Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

[karthur]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

Hi Log_on_Bob, it's been about 9 months since you've implemented the solution you've described and I would like to check if it ran well so far.
I have the same issue and I'm about to follow your steps.
Thanks for your help,
Luiz

I have the same issue. Did you do the "Log_on_Bob" fix? How is it running today?

Thanks

[lamanetti]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

Hi Log_on_Bob, it's been about 9 months since you've implemented the solution you've described and I would like to check if it ran well so far.
I have the same issue and I'm about to follow your steps.
Thanks for your help,
Luiz

OK, I am done for now though I might experiment later adding the lower Refer light. I choose to just go with a Top Refer and the Freezer light. I am running a test on the Bench with Two Lights in series off the Top Refer. Have about four hours run time so far, so that should be months of opening and closing the doors.

I taped the Door Switch closed. Keep in mind both doors are in series so open one turns on all. If you are not comfortable, unplug the Refer or at your own risk.

1. All four Connectors were snipped off the wires stripped back.
2. Lower two refer light wires attached together with a simple Wire Nut. This completes the circuit ( once the bulbs are in ) Top light through the Freezer and back to the Top.

3. On the Bench ( pic 1 ) I found some Insulated Female Quick Disconnects in my junk drawer. Fry's carries them or Ebay. If you only have the un-insulated then electrical tape or heat shrink tube, I wouldn't leave them open.
As mentioned, I couldn't solder direct the bulbs. Butt connector worked but these will allow you to plug a new bulb down the road easily or, Maybe an actual G9 socket MIGHT fit, I don't know.
So on the bench, the connectors were not as tight as I would like, so simply squeezing one side ( one side is all that fits ) of the connector with pliers did the trick, you want it very firm.

4. Freeze side, I just left the Female connector on the bulb while crimping the wires. These connectors happened to be 14-16 gauge, I had to extra squeeze with a large pair of pliers, pull test on the wire and I could feel it not so secure with just the crimper.

5. NOTE: Unplug or Tape the door switch ---- Top light Refer, now you have to join ( see Bluto's diagram #60 ) the two 120v wires to the other two circuit wires. This makes the Top Light 120v and very bright and the lower & Freezer in Series at half voltage, still bright.

There you go,, oh another tip, I had to use a flashlight while connecting and crimping..:-)

[lamanetti]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

Hi Folks,

I saw a video in YouTube where the guy shares a partial diagram of these boards at around 40": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdgzfOHSlxk

It has the details of some specific components.

I hope it helps.
Luiz

[bluto]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

Did you take any pictures?

[jergo1976]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

Just wanted to thank everyone who posted in this thread. With all the info I was able to easily solder on a 120 watt and 18 watt resistor in series on R15 and all lights have stopped flickering and it's working like a charm. Saved hundreds on replacement boards. Thanks again!

[dmiles]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

I actually don't have a crisper light in my model. Just a top refrigerator light, and a freezer light. So, 120v comes into the board inside the refrigerator light, then the wires from the other plug on the board take 3.5 volts to the freezer light. So it was a piece of cake to rewire mine, and the wife likes it better than the original light. So I'm good to go.

Also, there may be some confusion about the boards themselves, and the cost. The board in the top refrigerator light (W10515058) has all the components to supply the 3.5 volts, and is available on Amazon for $107. The other board, for the freezer light, and I assume the crisper light if you have one, (W10515057) has almost no components on it except for the LEDs, and is on Amazon for $50.

I'm happy with the outcome of the mod I did, and thanks again everyone for the information!

[ron350]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

I listed the wrong part # (WPW10615058).
That was supposed to be #WPW10515058 and I still cant find any replacements cheaper than $99.

[redwire]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

It's really only mega company Whirlpool making many different models, in North America and the UK.

The only alternative is Korean or chinese brands, Samsung, LG, Daewoo. They lost the anti-dumping lawsuit and tariffs were applied. Not that these asian brands are any better than Whirlpool.
I would never buy LG because service manuals are not out there. Samsung fridge compressor is hilariously complicated to save a few percent on energy and of course the springs breaks and total distruction.

Usually Whirlpool parts are reasonably priced, they are made by another mega company Illinois Tool Company.
It's just terrible to bungle a fridge LED light design and leave customers paying $50 for parts and $$$ for a repair callout.

[bluto]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

learned about 6 years ago - NEVER buy a Maytag / Whirlpool / Roper (or GE) appliance again. I'm sticking to it.

Given that Whirlpool is the General Motors of the appliance world, what else do you buy then? Before this debacle I have always thought their stuff was decent and they have good parts availability. What else is there, Frigidaire/Electrolux? And don't say Samsung or LG, those appliance brands are special in their own way. Especially all of the pile of plastic front load washers that they put out that are absolute garbage.

[ajshoe]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

W10615058

whirlpool just bought out maytag and other manufacturers and put WP in front of all their parts now

[ron350]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

Ajshoe what part # did you search for at United Appliance Parts? I cant find anything under $100 when I search for WPPBA001052G or WPW10615058.

[ajshoe]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

unlimited appliance parts has this for $50

[ron350]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

Bluto I sent you a PM with the ebay link I don’t want to get in trouble by posting a link.
That seller wants more than what the new replacements are selling for but the point is that he might be rebuilding them.

If that guy can rebuild them then some one here should be able to do the same.

[ajshoe]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

learned about 6 years ago - NEVER buy a Maytag / Whirlpool / Roper (or GE) appliance again. I'm sticking to it.

[bluto]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

Do you have a link to the rebuilt boards? I can only find one board that appears to be professionally refurbished for $97 which incidentally is only $2 less than the price of a new board. If it was $50, I would buy one to try and figure out what was replaced on it.

[ron350]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

I have been following this thread since the first day Bluto started it. So far all of the fixes can only be used if you own the frig. What if the frig belongs to a friend or relative you cant get away with changing the wiring on those.

Today I see there is a guy on ebay selling rebuilt boards so it looks like there might be a way to repair the factory circuit board and make it last.

[bluto]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

The output connector from the top light is wired in series to the lower light and the freezer light. So you have 2 options: 1. Eliminate one of the two and splice the two wires at the eliminated connector together so the other connector will get 120v. 2. Keep them in series and live with the lower light and freezer light running at 60v.

I went with option 2 and after a few days I was fine with the less brightness from the light in the freezer.

[dmiles]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

I have the same issue with this way more complicated than it needs to be LED arrangement with this refrigerator. I wasn't able to find any good info, then I stumbled upon this great forum.

My R15 was dust, so I appreciate the information about the value. I have a bunch of resistors, but no 130. I put 2 270 1/4 watt in parallel, and even with a full 1/2 watt in place of a surface mount, they heated up instantly, and the whole mess still didn't work. I have the wife at Home Depot now picking up an online order for the puck type LEDs from the link in a previous post. I'm just going to wire those in to the 120v, and use the wires that normally carry the 3.5V over to the freezer, and splice those into the 120V, and use the same puck type LED in the freezer. That should let there be the light we need, and I won't have to worry about spending another $100 2 years down the road for another board that is obviously designed to fail.

Would be willing to share some pics if anyone is still interested, but it looks like you guys already have this figured out. Just let me know.

[redwire]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

I worry the door switches can handle the inrush currents for a larger SMPS?

It's too bad we don't have one of these boards to sketch a schematic, or know any of the semiconductor part numbers.

[sam_sam_sam]

Re: My (rather involved) fix for Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

With these being done, the entire setup is powered by 12VDC using the existing wiring.

Very interesting way to repair these boards

Thanks for sharing this repair