How to Replace the Evaporator Fan in a Kenmore Refrigerator Model 106
Turn off the power to the appliance by unplugging the refrigerator from the wall., Remove the back panel of the freezer compartment., One of my screws was corroded in place., Remove the plastic housing covering the fan., Carefully grasp the wire...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Turn off the power to the appliance by unplugging the refrigerator from the wall.
Open the freezer door and take all the food out.
Remove the freezer shelf. -
Step 2: Remove the back panel of the freezer compartment.
You may have to remove one of the freezer shelf supports on the side to get the panel out. , When I tried to remove it, the head started to strip.
I used an electric drill and a large twist bit to drill the head off that one.
Hopefully, you won't have to do this.
If you do, be very careful not to drill through the back plate, or you might drill a hole in the evaporator.
Then you will have trouble you probably can't fix. , Mine had 4 small hex screws holding it in place.
Once this is done you can see the evaporator fan.
Mine had two screws holding it in place and three wires hooked to the fan.
Make a note of the position of the wires. , Don't pull on the wires themselves, only on the connectors. ,, The fan blade is not attached.
Get the new plastic fan and remove the bronze-colored metal clip on the fan's hub.
Carefully press the fan onto the fan motor shaft.
About 1/8" of shaft should protrude from the front of the hub.
Use the needle nosed pliers to spread the metal clip apart, and slip it on the hub.
Push the metal clip down into place with the flat screwdriver.
The front of the clip should be approximately flush with the front of the hub. , The mounting holes in the new fan are much larger than the holes in the original fan.
If your freezer has a plastic interior, you may not need these parts. , In my case this meant rotating the ground wire lug (green wire) to make the wire fit better.
There was almost no slack in my wires. , Don't screw it down yet.
Next connect the wires in the same way they were connected before, Now screw the fan down tight, but be careful not to strip out the plastic screw mounts. , If the fan blades are hitting something, you will have to reposition a part.
Once it sounds good, turn the power back on for a minute and make sure the fan operates quietly.
Don't touch anything inside the refrigerator at this point. , Put the shelf back in and you're done! -
Step 3: One of my screws was corroded in place.
-
Step 4: Remove the plastic housing covering the fan.
-
Step 5: Carefully grasp the wire connectors and wiggle them off.
-
Step 6: There is a little metal box that the fan sits in that will come out when you remove the fan.
-
Step 7: Get the new fan motor out of the box.
-
Step 8: If you have a steel freezer interior you will use the grommets
-
Step 9: screws
-
Step 10: and bushings to reattach the new fan.
-
Step 11: Position the electrical lugs on the fan so that they will be in the best position to receive the wires when you reinstall it.
-
Step 12: Use the screws that came with the fan to position it and just hold it in place.
-
Step 13: Rotate the fan by hand and check for noise.
-
Step 14: Once again
-
Step 15: unplug or disconnect the power
-
Step 16: then reinstall the plastic fan housing and the freezer back plate.
Detailed Guide
Open the freezer door and take all the food out.
Remove the freezer shelf.
You may have to remove one of the freezer shelf supports on the side to get the panel out. , When I tried to remove it, the head started to strip.
I used an electric drill and a large twist bit to drill the head off that one.
Hopefully, you won't have to do this.
If you do, be very careful not to drill through the back plate, or you might drill a hole in the evaporator.
Then you will have trouble you probably can't fix. , Mine had 4 small hex screws holding it in place.
Once this is done you can see the evaporator fan.
Mine had two screws holding it in place and three wires hooked to the fan.
Make a note of the position of the wires. , Don't pull on the wires themselves, only on the connectors. ,, The fan blade is not attached.
Get the new plastic fan and remove the bronze-colored metal clip on the fan's hub.
Carefully press the fan onto the fan motor shaft.
About 1/8" of shaft should protrude from the front of the hub.
Use the needle nosed pliers to spread the metal clip apart, and slip it on the hub.
Push the metal clip down into place with the flat screwdriver.
The front of the clip should be approximately flush with the front of the hub. , The mounting holes in the new fan are much larger than the holes in the original fan.
If your freezer has a plastic interior, you may not need these parts. , In my case this meant rotating the ground wire lug (green wire) to make the wire fit better.
There was almost no slack in my wires. , Don't screw it down yet.
Next connect the wires in the same way they were connected before, Now screw the fan down tight, but be careful not to strip out the plastic screw mounts. , If the fan blades are hitting something, you will have to reposition a part.
Once it sounds good, turn the power back on for a minute and make sure the fan operates quietly.
Don't touch anything inside the refrigerator at this point. , Put the shelf back in and you're done!
About the Author
Nicholas Campbell
Experienced content creator specializing in hobbies guides and tutorials.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: