--- title: "Refrigerator Control Board and Sensor Repair" description: "A refrigerator cools to what it believes the temperature is, and a sensor reading wrong is obeyed perfectly." url: "https://refrigeratorrepair.center/services/controls-and-sensors/" --- # Refrigerator Control Board and Sensor Repair A refrigerator cools to what it believes the temperature is, and a sensor reading wrong is obeyed perfectly. ## What the refrigerator control board and sensor repair involves. Controls fail in two ways that look different from the outside. A sensor reading colder than reality tells the control there is nothing to do, and every other part of the system behaves correctly while the food gets warm. A control board or a display failing takes the interface with it, and the appliance may keep cooling perfectly. Which of the two it is decides how urgent the visit is, so it is worth saying on the phone whether the cabinet is still cold. How the visit goes ### What it usually costs Moderate · Control board Priced against the model, and on built-in units the part is the majority of the cost. ### Answers 5 problems Refrigerator Control Panel Not Responding Refrigerator Showing an Error Code · Refrigerator Freezing Food · Refrigerator Not Cooling · Fresh Food Section Warm, Freezer Cold ### Comes up most on French door refrigerator Refrigerator column · Built-in refrigerator ### Codes that lead here 5E · PC ER · ER CO · ER rS Samsung refrigerator showing 5E. ## Controls and sensors, step by step. Price the board against the model before ordering — on built-in units the part is most of the cost. 01 Establish first whether cooling is affected, because a dead panel on a cold appliance is a much smaller job. 02 Clear the free causes: control lock, sabbath and demonstration modes, and a latched state that a power-off clears. 03 Measure the sensors rather than trusting what the display reports about them. 04 Price the board against the model before ordering — on built-in units the part is most of the cost. ## The problems it answers. 5 of them, from refrigerator control panel not responding to fresh food section warm, freezer cold. [All problems](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/problems/) Most common ### Refrigerator Control Panel Not Responding 5 causes, cheapest first Before you call ### Tell us this when you book 1. Whether the appliance is still cooling 2. Whether the display is blank, frozen or partly working 3. The exact characters of any code 4. Whether there was a power cut It also answers - [**Refrigerator Showing an Error Code** 5 causes](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/problems/refrigerator-error-code/) - [**Refrigerator Freezing Food** 5 causes](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/problems/refrigerator-too-cold/) - [**Refrigerator Not Cooling** 7 causes · food safety applies](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/problems/refrigerator-not-cooling/) - [**Fresh Food Section Warm, Freezer Cold** 5 causes · food safety applies](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/problems/fresh-food-warm-freezer-cold/) ## Moderate, on the site's scale. Priced against the model, and on built-in units the part is the majority of the cost. [Read the full cost guide](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/cost/) | Repair | Relative cost | | --- | --- | | [Door gasket or alignment](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/services/door-gasket-and-alignment/) | | | [Defrost heater, thermostat or sensor](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/services/defrost-system-repair/) | | | [Evaporator or condenser fan](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/services/fan-and-airflow-repair/) | | | [Water inlet valve or line](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/services/water-and-dispenser-repair/) | | | [Defrost drain clearing](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/services/drain-and-leak-repair/) | | | [Ice maker assembly](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/services/ice-maker-repair-service/) | | | **Control board** | moderate | | [Compressor or sealed system](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/services/sealed-system-and-compressor/) | | | [Maintenance visit](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/services/maintenance-and-condenser-cleaning/) | | ## Where it comes up most. Most bookings: French door refrigerator, Refrigerator column, Built-in refrigerator. [All refrigerator types](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/types/) Codes that lead here - [`5E` Samsung · Sensor circuit](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/error-codes/samsung-5e/) - [`ER CO` LG · Communication](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/error-codes/lg-er-co/) - [`SY CE` Frigidaire · Communication](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/error-codes/frigidaire-sy-ce/) - [`SY CE` Electrolux · Communication](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/error-codes/electrolux-sy-ce/) [All 72 codes that lead here](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/error-codes/#family-sensor-circuit) Often the same visit - [**Diagnostic visit** 3 problems in common](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/services/diagnostic-visit/) - [**Defrost system repair** 2 problems in common · low to moderate](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/services/defrost-system-repair/) - [**Fan and airflow repair** 2 problems in common · low](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/services/fan-and-airflow-repair/) ### French door refrigerator ### Refrigerator column ### Built-in refrigerator ## The makes we see it on. 31 makes on this site, and the refrigerator control board and sensor repair on any of them. Each mark opens that make's own page. [All 31 brands](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/brands/) ## Controls and sensors, where we come out. The kitchen, the climate and the building all change how the refrigerator control board and sensor repair goes. These notes are about that, metro by metro. [All service areas](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/) [Tampa Bay](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/tampa-bay/) FL · 31 areas A control board in a garage or lanai refrigerator lives in damp, warm air, and moisture at the connectors can produce erratic readings, so sensor resistance and connector condition are checked before any board is replaced. - [Hyde Park](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/tampa-bay/hyde-park/) - [Davis Islands](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/tampa-bay/davis-islands/) - [Palma Ceia](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/tampa-bay/palma-ceia/) - [Westchase](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/tampa-bay/westchase/) - [Carrollwood](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/tampa-bay/carrollwood/) - [Belleair](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/tampa-bay/belleair/) - [St. Pete Beach](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/tampa-bay/st-pete-beach/) - [Palm Harbor](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/tampa-bay/palm-harbor/) [Orlando](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/orlando/) FL · 30 areas Since neighboring homes often share the same model, a recurring display or sensor problem may show up on several of them, and knowing that pattern points the technician toward the likely part sooner. - [Winter Park](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/orlando/winter-park/) - [Windermere](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/orlando/windermere/) - [Dr. Phillips](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/orlando/dr-phillips/) - [Bay Hill](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/orlando/bay-hill/) - [Lake Nona](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/orlando/lake-nona/) - [Heathrow](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/orlando/heathrow/) - [Celebration](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/orlando/celebration/) [Miami / South Florida](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/south-florida/) FL · 47 areas Built-in panel-ready units usually keep the control board behind trim or up in the top grille, so it can be reached in place; for a residence found warm after months away, sensors and board are tested before anything is removed. - [Brickell](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/south-florida/brickell/) - [Coconut Grove](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/south-florida/coconut-grove/) - [Coral Gables](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/south-florida/coral-gables/) - [Pinecrest](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/south-florida/pinecrest/) - [Key Biscayne](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/south-florida/key-biscayne/) - [Aventura](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/south-florida/aventura/) - [Sunny Isles Beach](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/south-florida/sunny-isles-beach/) - [Bal Harbour](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/south-florida/bal-harbour/) - [Miami Beach](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/south-florida/miami-beach/) - [Golden Beach](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/south-florida/golden-beach/) - [Weston](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/south-florida/weston/) - [Boca Raton](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/south-florida/boca-raton/) - [Palm Beach](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/south-florida/palm-beach/) [New York Metro](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/new-york/) NY · 75 areas Undercounter drawers and slim columns pack their controls into cramped housings that run warm with little air around them, and a sensor reading wrong in such a compact unit is tested in place rather than hauled out of the building. - [Upper East Side](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/new-york/upper-east-side/) - [Upper West Side](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/new-york/upper-west-side/) - [Tribeca](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/new-york/tribeca/) - [SoHo](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/new-york/soho/) - [Greenwich Village](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/new-york/greenwich-village/) - [Battery Park City](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/new-york/battery-park-city/) - [Brooklyn Heights](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/new-york/brooklyn-heights/) - [Park Slope](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/new-york/park-slope/) - [DUMBO](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/new-york/dumbo/) - [Forest Hills](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/new-york/forest-hills/) - [Great Neck](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/new-york/great-neck/) - [Southampton](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/new-york/southampton/) - [Scarsdale](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/new-york/scarsdale/) [Houston](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/houston/) TX · 36 areas Garage units are the classic case of a thermistor fooled by its surroundings: in a cold spell it reads the fresh-food side as cold enough and stops calling for cooling, so the freezer can warm while the refrigerator seems fine. - [River Oaks](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/houston/river-oaks/) - [Memorial](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/houston/memorial/) - [Tanglewood](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/houston/tanglewood/) - [Greater Heights](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/houston/greater-heights/) - [Kingwood](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/houston/kingwood/) - [Bellaire](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/houston/bellaire/) - [Bunker Hill Village](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/houston/bunker-hill-village/) - [Piney Point Village](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/houston/piney-point-village/) - [Hunters Creek Village](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/houston/hunters-creek-village/) - [Sugar Land](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/houston/sugar-land/) - [Cinco Ranch](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/houston/cinco-ranch/) - [The Woodlands](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/houston/the-woodlands/) - [West University](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/houston/west-university/) [Chicago](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/) IL · 50 areas On an unheated back porch or in a chilly basement, a refrigerator can be misled by its own sensors in winter, with the temperature control doing exactly what it is told while the freezer slowly thaws. - [Lincoln Park](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/lincoln-park/) - [Near North Side](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/near-north-side/) - [West Loop / Near West Side](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/west-loop-near-west-side/) - [Wilmette](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/wilmette/) - [Winnetka](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/winnetka/) - [Glencoe](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/glencoe/) - [River Forest](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/river-forest/) - [Oak Park](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/oak-park/) - [Hinsdale](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/hinsdale/) - [Lake Forest](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/lake-forest/) - [Highland Park](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/highland-park/) - [Gold Coast](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/gold-coast/) - [Lakeview](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/lakeview/) [Los Angeles](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/) CA · 95 areas Among the several units a household keeps, the outdoor and garage ones tend to show control trouble first, often from heat on the board or moisture at a connector; each sensor is compared against a reference thermometer. - [Beverly Hills](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/beverly-hills/) - [Bel Air](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/bel-air/) - [Holmby Hills](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/holmby-hills/) - [Brentwood](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/brentwood/) - [Pacific Palisades](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/pacific-palisades/) - [Santa Monica](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/santa-monica/) - [Hancock Park](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/hancock-park/) - [Studio City](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/studio-city/) - [Calabasas](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/calabasas/) - [Manhattan Beach](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/manhattan-beach/) - [Palos Verdes Estates](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/palos-verdes-estates/) - [Pasadena](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/pasadena/) - [San Marino](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/san-marino/) - [Malibu](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/malibu/) [San Diego](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/san-diego/) CA · 31 areas Outdoor units near the coast can see salt corrosion creep into sensor connectors and display circuits, producing readings that drift, while built-ins in newer inland homes tend instead to show display or board problems that leave cooling intact. - [La Jolla](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/san-diego/la-jolla/) - [Carmel Valley](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/san-diego/carmel-valley/) - [Point Loma](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/san-diego/point-loma/) - [Del Mar](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/san-diego/del-mar/) - [Rancho Santa Fe](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/san-diego/rancho-santa-fe/) - [Coronado](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/san-diego/coronado/) - [Encinitas](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/san-diego/encinitas/) - [Solana Beach](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/san-diego/solana-beach/) [San Francisco Bay Area](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/bay-area/) CA · 74 areas Boxed in without breathing room, a counter-depth or undercounter unit runs long and hot, which can stress the control board; the technician separates a genuine sensor error from a unit simply losing the fight for airflow. - [Pacific Heights](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/bay-area/pacific-heights/) - [Presidio Heights](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/bay-area/presidio-heights/) - [Russian Hill](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/bay-area/russian-hill/) - [Noe Valley](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/bay-area/noe-valley/) - [Sea Cliff](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/bay-area/sea-cliff/) - [Hillsborough](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/bay-area/hillsborough/) - [Atherton](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/bay-area/atherton/) - [Woodside](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/bay-area/woodside/) - [Palo Alto](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/bay-area/palo-alto/) - [Los Altos Hills](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/bay-area/los-altos-hills/) - [Tiburon](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/bay-area/tiburon/) - [Piedmont](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/bay-area/piedmont/) - [Marina](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/locations/bay-area/marina/) For the heart of your home. ## Questions about the refrigerator control board and sensor repair. ### The display is dead but the fridge is cold. Is that urgent? No. Many appliances keep cooling perfectly with a failed display, and that separates it from a control failure that took the cooling with it. ### Will a reset fix it? Sometimes, and it costs nothing to try. Pull the power for five minutes; a control that latched into an odd state after a surge often comes back. ### Is a control board repaired or replaced? Replaced as a unit on nearly every current model. Before ordering one the technician confirms the board really is the failed part, because a sensor or a loose connector on the way to it produces identical symptoms and costs much less to put right. ### Does anything need setting up after a new control is fitted? Sometimes. Certain boards are configured to the exact model when they are installed, and the technician does that before leaving. Your temperature settings and any modes you use will usually need entering again. --- **[Read on the site: Refrigerator Control Board and Sensor Repair](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/services/controls-and-sensors/)** **[Book a visit with RefrigeratorRepair.center](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/schedule/)**