How to Put a GE Side-by-Side Refrigerator in Manual Defrost Mode

When you were a kid, you may have noticed your parents manually getting rid of what looked like icicles in your freezer compartment. Although some refrigerators can automatically defrost the freezer compartment, on some General Electric refrigerators, you have to start the GE refrigerator forced defrost mode process manually. The automatic defrost mode may be more convenient, but don't fret, if you consistently defrost your freezer, then it won't take that long to defrost manually.

Some GE refrigerators don't automatically defrost, so you'll have to start the GE refrigerator forced defrost mode process manually. There isn't a defrost heater in these models, so there's no need to run a GE refrigerator defrost heater test. To manually defrost these types of models, you have to turn off the fridge and let it warm up to room temperature.

According to GE Appliances, there are a couple of reasons you may need to defrost your fridge. You need to start the GE refrigerator forced defrost mode process manually if you use your freezer frequently, there is high humidity in the room where your refrigerator is housed or you're noticing frost that becomes 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick.

Even if these things aren't occurring, you must defrost your freezer frequently. According to GE, you should not operate your GE profile refrigerator longer than six months without defrosting the freezer compartment.

Before you start the manual defrosting process, you have to remove all of the contents from the freezer compartment. It will take a while to defrost your fridge manually, so you should put any frozen food in a picnic cooler or insulated container. After you remove the contents from your freezer, the first thing you need to do is turn the temperature control off. You must keep the temperature control off the entire time, and the defrosting process should take a minimum of two hours.

When your freezer starts defrosting, you can use a plastic scraper to get rid of any frost from the ceiling and walls. According to GE Appliances, don't use a sharp scraper because this can damage the refrigerating system. As your freezer defrosts, you should use a sponge to sop up any water that collects in the bottom of the freezer compartment. One thing many people might not know is that you may not see all of the frost bits that are accumulating in your freezer, because frost collects on the freezer compartment surfaces that you can't see.

When the frost melts on the hidden side of the freezer compartment, the defrosted water will drain through an opening in the top of the fresh food compartment. That's why you should place a small container underneath this opening to collect any water that is draining through the hole. Once you defrost the entire freezer, you can turn the temperature control back on and put your food and other contents back in the freezer compartment.

The more you defrost your fridge, you'll start to take note of the frost patterns in your freezer compartment. If the frost pattern is concentrated on one side of the freezer, then you need to schedule a service appointment to have a technician come out and see if your refrigerator is properly working.