Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

[Log_on_Bob]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

Dave

Let's see, the devil is in the details. I didn't try that style, I used what is called a Butt Connector which is still a Solderless Connector. If you have a Harbor Freight near the assortment pack is really cheap.

Things to think about,,, I only connected the top light so far and MY plan is to redo the connector anyway but I don't have the next two bulbs yet.

The connectors are color coded for wire size range, the proper color for the Refer wire would be the Red connector 16-22 Pretty sure the refer wire is 18Ga. ah, but the Red connector won't fit over the bulb wire, so I used the Blue Connector, 16-14GA and I lightly squeezed one side to OVAL that end a bit so it would go over the Bulb Wire,then crimped it hard.

With the Butt Connector I also trimmed back the end only for the Bulb side so it would slide further onto the bulb, just the Blue Plastic flush with the metal.

I choose to crimp both sides on the bulb first and spend less time in the refer crimping with the door open.

Now the style you posted the Female stake on, I don't have a bulb to test fit ( I do have that style, Red and Blue) could probably made to work. The metal is very soft and can be bent easily to reshape it bit if you had to. You might have to open it up a bit first, I don't know without trying it. But, If I used that style I would still attach to the bulb first and maybe get some electrical tape around the connector or heat shrink tube as they would be exposed.

When I cut off the Refer Plug, that is the wider one I left about a 1/2" of wire in case this didn't work I could crimp it back on. **** I taped the Door Light Switch Closed *** better bet would be to unplug the Refer **** your call.

[Dave125]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

Hi Dave

See post #44 above. Cut off the circuit board and crimped on a G9 bulb. As the post says, this was my test light, I have only connected the top Refer side light so far and I am shopping for the other two. While I can live with this bulb just fine I am leaning towards a bit whiter. This one is 3000K and I am looking for about 5000K. So far they don't seem to be available as 35W, so most likely go to 40W ( that is Equivalent Watts, they are actually 3.5W )
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Feit-Ele...HDRP/309790442

So the only real trick is, you need some solderless ( crimp ) connectors, the Blue ones and most wire strippers have the crimper built in. The issue is the wire on the bulb could be Tungten maybe, solder won't stick to it. Or , you could also buy the G9 plugs. I have looked at the plug dimensions, I was fine direct wired. You have 3/8" up and 5/8" into lens cover so 1" OD max but 7/8" might be safer.


When I do decide and get then hooked up, I will post the results. Ebay or Amazon, looks like I will get 5 or 6 Pack around $ 11.00

thanks, any updates would be great. do you mean these kind of crimp connectors (attached)? so crimp on to wire and then slide each on to bulb end connector?

[Log_on_Bob]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

looks nice and bright, what is the solution?

Hi Dave

See post #44 above. Cut off the circuit board and crimped on a G9 bulb. As the post says, this was my test light, I have only connected the top Refer side light so far and I am shopping for the other two. While I can live with this bulb just fine I am leaning towards a bit whiter. This one is 3000K and I am looking for about 5000K. So far they don't seem to be available as 35W, so most likely go to 40W ( that is Equivalent Watts, they are actually 3.5W )
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Feit-Ele...HDRP/309790442

So the only real trick is, you need some solderless ( crimp ) connectors, the Blue ones and most wire strippers have the crimper built in. The issue is the wire on the bulb could be Tungten maybe, solder won't stick to it. Or , you could also buy the G9 plugs. I have looked at the plug dimensions, I was fine direct wired. You have 3/8" up and 5/8" into lens cover so 1" OD max but 7/8" might be safer.


When I do decide and get then hooked up, I will post the results. Ebay or Amazon, looks like I will get 5 or 6 Pack around $ 11.00

[Dave125]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

looks nice and bright, what is the solution?

[redwire]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

Congrats on finding a solution. The G9's are much more powerful but I thought small enough to fit. Ikea has some small LED's too and eBay has lamp sockets.

The caution about plugging in the LED's last was at a European appliance parts website, over warranty for the board. I didn't think much about it.

The original 5630 LED's are rated 0.5W each (3V@150mA), so 2W/12V per fixture and 6W/36V total.
I could not find a small 36V LED 150mA power supply, the 36V league is for twice the power (12W up) and almost an inch thick so too fat.
Then you could put in 3W LED modules and keep the stock crisper/freezer 12V LED boards.

[Log_on_Bob]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

Here is a pic for reference... I would say it's brighter than the pic shows as maybe the light shut the camera down a tad looking direct into it.

[Log_on_Bob]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

Ok boys and girls, here is leg one of my experiment and thanks for the suggestions and help and special shootout to redwire for the G9 suggestion, I wouldn't have thought of that one. Home Depot and bought this, I wanted instant gratification so yeah payed more but I only got one for testing. Link below.

Package says 35 watts 350 lumens 3000K so it's on the "Warm" side white. 3.5 watts at 3hrs a day annual cost to run is .42 US Cents, :-)

Ohms law says, 3.5 watts/ 118 v = .029 amp Bench tested with my cheap meter .022 so there you go, not much.

Now I have only hooked up the Top Refer side light. Works like a charm. FYI , The G9 bulb designed to go into a socket ( of which you could do ) but I tried to solder, I went through the loop and twisted real nice and soldered away, that should do it, Nope. I don't know what the wire on the bulb is but I didn't want to take any solder. I got it about as hot as I was comfy with , didn't want to melt the plastic... so, cut that off and used a solderless crimp connector direct on the end of the bulb, you have to trim back the plastic end a bit so it will fit all the way on..

In the refer the plan was wire nuts until I figure out the other two lights but I cut off the J1 connector and used the other end of the crimp connector for now.

The light itself is just sitting inside the lens frame , circuit board removed of course, seems fine so far.

On the Bench, I thought 35 Watts was too bright and 3000K a tad yellow for reference. Once in the refer and up in the lens frame it's about right. Not as White and the stock LED's but not bad. Brightness, I think it's pretty close to stock. I kept thinking old school we used 40 Watt bulbs usually so I thought 35 should do it. That being said, I think I would also be happy with say a 25W and step up to something over 3000K for a bit whiter light. So this is my benchmark, and will see what else is out there. But I can live with this...

I will get you pic soon... :-) I see the light....
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Feit-Ele...HDRP/309790442

[Log_on_Bob]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

Tks redwire... hmmm Calgary here, well now in California. That service sheet is way easier to follow and read than mine. Mine is smaller with many more lines. Now you tell me to connect the LED first. :-)

What I am liking at the moment is your suggestion about the COB's and the G9 from post 31. The COB's from what I can tell require a heatsink , at least the ones the Grow Light guys are using. So , I am liking the G9 LED light as the easiest solution and give up the Fade.

Interested in your comment the Larger COB at 30 watts being to high,, where as the G9 rating as say 35watts is the equivalent but actual is only 3.5 watts which should work out to only .029 amp. The G9's seem to be 3000K , I think that should be OK.

So I am thinking the existing wiring should be fine and handle this just fine. Unless you are anyone else thinks it's a bad idea, I will pick up one 35watt and give it go just in the top refer side for now and see....

[redwire]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

I did see a caution with the Whirlpool AC/DC LED power board- if you power it up and then connect the LED string, it blows up the LED's.
It seems you must have a load on it (at J2) or the output capacitor charges to high voltage.
This means a flickering LED would surge everything and basically beat up the LED's.

11-14 Volts DC is normal for each auxilliary LED board at their J2. 4 LEDS in the freezer LED module, and 4 LEDS in the crisper LED module. So that string is 22-28VDC. You can test each aux module with a bench power supply at ~12VDC and a 100 ohm series ballast resistor.

There's 4 LEDS in the "diamond" main AC/DC LED power board and I'm not sure where they are in the picture, if it's a triple-series 33-42VDC string?


Attached W10714503 Whirlpool/Kenmore refrigerator, Literature and Service and Wiring sheet W10714502, Schematics W10449677, Service Information W10503846

[R_J]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

They control the voltage going out to the led's to keep a constant current, you measured 3 volts on the open circuit, once you added the single led across J2 the voltage jumped up and likely blew all the leds on the board and shorted the transistor.
This is why I asked for the total number of led's in the complete series
There are 4 led's on the main board, my guess is 4 on each of the other boards? 12 (3v) leds supplied by 35 volts

[Log_on_Bob]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

Well, I most likely blew up my board or something on it. I tried bench testing again, applied 115v to J1 and I want to measure the voltage going out on J2. I was getting 3.6 v DC. note on the schematic it says AC INPUT for J1 and the other two modules say LED DC module,, Now my meter would hold pretty steady at 3.6 DV for maybe 3-4 seconds, jump to 5.x quickly then back down to 3.6 holding for 3-4 seconds. No clue why it was not steady but if I were to guess since we AC going in and 3 v DC there's a bridge rectifier onboard and a voltage regulator.

So here was my mistake. I have many Normal LED's and I grabbed a Red which should be about a 3 volt LED and just touched the lead across J2 pins ans WaLa, the red LED flashed and the LED's on the Board lit up for a second or two and My connection broke and I tried again but nothing.. oh oh.. Meter now says 34v DC so I don't thing I will be plugging it into the Refer. So, don't try this at home.

[Log_on_Bob]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

Yes, in series. I am going to try to upload the Master Driving LED circuit, we shall see if it can be read. This is only helpful if the plan is to do new lights.

This is what this non-expert gets from this, so with a grain of salt. . All LED's in series.

Module on the right, label = LED AC Input. That is my Top Refer light, J1 is the wide plug, Yellow & White/Tan . This will show 118v AC across PIN 1&5, there is no 2,3 or 4. with the Door Switch Open.

J2 - Red & Yellow/Red in series with Red going though the Crisper Light and it say LED DC TOP but that should be the Freeze Side light so through that and back up to the Refer side as Yellow/Red.

Again, since plugging only the J1 Connector to the board and the LED's on just that upper Refer light will not come on then I would assume all LED's are in series and the rest is done on the circuit board.

[Log_on_Bob]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

I remembered with the old fridge there's a service Schematic. Side by Side, open both doors, two screws and remove the Kick Plate, should be taped there.

No Circuit board itself but the wiring for all three Modules is there. I was going to make a copy to post but it's so tiny, I am tracing with a magnifying glass and a highlighter. :-(

It appears so far to be in series , I have NOT found the switch yet. Still looking but I got excited to let you know..:-) oh,, assuming you might have the same model or schematic,, printed on both sides and one side has what is called a Master Driving 2DC Slave Diamond LED,,, not clear yet what it says and the other side is the tiny print and follow the wires,,,

[R_J]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

Has anyone ever checked the voltage across the whole led string? and count the total led's.

[bluto]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

Yeah they all flicker at once if not working properly. I think bad LEDs is the cause since there seem to be so many of there out there that are failing early in life.

[R_J]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

So all the other led's flicker when the problem occurs. Any chance of a poor plug connection between the other two the led fixtures. or a bad led in one of the others.

[bluto]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

The lower fridge and freezer lights connect to the second connector. On those the modules the circuit board looks the same but it is only populated with the LEDs, all other components are omitted. The arrangement is that all the LEDs are in series. If you unplug the lower fridge light or the freezer light, all three will stop working.

See my diagram above for a visual representation.

[R_J]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

What connects to J2 on the board?

[redwire]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

I would try fit in a COB LED board with 110V circuit $0.99 on fleaBay, 3W.
The larger square COB boards are are too high power, at >30W.
A G9 LED bulb might work too.

Some irony a simple circuit is 50X cheaper than what Whirlpool came up with, for a 4W LED fixture.

[bluto]

Re: Whirlpool Refrigerator LED lights flickering

OK, here is the link to the outfit that used some LED found at Home Depot for all three lights and though I have not looked at the other two lights there appears the other two have their own circuit boards. They are a business and most likely why exact part used is not mentioned, I get it.
https://sunnyappliancerepair.com/ref...n-jose-ca.html

The guy in that link did exactly what I was suggesting. Except he cut off all the connectors in order to just crimp connectors onto the ends of the wires. What he has done to the two down line lights is to feed them 120v instead of DC output of the top LED board. So the lights are all getting 120v (wired in parallel)

Edit: I studied the pictures in the blog post a little more and this may not work... The output plug on the top LED has red & yellow wires. The lower fridge light has what looks like red and gray wires. And the freezer light has yellow and gray wires. The lower fridge and freezer lights will have to be in series. I guess a 120v LED might work with only 60v, but more study is needed.

Here is a diagram: