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Repair and information guide for the 2018 GE Café Refrigerator CFE28TP*M***, a refrigerator-freezer model with automatic defrost and without in-built ice maker or door dispenser. This page covers information for model numbers matching the pattern CFE28TP*M***.

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GFCI outlet and temperatures not holding

We have just bought a GE Cafe french door fridge with bottom freezer.

Model #: CFE28TP2MKS1 (LCD display with water/ice dispenser on the door, and hot water dispenser as well)

What has transpired during the last 48 hours:

Appliance store delivered first fridge and temps fluctuated a lot on both the fridge and freezer. They replaced the first fridge with another new model.

Here are brass tacks with the second Cafe model delivered and installed two days ago:

  1. Installer suggested that the problem might be that the fridge was plugged into a GFCI outlet. However, we never had any issues with our old fridge/freezer. The outlet never tripped with the old fridge. With the new fridge, within the two days that we had it, there were no trips of the circuit. So, I personally don't think that is the issue. Would need an electrician's help to confirm this.
  2. Installer said that we needed to try plugging it into another outlet, using an extension cord. We did that. I looked more closely. The second outlet was also GFCI. It is probably on the same circuit as the original described above (daisy chained, I guess). We then ran a long appropriately rated extension about 30 feet to our living room to plug the fridge into a standard 3-prong grounded outlet.
  3. Temps were fluctuating already before establishing the new outlet location. After we moved to the new non-GFCI outlet, temps kept fluctuating. Temps, for some reason, kept rising in the freezer, heading from 0 deg F up to 28. The fridge dropped from 37 to 33 for a short while. Our freezer was set to 0 and fridge to 37 per factory standards. So, 6:23 pm, freezer at 28; 9:47 pm, freezer at 13. At 6:23 pm, fridge at 33; 9:47 pm, fridge at 40. Temps on fridge were 40 or 41 for many hours. Freezer kept dropping. This morning (new day) fridge and freezer reached and held set temps.

Other stuff:

  • Wife and I are underwhelmed by the ice production. Has not reached full capacity in over 48 hours of operation.
  • We are leaving the fridge plugged into the non-GFCI outlet by extension cord for the next 24 hours to see if the fridge and freezer hold temps.
  • If the fridge and freezer hold temps, we are going to try plugging the appliance into the original GFCI outlet just behind the fridge to see if that outlet leads to temp fluctuations with the new fridge. If it does, then I will contact an electrician to help.
  • Clearance on all sides of the fridge: back side of the fridge (almost 3.5 in), right side (almost one inch), left side (no wall).
  • Before hiring an electrician, we are going with the recommendation of the appliance store. They are contacting GE to have them send one of their technicians to our house.

This became a long-winded question. Sorry. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. We took a lot of time to pick out this fridge and are underwhelmed and greatly frustrated with its performance, to say the least.

UPDATE: Four days post-installation still plugged into standard 3-prong outlet by extension cord, the fridge and freezer are holding temps. Ice maker is working pretty well. Turbo Cool and Freeze functions don't seem to work.

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IANAE: I am not an electrician

(but I'm an engineer). I don't think a gfci outlet is the problem. GFCI us there to detect ground faults, it's in the name/acronym. If it detects a ground fault you get NO electricity. If no ground fault you get 120 vac.

Sounds like a GE control problem.

Do you have a voltmeter to check that your outlet has steady 120 vac?

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Thank you for your answer. I only have a hot wire tester, no voltmeter, but I may invest in one. I think that this fridge will work on the GFCI outlet since I never had a problem with the previous fridge going out due to tripping. I will probably have an electrician help me in the near future with installing one dedicated standard 3 prong outlet for the fridge alone. Thanks again.

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Hi @migorino44881

I agree with @nest2g about it not being a GFCI problem so perhaps now that the refrigerator has stabilized, temperature wise, perhaps reconnect it back onto the original outlet and check if, in the main, it it still works OK.

You can prove if the 2nd power outlet used is on the same GFCI breaker if there is more than one, by tripping the breaker (does it have a test button?) and see if power is still available to the refrigerator or not. Bit of a pain if after doing this any clock, timers, modems etc have to be reset ;-) Depending on location it may depend on how many power outlets are supposed to be connected to a GFCI, presumably no more than the same number that were originally connected to the individual power fuse or breaker if it was an update or at least that what it is where I am.

Normally brand new refrigerators, on initial startup, can take anywhere from 8-12 hours (depending on ambient temperature at the time) to reach and hover around the set temps. This is due to the insulated compartment walls and doors having to be cooled down to the set temp as well and not just the air inside the compartment.

Here's the mini manual for the refrigerator that may help in finding out what's wrong. It details how to enter the diagnostic test mode so that all the components can be checked if they're OK. Although in saying that, if something is wrong, as it is brand new, go the warranty route to get it fixed.

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Thank you for your answer. Yours along with the answer from @nest2g helped me out a lot.

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  1. Check first the resistance of your load(Appliances) and solve for the current(I) using ohm's law.
  2. If you already calculate your load current, check your GFCI current rating/setting if it suits to your load current. If the current rating/setting of your GFCI is lower than calculated load current, adjust(higher) your GFCI current setting. And if your GFCI has fixed current rating, replaced it with a higher current rating.
  3. Note: GFCI will also trip-off if your load(Appliance) resistance is lower, since starting current will spike. If you have more than 1 load, it must be turned-on individually.

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Mike Farry will be eternally grateful.
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