GE Profile Refrigerator Getting Warm in Dunedin: Compressor Wouldn't Start, Bad Inverter Board
- Symptom
- The temperature in a GE Profile French door fridge started climbing. The fresh food side was near 50 degrees and the freezer was barely below freezing.
- Cause
- The compressor wasn't starting. Its inverter board, the module that powers and controls this variable-speed compressor, had failed.
- Fix
- We replaced the inverter board on the spot, and the compressor started up again.
The owners of this GE Profile French door refrigerator in Dunedin (model PVD28BYNBFS) noticed it was getting warmer. When we got there, the fresh food side read about 50 degrees, and the freezer was only around 30.
The compressor wasn’t running
The controls and lights worked, but the compressor in the back wasn’t starting, so nothing was moving cold through the system.
We also opened the main control board at the back to check that it was doing its part and calling for cooling.
The inverter board
This fridge has a variable-speed compressor. Instead of just switching on and off, it speeds up and slows down as needed, and the inverter board mounted next to it is what powers it and sets that speed. When the inverter fails, the compressor just sits there.
That’s what happened here. We had the part with us and replaced the inverter board on the spot. The compressor started right up.
If your fridge is warming up but the lights and display are fine, the compressor may not be getting power. Here’s what we handle on our refrigerator repair page.
FAQ
Why won't the compressor start on my GE Profile refrigerator?
Newer GE Profile fridges use a variable-speed compressor that runs through an inverter board. If that board fails, the compressor gets no power and the fridge slowly warms up, even though the lights and controls still work.
Does a failed inverter board mean I need a new compressor?
No. The inverter is a separate module mounted next to the compressor. On this GE Profile in Dunedin we replaced just the inverter and the compressor started again.