Samsung Refrigerators2023–present

Error Code 21E

Freezer fan motor stopped or lost feedback signal

Critical

Stop using immediately - risk of damage or safety issue

Also displayed as: 21E

What This Means

Defective BLDC fan motor; Fan motor wire disconnected or contact error; No pulse signal feedback from fan motor to MICOM

What actually causes this:

The fan that circulates cold air in the freezer has seized, lost a wire connection, or the feedback circuit has failed — freezer will warm without airflow.

First Thing to Check

Open the freezer, listen for the fan while using forced operation mode — if silent, check for ice buildup or debris blocking the fan blade.

Parts Involved

Freezer BLDC fan motor (12035GE-12M-YT-F1)Main PCB CN74

How to Fix

  1. 1

    Enter test mode and activate Forced Operation to command the fan

  2. 2

    Measure voltage between Main PCB GND and CN74 pin 4; should be DC 8V–12V during operation

  3. 3

    Check for pulse signal at CN74 pin 9 (F-FAN feedback) — signal should pulse when motor spins

  4. 4

    Verify compressor is running (fan only runs under compressor-on conditions or during forced operation)

This Error Applies To

Samsung RF23 Series Refrigerators (2023) (2023–present)

Service manual exact match: RF23K*Service manual exact match: RF23J*Service manual exact match: RF23J*/RF23K

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