Just like our brain, the control board is essentially a sensor receiver for your refrigerator. It receives sensory input from various sensors that are laid out all over the refrigerator. It gets input from the freezer compartment, information about the compressor’s operation duration, how many minutes the door has been left open, etc., and acts accordingly.
So when we see our refrigerator not cooling properly or showing erratic behavior, we can assume that our refrigerator’s control board might be malfunctioning. But in many instances, that might not be the case. So how do we troubleshoot our control board if we are not sure it is the one causing the issues?
For Frigidaire refrigerator control board troubleshooting, first we have to test whether the control board is faulty or not. The easiest way is to check the voltage and resistance of the control board. If the result is not ideal, then the control board should be replaced.
Let’s have a look at the testing and replacement of the control board for easy troubleshooting:
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Frigidaire Refrigerator Control Board Troubleshooting
As we already know, the control board regulates many of the functions of your Frigidaire refrigerator, and it might malfunction at times. But the main control board is very rarely defective. Most of the time, when we think our refrigerator’s control board is faulty, it’s often the dispenser components that are causing the issues.
So before you set about replacing the main control board, first find out which component is to blame. For that reason, we recommend you test the control board. You can also check the dispenser components for assurance, but only checking the control board’s voltage and resistance is sufficient in our recommendation.
How To Test Frigidaire Refrigerator Control Board?
The first step of troubleshooting is to test the main cause of the issues. So to test the Frigidaire refrigerator control board, what you need to do is:
1. Locate The Control Board
First, you need to detach your refrigerator’s bottom grille, which hides the control board from bare eyes. If you have a refrigerator model that includes a French-door style freezer, you will need to pull the drawer out before you can remove the grille.
After detaching the grille, you will see a white case attached to the top that carries the control board.
2. Detach The Control Board
To get your hands on the control board, you need to detach the housing. And for that, you will need a flat-head screwdriver of a large size. With its help, pry the housing loose and pull it out.
3. Setup For The Resistance Test
Then the voltage supply should be tested. As you will need to connect the refrigerator to a power source to perform this test, avoid touching any component of the control board without the proper equipment.
And to test the resistance, you should keep a multimeter with you. On the multimeter, configure the voltage setup to DC. An easy way to recognize it is to look for a “V” marked with dotted and straight lines.
4. Test The Resistance
For testing the voltage, the probes of the multimeter should be inserted into the wires. And to insert the probes of the multimeter, locate the harness on the control board. In the harness, you will see five wires facing out.
The red probe should go inside the 2nd-left wire of those five wires, and the black probe should go inside the 3rd-left wire beside the red probe that you previously inserted.
5. Check The Result On The Multimeter And Decide
After you are done inserting, your multimeter should show you a 12-volt and a 14-volt result, which will mean your control board is working properly. But if it registers any number other than these, your control board is not working as it should.
Repeat the same procedure on all wires to ensure that the control board is receiving and providing proper electricity to the refrigerator. If you see that it is not, think about replacing it.
Frigidaire Main Control Board Replacement
If you have tested your main control board and found that it is faulty and in need of replacement, do not delay and get right into the replacement procedure. Here is what you need to do to replace the control board:
- First, you need to unplug your Frigidaire refrigerator from any power source or wall outlet. Alternatively, you can switch off the circuit breaker of your Frigidaire refrigerator.
- As you have learned previously, locate and detach the main control board from the grille.
- After getting the control board in your hands, you will need to disconnect many wire connectors. But before you do that, take a picture of those connectors for reference, or just make sure to remember the exact location of those connectors. It’s very important to remember these so that you don’t misplace any connectors.
- Disconnect the control board’s test port plug/connector. The board can then be removed by freeing the retaining tab. Depress the tab to attach the board.
- Remove the faulty board and replace it with the new control board. You can find new control boards on the company’s website or in retailers’ shops.
- Put the replacement board within the housing and gently press it into the slot until it clicks into position.
- Attach the harnesses of wires or wire connectors to the appropriate terminals. Check the photo you have taken, or use your memory, to confirm that the connections and positions are right.
- Now place the test plug back into its original position from where it was removed.
- And you are done with the replacement. Now you can put the board housing down on its rails and slide it inside. It will eventually lock into its place.
- After that, re-attach the bottom grille of your Frigidaire refrigerator.
- To check whether the newly installed control board is working properly or not, plug your refrigerator into a power source or turn on the circuit breaker.
Check Price for New Control Board
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Where is the control board on a Frigidaire?
A: The control board of a Frigidaire refrigerator is located inside its lower grille. After you pull out the freezer drawer of your refrigerator, you need to remove the lower grille where you will find the control board housed inside a boxlike housing.
Q: How much is a control board for a Frigidaire refrigerator?
A: Depending on the type of control board you choose, the price of a Frigidaire refrigerator control board can range from $100 to $2000 or more. For example, one main board of Frigidaire costs about $20644, whereas an OEM control board costs about $12038.
Q: Where Is the Control Lock Button on a Frigidaire Refrigerator?
A: The control lock button of a Frigidaire refrigerator is located on its control panel. You will see it just beside the on/off switch. It can be easily located by the bright red light on the panel.
Q: What is the average life of a Frigidaire refrigerator?
A: The average life of a Frigidaire refrigerator is 14–17 years if maintained accordingly. Compact refrigerators last for 14 years, which is less if compared to standard refrigerators that last up to 17 years.
Q: Why is my Frigidaire beeping 5 times?
A: If you leave the door open for an extended period or overfill the refrigerator to the point where it is not properly closed, your refrigerator may begin beeping five times. Sometimes it can be a dirty condenser not letting your refrigerator get cool enough. Either way, the temperature increases inside the refrigerator rather than decreases, which ultimately sets off an alarm of five times beeping noises.
Q: How do you unlock the controls on a Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator?
A: To unlock the controls on a Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator, first locate the control lock button on the panel. After you find it, press and continue holding the control button and you will see the bright light turn off, which will indicate that you unlocked the Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator.
Conclusion
The Frigidaire refrigerator control board troubleshooting process is pretty easy. As long as you can test the control board properly, your multimeter gets a proper read of the results, and you follow the replacement process step by step, you are good to go.
Remember, for testing, the crucial step here is to insert the probes properly because that’s what will ensure whether or not you are getting proper results.
And for replacement, the most important step is that you reconnect the wire connectors exactly where you detached them from. Also, if you see that the test has given you the right voltage but your refrigerator is still erratic and not cooling, you should opt out of tweaking anything on your control board and check other components.
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