[impala0405]

So a few months now we have had to manually defrost our GE bottom freezer Refrigerator model #GFSF6KKYWW. The first thing we noticed was water and ice buildup on the bottom of the deli tray. We have taken everything apart and manually defrosted the ice on the fan at the back of the fridge. We check to make sure the drain is clear and run water through it to which it comes out quick. Not a month goes by and we had the water/ice buildup and the whole back inside panel that the fan is on is frozen up again. Is this a defrost issue? I also noticed the freezer food has small ice particles on it and the cardboard boxes seem damp. There isn't any water/ice buildup on the bottom of the freezer. The fridge is only 4 years old so I was hoping to not have to replace it.

[ballengerb1]

This type of freezer actually has a heater that works to defrost the freezer in a flash.Sounds like your heater is bad, not an easy fix unles your are a experienced refrigeration repairman

[drtom4444]

I disagree. Although I am an experienced refrigeration technician, all you need to do is to remove the cover to the freezer coils after unplugging unit and defrosting it well. Inside you will see the defrost heater either wrapped around coils or under them. There is also a defrost terminator wired in series that also must be replaced. Here are the manuals: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...e%20Manual.pdf
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...zer_refrig.pdf
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...ile_Artica.pdf
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...ide_refrig.pdf
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...e%20Manual.pdf
Make sure to clean the coils under the unit when you finish replacing the heater. If it has a manual defrost timer you will also want to replace it, too.

[impala0405]

Thank you both for your responses!

I'm curious, would the defrost heater in the freezer cause the water to leak in the top part of the refrigerator and the fan in the refrigerator to build up with ice?
I have found this diagram of my freezer at this website:
http://www.partselect.com/AdvancedMo...&SourceCode=11
the deforst heater (#26) is listed as $111.05 is that the part that should be replaced?

I noticed in the technical guides there is a diagnostic feature listed. It states to activate the temps on the panel and to hold down 4 buttons (colder/warmer for fridge + cold/warmer for freezer) Mine only has one button for each. Do you know what the button combo is to activate the diagnostic feature on my panel?

[drtom4444]

You do not just replace parts without testing them first with an ohm meter. If you can see that the heater is burned in two or it reads infinity with an ohm meter then it should be replaced, otherwise, you may have another problem and you will have to find it. It could be the terminator (# 25 on diagram) which is a button thermostat wired in series with the defrost heater (an probably attached to it). If you have a bad defrost timer then you will replace it. Always let the meter tell you what to do, not the other way around.