Before you start to investigate this problem make sure that the power source to the refrigerator has been turned off. Make sure that you have a multi tester, screwdriver, small pliers and a pen and something to label wires.
Most multi testers are hand held with an LCD display. They have two wires referred to as leads. One wire is red and the other is black, with metal tips called probes.
The multi tester will be your aid in diagnosing electrical issues and you will also use it to measure resistance. The way this is done is by measuring the ohms- resistance of the wire to flow of electricity. The range of ohms goes from zero to infinity. A reading of zero ohms shows that it is very easy for the electricity to flow. A reading of infinity means there is no path for electricity to go through.
The door switch should be located along the frame of refrigerator once you open the door. You may or may not see a screw holding the switch in place. If you don’t see a screw, use a thin flat object to pry it open. You will want to pull the switch out just enough to see 1-2 inches wire.
The freezer door switch controls the light and sometimes also controls the fan. You will know which kind your freezer has by counting the amount of wires attached to the switch. If you count two, your switch controls only the light. If you count four, your switch controls the light and the fan.
Label the wires so that you can reattach them properly later. Then using a pair of small pliers, pull on the connectors to the wires, disconnecting them from the switch. Do not pull on the wires themselves.
Now take the multi tester and set it to X1. For switches that have two wires, take one of the multi tester’s lead on each of the wires. You should see it go from infinity to zero. Now do the same thing but press in on the switch. The reading should now be infinity. If you do not get these results, you will need to replace the door switch to the freezer.
For switches that have four wires, set the multi tester at X1. Then take one lead to one wire, and take each of the other three wires, one at a time with other lead. You will be testing for pairs. When you are touching one of the other three wires with the second lead, the multi tester should change from infinity to zero. You should see this with two of the wires. These are a pair. Keep leads touching the pair of wires and then press on the switch. The reading should then change to infinity. Now do the exact same thing with the other two wires, If either pair of wires shows results that vary in any way from these results, you will need to replace the door switch to the freezer.
Once you have your new door switch, simply connect the wires to the new switch and place the new door switch back in its housing. Remember to connect the power to the refrigerator when you are done.
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