The Evaporator Fan on the GE Profile Arctica Is Not Working

Evaporator Fan

• The evaporator fan is usually hidden behind a panel in the freezer section. The evaporator fan pulls warm air over the evaporator coils and sends the now cold air into the refrigerator and freezer. If there is a squeal, groan or whining sound when the evaporator fan motor is running, the fan is likely obstructed or damaged. There may also be a lot of frost inside the freezer or even in the refrigerator, and cooling can be inconsistent.

Test

• There is a simple test to see if the evaporator fan is not working. Open the freezer door and push in a fan or light switch. Listen carefully and if the noise increases when the switch is pressed in, inspection and troubleshooting is necessary.

Troubleshooting

• Disconnect power to the Arctica before you try to access and troubleshoot the evaporator fan. You’ll then have to remove all the food and the ice bin from the freezer section. There are some screws holding the back panel in place which will need to be removed before the rear panel will slide up and off. If you have ice built up around the evaporator fan, use a hair dryer to melt the ice and mop up the water with a towel. Once you have melted the ice, look at the fan to see if there are any remaining objects blocking the fan and clean as necessary. Then you can replace the back panel, the ice bin and restore power. Contact GE for help if the fan continues to be loud or ice builds right back up, as the fan motor may need to be replaced.

Error Code

• The Arctica refrigerator may display an error code if there is a problem with the evaporator fan and the defrost system. If the refrigerator temperature display shows “Er” and the freezer temperature display shows “dS” and there is frost in either compartment and loud noises coming from the freezer, contact GE for service, as the control board or defrost system will need to be serviced.