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Your Samsung refrigerator doesn’t just cool itself down all day. One or more times every 24 hours, it also runs a defrost cycle to melt ice buildups away. When that process doesn’t work as it should, the fridge will display the 25e error code.
The 25e error code on a Samsung refrigerator is triggered when the appliance fails to defrost after 80 minutes. A failure to defrost is likely caused by a failed heating element, a faulty defrost temperature sensor or a problematic main control board. Unfortunately, none of these components can be repaired, so you must replace them to resolve the issue.
Keep reading as we dive into how you can troubleshoot and repair the affected parts.
What Does The 25e Error Code Mean On A Samsung Refrigerator?
The 25e error code on your Samsung refrigerator means that the appliance has a problem with its defrost function. In particular, the code is triggered when the fridge fails to defrost itself after running the defrost cycle for 80 minutes.
Read: Refrigerator Auto Defrost Problems
What Is Defrosting And Why Is It Important?
Refrigerators experience a gradual buildup of frost and ice whenever moisture enters their compartments. As the buildup becomes worse, it will affect the fridge’s overall efficiency.
Not only will those buildups take up space inside the fridge’s compartments, but they’ll also prevent the appliance from circulating cold air evenly.
Modern fridges like your Samsung model come with an automatic defrost function to prevent those problems from happening. Several times a day, the defrosting system will turn on by itself, powering a heating element that will melt away any accumulated ice or frost.
Because of that regular defrosting, your fridge stays as efficient as it’s supposed to be.
Read: Samsung Refrigerator Error Code 22E – Troubleshooting Guide
What Are The Causes, And How Do You Fix Them?
The defrosting problem triggering the 25e error code in your Samsung refrigerator is likely caused by a failed heating element, faulty temperature sensor, or a problematic main motherboard.
Failed Heating Element
What it is: The automatic defrosting function of your Samsung fridge is designed to melt away any accumulation of ice and frost inside. The appliance needs to generate heat to do so, and that’s where the defrost heating element (or defrost heater) comes into play.
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The heating element is exactly as the name sounds. When the fridge sends electricity to the element, it’ll generate heat that will melt away all ice and frost very quickly.
Once the defrost cycle ends, and there’s no more power supplied to the heating element, it will stop generating heat and cool down once more.
The heating element turns on several times throughout the day whenever the defrost cycle activates.
How it fails: The defrost heater can fail if it suffers physical or electrical damage. For example, a hard object could have hit the heating element, causing it to dent or break. That kind of damage can prevent the element from conducting electricity and generating heat.
Besides that, the heating element can also experience electrical damage. For instance, it’s likely the element suffered a short circuit and burnt itself out.
How to fix it: Heating elements cannot be repaired, so you’ll have to replace them once you know yours isn’t working correctly. The heating element is hidden behind the evaporator cover on the rear wall of the fridge. That means you must first remove all items and shelves from the fridge compartment.
Once you’ve unscrewed the evaporator cover, remove it along with its electrical plugs. The defrost heater is attached to the rear wall with retaining tabs, so gently release each of them. Then, disconnect and carefully remove the heater from around the evaporator coil and slide the new heater in the same way as before.
Lastly, bend all of the retaining tabs back into place to mount the new heater you’ve just installed securely.
Read: Heating Element
Faulty Defrost Temperature Sensor
What it is: Another crucial component of the defrost system is the defrost temperature sensor. This part is sometimes called the defrost bi-metal thermostat, and it’s designed as a safety feature.
As mentioned earlier, the heating element will turn on during the automatic defrost cycle. When that happens, the bi-metal thermostat will sense if the heating element gets hot enough to damage other components in your Samsung fridge.
When temperatures get too hot, the bi-metal thermostat will cut the power off to the heating element.
How it fails: The defrost temperature sensor can fail due to excessive wear or electrical damage. For example, electrical surges like those during thunderstorms could cause the sensor to short circuit and burn out.
Besides that, a sensor that’s been in use for many years can also wear out and stop working correctly.
In both cases, a defrost temperature sensor that doesn’t work will prevent the heating element from turning on and prevent the defrost cycle from working. After 80 minutes, that will trigger the 25e error code.
How to fix it: Defrost temperature sensors are not repairable, so you’ll need to remove and replace them with a new one. You’ll find your sensor behind the evaporator cover, which you can remove following the instructions detailed in the previous section.
Once you’ve accessed the temperature sensor, simply disconnect its electrical wires and remove it from the fridge. Next, clip the new sensor into place and connect it to the rest of the defrost system.
Read: Refrigerator Auto Defrost Problems
Problematic Main Motherboard
What it is: Every single function of your Samsung fridge is controlled by a small printed circuit board (PCB). That board is called the main motherboard or the main control board, and it has plenty of tiny components attached to it.
Those components control and power different fridge components, ensuring that they turn on and off as needed. Some of those components are also responsible for controlling the automatic defrost cycle of your fridge.
How it fails: The most likely reason for problems with the main motherboard is an electrical fault. Parts on the board might have overheated, burned out, or suffered a short circuit. Besides that, the board can also fail if moisture or excess heat seeps into its compartment.
How to fix it: Once you’ve ruled out all the other possibilities and confirmed that the root cause is a damaged motherboard, you’ll have to replace it with a new one. The motherboard is easy to access, as it’s located behind a panel on the back of the fridge.
Firstly, unthread the screws holding the panel in place. The first thing you’ll see is that the motherboard is covered in lots of wires that connect it to the fridge’s components. To ensure that you connect them the right way later, take a photo of those wires before taking the next step.
Once you’re ready, you can disconnect those wires and release the motherboard from the clips holding it in place.
Gently push the new motherboard in and attach the wires to the correct parts of the motherboard. Finally, reattach the panel that you removed in the beginning.
Clearing The 25e Error Code
The 25e error code will persist and return until your Samsung fridge can complete a defrost cycle. Once you’ve finished troubleshooting and repairing the problem, you can then clear any active error codes by resetting the fridge.
How To Reset Your Samsung Fridge?
The reset process for your Samsung fridge will take five minutes to complete, using a process called ‘power cycling’. Here’s what that process looks like:
- Firstly, remove the fridge’s plug from the wall socket.
- Next, leave the fridge unplugged for five minutes.
- Then, finally, reconnect the fridge to its power supply.
After resetting the fridge, you must give it at least 24 hours to stabilize. During that time, the fridge will cool down to its set temperature and run successful defrost cycles.
Testing Your Samsung Fridge After Repairs
After a repair, the best way to test your Samsung fridge is to leave it alone for 24 hours. The fridge needs that time to cool down and reach the temperature you’ve set for it.
Once those 24 hours have passed, you can check for any active error codes that might still affect the fridge.
Checking For Other Error Codes
You can read any active error codes on your Samsung fridge by using its auto diagnostic mode. Simply press the Energy Saver and Lighting keys together and hold them for 8 seconds.
When you hear the ‘ding-dong’ noise, you can let go of those buttons. The fridge will then begin showing you any active error codes (if any).
