Refrigerator / Freezer Defrost Heater Assembly (Whirlpool OEM)

Description

Genuine Whirlpool OEM Refrigerator / Freezer Defrost Heater Assembly – Part WP2315530

Part Number: WP2315530

Replaces: 2315530, W2315530, 2166124, 1175560, AP6007245, PS11740357, EAP11740357

Always verify compatibility using your appliance model number before ordering.

How the Defrost Heater Works

Frost-free refrigerators run the evaporator coils below freezing, so moisture from the air condenses and freezes onto the fins. Several times a day the control board energizes this heater for a short period to melt that frost off the coils so air can keep moving through them. When the heater fails open, frost never clears. The coils pack solid with ice, airflow to the fresh food section stops, and the compressor runs constantly while the food compartment slowly warms.

Quick Info:

• Fixes Common Issues: Heavy frost or ice on the evaporator coils, freezer cold but refrigerator warm, compressor running nonstop, water pooling or leaking from a blocked defrost drain.
• Component Design: Sheathed resistance element with factory-terminated leads and mounting clips, built to the original equipment specification.
• Difficulty: Intermediate. Requires emptying the freezer, removing the rear evaporator cover, and fully thawing the coil before the old heater will release.

Pro Tip: Test before you replace. Pull the heater leads and check across the element with a multimeter. An element with no continuity is bad. If it reads good, the defrost thermostat, defrost sensor, or the control board is the more likely cause, and swapping the heater will not fix the symptom.

Pro Tip 2: While the evaporator cover is off, clear the defrost drain trough. Melted frost has to have somewhere to go. A clogged drain refreezes into a sheet of ice under the coil and brings the same symptoms straight back.