1. cye22tshss

⟐ Edited March 08, 2024 at 17:05 MST

⟐ Commented July 25, 2025 at 14:36 MST

⟐ Edited March 08, 2024 at 17:06 MST

Water leaking out of right front corner of freezer drawer,

⟐ Edited March 08, 2024 at 17:12 MST

⟐ Edited December 18, 2023 at 11:19 MST

Model #: CFE28TP2MKS1 (LCD display with water/ice dispenser on the door, and hot water dispenser as well)

What has transpired during the last 48 hours:

Appliance store delivered first fridge and temps fluctuated a lot on both the fridge and freezer. They replaced the first fridge with another new model.

Here are brass tacks with the second Cafe model delivered and installed two days ago:

1. Installer suggested that the problem might be that the fridge was plugged into a GFCI outlet. However, we never had any issues with our old fridge/freezer. The outlet never tripped with the old fridge. With the new fridge, within the two days that we had it, there were no trips of the circuit. So, I personally don't think that is the issue. Would need an electrician's help to confirm this.
2. Installer said that we needed to try plugging it into another outlet, using an extension cord. We did that. I looked more closely. The second outlet was also GFCI. It is probably on the same circuit as the original described above (daisy chained, I guess). We then ran a long appropriately rated extension about 30 feet to our living room to plug the fridge into a standard 3-prong grounded outlet.
3. Temps were fluctuating already before establishing the new outlet location. After we moved to the new non-GFCI outlet, temps kept fluctuating. Temps, for some reason, kept rising in the freezer, heading from 0 deg F up to 28. The fridge dropped from 37 to 33 for a short while. Our freezer was set to 0 and fridge to 37 per factory standards. So, 6:23 pm, freezer at 28; 9:47 pm, freezer at 13. At 6:23 pm, fridge at 33; 9:47 pm, fridge at 40. Temps on fridge were 40 or 41 for many hours. Freezer kept dropping. This morning (new day) fridge and freezer reached and held set temps.

Other stuff:

• Wife and I are underwhelmed by the ice production. Has not reached full capacity in over 48 hours of operation.
• We are leaving the fridge plugged into the non-GFCI outlet by extension cord for the next 24 hours to see if the fridge and freezer hold temps.
• If the fridge and freezer hold temps, we are going to try plugging the appliance into the original GFCI outlet just behind the fridge to see if that outlet leads to temp fluctuations with the new fridge. If it does, then I will contact an electrician to help.
• Clearance on all sides of the fridge: back side of the fridge (almost 3.5 in), right side (almost one inch), left side (no wall).
• Before hiring an electrician, we are going with the recommendation of the appliance store. They are contacting GE to have them send one of their technicians to our house.

This became a long-winded question. Sorry. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. We took a lot of time to pick out this fridge and are underwhelmed and greatly frustrated with its performance, to say the least.

UPDATE: Four days post-installation still plugged into standard 3-prong outlet by extension cord, the fridge and freezer are holding temps. Ice maker is working pretty well. Turbo Cool and Freeze functions don't seem to work.

⟐ Edited December 18, 2023 at 13:29 MST

1. Main board stopped working 4 months ago (it took a couple days for it to fully die), After 3 days of power off, I replaced it with a new board.
2. Three weeks ago, the fridge started making a whining sound when the normally quiet compressor was running (only sometimes, though).
3. Ten days ago, we woke up and the fridge was 58 degrees and the freezer was 25 degrees. The lights worked, the compressor was running - but still making that whining sound. The air coming out of the vent behind the ice maker was roughly 48 degrees.
4. We were leaving on a trip that day, so we emptied the fridge (removed the ice, too so it wouldn’t melt) and turned off the breaker so the fridge was completely off.
5. I came home last night from our 10 day trip, and turned the breaker on and it sounded like it was running normally. After 7 hours, the fridge dropped to 42 and the freezer to 7 (set temp is 41 and 2). After 4 more hours, it is at 40 F and 4 F. It sounds normal, but occasionally it makes that whining sound.
6. GE Profile model is CFSP5RKBD SS, purchased in 2013, says made in Mexico.

Does anyone have any idea what could be broken? Anything else I can do to help you diagnose it?

Update, 1 week later:

The fridge and freezer seem to be working fine, and I haven’t heard the strange noises. I talked to someone who thought it could be the defrost heater that could be broken, and he said it would appear to work normally until there was too much frost on the coils, and then it would fail. He said to take a look after a week to see if there was a lot of frost on the coils behind the freezer. So, I opened it up just now (and confirmed that both fans were working). and saw some frost on the coils. I don't know if it was a lot or a little, since I don't know what to expect. Here is a picture

Update 2 (3 weeks later):

So, the fridge stopped cooling again. During the day I heard a fan which quickly sped up and down, and when I opened the freezer door, I confirmed that the fan changing speeds was the evaporator fan in the freezer. When I say it changed speed, it happened fairly quickly (like in under 0.5 seconds) and would hold it there for about 5 seconds then drop back down. Around this time, the temps increased about 10 degrees to 10 F (freezer) and 46 F (fridge). Then at around 9pm the evap fan stopped completely. I confirmed this by removing the food from the bottom drawer and taking off the small panel. I looked in the hole with the fan blades and there was no ice buildup on the coils, and the fan moved freely with my fingers pushing it. I turned off the breaker to the unit for about an hour and turned it back on and still no evap fan spinning, but I heard the compressor working away. I kept it on for about an hour, and then the evap fan started up again. Overnight it cooled the units to their proper temps.

One other note is that over the past few weeks, I’ve been monitoring the temps carefully with a standalone pair of remote sensors and it does vary quite a bit. The freezer ranges from -9 to +10F over the course of a few hours (without us opening/closing the doors), and the fridge ranges from 33 to 43.

What’s your guess - is my 6 month old main board faulty? Should I replace only the evap fan? If it is my main board, then is something in my fridge causing it to break?

Update 3 (problem solved):

See some of the comments below, but I checked various voltages and thermistors and decided to buy a replacement evaporator fan motor. I installed it and have had no troubles for 3 months since then! I can also confirm that the temp in the freezer does vary by 20F over the course of a day, which I have learned is due to the heater which removes all the frost from the coils.

⟐ Edited March 08, 2024 at 17:13 MST

⟐ Edited December 18, 2023 at 13:31 MST

⟐ Answered May 02, 2026 at 18:09 MST

⟐ Answered February 07, 2025 at 1:57 MST

Had GE tech come out. He said he has only seen my issue with 2 other GE cafe fridges. Not the water valve - its either the control board on the top of left door, or the board behind the touch display. The top control board was only 55 - so I ordered and yet to arrive. The board behind the touch panel is like 250+. If the top board doesn't work we may decide to put this fridge in the garage and get a new one. Everything works except the water and of course, ice, but all other components are fine. Very strange. Will post an update once I get the top board delivered and installed.

⟐ Edited by author November 21, 2023 at 7:04 MST

Pls help! I really don’t want to have to purchase a new fridge 😞

⟐ Edited December 18, 2023 at 13:35 MST

⟐ Edited July 10, 2025 at 18:49 MST

⟐ Edited February 21, 2025 at 21:09 MST

Please help

⟐ Commented September 05, 2023 at 7:29 MST

⟐ Edited December 12, 2023 at 15:58 MST

⟐ Edited December 12, 2023 at 16:15 MST