2198202 Refrigerator Freezer Thermostat Temperature Controller Replacement for Whirlpool, Kenmore, Roper, Estate, Crosley, Inglis, KitchenAid, Maytag, Amana Refrigerators, Replaces 2161284 2198201

OK, strap in as this review is more of a step by step since documentation as a whole is poor and reviews here are really hit or miss. Keep in mind this part is pretty much universal so there are some steps required to calibrate for your use and appliance.I used this part to replace the OEM thermostat in my KitchenAide wine cooler - essentially a mini-fridge with a glass door. (As stated earlier, there are different variations of this part that will replace other OEM part numbers so do your research between WPF-10, WPF-20-, WPF-30, etc...)I diagnosed OEM part failure (compressor not starting) by jumping the compressor wire (blue in my unit) and load (black) together, bypassing the thermostat, which started the compressor. After the process below things are working well and I will update if that changes.Installation was straight forward: unplug cooler, unbolt the old part, unplug wires, and plug BLUE wire in the new unit's terminal marked C and the black in the L terminal. Leave the new part loose (unbolted) until final adjustments are completed - just make sure wires are secure. (Electrical tape helps)1st issue I ran into was the original thermostat probe wire (capillary) was affixed to a bracket on the bottom-backside of the cooling coil in the fridge. Carefully loosened the 2 screws and unwound the probe wire and completely removed the old part. The new probe wire was just a bit shorter, so it took one less wrap around the bracket, but secured in fine after tightening the screws slightly.With the new part connected, set main temperature dial in the middle and powered on and ran for 30 mins to let cooler chill. Using an internal thermometer, I found the temp quickly dropped below freezing. Unplugged power and 1st adjustment was a full turn CLOCKWISE on the temp. range adjustment screw (on the side of the new part). Plugged back in and ran again, but still dropped below freezing. Repeated the previous adjustment and this time the temp settled at 37 F. This is great as there is plenty of room on the main dial as it is still set in the middle of the adjustment range.I next observed that the cooler held an internal/ambient temp of 37 F with no fluctuation, but to achieve this the cooling cycles were very short and often. The compressor would kick on for 1 minute and then shut off for 2 minutes before turning on again. This would surely burn out the new thermostat quickly and possible damage the compressor. This is where the 2nd adjustment screw comes into play. The delay adjustment is on the rear of the unit (opposite the main dial) and is smaller than the temp adjustment screw so use a precision philips head screwdriver. Unplugged fridge and I gave delay screw a half turn COUNTERCLOCKWISE. Plugged fridge back in and let it run through 2 cycles to reach temp and then started my timer again. This time, the compressor kicked on for 1.5 minutes and shut off for 3.5 mins. Progress, so I repeated the adjustment, but turned the screw 2 full rotations COUNTERCLOCKWISE. Next time the cooler ran for just under 2 mins and shut off for almost 10 mins. Now that we're getting closer to ideal cycle times, the final adjustments will be keep the cooler in range. 2 mins on / 10 mins off allowed a 3 F degree swing in the cooler which is good, but the range can be a little higher to increase energy efficiency. 5-7 degrees was achieved after final adjustment of 1.5 more rotations of the delay screw. This has the compressor running for about 2.5 mins and off for about 18 mins. Turning the main dial a bit colder, clockwise, temps range from 35 - 42F.After adjustments complete, bolt in the new unit to finish.Since there are many different versions/variations of this part some of them may not look the same, but they should all share the same concepts. I have attached a technical diagram for a very similar part I found online. This was a big help to me so hopefully it is equally useful to others.Give yourself a few hours to install and adjust. I worry that those who simply throw this part in without taking the time to make the proper adjustments will find themselves in the same spot in the near future after this part fails from the oversight or worse the compressor burns out.March 21, 2022Update:Still working well, but after moving the cooler into the house after we converted our formal dining room into a den with a bar I decided to make a small adjustment - not needed, just me being compulsive.I did not post this review for any other part numbers, but if you are here reading for any of the WPF units, this review/guide does still apply, but your connections may be different and you probe/thermo wire may be a different length.July 26 2022

This thermostat is sn EXACT replacement for my 18 year old "chinese" mini fridge. My son used it for 4 years of college, and it has sat unused since then. I thought i might use it as cool storage for fruit & veggies in the summer, so I cleaned it up & turned it on......It froze everything. No control! So I ordered this little gem.Installing it was a nightmare since this No Name fridge was not designed to ever, EVER come apart....but that's another story!Once installed, it worked properly, except the warmest I could get it was a little over 45° F. I adjusted the temperature screw clockwise 3/4 turn (as explained in another review), and VOILLA! It's keeping 50 to 55° f. Perfect For KEEPING fruit, veggies and potatos fresh, but not "refrigerated". Also perfect for keeping wine cool!Ps. Make sure to run the capillary tube through any sheaths and secure in the original location to achieve proper results! AND .....DO NOT CUT THE CAPILLARY TUBE TO SHORTEN IT. That DESTROYS the thermostat! (I saw in another review how someone did just that and couldn't figure out why it wasnt working! 🤷‍♂️)

I needed this for a 20 year old Kenmore under counter refrigerator. The OEM part was no longer available. This unit snapped into place with only the leads on opposite sides from the original. The spade connectors were larger than the originals, but I had the correct connectors and switched them. After a few days to settle down, the thermostat is working great and is holding the temperature very stable.

Used to replace an almost identical module in a Northland refrigerator. Confirmed with a multimeter that I had hot/load wires correctly identified.Installed it, and as anticipated by the excellent top review, the default was way too low (probably comes set for a freezer). Turned the temp adjust screw, and had it holding temp at about 33F (and turning the dial would trigger it on/off). Adjusted the temp screw a bit more, and it was holding at about 37F. However, again as anticipated by the review, it appeared to be short cycling, so I adjusted the delay screw.After monitoring it for a few hours more, it was apparent that the fridge had frozen up - even though the compressor was running, no cold air. Unplugged it and let it sit overnight. Started again this morning; fridge started running and dropped the temp from 49 to 31 within 90 minutes. But when I tried to use the dial to set it to a warmer temp, it would not release, nor would any adjustment of the temp screw. So I suspect that the contacts have gotten stuck.I’ve processed a return/replacement from Amazon; if the replacement works better I’ll update. Otherwise, caveat emptor.Update: replacement arrived and installed. Again, you have to futz with the adjustment screws to get the temp range where you want it and to not have it short cycle, so don’t rush things.It does work once you get it dialed in, and it’s inexpensive. Rating adjusted.