GE Side by Side 22’ & 24’, Side by Side 22’ & 24’ Dispenser Use & Care Manual

Refrigerator

Contents

Appliance Registration

2

Water Supply to Icemaker

4

Base Grille

4

Light Bulb Replacement

14

Care and Cleaning

13

Model

anci

Serial h’umbers

2

Condenser

13

Problem Solver

15-18

Consumer Services

19

Safety Instructions

3

Energy Saver

8

Shelves

11, 12

Energy-Saving Tips

2

Storage Drawers

lo, 11

Food Saver System

10, 11

Drawer & Cover Removal

10, 11

Food Storage Suggestions

9

Temperature Controls

8

Storage Times

9

Vacation & Moving

‘r@S

14

Ice Dispenser

5-7

Warranty

Back

Coler

Icemaker

5-7

Water Filter

Accessor~7

14

Installation

3,4

Adapter Plug

4

Adjustable Rollers

4

Clearances

4

Electrical Requirements

3,4

Extension Cord

4

Grounding

3

GE Answer

Centera

Location

4

800.626.2000

Side by Side 22’ & 24’ Dispenser Models

GE Appliances

Help us help you...

Read this book carefully.

It is intended to help you operate
and maintain your new refrigerator
properly.

Keep it handy for answers to your
questions.

If you don’t understand something
or need more help,

write (include

your phone number):
Consumer Affairs

GE Appliances
Appliance Park
Louisville, KY 40225

Write down the model and
serial numbers.

You’ll see them on a label at the
bottom, just inside the fresh food
compartment door.

These numbers are also on the
Consumer Product Ownership
Registration Card that came with
your refrigerator.

Before sending in this card, please
write these numbers here:

Model Number

Serial Number

Use these numbers in any
correspondence or service calls
concerning your refrigerator.

If you received a damaged
refrigerator,

immediately contact
the dealer (or builder) that sold you
the refrigerator.

Energy-saving tips

c

Location of your refrigerator is
important. Avoid locating it next to
your range, a heating vent or
where the sun will shine directly
on it.

● Don’ t open the doors more often

than necessary.
. Close the doors as soon

as

possible, particularly in hot, humid
weather.

● Be sure the doors are closed

tightly. Before leaving the house or
retiring for the night, check to be
sure the doors haven’t been left
open accidentally.

. Store only those foods requiring
refrigeration in your refrigerator.

● Wipe moisture from bottles and

cartons before putting them in the
refrigerator.

Q

Keep foods covered to reduce
moisture buildup inside the
refrigerator.

. If you turn the controls to the
coldest position for quick chilling
or freezing, be sure to turn them
back to regular settings.

. Don’ t overcrowd your
refrigerator. Overcrowding can
require extra electrical energy to
keep everything cool.

If you need service

To obtain service, see the
Consumer Services page in the
back of this book.

We’re proud of our service and
want you to be pleased. If for some
reason you are not happy with the
service you receive, here are three

steps to follow for further help.

FIRST, contact the people who

serviced your appliance. Explain
why you are not pleased. In most
cases, this will solve the problem.

NEXT, if you are still not pleased,
write all the details—including
your phone number—to:

Manager, Consumer Relations
GE Appliances
Appliance Park
Louisville, Kentucky 40225

FINALLY, if your problem is still
not resolved, write:

Major Appliance Consumer

Action Panel
20 North Wacker Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60606

Save time and money.
Before you request service, check

the Problem Solver section in this
book. It lists causes of minor
operating problems that you can
correct yourself.

2

IMPORTANT

Read all instructions

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

before using this appliance.

WARNING—wh~n

using this

appliance,

always

exercise basic
safety precautions. including the

follow

i

ng:

● Use this appliance

onl}T

for its

intended purpose

as

described in

this

Use

and

Cat-e Book.

● This refrigerator must be

properly installed in accordance
with the Installation Instructions
before it is used.

See

grounding

instructions below

and on

page 4.

s

Never unplug your refrigerator

by pulling on the power cord.

Always

grip

plLIg

firmly

and pull

straight out

from the

outlet.

● Repair or replace immediately

all electric service cords that
have become

frayed

or otherwise

damaged.

Do n~~t

LISe a cord that

shows

cracks

or

abra$ion damage

along

its

length

01- a{

either the

plug 01-

connector encl.

When

mo%7ing

your refrigerator
away from the wall, be careful
not to roll over

or

damage the

power cord.

. After your refrigerator is
in operation, do not touch the
cold surfaces in the f’reezer
compartment, particularly

when hands are damp

or

wet.

Skin may

adhere

to these

extremely cold surfaces.

● Do not place fingers or hands

on the automatic

icemaking

mechanism while the
refrigerator is plugged in. This

will prevent contact with the
moving parts

of the ejector

mechanism, or with

the

heating

element that releases

[he cubes.

● Don’t refreeze

f’rozen

foods

which have thawed completely.

The United States Department of

AgricultLlre

in

Home

and Garden

Bulletin No.

69

says:

“...

YoLl

may safely refreeze frozen
foods that have thawed if they still
contain ice crystals or if they are

still

cold-below

40”F.

“... Thawed ground meats, poultry

or

fish that have

an)’

off-odor or
off-color should not be refrozen
and should not

be

eaten. Thawed
ice cream should be discarded. If
the odor or color of any food is
poor or questionable, get rid of it.
The

food

may be dangerous to eat.

“Even partial thawing and
refreezing reduce the eating quality
of foods, particularly fruits,

vegetables and prepared

foods.

The

eating

quality of red

lmeats

is
affected less than that of many
other foods. Use refrozen foods as
soon as possible to save as much
of their eating quality as you can.”

“

If your old refrigerator is still
around the house but not in use,
be sure to remove the doors. This

will reduce the possibility of
danger to children.

● Unplug your refrigerator:

A. Before making any repairs.
Note: We strongly recommend

that any servicing be performed
by a qualified individual.

B. Before cleaning.
C. Before replacing a burned-out

light bulb, the refrigerator should
be unplugged in order to avoid
contact with a live wire filament.
(A burned-out light bulb may
break when being replaced.)

Note: Turning control to OFF
position does not remove power
to the

light

circuit.

● Do not store or use gasoline or

other flammable vapors and
liquids in the vicinity of this or
any other appliance.

SAVE THESE
INSTRUCTIONS

Installation

Requirements—

IMPORTANT...Please

read carefully.

How to connect
electricity

For personal safety,
this appliance must be

properlv

grounded.

.

The power

cord

of this appliance is

equipped with a three-prong

(gl-ollnding)

plLI: w

hiuh mate~

with

//

GROUND EXISTS

Fig.1 ‘

BEFDRE

USE

standard

thl”w-pron:

(

groLlndlng

)

Ha\e wall outlet

and

circuit

wall

outlet ~ Fi Q.

1 ) [o minimize the

checked

b)’

a qualified electrician

pos~ibi]it)

of ;lectric

S11OCL hazard

to make

sure the outlet is properly

from

thi~

applimce.

groLmded.

Where a standard two-prong

wall

outlet is encountered, it is your
personal responsibility and
obligation to have it replaced with

a properly grounded three-prong

wall

outlet.

DO NOT, UNDER ANY

CIRCUMSTANCES, CUT
OR REMOVE THE THIRD
(GROUND) PRONG FROM

THE POWER CORD.

3

Installation Requirements

(continued)—

IMPORTANT...Please

Read Carefully

Use of Adapter Plug

Because of potential safety hazards
under certain conditions, we
strongly recommend against use of
an adapter plug. However,

if

you
still elect to use an adapter, where
local

codes permit, a TEMPORARY

CONNECTION may be made to

a

properly grounded two-prong

wall

outlet by use of a UL listed adapter

(Fig. 2) available at most local

hardware stores.

The larger slot in the adapter must
be aligned with the larger slot in
the wall outlet to provide proper

polarity in the connection of the

power cord.

CAUTION: Attaching adapter
ground terminal to wall outlet
cover screw does not ground the
appliance unless cover screw is
metal, and not insulated, and wall
outlet is grounded through house
wiring. You should have the circuit
checked by a qualified electrician
to make sure the outlet is properly
grounded.

When disconnecting the power
cord from the adapter, always

hold the adapter with one hand. If
this is not done, the adapter ground
terminal is very likely to break
with repeated use.

Should the adapter ground
terminal break, DO NOT USE
the appliance until a proper
ground has again been

established.

Use of Extension Cords

Because of potential safety hazards
under certain conditions, we
strongly recommend against the
use of an extension cord. However,
if you still elect to use an extension
cord, it is absolutely necessary that
it be a UL listed 3-wire grounding
type appliance extension cord

having a grounding type plug
and outlet and that the electrical
rating of the cord be 15 amperes
(minimum) and 120 volts.

The refrigerator should always
be plugged into its own
individual electrical

outlet—

( 115 volt,

60

Hertz, or

100

volt, 50
Hertz. single phase AC). This is
recommended for best performance
and to prevent overloading house
wiring circuits. which

cou]d

cause
a fire hazard from overheating
wires.

Refrigerator Location

Do not install refrigerator where
temperature will go below

60°F.

because it will not run often enough
to maintain proper temperatures.

Do install it on a floor strong

enough

to

support a fully loaded

refrigerator.

Also see

Ener,gy-Saving

Tips

regarding

l~cation.

Clearances

AI1OW

the following clearances

for

ease of installation and proper air
circulation:

Sides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5/8”

Top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1“

Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1“

If the refrigerator is against a wall

on either side, allow 3/4”

for

door

clearance.

Water Supply to Icemaker

You will need to connect your
icemaker to a

cold

water 1 inc. A

water

sLIpply

kit containing copper

tubing. shut-off

valve,

fittings and

instruction

is avai Iable

at extra

cost from your dealer. There

should be sufficient tubing

for

the

icemaker

from

the cold water

supply to allow

you

[o

mo~~e

the

refrigerator out from the

wall

se~eral

feet (approximately 8 feet

of 1/4” copper tubing in three

1()-

inch diameter coil s.)

Rollers

Adjustable rollers behind the base
grille enable you to move the
refrigerator away from the wall for
cleaning. These rollers should be set
so the refrigerator rests firmly on the
floor. To assure that the doors will
close automatically from a

halfway-

open position,

the;e

is a built-in

tiit

from the front to the back of the
cabinet. Side-by-side refrigerators
also have specially designed door
hinges that lift both doors slightly
when opened. allowing the force of
gravity to help close them securely.

To adjust rollers,

remove the base
grille by grasping it at the bottom
and pulling it out.

Turn

roller

adjusting screws

clockwise to raise refrigerator,
counterclockwise to lower it. Use
adjustable wrench (3/8” hex head

bolt) or pliers.

When adjusting front rollers for
proper door closure, we recommend

that

the bottom front edge of the
cabinet be approximately 5/8” from
the floor.

To replace base grille,

align prongs

on back of grille with clamps in
cabinet and push forward until grille
snaps into place.

Ice & Water Dispenser

.~utomatic

Icemaker and

Ice & Water Dispenser

Your refrigerator

has

an automatic

icemaker

and

a dispenser that

dispenses water,

ice

cubes

and

crushed

ice

through

the freezer

compartment

doot-.

Here. s

ho~~

they

work.

~Vater flows

from the household

pply

through a

(1) dual solenoid

valve

to the

(2) water reservoir

and

to the

(3) automatic

icemakcr as

nculed.

Water is frozen in

the

(4) cube mold

and

ejected into the

(5)

stm-age

bin

where

a

nlotor-

powered

auger

moves

cubes

forward into the dispensing unit.
Cubes or crushed ice, as selected.
dispense through

chute

in door

when

cradle

is pressed.

When the switch is moved to
CRUSHED, baffle in

housin:

channels cubes through

the

crusher

and crushed ice

fal

1s through

chute

into glass.
Water from reser}oir

flows

through the

(6)

tubing in the door and is

dispensed when the cradle is
pressed.

(7) A light switch turns the night

ht’~

in the dispenser on or off.

>kL1ght sW1tch and

night

light

are

on

24’

models

onl}.

Important Facts about Your

Ice

& Water Dispenser

“

Your icemaker will produce eight

cubes per

cycle—approxiln:ltel~

] z()

cubes in a 24-hour

perit>d—

depending

on freezer compartment

temperature. room temperature,
number of door openings and other

use

conditions.

c

Intermittent dispensing of ice

is normal. If

ice flow

interruption

is more than brief,

ice

clump(s)

may be the

CLLLISe

and

shou]d

be
removed following instructions
below and on

page

7.

●

Avoid overfilling glasses

writh

ice
and using narrow or extra-tall
glasses.

This can jam the chute or

cause the door- in the

chute

to

freeze shut.

Period~ca]ly

open the
freezer compartment door and
look down into the chute.

If

ice is
blocking the chute. poke it through
with

a

wooden spoon.

c

To help keep bits of ice from

being sprayed beyond the glass,

place

glass close to ice

chute—

but not so

close

that it

blocks

outcorning

ice.

●

Ice should not be dispensed

into thin glasses, fine china or

delicate crystal—they can

crack

or
chip from the combined pressure of
your

hand

pressing them against

the

cradle

and ice dropping into the

container.

c

Ice should be dispensed before
filling glass with soda or other
beverage mixes. This will

pre~ent

splashing which is annoying

and

which, if the splash reaches the
ice and water selector switch,
could

caLIse

it

to stick or bind.

●

Beverages and foods should not
be quick-chilled in the ice storage
bin.

Cans, bottles or

food

packages
in the storage bin may cause the
icemaker to malfunction.

● Ice other than that produced

by your icemaker should not be
added to the ice storage bin—it

may

not crush or dispense well.

Before Using Your
Icemaker and Dispenser

If

you use your refrigerator before

the

water

connection is made, raise
the ice access door and make sure
the icemaker feeler arm is in the
STOP (up) position as shown below.

Ice access

door

Icemaker

arm in

(up)

position

When water

sLlpply

has been
connected to icemaker, move

feeler

arm to ON (down) position

~

‘ Feeler arm

~i

;

in ON (down)
position

Depress water dispenser cradle for

b

a out

two

minutes to

remo}re

trapped air from the water line and
to fill water reservoir automatically.

Ice cube mold automatically fills
with water after cooling to freezing
temperatures. First cubes normally
freeze after several hours.

NOTE: With a newly-installed
refrigerator. allow about

24

hours
for the freezer compartment to
cool

do~n to the proper

ice-

making temperature.

(cott

tin ued nextpage)

i

Ice & Water Dispenser

(eontinucd,

Once Your Icemaker and
Dispenser Are in Operation

Throw away

the

first

few

batches

of ice cubes (16 or 24 cubes). Thi\

will

flush away

any impurities in

the water line.

DO

the

same

thing

after

vacations or extended periods

when

ice isn

’1 used.

Discard the first six glassfu]s

of

water in the kitchen sink. This wi 11

eliminate

the slight ‘Lplajtic.’ taste

temporarily imparted to the water
by the water reservoir.

Keep ice level to keep icemaker
productive.

Cubes ejected into an

empty storage bin

wil 1 pile Llp

close

to the icemaker

und

push

the

feeler arm up to

the

STOP

positit~n

prematurely

when

the bin is only

partially

full.

Open the ice

access

door,

reach

in.

level

the

cubes

by

hand

and icemaking

will resume.

Keeping

cubes

distributed

e~’enl~

will

allow the

icernaker

to

prodLIce

enough ice to fill the bin to

it~

maximum capacity.

Caution:

Under certain rare
circumstances, ice cubes may
be discolored. usually appearing
with a green-bluish hue. The
cause of this unusual
discoloration is apparently due
to a combination of factors such
as certain characteristics of local
waters, household plumbing and
the accumulation of copper salts

in an inactive water supply line
which feeds the icemaker.
Continued consumption

of

such
discolored ice cubes may be
injurious to health.

If

such
discoloration is observed,
discard the ice cubes and contact
your GE Factory Service Center
or an authorized Customer
Care[’’Servicer.

To Dispense Ice and Water

(on

models

with

one cradle)

s

Set selector switch to CUBES,

CR

USIHED ICE

or WATER.

,1--

I -

. Grip

:1 ass ~r

other container near

the rim and press rim gently but

firmly against

the rubber-

cusbioned

cradle.

To Dispense Ice and Water

(on models with

two

cradles)

o

For ice, set selector

iw

itch to

C1-TBES or

CRUSHED.

E;or water.

si mp]y po~i(ion gla~f

beneath

the

word

“WATER

. “

.———————-——

——–--–d

la

c

Grip g 1 ass m- other

contai ncr

t~entl}{ near

the rim

and press

rim

~%
firm]v against

ice or water

dispe;ls;-

cradle.

Caution: Never put fingers or other objects into the
ice crusher discharge opening.

When Dispensing Ice...

Some crushed ice may be
dispensed even though you
selected CUBES. This happens

occasionally when

a

few cubes
accidentally get channeled to the
crusher.

Sometimes a mound of snow will
form on the door in the ice chute.

This condition is normal. and

usually’

occurs when you have
dispensed crushed ice repeatedly.
The

snow

will

e~’entually

e~’aporate.

When Dispensing Water...

The water system provides
approximately six successive
6-ounce

glassfuls—after which

several

hours must be allowed for

replenished water

reserloir supply

to

cool. You probably will not

drain

all

the chilled ~ater from the

reservoir on a single occasion.

The first glass of water
dispensed may be warmer than
the following ones. This is

normal

Dispensed water is cool, not iced.’

For colder water. simply add crushed
ice

or

cubes before dispensing water.

6