How to Reset a GE Refrigerator In 3 Easy Steps

When your fridge is on the fritz, you need a surefire way to get it back into gear. In this article, you’ll find 3 simple ways to reset your GE refrigerator and get it working again. Let’s get started. 

You can reset your GE refrigerator by unplugging it and waiting 30 seconds. You can also turn it off at the circuit breaker for 30 seconds to reset it.

Are you ready to get your refrigerator back in working order? Then take a look at the tips below that will help you reset any GE fridge in a jiffy.

Finding Refrigerator Reset Instructions

When you’re trying to troubleshoot an appliance, your first step should be to consult the user manual.

Don’t have one? No worries! You can find it online – I’ll show you how.

As much as I’d like to, I can’t provide one set of instructions for every type of GE refrigerator. The quickest and easiest way to reset your fridge is to find the specific instructions for your model. Even among appliances made by a single manufacturer, there can be big differences. Two fridges both made by GE could have completely different reset rules. 

So, what should you do? Here is a foolproof tip that will help you to find the right instructions for resetting your GE thermostat. 

In an internet search engine, type the following:

“GE [model] Refrigerator Manual PDF”. 

Here’s an example of what you should type:

GE PFE28KYNFS Refrigerator Manual PDF.

Typing this into a search engine helped me to find this user manual for a GE French Door refrigerator. Inside the manual, I found more details on how to reset this particular model.

Alternatively, you can find your user manual on the GE website. Use this owner manual search tool to find yours. 

Once you’ve found your manual online, you can skip right to the troubleshooting section for safe reset instructions.

Don’t know your model number? No worries! Coming up in the next section of this article are some general reset methods that cover most fridges.

3 Tips for Resetting Any GE Refrigerator

There are a few things you can try to reset your fridge. Most smart fridges have a few standard reset methods that can be used on any make or model.

Tip #1 Software Reset

For modern fridges with more complicated software, you can perform a full reset by going into the appropriate settings menu and telling the fridge to reset. This can vary exactly by model, so check your manual (and use the instructions above to find your manual online, if you don’t have the physical copy to hand).

On some models, you can find the reset option for a GE fridge in Settings -> About -> Reset.

Tip #2 Check for Error Codes

If a software reset doesn’t work, then it’s time to look for specific problems. Check the display for error codes. If there’s an error code, you can look it up to find the right way to reset the fridge.

Smart fridges are able to self-diagnose their problems in most cases. If you’re seeing an error code, you can check the problem at GE’s error code database. Here you will find a list of the most common GE error codes. You’ll also see some handy instructions that will help you fix the problems. 

Here are the most common error codes that you may see on your GE refrigerator.

What should you do if your GE refrigerator is displaying a different error code? There are a couple of codes that your refrigerator will display that do not indicate errors. They simply mean that the fridge is running as it should. These are tC and tF. These two codes stand for Turbo Cool and Turbo Freeze. 

There are more GE error codes than are listed on this page. But the error codes that are not listed are the ones that you would need to check with a technician. It is not safe for you to handle and try to fix these parts on your own.

Tip #3 Hard Reset

If there’s one thing that works across just about every technology, it’s the hard reset. Just about everything with a computer chip inside can benefit from some time turned off. That’s the case for fridges too.

A hard reset will fix just about everything a soft reset can. Just be careful, because this can sometimes erase your settings. 

Here’s how you can perform a hard reset on your GE refrigerator:

1. Turn off the fridge. If there’s a power button inside the fridge, press and hold it until the lights turn off.
2. Unplug the fridge. Reach behind the unit and remove the plug from the wall. Cutting off its electrical supply helps stop any glitches that might escape turning the unit off.
3. Wait 30 seconds.
4. Plug the fridge back in and turn it back on. Your fridge should now be back in working order!

*TIP: If you cannot reach behind the fridge to unplug it, turn it off at the circuit breaker. Leave the circuit breaker off for at least 30 seconds before attempting to turn it back on again. This method will also reset the fridge.

After the Reset

In most cases, one of these reset methods will do the trick, and you will solve your problem. Even so, it’s important to double-check that everything is now operating as it should.

Once your fridge is running again, pay attention to it for the next few days. Make sure that the fridge is running normally, without any weird temperature fluctuations or error messages. If everything seems to be ok, you’re all set.

Why Do Refrigerators Need a Reset?

Everything with a computer chip in it is vulnerable to computer bugs. The smarter your fridge, the more parts it has that can freeze up.

Sometimes, programs can get caught in a loop. If a program is given too many commands at once, commands that conflict, or commands that make no sense, it can freeze. Basically, the program gets confused and stops responding to anything.

In your computer, this problem looks like a Blue Screen of Death. In your fridge, it can appear like an unresponsive ice maker, a black touch screen, or a flashing control panel.

Resetting is a quick solution to this problem. It terminates the program that’s having problems and lets it restart. As long as the problem was a temporary glitch, you’ll be good to go after a quick reset.

Conclusion

Smart fridges are a great way to incorporate the power of technology into your daily life. However, they can have glitches like any other technology. I hope this quick guide has helped you reset your refrigerator, and given you some ways to keep it running in the future.

Check out our related articles for a lot more free information on how to find and use amazing appliances for your home.

Thanks for reading. Have a great day!

-Craig