How to name Refrigerator Appliance Components and Diagnose Problems

The components of a typical household refrigerator are described below:

Compressor

The heart of the refrigerator system is the compressor. It is made up of a pump and an electric motor and is contained in a sealed dome through which the refrigerant travels.

Starting Relay

The starting relayis an electromechanical switch used to start the compressor motor. As electricity flows, the starting relay energizes the start winding of the refrigerator compressor motor until the motor is almost up to speed. At this point, the relay breaks the electrical circuit to the start winding and the compressor motor continues to run on its run (or motor) winding.

Starting Capacitor

Some refrigerator compressor motors must have excessive starting torque in order to start under high load conditions. To deliver this high starting torque, a starting capacitoris placed in series with the start winding of the compressor motor. When the start winding is energized, the start capacitor builds up voltage and then discharges, causing a power surge to the start winding. This power surge, in turn, gives the compressor motor more momentum, enabling the compressor to start easier.

Overload Protector

The compressor overload protector is an electrical device attached to the compressor motor housing that senses any unusual temperature rise. Excess temperature causes the overload bimetal disc to break the circuit to the compressor motor.

Evaporator Fan Motor

The function of the evaporator fan motor located in the freezer section is to move cold air from the freezer compartment to the refrigerator compartment.

Condenser Fan Motor

The condenser fan motor serves two functions: to keep the compressor cool and to remove heat from the condenser coil.

Defrost Termination Switch

The function of the defrost termination switchis to open the circuit to the defrost heater when the refrigerator cabinet reaches a pre-selected temperature.

Thermostat

A thermostatcontrols the temperature of the refrigerator by cycling the compressor ON and OFF when it senses changes of temperature in the refrigerator cabinet.

Defrost Heater

The function of the defrost heater is to melt the frost buildup that accumulates on the evaporator coils between the defrost cycles. The water then runs into the condensation drain pan.

Defrost Timer

The function of the defrost timer is to energize the defrost heater at certain intervals, usually once every twelve hours.

Diagnosing Problems

The most common complaint about refrigerators is that they are not cooling properly. But this information in itself is not enough for you to begin the process of checking the refrigerator components to find the cause of the problem. To avoid the trouble of checking components that do not need checking, you must first identify other related symptoms.

If the food is not cold enough, the first thing to look for is the interior light. If the light does not come ON, electric power to the refrigerator may be OFF.

If the food is not cold enough, but the interior light does come ON, the next thing to check for is whether the compressor is cycling ON and OFF. To check the compressor, listen at the front of the refrigerator grill for the humming sound of the motor. Also, if the compressor is running, there will be a draft of warm air at the front of the grill. If the compressor DOES NOT cycle ON, there are several components that could be causing the failure. We will be discussing each one in this section. If the compressor DOES cycle ON (and possibly never even cycles OFF in a futile attempt to keep the cabinet cold), you will have to check another set of components.

Finally, if the food is not cold enough, the interior light is ON, and the compressor seems to be cycling ON and OFF properly, you will have to look further for related symptoms. Are the walls of the refrigerator possibly saturated with water? Is there an excessive frost build-up in the freezer? Is the refrigerator “spot cooling” — cooling properly at times and then not cooling at other times? After you have looked for the related symptoms, the following section will be helpful to you in diagnosing and pinpointing exactly what is wrong with your refrigerator.

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