelves we purchased, which was too big to fit in the freezer. It had to be completely modified in order to accomplish this. We therefore cut the shelf in half lengthwise. To do this, it was necessary to determine the tools needed, then to gather them and finally use them. It took a good amount of foresight and perseverance, but the job was completed, works beautifully and is very helpful. We wondered why a freezer shelf was not available or if it was, why it was not clearly identified in the parts list.

Whirlpool refridgerator, parts were not exactly the same,but did fit. The electrical hook plug was perfect. Old ice maker had wear marks in channels. Installed new ice maker. Pump still didn't operate after letting ice box get down to normal temp. Replaced pump. Had to use hose permanentely attached to new pump. Removed old hose and clamped new hose at top and outside refrigerator with existing clamp. Let the freezer get back down to normal temp. Ice maker operated perfectly.

Installation went smooth - only three hex-head screws (one below unit and two above. After removing 3 screws, unit comes loose in your hand but is still connected by a plug leading 4 wires to a connector visible through a slot in back panel of freezer compartment. New unit goes in easily (making sure spout from pump that protrudes from back wall fits through opening on icemaker) but there's not a generous amout of wiring harness and the 'female' of the electrical connection is recessed and loose inside a cutout in the rear panel so you can't get a good grip on it nor can you feel if it plugs securely. I plugged new unit into connector and then secured it with the 3 screws, waited the 12 hours per instructions, but no ice. Removed unit and guessed that the plug had not seated fully (not plugged in.) I took a short piece of a wooden paint stirrer and put it on back edge of plug and tapped it into place so it seated fully. Immediately, the pump cycled and water came from the filler spout, so I surmised that it was now properly plugged in - it began making ice in a couple of hours and has operated perfectly ever since. Lesson learned is to make sure you get the electrical connector fully in place - mine did not 'snap' or 'click' into place and I wrongly assumed it was plugged in correctly.

I checked the net. Said the temp control was the problem. Ordered and installed the temp control. Bottom still would not cool. Total waste of time and money. After checking realized fan in freezer was not working. Took it apart and exposed the fan. Pushed it and it started working. Wd 40ed it. Put it back together. Fan is working and the bottom is cooling. Check the fan first before you buy anything.

I oringinally thought it was one of the thermostats b/c the freezer started to freeze again after unplugging it. But then the next day it stopped all together and I could hear a clicking noise in the back and the compressor never turned on. It would click at around 2 minutes then again about 17 seconds later. I took photos of the original wires in the connector to match up later. The new parts were not identical to the old. The red wire on the bottom fit fine but the other two wires would not go in the same terminal or numbered positions (1&4). For 2 reasons, 1, the blue female was too small for the male and 2) there was a male missing at position 4. After looking at the guts of the old connector I decided to get new females (2 trips b/c I didn't buy a big enough wire opening - needed 2 wires) and cut, splice & crimp them. I then put the two females on the top two males & plugged it in. No sparks or explosions... but silence. I waited a few minutes and then the fan kicked on and then the compressor started running. That was Sunday, it's now Thursday and things are working well.

My husband tackled the job....but before this repair he had to replace ours at home so he had some experience at it....although...on this fridge he had to hook up the water line and all...but basically was not too hard...and the ordering of the part and delivery was excellent...

replaced old one installed new one