Stainless side-by-side refrigerator in a kitchen with wood cabinets
8 components covered

Field manual · Refrigerator

Whirlpool WRS325SDH 36-inch side-by-side refrigerator: quick sheet

Covers: Whirlpool WRS325SDH** (WRS325SDHZ stainless and other finishes) 24.5-25 cu ft 36-inch side-by-side with exterior ice and water; the WRS321SDH** sibling shares the body. Years approx. late 2010s-2020s: inferred from the long run of parts-catalog revision suffixes (at least -08 to -11); no official launch date found.

Single sourceBrands: Whirlpool8 components

Whirlpool's high-volume side-by-side: freezer on the left with the ice maker and dispenser on the freezer side, fresh food on the right, filter and controls inside. Service follows the Whirlpool side-by-side pattern: defrost faults that warm the fresh-food side first, ice maker and dispenser issues, and condenser airflow.

Safety first

  • Unplug the refrigerator (or switch off its circuit) before removing covers, fans, heaters, sensors or the machine-compartment panel.
  • Shut off and bleed the water supply before opening the water valve or ice maker fill connections; have towels ready.
  • Never chip ice off an evaporator with tools: a punctured coil is a sealed-system failure. Thaw with power off, a forced defrost, or gentle steam/warm air (no open flame, no heat gun near plastics).
  • Live-voltage checks at the main board or inverter board are caution work: insulated probes, one hand, no jewelry.
  • Sealed refrigerant system (compressor replacement, leak repair, recharge, brazing) is blocked: confirm the symptom, protect the food, and refer to an EPA 608-certified technician.

How it works

Single evaporator behind the freezer rear panel; the fan pushes air through the freezer and through a damper/air channel into the fresh-food side. Sealed-system work is referral only.

Defrost: heater under the evaporator, bimetal on the tubing, controlled by the main/defrost control.

Ice maker in the freezer feeds an auger and dispenser in the freezer door; water reaches the door through tubing that passes the hinge.

Fresh-food temperature depends on freezer airflow, so a fridge-side warm complaint is usually a freezer-side cause.

Components & tests

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Official manufacturer documentation

Always confirm values against the tech sheet for the exact model.

OnCall Tech is a reference tool for trained technicians and can make mistakes. Always disconnect power and confirm with the manufacturer's documentation before you work. © 2026 OnCall Tech. Original content; not a reproduction of any manufacturer document.Generic part photos (not of this brand): Stainless side-by-side refrigerator in a kitchen with wood cabinets by Curtis Adams, Pexels License

Diagnostic guides for this appliance

Component test · Refrigerator

How to test a refrigerator bi-metal defrost thermostat

The bi-metal (defrost termination thermostat) is wired in series with the defrost heater. It is closed only when the evaporator is cold and opens once the coil warms during defrost. Testing it at room temperature gives a false "bad" result: it must be cold.

5 steps ~45 minmoderate
Component test · Refrigerator

How to test a refrigerator defrost heater

The defrost heater (glass tube, metal sheath or foil type) melts frost off the evaporator a few times a day. A good heater reads in the low tens of ohms; use the wattage math to check the exact value.

5 steps ~45 minmoderate
Component test · Refrigerator

How to check an ECM / brushless DC fan motor (what you can test safely)

Many modern refrigerator fans are brushless DC motors with their electronics inside the motor. An ohmmeter cannot judge them reliably. The safe test is to confirm the supply voltage and control/feedback signals at the connector, then swap the motor if the signals are right.

5 steps ~30 minmoderate

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Compact & budget chest freezers: field service manual

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Whirlpool WRS325SDH 36-inch side-by-side refrigerator: quick sheet · OnCall Tech