Appliance Spares
Quick answer: The right defrost termination thermostat for a Westinghouse or Kelvinator fridge is identified by the number printed on the old part, not by the fridge’s size, age or badge. The thermostat is a small disc clipped to the evaporator behind the freezer’s rear panel; pull the number from its body or the label on its wiring, then match it in the table below. If your freezer is icing up and you have not yet confirmed which part failed, start with the symptom guide instead — this page is for choosing the correct replacement once you already know the termination thermostat is the fault.
Last updated August 2026
Diagnosed already, or still chasing a symptom?
This page does one job: it matches a replacement termination thermostat to the fridge in your kitchen. If you are still at the stage of ice on the back wall, a warm fresh-food compartment or a freezer that frosts over every fortnight, the diagnosis lives in Westinghouse fridge icing up: the fix — it walks the whole defrost system in order and tells you which part is guilty. Come back here once the trail ends at the termination thermostat.
One thing worth knowing before the table: Westinghouse fridges share their platforms widely, and the parts follow. 46 distinct parts in our catalogue are listed for two or more brands of the Electrolux family (Electrolux, Westinghouse, Simpson, Dishlex, Chef, AEG). Kelvinator sits under the same roof, which is why one thermostat listing often serves several badges — and why the number on the old part matters more than the name on the door.
Match the number on the old part
Unplug the fridge, take the rear panel off the freezer compartment, and look for a small disc — about the size of a ten-cent coin, in a plastic or metal shell — clipped to the evaporator pipework or the heater bracket, with two wires coming off it. The part number is printed on the shell or on a sleeve around the wiring. Match it here:
| Number on the old thermostat | Store code | Listed for | Replacement |
|---|---|---|---|
 J54100001D | 0613 | Westinghouse | Westinghouse fridge defrost termination thermostat |
 1403448 | 0606 | Electrolux, Westinghouse | Electrolux and Westinghouse defrost termination thermostat |
 1433633 | 0620 | Electrolux, Westinghouse | Defrost termination thermostat for Electrolux and Westinghouse fridges |
 1432898 | 0561 | Electrolux, Westinghouse | Replacement termination thermostat for Electrolux and Westinghouse fridges |
If the printing on the old part has worn off — common, it lives in a wet environment — fall back to your model code. The model sticker is inside the fresh-food compartment, usually on a side wall or behind a crisper bin. Run the code through the part finder, or look your model up in the manuals at Westinghouse support to get the parts diagram. For a Kelvinator the path is identical: the number on the old part is the authority, and if it is unreadable, send us the model code from the sticker and we will confirm the match before you order.
What the termination thermostat actually does
A frost-free fridge defrosts itself on a schedule: a timer or control board switches the cooling off and runs a heater along the evaporator to melt the frost. The termination thermostat is the referee. It sits against the evaporator, closed while the metal is cold, and snaps open once the frost is gone and the evaporator warms — cutting the heater before it cooks the compartment. It is both the “job done” signal and the safety limit on the hottest part of the defrost system.
Its common failure is dying stuck open. The circuit through the heater is then never complete, the heater never runs, and frost builds cycle after cycle until the evaporator is a block of ice and the fridge section runs warm because air can no longer move through. The rarer failure is sticking closed, which lets the heater overrun — melt marks or warped plastic around the freezer’s rear panel are the tell for that one.
Confirming the old one is dead
The thermostat is a switch, so a multimeter settles it in two tests. At room temperature it should read open circuit. Sit it in a freezer for half an hour and test again: cold, it should show continuity. A thermostat that reads open in both states is dead; one that reads closed at room temperature is failing the other way. If it passes both tests, put it back on the suspect list behind the heater and the timer or board — the all-brands defrost thermostat and sensor replacement guide covers how the pieces are tested against each other.
Fitting the new one
- Unplug the fridge at the wall before anything else — the defrost circuit is mains-powered. Product Safety Australia’s appliance guidance at productsafety.gov.au is blunt about working on powered appliances, and rightly so.
- Empty the freezer and let it defrost fully with the door open and towels down. Prying at a frozen panel snaps clips, and the thermostat itself is usually iced in place.
- Remove the freezer’s rear panel and photograph the thermostat in place — position and orientation matter, because it reads the temperature of the exact spot it clips to.
- Unclip the old thermostat and disconnect its wiring. Compare connector styles with the new part before going further; if the connectors differ, the joins need proper crimps, not twisted wire.
- Clip the new thermostat exactly where the old one sat, make the connections moisture-tight — this space drips condensation every defrost cycle — and route the wiring clear of the fan.
- Refit the panel, restore power, and give the fridge a day before judging. Frost clears over cycles, not minutes.
DIY or call a tradie?
For doing it yourself: there is no plumbing and no gas, access is a handful of screws, and the two-test multimeter check above means you can be certain of the diagnosis before spending anything.
For handing it over: the symptoms of a failed thermostat, heater and timer overlap, and buying parts one at a time until the ice stops is slower and dearer than one accurate diagnosis; the wiring joins have to survive years in a wet, freezing space, which rewards someone who crimps them weekly; and a fridge full of thawing food puts a clock on the whole exercise.
A fair rule: if you own a multimeter and the two-test check made sense, this is a reasonable Saturday job. If the fridge is your only one and it is already warm, a tradie gets you cold air back sooner.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the model number on a Westinghouse or Kelvinator fridge?
On the model sticker inside the fresh-food compartment — check the side walls first, then behind the crisper bins. Photograph it before ordering anything; close variants of the same fridge can use different defrost parts.
Is the termination thermostat the same thing as the freezer sensor?
No. The sensor reports temperatures to the control board continuously; the termination thermostat is a simple switch in the heater circuit. On models with a display, a sensor fault tends to announce itself — a Westinghouse showing F2 is pointing at the freezer sensor, covered in the Westinghouse F2 error guide — while a dead termination thermostat just quietly stops the defrost.
The freezer iced up again a week after I fitted the new thermostat. Was it the wrong part?
More likely the thermostat was never the fault. If a correctly matched part tests good and the ice returns, the heater or the timer/board is the remaining suspect — go back to the symptom guide and test the rest of the circuit. Also check the door seal, since a leaking seal builds frost no defrost system can keep up with.
Can I bridge the thermostat to test whether the heater works?
Do not run the fridge with the thermostat bridged. It is the safety limit that stops the heater overheating the compartment. Testing the heater is done with the power off and a multimeter, not by defeating the part that protects everything around it.
The listing says Electrolux and my fridge says Westinghouse. Will it fit?
The brands share parts across the family, and each listing names the badges it covers. Match the number on your old thermostat to the table and the badge takes care of itself. If the number is unreadable, confirm by model code instead.
Do I really have to defrost before replacing it?
Yes. The thermostat clips to pipework that will be buried in ice, and forcing a frozen panel or clip breaks plastic that is hard to source separately. Towels, an open door and a few hours do it properly.
Order the right thermostat first time
Pull the number from the old part, or photograph the model sticker and run your model through the part finder — we will confirm the match before you pay for anything. Orders dispatch same day from Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
Disclaimer: this article is general information only and is provided without warranty of any kind. Appliance designs vary between models and production runs — always follow the manufacturer’s instructions, switch off and unplug the appliance before starting any work, and confirm parts against the model number on your appliance’s model sticker. Any repair is undertaken at your own risk and Oz Appliance Spares accepts no liability for injury, loss or damage arising from work performed after reading this guide, to the maximum extent permitted by law. If in doubt, use a qualified technician.
