What Fault 20 Means
Fault 20 concerns the flapper heater - a small element that keeps the damper flap between compartments from freezing into position. F&P's table logs this code when the current through that heater comes in low, pointing at an open-circuit heater or a broken connection to it.
Common Causes of Fault 20
- The flapper heater element has gone open circuit
- A Molex connection to the heater has worked loose
- A broken lead in the run between module and damper
🔧 One Safe Check You Can Try
Nothing to test, but the sign worth reporting is a compartment that will no longer move off one temperature no matter how you set it, since a damper stuck open or shut behaves exactly that way.
⚠ Why You Shouldn't Go Further Than That
- Unplug the refrigerator before the damper area is opened up, because this heater is fed from the same module that switches mains to the compressor.
- The damper assembly is set up so the flap seats against its frame with very little clearance, and one disturbed and refitted by eye tends to leak cold air permanently.
- A heater that measures open at the connector may still be fine at the element, with the break in the loom instead - only tracing it finds out.
- Cold plastic in this part of the cabinet splits rather than bends, and the damper housing is not a part most owners can source separately.
Opening a panel to inspect or repair something yourself doesn't automatically cancel your manufacturer's warranty — but it can risk accidental damage, and some manufacturers do have specific service conditions. Check your product's warranty terms, or ask us, before deciding.