Whirlpool Refrigerator Defrost Heater WP12729128 — Fixes Frost Buildup & No Cooling

Whirlpool Refrigerator Defrost Heater WP12729128 – OEM Replacement (Replaces 12729128)

Whirlpool Refrigerator Defrost Heater WP12729128 — Fixes Frost Buildup & No Cooling

Sale price: $65
Regular price: $134.07
You save: $69.07 (52%)

Frequently Bought Together

Refrigerator Frosting Over or Not Cooling? Defrost Heater WP12729128 – Fix Frost Buildup & Defrost Failures Fast

A refrigerator that frosts over on the evaporator coils, stops cooling, or has water pooling under the crisper drawers is almost always suffering from a failed defrost heater. In most Whirlpool-platform bottom-freezer and French door refrigerators, this is caused by a failed defrost heater. When it fails, frost accumulates on the evaporator coils unchecked until airflow is completely blocked — causing the fresh food section to warm up while the freezer appears to run normally. ⚡ Common failure point across Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Amana, Kenmore, and JennAir refrigerators. Part WP12729128 is the genuine OEM replacement that restores automatic defrost function and normal cooling immediately — directly supersedes 12729128, no modification required.

❓ Is This the Right Part?

This is the correct fix if ALL of the following are true:

✔ Refrigerator powers on and compressor runs
✔ Evaporator fan is confirmed running in the freezer
✔ Defrost thermostat and thermal fuse have been tested and are not the cause
✔ ONLY problem is frost buildup on evaporator coils, fridge not cooling, or water pooling under crisper drawers

Not sure? Send us your model number — we'll confirm before you order.

🔧 Common Symptoms

Refrigerator not cooling while freezer stays cold
Heavy frost or ice buildup on evaporator coils behind freezer back panel
Water pooling under crisper drawers or on the floor in front of the fridge
Evaporator fan running but no cold air reaching the fresh food section
Refrigerator runs constantly without reaching set temperature
Defrost cycle error code on digital display

✔ If these symptoms match, the defrost heater is the most likely failed component in the defrost system.

✔ In most cases, replacing this defrost heater restores automatic defrost and normal cooling immediately.

📦 Part Details

Part Number: WP12729128
Type: Refrigerator Evaporator Defrost Heater Assembly
Replaces: 12729128 — no modification required
Brands: Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Amana, Kenmore, JennAir

⚠️ Recommended While Repairing:
While the evaporator panel is off, test the defrost thermostat and thermal fuse — these two components fail alongside the heater in roughly 40% of defrost system failures and cost under $20 each. Replacing all three at once eliminates the most common causes of repeat defrost failure and saves a second service call.

⚙️ Installation

Skill Level: MODERATE — 45–60 minutes. Disconnect power before beginning. Remove all freezer shelves and bins to access the rear evaporator panel, then remove the panel screws to expose the evaporator coils and heater. Manually defrost any ice buildup with a hair dryer before disconnecting the heater connectors. Transfer the new WP12729128 heater to the same mounting position, reconnect the wiring, and reassemble in reverse. Allow 24 hours for the refrigerator to return to normal operating temperature.

✓ Compatible Models

Confirmed compatible with Whirlpool WRF, WRB, WRX, WRV series; Maytag MFI, MFT, MFF, MBF, MFX series; KitchenAid KBFS, KBRS, KRFF, KRMF series; Amana ABB, AFB series; Kenmore 596, 10672 series; and JennAir JFX series refrigerators. Contact us to verify your model number before ordering.

Model-specific repair guides: WRF532SMHZ00, WRF532SNHZ00, WRF736SDAM11, WRF757SDHZ00, WRF989SDAB01, WRFA32SMHZ00, WRB322DMBB00, WRX988SIBB00, WRV996FDEM00, GB2FHDXWB00, GX2FHDXVA00, MFI2269FRZ00, MFT2574DEE00, MFT2976AEB00, MFF2258FEZ00, MBF2258FEZ00, MFX2876DRM00, KBFS22EWMS1, KBRS22EVMS1, KRFF302ESS00, KRFF507ESS00, KRMF706ESS00, ABB2224WEB0, AFB2234WEB0, JFX2897DRM00

💡 Pro Tip

Test the Heater with a Multimeter Before Ordering:
Disconnect the defrost heater connectors and test resistance across the terminals — a good heater reads 20–50 ohms; an open circuit (OL) confirms the heater has failed. Also test the defrost thermostat (should read continuity when cold) and the thermal fuse (should read continuity always) — if any of these three components reads open, replace all three together to prevent a repeat failure within the same defrost cycle.

✓ Model-Specific Repair Pages

59679423411 59679423410 59679422411 59679422410 59679419411 59679419410 59679413411 59679413410 59679412411 59679412410 59679349510 59679344510

✅Compatibility & Cross Reference

Defrost Heater, Defrost Element, Evaporator Heater, Heater Assembly

Part number WP12729128 replaces 12729128

10672002010, 10672002011, 10672002013, 10672002015, 10672003010, 10672003011, 10672003012, 10672003013, 10672003014, 10672003016, 10672003017, 10672003018, 10672009010, 10672009011, 10672009013, 10672009015, 596467934251, 596467934351, 596467934451, 596467934951, 59665232404, 59665232405, 59665234404, 59665234405, 59665239404, 59665239405, 59665332602, 59665333602, 59665339602, 59666122702, 59668252801, 59668252802, 59668253801, 59668253802, 59668254801, 59668254802, 59668259801, 59668259802, 59669280000, 59669280001, 59669280011, 59669280012, 59669280013, 59669280014, 59669282000, 59669282001, 59669282011, 59669282012, 59669282013, 59669282014, 59669283000, 59669283001, 59669283011, 59669283012, 59669283013, 59669283014, 59669284000, 59669284001, 59669284011, 59669289000, 59669289001, 59669289011, 59669289012, 59669289013, 59669289014, 59669382010, 59669383010, 59672002010, 59672002011, 59672002013, 59672002015, 59672003010, 59672003011, 59672003012, 59672003013, 59672003014, 59672003016, 59672003017, 59672003018, 59672009010, 59672009011, 59672009013, 59672009015, 59672382410, 59672382411, 59672382413, 59672383410, 59672383411, 59672383413, 59672389410, 59672389411, 59672389412, 59672389413, 59675232404, 59675232405, 59675234404, 59675234405, 59675239404, 59675239405, 59676252702, 59676252703, 59676253702, 59676253703, 59676254702, 59676254703, 59676259702, 59676259703, 59678282800, 59678282802, 59678282803, 59678282900, 59678282902, 59678282903, 59678283800, 59678283802, 59678283803, 59678283804, 59678283900, 59678283902, 59678283903, 59678289800, 59678289802, 59678289803, 59678289804, 59678289900, 59679212010, 59679212012, 59679212013, 59679213010, 59679213011, 59679213013, 59679213014, 59679219010, 59679219011, 59679219012, 59679219013, 59679222011, 59679222012, 59679222013, 59679222014, 59679223011, 59679223012, 59679223013, 59679223014, 59679223015, 59679229011, 59679229012, 59679229013, 59679229014, 59679242017, 59679243017, 59679243018, 59679249017, 59679322011, 59679322013, 59679322015, 59679323011, 59679323012, 59679323014, 59679323016, 59679329011, 59679329013, 59679329015, 59679342510, 59679343510, 59679344510, 59679349510, 59679412410, 59679412411, 59679413410, 59679413411, 59679419410, 59679419411, 59679422410, 59679422411, 59679423410, 59679423411

Whirlpool, Maytag, Amana, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Kenmore (verify by model)

Not sure about your model number? Call 1-877-899-7278 and we’ll help you confirm. All brand names are the property of their respective owners and are used for compatibility reference only.

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Kitchener, Ontario N2E 1W8

Phone

1-877-899-7278

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