Understanding Appliance Services

If your GE refrigerator stops working and you hear a clicking sound coming from behind it, it means you have to replace the control board to get the refrigerator working again. The clicking sound is made by a faulty relay switch on the control board as it tries to activate the refrigerator. Replacing the relay switch is a difficult task, and it is much better to just replace the control board to fix the problem. This is a simple task that most GE refrigerator owners can do by themselves with a screwdriver and a pair of needle-nose pliers. If your GE refrigerator stops working and you hear clicking sounds, here is how you can replace the control board.

Pull Refrigerator Out

The panel to access the control board is located on the backside of the refrigerator. Unplug the refrigerator and pull it away from the wall. If you have water lines running to an ice-making machine in the refrigerator, you need to be careful you don't bend and create a kink the lines when pulling the refrigerator out away from the wall. A kinked water line could shut off the water to the ice-making machine.

Remove Access Cover

The access cover for the control panel is located on the back of the refrigerator on the lower right-hand side. You will need a ¼" hex head socket or nut driver to remove the nine screws holding the access panel to the refrigerator. A hex head is a six-sided nut.

Remove Wire Connectors

There are five different set of wires connected to the control panel. The wires are attached to a plastic harness that is plugged into the connectors. Each harness is a different size from one another, and it is easy to recognize which harness goes into which connector on the control panel. Pull all the harnesses out of the connectors.

You have to be careful when removing the harnesses from the connectors. Do not pull on the wires or you could damage them. Instead, if you are having a hard time removing a harness, use a pair of needle-nose pliers. Place the tip of the needle-nose pliers on the plastic part of the harness and wiggle it softly while pulling it out of the connector.

Remove Control Panel

The control panel is held in place by four pointed clips. You need to squeeze the point on the clips with the needle-nose pliers so you can slide the control panel over them and off of the refrigerator.

Install New Control Panel

Line the holes up on the control panel to the points on the clips and press it in until the panel clips into place. Reconnect the wire harnesses to the connectors and replace the access panel. Plug the refrigerator back in and push it back against the wall. The refrigerator will start to work as soon as you plug it back in.

For more help, contact a company like Buffo's Refrigeration.