The home repairmen should be very cautious when it comes to repair of the household refrigerator. They should be aware of the fact that they are dealing with a very expensive product, and one that contains a very delicately balanced cooling system. One small error could damage the system beyond repair.
Replacing a faulty compressor requires special vacuum and freon filling equipment that only professional technicians can handle.
The refrigerator cooling system is not like the family automobile air conditioner. You can’t simply attach a hose and add a little freon when it isn’t cooling properly. The refrigerator is a carefully balanced, sealed system, and normally should not have a freon-loss problem. If the unit is not cooling properly, and you have determined that the compressor is running, then there are several electrical components in the system that could be at fault. Read the rest of this entry »
The components of a typical household refrigerator are described below:
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.
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. Read the rest of this entry »
Unplug the Fridge power cord before servicing the Fridge. Move the Fridge out from the wall. Use extreme care when moving the Fridge, because the Fridge legs can easily damage the floor.
Open the Fridge door and locate the control console in the back of the Fridge cabinet. Remove the screws that secure the console cover. Remove the thermostat bracket. NOTE: Before removing the defrost timer from the Fridge cabinet, mark the wires, so they can be replaced correctly on the replacement part. Next, remove the screws that secure the defrost timer to the Fridge cabinet. Next, remove wiring harness and remove defrost timer. Read the rest of this entry »
There are three types of failures that are associated with the Fridge start capacitor. These failures are a defective capacitor. an open filament capacitor, and a grounded capacitor. You can check each of the above failures with the volt/ohmmeter. First, unplug the Fridge power cord. Using hand tools, remove the screws that secure the Fridge back and remove the starting capacitor from the compressor starting package. Look for traces of oil on or around the capacitor. If oil is present, the capacitor is defective.
CAUTION: A charged capacitor is extremely dangerous. A capacitor that has been removed from the compressor starting package will hold a charge indefinitely, even when not in use. If you touch the terminals of a charged capacitor, the built-up voltage could give a high-voltage shock that could be fatal. A flat-blade screwdriver across the terminals should be used to discharge a capacitor. Read the rest of this entry »
Other specific symptoms include: 1) Food not remaining at desired temperature. 2) Compressor does not cycle ON.
Because the interior light is ON, the Fridge has the required electric power to operate.
Something is causing the compressor not to cycle ON. Check the components in the order that they are listed below. The most likely component at fault is the defrost timer, which could be stuck in the defrost cycle. The Fridge is then in a permanent state of defrost and does not cycle ON. However, if the compressor tries to start and the interior light dims, the problem is probably not the defrost timer or the thermostat; therefore, check the components of the compressor assembly starting with the starting relay. Read the rest of this entry »
Unplug the fridge power cord before servicing the fridge. Move the fridge out from the wall. Use extreme care when moving the fridge, because the fridge legs can tear or damage the floor.
Using hand tools, remove the screws on all four sides of the fridge or freezer doors so that you can remove and discard the defective gasket(s). Before removing the old gasket, note carefully how the gasket is installed, because the replacement gasket has to be installed in the same position as the defective gasket that is removed. Before installing the replacement gasket, heat the rubber with a home hair dryer set on low heat. This will make the rubber more flexible,’ and easier to install on the fridge or freezer door. Install the replacement door gasket by mounting the lip of the gasket under the retainer plate. Read the rest of this entry »
You can check the evaporator fan motor by removing the plastic breaker strips on the left- and right-hand sides of the freezer section of the fridge.
NOTE: When removing the plastic breaker strips, it is recommended that they be pre-heated using a 40-to-60-watt light bulb. The light bulb is applied to each breaker strip for 5 to 7 minutes, to warm the pieces and make them more pliable and less subject to breakage. Read the rest of this entry »
Other specific failure symptoms include: 1) Food not remaining at the desired temperature. 2) Fridge compressor does not cycle OFF.
If the compressor motor runs continuously in an attempt to keep the fridge cool but the cabinet is still not cool enough, you will have to find the component or failure that is restricting the cooling capacity of the fridge. Check the components in the order that they are listed below. Read the rest of this entry »
Specific symptoms include: 1) Food not remaining at the desired temperature. 2) Fridge cools intermittently. 3) Food in freezer section thaws out and then refreezes or is only partially frozen.
When a fridge has intermittent cooling, it is known as “spot cooling.” Spot cooling is a situation where the fridge does not cool the food adequately for a period of time and then mysteriously returns to proper operating order. The erratic behavior in the fridge is caused by one of two things: a defective defrost timer, or a moisture restriction. First, check the defrost timer. Read the rest of this entry »
Unplug the Fridge power cord before servicing the Fridge. Move the Fridge out from the wall. Use care when moving the Fridge, because the metal feet can tear or damage the floor.
Open the freezer door and remove the plastic breaker strips at the front of freezer section. NOTE: When removing plastic breaker strips, heat them with a low- wattage (40-60) light bulb for 5 to 7 minutes. Heat will make the plastic more pliable and less susceptible to breakage. Read the rest of this entry »
