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Find repair and more information about the GE Profile Refrigerator PSHS6TGX, a 2009 side-by-side refrigerator featuring an ice dispenser through the door and an anti-sweat heater switch. This page covers information for model numbers matching the pattern PSHS6TGX****.

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Water Dispenser - Only Works when Compressor Off

My water dispenser only works when compressor off. I replaced water solenoid and issue persists. Thinking maybe control board.

I've done extensive testing and I have determined that water only dispenses when compressor off. I was having an issue earlier and I thought it was due to water freezing. Now the problem is solid so easy to recreate.

Water won't dispense. I unplug fridge wait 10 minutes, plug in, turn on, try water and it works. Shortly thereafter compressor kicks in and water stops. When fridge reaches desired temp compressor will turn off, (I've sat and waited). Once compressor off water flows, no issue. If I open fridge door and force compressor on, water stops. Closed door, still no water. Wait for compressor to turn off, water flows.

This has me thinking that door switch is okay, and no broken wires. Remember I can unplug fridge, wait 10 minutes plug in and water flows. As soon as I hear compressor water stops.

Thoughts on what this might be or another test I should run to see if this is another component. Fridge and freezer run well, temps are controlled.

Any help would be appreciated.

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Thanks. I think we have quickly approached my limit in terms of testing. Pulling connectors off board and then turning on fridge seems risky for a weekend warrior. If there is feedback voltage it seems strange that both the old and new water solenoids would display the same characteristics.

I'll take a look at control board and see if I can even identify these measure points.

Seems to me that if anyone of these is bad it again points back to control board

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Hi @kenw95556

Just verifying that when you replaced the solenoid valve assembly that you reconnected the wires correctly? Just asking because looking at the mini manual, the valves i.e. ice maker and dispenser valves have different specifications (180 Ohms & 380 Ohms) so perhaps the control board operate circuit for the water solenoid valve is designed for the greater resistance.

If you empty the ice maker does it fill when the compressor is running?

Perhaps check if the full 120V AC is being applied to the water dispenser solenoid valve whilst the compressor is running, when you operate the dispenser.

Here's the mini manual for the model that may help so that you can test for the voltage both at the solenoid valve and at the control board and also check that each valve is connected to where it should be. Measure the resistance value of each valve to know which one is which.

If all appears to be OK then it's looking like the control board is the problem.

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So I was unable to get the right conditions to determine if water flowed to Ice Maker. I did turn it on and left fridge in off position. Water flowed to dispenser and I waited and waited to hear Ice Maker. Maybe freezer has to be at temp before it will fill.

In any event I did the voltage test. Compressor off, 110 at solenoid. Turned fridge on, compressor initaited no voltage at solenoid.

Checked I placed connectors correctly. Almost impossible to get wrong. Ice Maker is red and is connected on top, where as other connectors are on side. I did label them before I removed and confirmed they were plugged back in as they should be.

Not sure what no 110 at solenoid indicates. Is this control board failure.

I did examine control board for visible signs of failure like popped caps but saw nothing. Of course this means little when it comes to the insides of silicon chips or power transistors.

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@kenw95556

Unplug the dispenser solenoid wiring from the solenoid and then measure what voltage is on the yellow? wire on the wiring plug in both conditions i.e. compressor on and off.

This is just to eliminate any feedback voltage on the Neutral lead (orange) through the valve affecting the measurement.

According to the manual the dispenser voltage is from control board connector J7 pin 3 (yellow wire) if possible measure it there also.

There are also a lot of relays on the board so maybe one of them is used to operate the dispenser valve. Doesn't explain why it works when the compressor is off unless the compressor being on, causes a drop in the voltage on the control board. Maybe check if there's 12V DC on connector J2/8 and 5V DC on J1/5 of the control board with compressor on and off.

Relays usually require 12V to operate. Just trying to isolate where the problem may be.

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Thanks. I think we have quickly approached my limit in terms of testing. Pulling connectors off board and then turning on fridge seems risky for a weekend warrior. If there is feedback voltage it seems strange that both the old and new water solenoids would display the same characteristics.

I'll take a look at control board and see if I can even identify these measure points.

Seems to me that if anyone of these is bad it again points back to control board

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So my fridge has different color wires on J1, in particular there is no red to P5. Also and J2 Pin 2. That said it follows the diagram. Example J2 Pin2 is red and has jumper to Pin 8 in red rather than blue/White.

Unfortunately my test gear won't let me test with connectors on board in their normal run position, I need some alligator clips that I can secure a small wire to to insert in back of connector, lost mine years ago.

Time to get replacements. The electronic shop is just pass the shop where I would buy control board and are both 45 minutes away.

Would anything on J2 or J1 act as an interlock to the dispenser. Scenario. Compressor is on, if FF Damper on J2 not right would it prevent water from being dispensed? For that mater, would any of the fans on J2 prevent water from being dispensed.

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An additional question. In the two page manual, linked in this thread, where is the evaporator fan, both on diagram and physically. I see it has a RPM monitoring lead which, maybe (maybe might be too strong a word), is showing something isn't running at speed.

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Solved. With compressor running for at least five minutes the water dispenser WORKS !!!

Key to this was jayeff's suggestion to measure the voltage at the solenoid with compressor off and then on. To do this, shut off fridge on front control panel, disconnect the wiring plug from solenoid, (you can tell which water line is dispenser if you trace), press the water dispenser and measure. Then engage compressor, set the freezer temp lower and retest.

Wish I had joined and asked before I defaulted to assuming solenoid was faulty (solenoid was two thirds of the cost of control board).

Attached is a picture from the old board. Can't be sure this is issue. Guess I missed when I inspected with board in fridge.

Block Image

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Hi @kenw95556

Not sure if it is the problem.

Doesn't look like any burnt out component I've seen. Usually burnt out or heat stressed components show signs of soot or scorch marks on the board and/or physical damage.

Try applying small amounts of Isopropyl Alcohol 99%+ (available from electronics parts stores) to the brown patch to see if that softens it and then gently scrape it of and check if the component case is still OK or ruptured there.

If not it's doubtful that it is faulty and it may just be some sort protective sealant that was accidentally dripped on it when being used somewhere else, I don't know.

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Well Isopropyl Alcohol does not soften it up, at all. I had some 99% as I use it to clean thermal paste off CPU's. Under closer examination you are right, chip does not look ruptured. So it is some other internal failure.

Water is still flowing with compressor on. I may have a new issue with temps. I set freezer to 0F and fridge to 38F. Compressor (cooling) shuts off and fridge reads 3F and fridge 39F. I don't see any adjustment items on board. Everything is frozen solid in freezer. Strange compressor would shut off before set temp reached, I dropped set temp to -1F

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@kenw95556

Could just be an anomaly between what the temperature sensors in the refrigerator and the freezer detect as the temperature and what is being shown by the display panel.

The sensors are NTC thermistors (Negative Temperature Coefficient - as the temp increases their resistance value decreases). This is linear so that the resistance value at any given temp is a known value.

This is used by the control board to know what the temp is so as to know what to do i.e. compressor on or off.

Looking at the manual there's only a 6°F variation provided by the manual temperature control for both compartments.

The way to "adjust" the temps if you think that they're not accurate is to first verify what the actual temp is by placing a suitable thermometer in each compartment and check what it shows as opposed to the display when the compressor stops i.e. set temp reached and when it is started again i.e. too warm -cool things down again

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@kenw95556

If the thermometer temps don't match the display then you may have to replace the sensors (or perhaps the control board).

For the freezer replacing the sensor is easier than for the refrigerator.

Looking at the parts list (type sensor in the search within this model search box) there are 3 sensors used in the refrigerator compartment and only one in the freezer compartment. Presumably there must be some calculation done in the control board circuit design to correlate the three resistance readings from the 3 sensors in the refrigerator to come up with a aggregate temp for the whole compartment as is shown by the display. So knowing which one "may" be faulty so to speak will take time to work out.

The manual does show what the resistance reading is at 3 distinct temperatures but that's all i.e. 0°F -42.5K Ohms, 37°F - 14K Ohm & 77°F - 5K Ohm

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@kenw95556

Then again it could be a control board component problem in the circuit on the board that uses the resistance values provided by the thermistors to know what the temperature is.

If the thermometer registers the correct "user set" readings (as opposed to what the temp is that the display is showing) then you may either have to live with it as long as you are aware of the discrepancy and make mental adjustments for it or start replacing parts.

In the scheme of things be it 0°F or 3°F there's not much in it as far as frozen food goes. The same with 39°F. I think that 36°-37° is the optimum value as far as food goes. The temps are still within the range of what is considered acceptable.

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