Fridge And Freezer Forum

[mikeg68]

Ok, I just followed the instructions above and the fridge and freezer are now working. total cost? £4.09!!!!!
NOT the rip off cost of a proper service engineer from Whirlpool. (sorry to all those service engineers tho!)

Many thanks Duffer

[Graphite]

Thanks Michael...

did you just replace all the capacitors? - Which parts and where from (for non-professionals )

If you can't get the board working I got a better quote than £200, see below:

Dear Sir/Madam,

We are pleased to be able to supply your spares outlined below:

CONTROL BOARD & HOUSING @ £137.57 + vat
P&P @ £ 7.00 + vat

at a cost of £169.86 (incl. delivery and vat)
Please contact us if you wish to place an order.

Yours Sincerely

Tracey
on behalf of Interspares (UK) Ltd

tel 01526 322540
web www.interspares.co.uk


Cheers

[kwatt]

NOT the rip off cost of a proper service engineer from Whirlpool. (sorry to all those service engineers tho!)

Sadly, it's not the engineer that's ripping you off I'm afraid, it's Whirlpool. Whirlpool use (mostly) independents in the UK to carry out service on their behalf, but Whirlpool UK sets the spares pricing and this isn't the first time they've gotten flak for the prices, nor I suspect the last either. Some of the spares prices are, quite honestly, embarrassing to tell people.

Pity the poor engineer that has to tell a customer that a paltry spring is £60 odd and an eco ball (a hollow plastic ball about 2 inches diameter) is about the same from memory. Or the control board for their induction hob that costs more than a new hob and that costs over £600!

To small boards that likely cost a few quid to manufacture, retailing at over 20% of the total retail cost of the machine seems a little OTT don't you think?

So, here's what you can do about it to try to resolve the issue, write to Whirlpool or, even better, email Whirlpool from their site at http://www.whirlpool.com as that's the global home or, go to http://www.whirlpoolcorp.com as that's the corporate site and ask them why the spares are so expensive in the UK.

Whirlpool are by far not the only manufacturer that has overpriced spares and I'm not singling them out at all, some are even worse, like Servis and some Indesit stuff as well when you look at the percentages in relation to retail price paid for the product.

Another little nasty thing that happens there is nobody will hold stock of these expensive spares, I don't think I need to explain why.

Yet another is it encourages people to scrap the machine when, really, there's more life in it where the cost to repair reasonable. Not exactly an environmentally friendly policy eh?

rear board is £99.23, front £119.21 (no price on system, but have price for a different colour) plus VAT of course

If that's the Whirlpool list then that's what we'd charge unless we where unable to supply due to some silly policy or whatever, it does happen. And we only charge £3.95 carriage, considerably cheaper than Interspares. If you wish to order one please feel free to email Dave on spares@ukwhitegoods.co.uk

Please remember that messing with the electonics is fine and dandy IF you know what you're doing and are not liable to fry yourself or a family member, not everyone is that capable. In fact some of the trade guys have been reading this with great interest as if it works then it could save us a fortune and it's one in the eye for Whirlpool and their silly spares pricing policy.

But please, please... if you're even remotely unsure, don't mess with 240V as it will kill you if you get it wrong and even at the silly Whirlpool price of £200, it's not worth risking a life for.

K.

[mikeg68]

Graphite: got the caps from RS as was posted above.
Just changed the right hand side one (compressor control one I guess ) as the compressor was the only thing not working. Would be handy to have a circuit diagram though. The above picture is the circuit board and caps are indicated on it. (4 in a row, .22uf 250v ac, white coloured )

kwatt:
maybe I worded my post wrongly. I know that the engineers themselves are governed by servicing costs set by the companies. The companies are ripping people off which is why this site is such great help.
As for working with 240v, I couldn't agree more with your comments. Luckily, i have spent the last 17 years as a marine engineer and worked on voltages from millivolts to 6.6Kv. A capacitor changeout is a relativley easy task if you know what you're doing and can be careful with a soldering iron.

Cheers,
Mike

[jabberwokki]

hi all can i begin by saying thans for all of your info has been a great help
i also have same problem but in my case the caps are not the problem but the traic as mensioned by dufferuk does not seem to be switched by the microprocessor if i force a switch by shorting the traic everything works except that the microprocessor cannot control the temp has anyone else come across this and do they know if the microprocessor is available anywhere and what supplies the microprocessor with the info it needs to switch the triac.
also how can i tell if i have to change both boards???
service label reads
8586 152 15000
11 0319 030413

thanks

[DentedPorsche]

You'll need both boards. Your machine has the older electronics fitted.

The board pictured earlier in this thread is the newer style board. Yours should look similar to that one but won't have the pink label. (The colour of the cover could be different).

DP

[jabberwokki]

thanks dp

[Graphite]

I took my board out yesterday - fiddled about with it and replaced... No clicking... for an hour or so then it started again - a bit quieter now - but also still clicks double time with ice maker on...

This is my board, looks identical to the older one I posted earlier...

[img]http://images.kodakgallery.eu.com/photos144/9/88/1/78/14/0/14780188933_0_ALB.jpg[/img]

Hope it works - haven't used this host before

[img]http://images.kodakgallery.eu.com/photos144/9/88/1/68/85/0/85680188933_0_ALB.jpg[/img]

Rear of board...
[img]http://images.kodakgallery.eu.com/photos144/9/88/1/88/20/0/20880188933_0_ALB.jpg[/img]

Cheers

Mick

[Graphite]

OK got a capacitor from Maplins...

Only one they had in which seemed to be suitable was quite a bit bigger - but seems to be plenty of room in the box

Markings are...

LCR 0306
MKP/SW/WF
220NF 5%
500V AC

About 28mm long & Ø 16mm

£1.99

[img]http://images.kodakgallery.eu.com/photos153/9/88/4/87/88/0/88870488933_0_ALB.jpg[/img]

Please somebody post if I'm about to send my fridge up in smoke

[Graphite]

DARN IT - fridge is now not cooling at all - So I was pushed intoi trying the capacitor change :roll:

No joy I'm afraid...

I phoned Whirlpool Parts and they quoted £87.88 for a rear board inc VAT + Del... So not too bad - BUT 5 to 7 days delivery time - aaaggghhhh

Front board apparently includes all front facia & stuff & cost £144.28 (shouldn't be needed on mine according to DP )

Oh well fridgeless for a week... At least we've still got the old fridge so it's just the freezer we'll realy be missing

Thanks for advice anyway guys...

Mick

[mikeg68]

Just a quick question about capacitors. I can't get my old brain cells working enough to remember. If I have a 500vdc 0.22uf cap, can i use this on a 250v ac system such as the fridge board? reason I ask is that rs have non left of other type and i was just thinking I could get the DC ones which I believe will work but they will be different part numbers from the one posted above.. Anyone any idea offhand? many thanks, michael

[Graphite]

OK - good news... Board has arrived today

The guy in Maplins reckoned it must have been an old fridge to use the round cross-section capacitors... The new board seems to have 'modern' capacitors... Picks posted to show difference -

New one...
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v704/hoojamyflip/stuff/dcp_3538.jpg[/img]
Old one...
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v704/hoojamyflip/stuff/dcp_3521.jpg[/img]

Anyway - fired her up - no clicking and seems to be cooling OK!

Thanks for your help everyone - I hope the cheapo fix works for some of you

Cheers

[JayJay]

I have a S25BRS331.. and have had this problem several times each time an engineers replaces the main board for £180 quid!!. This is a known problem with the S25 and Whirlpool pretent that it isn't. I have had to book another service call 6 months after it was last repaired.

My fridge 858616615010 110309016576 Does this have the upgraded electronics? any help would be apprecaited.

Cheers,

Jay

[Graphite]

jay Mine is also a S25BR(SS31) - It's not difficult to get the board out - you could check yours to see if it is the later board as in my first pic... Cost was £88 direct through Whirlpool spares telephone line...

If you're unsure about DIY I can post some pics to let you see the steps...

[paolo]

Mine is still clicking, in fact it now clicks when the icemaker is off & no water dispensed. I am impressed with the fix that has been devised, so i think I'll give it a go.
Dented Porsche, my numbers are:8586 158 15020 & 11 0149 026548
Do I need to fix both boards?

Seems to me that this problem is quite a common one, surely theres some mileage in bombarding Whirlpool with letters on this.
I'm also worried that it will need to be fixed again and again in the future.

Mikeg68, what is the part number from RS?