How to change light bulb in whirlpool refrigerator bottom freezer

Product Description

Compatible with the following Bulb brands: Kenmore, General Electric, Whirlpool, Amana, KitchenAid, Hotpoint, Maytag, Magic Chef, Admiral, Jenn-Air, Roper, Crosley, Caloric, Estate, Inglis, Hardwick, Norge, Litton, Hoover, International, Dacor, Gibson, Frigidaire Easy to Install. Most commonly found in Refrigerators. 90 Day Manufacturer Warranty High Quality Frosted Light Bulb 40 Watt

Chosen Solution

I think this will answer your question:

First see if it's covered under warranty, this is a factory defective part.

http://www.applianceblog.com/mainforums/...

Here's the part: http://www.appliancepartspros.com/whirlp...

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Score 14

Most Helpful Answer

Owner's of similar model Maytag and Kenmore Refrigerators have reported the exact same issue!

There are 3x LED Lights or "Modules" located in these side-by-side style refrigerators

> 2 in the Fridge side and 1 in the Freezer

The problem (defective) LED light module is on the fridge side, located at the top. This LED module is designed with a built in dimmer! That single dimmer controls all 3 lights in your fridge. As the dimmer begins to fail, that causes the flashing, strobing, studio 54 in your kitchen effect.

Some owners have had "short-term" success by detaching the LED module, unplugging the 2 wires, and plugging it back in. This is a short-term solution, but worth the try first round!

Makes sure to order the latest model LED module if you replace it! Some sights are selling the original part for less...enjoy that headache in another 2 years, no thank you!

Crying shame they designed the original part w/ a dimmer, know it's an issue but don't own up to it w/ their customers, and then charge $188+ for replacement part (small strip of LED lights... w/ a dimmer)

See link in previous answer for the exact replacement LED module

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Score 19

I had the same problem and upon inspecting the board I discovered R15 on the board was totally corroded and as soon I tried cleaning it, it came right off the board. I was able to remove it, clean it and solder it back on. Problem was solved immediately. So inspeat your board and if you have soldering skills you can repair it yourself.

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Score 16

I can’t possibly stress enough how easy it is to unscrew the unit from the fridge side, unplug and replug it back in. Usually solves the problem in five minutes.

PLEASE AT LEAST TRY THIS BEFORE SPENDING MONEY.

Please Read!

I wish everyone would read through the answers. It's an incredibly easy fix- almost anyone can do it.

There's condensation in your fridge which creates corrosion at the connection.

Take your light housing off on the fridge side (it controls both sides.) It's pressure fit, squeeze it or use a screwdriver to pull it down. If theres any screws that need removing do so to remove the back cover. Pull the connector out and put in back in 3-5 times.

Your problem should be fixed. Put it all back together in reverse.

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Score 12

Hello everyone, I had the problem with the lights strobing/flickering everytime I opened the fridge doors. I tried removing the LED module on the fridge side- cleaning and plugging it back in (lasted me less than a day), using a heat gun carefully over the board (lasted again less than a day). It would just flicker and strobe trying to accomplish its mission of giving me a seizure.

I noticed one thing that if I kept the fridge doors open for more than 5 minutes or so, the lights would not strobe so I thought maybe the moisture build up is causing the strobing. I decided to try using a WD-40 silicone lubricant (water resistant) which I had at home. I took the board out from the LED module, wiped it carefully to make it as dry as possible and sprayed the lubricant all over. It's been over 2 months now and the lights work perfectly well. I maybe had it flickering/ strobing 2 or 3 times in this time, that's it! The brightness is the same and hasn't affected the performance of the light at all. The spray is quite inexpensive and definitely worth a try. There is another spray of WD-40 or other brand which is waterproof and not water resistant like mine, which I think will work even better. Try out this solution if it works for you.

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Score 5

thomer56

Rep: 49

1

Pulled light out and wiggled the wires on the back fixed the problem must have been a loose connection

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Score 4

Regarding the question about the correct values of R15 and R17, it appears that they are 91-ohm and 127-ohm, respectively. This information came from the YouTube link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdgzfOHS...

Both R15 and R17 were burnt-out on my board. I removed the resistors from my failed board and measured them: R15=890-ohm, R17=1.7-kOhm. These readings could indicate that the resistors were overheating and degrading over time which increased the resistance as more material was burnt away.

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Score 2

I've been working on appliances over 40 years. 15 years whirlpool authorized service. Whirlpool, as of about 13 years ago could care less about whether your appliance is broken. Your going to have to do a class action lawsuit. Amazon sells a kit part number wpw10515057 that comes with all 3 boards for @$70. Or you could buy stick on motin activated battery powered lights.

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Score 2

I am all in for a class action law suit. This is the worst refrigerator I have ever owned. Won’t ever buy anything Whirlpool again.

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Score 2

I had this issue with my Whirlpool and it looks like the referenced resistors were compromised. I'm so glad i found this thread. I used the instructions from sethgrant and it worked! I put two lights in the top of the fridge and one on the bottom. After doing this, the original freezer light worked (though a little dimmer) so i'm not even going to bother replacing freezer light. I kind of can't believe i was able to do this wiring, but it worked great.

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Score 1

I had the lights not working in my Whirlpool WRS325FDAW04, looked up the part number, got sticker shock like the rest of you and went about gathering the parts to do the 26.00 fix.

It worked exactly as described and the lights are brighter than OEM!

I signed to this site just to thank y’all for helping me out!

Seth Grant, thank you especially since this seems to be your fix,

Hey Johnnymoroz, please be more specific? The whole light fixture comes loose from the interior plastic lining of the refrigerator. Your wiggle led contacts statement is confusing.

I pulled down on the front of the fixture, slid a screwdriver in there, with a flashlight I found the two tabs that needed pushed in and it was out. Good luck

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Score 1

I just had to jump on here to say THANK YOU to everyone for the tips and tricks, and I FINALLY have solved this issue permanently! After replacing the boards almost completely 4 times I was fed up with this and cut them out! I used the existing wiring harness to wire in some new LED 120v lights in each of the three areas. I used the following parts from Amazon:

DiCUNO G8 Base Wire Connector Socket, G8 LED Light Bulb Socket Adapter, Ceramic Bulb Holder, 10 Pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CG6FFMH/ref...

Makergroup 3W G8 LED Bulbs Dimmable 20W 25W 35W G8 T4 120V Halogen Replacements for Under Counter Lights, Under Cabinet Puck Lights Cool White 6000K 6-Pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088H849NR/ref...

There is a trick to this! The lower refrigerator light and the freezer light are run in series back to the main top light. For the main top light connect the neutral (white) to the red going to the slaves. Connect the main hot (solid yellow) to the striped yellow running to the slaves. Then connect each of these two leads to the new LED light in the top. Connect a new LED to the two leads in the bottom of the refrigerator (red and gray). The freezer is trickier… Connect BOTH leads in the freezer light together! Then run a wire to the ground in the wiring harness just behind the freezer light (it’s just 4 bolts, so don’t panic). Then connect this new ground wire (now a neutral) to one side of a new LED, and connect both of the original leads (now connected together) to the other side of the LED.

If you used the parts I did it fits nicely behind the original plates with the old LED boards removed. You will need butt connectors, crimpers, and electrical tape for good measure. I actually wired two new LED bulbs in the top main area just for extra brightness. If you follow this exactly it will work! The g8 bases are optional, but will allow you to change out the bulbs easily IF they ever go bad.

All this to say that Whirlpool should have corrected this for us, and I’m in if there is a lawsuit. Problem solved for less than $30. Couldn’t be happier after dealing with this for three years! Reach out if you need more info!

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Score 0

Try unplugging the light control module, imspect for any corrosion and spray some Deoxit electrical contact cleaner in the wire connectors, where the components are connected on the board and the wire connecter terminal on the controller board. Reconnect the controller and see if that fixes the problem.

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Score 0

How do you get the housing off to get to the led contacts to wiggle? I’ve been wrestling with it with my hands, screwdriver, and nothing. There doesn’t seem to be anything that pops off!?

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How do you remove the light shield on a Whirlpool freezer?