LED light panel in fridge

Thread Starter

robismod

Joined Sep 22, 2015
360
We have a Whirlpool French-door, bottom freezer refrigerator, and the LED overhead cabinet light started flickering and is getting worse. From my searches it seemed to be an easy fix—many EBay replacement parts noted to fit this model. I ordered just the two LED panels (4 lights in each) and set about to put them in. Only to find out—SURPRISE! Ours appears to have a driver board and supply in it. (I’ve now ordered another whole panel this time, with board)
But I’m curious still—what’s happening with this one…only one side was flickering. And somehow earlier when I was trying to remove it from the cabinet, it “fixed” itself. Of course it didn’t last…
(I measured 110v coming into it)
 

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Pyrex

Joined Feb 16, 2022
508
Hi,
" only one side was flickering" -It looks like one of the LEDs is broken. It looks like the LEDs are connected in series, so if one of them goes out, the rest won't light up either. To find out which LED is bad, you need to short it with a wire.
 

Thread Starter

robismod

Joined Sep 22, 2015
360
Hi,
" only one side was flickering" -It looks like one of the LEDs is broken. It looks like the LEDs are connected in series, so if one of them goes out, the rest won't light up either. To find out which LED is bad, you need to short it with a wire.
To be more clear on my end…there are 4 LED units on each board. But only one board exhibited the problem. And that was that all 4 units were flickering/flashing, and in sync. Sometimes the flickering has been almost strobe-like. It would drive you crazy if you were having to keep the door open for a longer time…
For the time being while waiting on another part to arrive, I put it back together and simply covered the row of 4 LEDs with strips of black electrical tape. No more flickering! (well, it is a little darker inside there now but so much better than the alternative )

But now I want to pull it back out and look at those caps…just because it’s one of those things the wife and I don’t jive with—she always says “just throw it away and get a new one” and me, I can’t let anything go without at least giving it a try to fix…LOL
 

panic mode

Joined Oct 10, 2011
5,021
To be more clear on my end…there are 4 LED units on each board. But only one board exhibited the problem. And that was that all 4 units were flickering/flashing, and in sync. Sometimes the flickering has been almost strobe-like. It would drive you crazy if you were having to keep the door open for a longer time…
For the time being while waiting on another part to arrive, I put it back together and simply covered the row of 4 LEDs with strips of black electrical tape. No more flickering! (well, it is a little darker inside there now but so much better than the alternative )

But now I want to pull it back out and look at those caps…just because it’s one of those things the wife and I don’t jive with—she always says “just throw it away and get a new one” and me, I can’t let anything go without at least giving it a try to fix…LOL

you have two sets of LEDs, one side works, the other side flickers. since they share same power supply, and one string is working, problem here is not the capacitors in the power section but intermittent connection on one of the LED strings in the low voltage output circuit.... could be bad solder joint, micro crack on the PCB or defective LED.
you can try using 56 Ohm resistor... bend the resistor leads and then use them to touch one LED at a time. there are only 4 of them so probe all four. one that acts differently is the problem (when resistor is placed across LED with bad connection, other LEDs may continue to flicker but will not go completely off).
note, you may have to pierce any coating on the board.

of the problem is not with LED strips but with power board, same logic applies. since one side is working, common part of the PSU is ok. that means problem is not in HV section but near output:
1782233365067.png
 
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