LG Refrigerator 6 Blinks on Board: Repairing Inverter Appliance Board

Oh no, is your LG refrigerator giving you the dreaded “6 blinks” on the board? You’re not alone!

When your fridge flashes this code, it usually means trouble with the compressor and could mean your freezer has stopped cooling. 

Please don’t freak out yet; it might be fixable through appliance repair, or you might even be covered under warranty.

Let’s dive into what those blinks mean! 

What Does LG Refrigerator 6 Blinks on Board Mean?

You’re dealing with that pesky 6 blinks error on your LG fridge, huh? That usually means there’s a “Freezer Fan Motor Failure.”

Basically, fan in the freezer is either stuck or just not doing its job, which can cause your fridge to flash that error code at you.

First things first, you might want to try a manual defrost. Unplug the fridge, clear out all the food and ice, and let it sit for a good 8 hours.

This should melt any ice buildup that might be jamming the fan. It’s a bit of a pain, but it’s worth a shot before diving into any serious repairs.

Why is my LG Refrigerator showing 6 Blinks on Board?

LG fridge’s control panel is blinking, it might be stuck in DEMO/DISPLAY MODE. No worries, here’s a quick fix for ya:

1. Open up one of the refrigerator doors, preferably the french door.
2. Hold down the REFRIGERATOR and ICE PLUS buttons at the same time for about 5 seconds.
3. You should hear a beep and see the temperature settings pop up on the control panel. That means DEMO MODE is turned off.

If your fridge still isn’t cooling right, try giving it a reset. Just unplug it or trip the circuit breaker for 30 seconds.

Once you plug it back in, the compressor should kick on and it should start cooling and verify if the process takes 24 hours.

What Are the Possible Causes of 6 Blinks on LG Refrigerator Control Board?

Cause 1: Freezer Fan Motor Failure

if you’re seeing the freezer LED light blink six times, it might be because the fan motor is stuck or kaput. Usually, this happens cuz there’s a bunch of frost or ice building up inside the ice maker fan housing.

And, guess what? This frost party is often thrown by your fridge doors not sealing right, letting in warm air that causes the fan motor to freeze up.

Solution

First things first, double-check that the freezer fan motor is properly installed and securely fastened. You don’t want any loose screws causing trouble.

Next, give the motor a good look to make sure it isn’t locked up or jammed. If it’s stuck, it ain’t gonna work properly.

Now, take a close look at the electrical connections. Look for any signs of wear, damage, or corrosion. You want everything looking clean and in good shape.

Make sure all those connections are nice and snug. Loose wires can cause all sorts of problems.

Grab your multimeter and test the motor for continuity and resistance. This will tell you if there’s an issue inside the motor itself.

If it turns out the motor is faulty, well, you might have to replace it.

Cause 2: Defect of Freezer Sensor

Main issue seems to be with the freezer sensor. This little guy’s job is to keep an eye on the freezer’s temperature and make sure the fan motor is running smoothly.

Now, if the sensor gets short-circuited or disconnected, it throws everything off.

You might notice the LED light blinking six times – that’s basically its way of saying there’s a problem with the freezer fan motor.

Solution

First thing’s first, let’s find that freezer sensor. It’s usually hanging out near the freezer compartment. Once you spot it, give it a good look over. Keep an eye out for any signs of damage, corrosion, or if it looks like it got disconnected. Those sensors can be sneaky sometimes!

Next, take a closer look at the sensor wires. Are there any loose connections? Any signs of corrosion? If everything looks good, you’re in the clear. But if the sensor looks busted or like it’s come loose, it’s time for a replacement. Swap it out with a new one, make sure those connections are solid, and secure it back in place.

Now, here’s a little trick – unplug the fridge’s power cord for about 5 minutes. It’s like giving the system a little reset. After the wait, plug it back in and let the fridge come back to life.

let’s check on the freezer fan motor. Is it humming along as it should? If not, it might be time to get a new one.

Cause 3: Flow Meter or Low Water Pressure

Having trouble with water flow or pressure at home? I feel ya. It can be super annoying when your shower turns into a dribble.

This could be because of a few things like clogged pipes, mineral build-up, or even a dodgy pressure regulator.

Sometimes, the flow meter might be acting up too. These little issues can mess with your water pressure and flow big time. But don’t worry, it’s usually fixable!

Solution

make sure that flow meter’s installed right and calibrated. Sometimes it could be blocked or have some mineral buildup, so give it a good check to see if that’s messin’ things up.

Next, grab a pressure gauge and measure the water pressure in your home. You wanna aim for something between 40 and 50 psi. If it’s lower, there might be an issue with your water supply or the pipes.

Look out for any leaks in your pipes. Even a small leak can mess with your water pressure big time. If you find any, get them fixed ASAP to get things back to normal.

If your pressure regulator’s acting up, swap it out for a new one. Make sure the new one’s installed and calibrated properly, too.

Still having issues after all that? Might be time to think about installing a water booster pump. This can really help bump up the water pressure and flow rate, especially if you’ve got old or corroded pipes.

Cause 4: Defrost Failure

Just wanted to give you a heads up – if your defrost cycle runs for 2 hours but the defrost sensor temp doesn’t hit 13°C (55.4°F), you might have a defrost failure on your hands.

You’ll know it’s happening because the LED light on the control board will start blinking 6 times.

Trust me, it’s super annoying but it’s a clear sign something’s up with the defrost system.

Solution

Find the defrost heater at the back of your LG model freezer. Look closely for any damage or loose wires. If it looks busted, it probably needs replacing by a technician.

This little guy keeps an eye on your freezer temperature. Grab a multimeter to test if it’s working right. No continuity? Time to swap it out.

This defrost board manages the whole defrost thing. Peek at it for any burn marks or damage. If it looks fried, a new one might be in order.

It is placed on the freezer section,

The drain line gets clogged up, which messes with how water drains out when things defrost, especially in a french door refrigerator.

Run some warm water through it to clear out any gunk.

Make sure your freezer doors are sealed tight. If not, warm air sneaks in, and that can cause frost to build up like crazy.

If you’ve got your freezer set too chilly, it might not defrost properly. Try dialling it up a bit and give it about a day to settle.

Cause 5: Knob Dial Resistance Short or Open

your LG fridge’s control board is blinking its LED twice and showing “Knob Dial Resistance Short or Open,” here’s what’s up: it means there’s a problem with the knob dial thingy that controls the temperature.

Basically, it could be a short circuit or something that’s not connected right in there.

What you gotta do is check that knob dial thing. Look for any wires that might be loose or if something’s not right with how it’s all hooked up.

Sometimes these things happen, but catching it early can save you a headache later on.

Solution

take a good look at the knob dial on your fridge. Check for any scratches, rust, or signs it’s worn out. Then, make sure the resistance matches what’s recommended for your fridge model.

Next up, check the connections between the knob dial and the main control board. They should be snug and not loose at all.

If you find the knob dial is busted or doesn’t measure right, swap it out for a new one. Follow the instructions from the manufacturer to put it in and calibrate it properly.

Once you’ve done that, calibrate the temperature controls so they’re spot-on. Switch your fridge back on and test the temperature settings to make sure everything’s working fine.

Look for steady LED lights and that your fridge keeps to the temperature you set.

Case Study

Once that’s done, take a peek at the condenser fan next to the compressor. Is that sucker spinning like a well-oiled top or is it dragging its feet? And those coils, man, are they looking more like your abuela’s dusty attic or are they still fresh and clean? Don’t be shy now, give ’em a good once-over.

If everything looks kosher so far, it’s time to check that capacitor. Grab your meter and switch it to the uf setting, you know, the one for them micro-farads. Slap one of them probe thingies on pin A of con201, and the other on pin B. Should be some lettering there like “CAP” or “CAPACITOR” to guide you. If all’s well, you ought to see around 18uf on that display.

Now, if that capacitor’s playing nice, chances are your compressor’s gone rogue on you. See, 6 led blinks means it’s overloaded and throwing a fit. Could be the coils are too dang dirty and ain’t letting enough air through. Or maybe that fan’s taken a vacation, leaving the poor compressor to overheat like a jalapeño left too long on the comal.

The thing is, that compressor’s gonna keep trying to restart every 6 minutes, bless its stubborn little heart. But if it’s too hot to handle, either from the heatwave outside or lack of airflow, it’s gonna cut off again like a telenovela star storming off set.

So, if you’ve checked everything and it all looks copacetic, well, chances are that compressor’s gone loco on you. Maybe it’s overheating, maybe something’s seized up tighter than your tía’s famous tamales. Either way, you might just need to replace the whole dang thing, compadre.

Juan Carlos Lozano, ifixit.com

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