GE / Hotpoint top-freezer refrigerator (GTS, GTE, GIE series): field service manual

Cold air is made on the evaporator behind the freezer back panel and blown by the evaporator fan. GE describes cold air passing from the freezer into the fresh-food section through a damper. The coldest spot in the fresh-food section is the back of the top shelf, right under the outlet.

GE's two-dial models: the fresh-food control regulates how long the compressor runs, and so how cold both compartments can get. The freezer control regulates the damper between the compartments. GE's starting point is the middle settings (for example C and 5, or 5 and 5). Single-dial models start at the midpoint between Cold and Coldest. GE's target ranges are 37-42°F for the fresh food and 0-7°F for the freezer.

Defrost: older GTS units use a mechanical timer. GE timer listings describe cycles such as about 25 minutes of defrost after every 6 hours of compressor run time, and other timers use different intervals (one is listed at 35 minutes per 16 hours), so the interval depends on the part. Later models use a defrost control board. In both designs a bimetal (defrost thermostat) on the evaporator must be closed (cold) for the heater to run.

Because cold air falls and settles in the crisper area, GE notes that crisper and deli pans can freeze when the unit doesn't run long enough to keep the air moving. GE's fix is to raise both controls one step.