A Major Household Refrigerator Troubleshooting, Fix,Repair and Diagnosis
Safety Grounding
For personal safety, refrigerator must be equipped with a three-prong power cord must be properly grounded. These three-prong power cords mate with a standard three-prong (grounding) wall receptacle.
Do Not, Under Any Circumstances, Cut Or Remove The Third (GROUND) Prong From The Power Cord. Do Not Use An Extension Cord.
Refrigerator Diagnosis
1. Complain:
- Compressor will not try to start.
Possible Cause:
- Fuse blow
- Inoperative cold control thermostat
- Inoperative overload
- Run winding open
- Relay winding open
- Defrost timer in defrost mode
Repair procedure:
- Check fuse or circuit Breaker. If blow, check for cause of overload and replace fuse or reset circuit breaker.
- Check cold control thermostat, by-pass with insulated jumper. If unit starts, replace thermostat. (Safety precaution!)
- Test compressor - Call to Certified Technician Andy's Appliance & Refrigeration
Use ohmmeter, check continuity between pins “C” and “R” on the compressor or - Call to Certified Technician Andy's Appliance & Refrigeration
- Check relay - Call to Certified Technician Andy's Appliance & Refrigeration
- Check timer for operation or - Call to Certified Technician Andy's Appliance & Refrigeration
2. Complain:
- Unit attempts to start, kicks on overload
Possible Cause:
- Rating of power source too high or low
- Inoperative relay
- Start winding open
- Leads broken or connections loose
- Stuck compressor
- Open start capacitor
Repair procedure:
- Check wall outlet. Should be within 10% of nameplate rating, 120V, AC~ 60Hz Branch circuit of 15 A minimum, important safety electric appliances.
- Test compressor - Call to Certified Technician Andy's Appliance & Refrigeration, or do-it-Yourself, step-by-step and safely.
- Check continuity of start winding. Use ohmmeter check continuity between pins “C” and “S” on the compressor or - Call to - Certified Technician Andy's Appliance & Refrigeration
- Check for broken leads and loose terminal connections
- Direct test compressor or - Call to Certified Technician Andy's Appliance & Refrigeration
- Call to Certified Technician Andy's Appliance & Refrigeration
3. Complain:
- High noise level
Possible Cause:
- Loose compressor mounting bolts
- Vibrating water disposal pan. (On applicable models)
- Vibrating unit tubing
- Condenser fan or shroud vibration
- Cabinet not level
Repair procedure:
- Check for loose bolts and tighten when necessary
- Check drain pan positions
- Check positioning of refrigeration tubing and condenser tubing making necessary adjustment
- Adjust or tighten fan motor blade or shroud
- Check level
4. Complain:
- Long running time
Possible Cause:
- Normal summertime operation
- Too frequent or too long door openings; heavy usage
- Poor doors gasket seal
- Control set too cold
- Light staying on
- Separated heat exchanger
- Control clamp loose
- Refrigerant leak (short of refrigerant)
- Condenser dirty
Repair procedure:
- Call to Certified Technician Andy's Appliance & Refrigeration, or do-it-Yourself, step-by-step and safely.
Call to Certified Technician Andy's Appliance & Refrigeration
- Adjust door hinges and check for tighter seal and worn gasket
Call to Certified Technician Andy's Appliance & Refrigeration
- Check light switch for proper operation
Call to Certified Technician Andy's Appliance & Refrigeration
- Check clamp bracket
Call to Certified Technician Andy's Appliance & Refrigeration
- The condenser - how do you clean a refrigerator or freezer.
- Condensers - refrigeration system components.
5. Complain:
- Long running time
Possible Cause:
- Evaporator fan blade not properly positioned
Repair procedure:
- Call to Certified Technician Andy's Appliance & Refrigeration, or do-it-Yourself, step-by-step and safely.
6. Complain:
- Fresh food temperature too warm
Possible Cause:
- Poor doors gasket seal
- Light staying on
- Stalled or slow condenser fan
- Defrost heater on
- Evaporator coils frost or ice build-up
- Refrigerator built-in, restricted air circulation
- No refrigeration
- Poor cabinet seal
- Inoperative evaporator fan motor or fan switch
Repair procedure:
- Check doors gasket for seal, and adjust gasket or doors
- Check light switch or check current with an amp-meter (is a instrument used to measure the electric current in a circuit)
Call to Certified Technician Andy's Appliance & Refrigeration
- Check by inspection or call to Certified Technician Andy's Appliance & Refrigeration
Call to Certified Technician Andy's Appliance & Refrigeration
- Check and correct if possible
Call to Certified Technician Andy's Appliance & Refrigeration
- Check any area where air may into cabinet and seal
- Check fan motor and fan switch
7. Complain:
- Fresh food temperature too cold
Possible Cause:
- Improper fan blade location
- Temperature control bulb not properly clamped or located
- Air impinging on food near air outlet
- Divider between freezer and fresh food compartment not properly sealed
- Temperature control set too cold
- Temperature control defective
Repair procedure:
- Check and adjust if necessary
- Retighten clamp or relocate bulb
- Restrict air outlet
- Check and seal if necessary
- Reset temperature control to lower setting
- Check and replace
8. Complain:
- Sweating on cabinet exterior
Possible Cause:
- Insulation void
- Poor door seal or air leaking from freezer section
Repair procedure:
- Check and add insulation if necessary
- Check and adjust door or hinges
9. Complain:
- Water in bottom of fresh food liner or freezer liners (side by side models)
Possible Cause:
- Defrost water overflowing drain trough due to plugged drain
- Kinked drain tube
- Defective drain tube connection to drain trough (side by side models)
- Water leaks past drain trough retaining screws
- Drain trough rear edge not mounted under water deflector on back wall (side by side models)
Repair procedure:
- Check drain tube
- Check for kink
- Replace drain trough
- Seal around screws
- Adjust
10. Complain:
- Unit turns on and off frequently
Possible Cause:
- Overload malfunction
- Inoperative relay
- Low voltage – Should be within 10% of rated voltage
- Inoperative compressor
Repair procedure:
For all possible causes call to Certified Technician Andy's Appliance & Refrigeration, or do-it-Yourself, step-by-step and safely.