Amana ART318FFDW Repair Guide
A Whirlpool built 18 cu ft top freezer and one of the most common refrigerators in American rental property, simple, cheap to buy and cheap to fix. There is very little electronics to fail here, which is exactly why these keep running for fifteen years with nothing but a gasket and a thermostat.
Amana ART318FFDW is a top freezer refrigerator, 18 cu ft refrigerator sold 2016 to present. Its most common repair is not cooling at all, no compressor running, usually $140 to $320.
- 5 common problems with causes, fixes and costs below.
- 2 error codes decoded.
- A refrigerator like this lasts about 10 to 15 years.
- Check the model and serial tag before you order any part.
Common problems & typical repair costs
| Problem | Likely cause | Typical fix | OEM part # | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not cooling at all, no compressor running | Start relay, overload, or cold control thermostat | Replace start relay or thermostat | not listed | $140 to $320 |
| Freezer works, fridge section warm | Evaporator fan motor or frost blocking the air duct | Replace fan motor. Defrost the coil | not listed | $180 to $360 |
| Frost building through the freezer compartment | Door gasket leaking or defrost heater failure | Replace gasket. Replace defrost heater if the coil ices fully | not listed | $150 to $400 |
| Water dripping into the fresh food compartment | Defrost drain tube clogged | Flush the drain tube | not listed | $110 to $230 |
| Runs constantly in a warm room | Dirty condenser coils | Clean condenser coils, often the whole repair | not listed | $90 to $180 |
Costs are national averages for professional repair (parts + labor). See the linked cost guides below for full breakdowns.
Error codes
| Code | What it means |
|---|---|
| No display codes | This is a mechanical control platform, diagnosis is by measurement, not stored codes |
| Cold control | Thermostat dial directly switches the compressor. Test it before suspecting the sealed system |
Tech notes
On a machine this cheap the repair or replace conversation arrives early. A sealed system job costs more than the refrigerator. Anything on the outside of the sealed system, gasket, thermostat, relay, fan, drain, is almost always worth doing, and these run for years afterwards.
Sources
Where the safety, regulatory and warranty claims on this page come from. Repair costs are our own figures based on Arizona market rates and OEM parts pricing.
- Food Safety During a Power Outage FoodSafety.gov (U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services) The 40°F threshold and the 2-hour rule for discarding perishable food.
- Stationary Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (Section 608) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Refrigerant handling rules and the certification required to open a sealed system.
- Section 608 Technician Certification U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Which certification type covers household refrigerators and freezers.
Cost guides for this machine’s common repairs
DIY step by step instructions for this model
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