Refrigerator problem

[PJ]

Originally Posted by DasHooch

Fridge rookies...

Get a screwdriver and take off the back panel from inside the freezer. There I suspect you will find your coils have frosted over, such that air cannot pass through the heat exchanger. No flow means no spreading of cold.

So if you have a spare fridge/freezer you can just leave it off for a day with a drip bucket. If you a in a rush, a hair dryer will hurry things up, but keep it moving, you don't want to melt any plastic parts (you can also pour hot water on it, but it's generally too wet and wild).

So, after defrosting the freezer, you could just slap it back together, and it would work for about 3 days before frosting over again. You need to find out why it is not defrosting itself. Three components plus wiring can be suspected: the 'motherboard', accessible from the outer rear; the thermostat/switch that clips onto the coils (a little round thing with two wires); or most likely, the defrost heater. Yes, fridges heat up the cooling coils when the thermostat senses it is too cold (frosting over).

The heating element looks a like a cylindrical light bulb; it probably has a blackened part of the glass, just like a blown light bulb.

If it's the heater, go to Mabe in Vancouver and buy a replacement kit. They sell the thermostats too. You can replace both for material cost less than a repairman would charge to look at it. Also much cheaper than a new fridge, until the compressor fails 6 months later. The heater is easy to install with a screwdriver, the wiring is plug in sockets. The thermostat will probably require some wire snipping, stripping and soldering, if you're into that (cover it with something watertight).

You'll need the model number of the fridge for the replacements, it should be on the upper right side of the fridge. If you unscrew the switch holder for the temp settings, you might find a circuit diagram and spare list inside.

This guy knows whats up. Are you an HVAC/Refrig/Engineer?

[DasHooch]

Just a mechanical engineer. I also had the exact same problem in the summer.

OP: I guess you weren't lucky enough to have a plug in style heater. A solder gun and solder is pretty cheap, so is silicone gasket (I used some spare oil pan gasket maker). You can twist the wires around each other and drop hot solder on them to bind them. Then coat it in a big ball of silicone, cover with tape, and hide that hack wiring job back behind the panel.

[daytona675]

i hope you got your defrost element in there.
use butt connectors and food grade silicone is seal the ends up, to prevent moisture getting into the connections.

find the defrost timer and advance it or if its electronic controlled you will have to find the sequence to get into the service program. activate the heater to make sure it works.

i'd double check the condition of your defrost thermostat, make sure it not popped open. i see that alot on certain GE's.

[Euro7r]

It's fixed now, thanks for help.

[TRDood]

Fuck. My fridge is not working, both top freezer and bottom cooler. It doesn't run at all and makes no sound. Only the light works so electricity is available.

Repair or buy a new fridge? I called up a few places and it looks like service calls are at least $60, plus hourly labour rate. Repaired sounds like a better option than having to haul a damn fridge back home and dispose the broken one.

What's a good fridge? or who would you recommend for repairs?

[trollface]

Originally Posted by TRDood

Fuck. My fridge is not working, both top freezer and bottom cooler. It doesn't run at all and makes no sound. Only the light works so electricity is available.

Repair or buy a new fridge? I called up a few places and it looks like service calls are at least $60, plus hourly labour rate. Repaired sounds like a better option than having to haul a damn fridge back home and dispose the broken one.

What's a good fridge? or who would you recommend for repairs?

If you but a new one, a lot of places will pickup ur old one for free.

[BillyBishop]

Holy shit, I learned a lot from this thread, haha.

Originally Posted by TRDood

Repair or buy a new fridge? I called up a few places and it looks like service calls are at least $60, plus hourly labour rate. Repaired sounds like a better option than having to haul a damn fridge back home and dispose the broken one.

I'd get the repair folks to come take a look for $60 and at least diagnose what the problem is.
If the difference is a couple hundred between repair and a new fridge, may as well buy a new one.
Like trollface said, many places will take your old one away; Trail Appliances did that for me a couple years ago.

[godwin]

Sounds like the compressor is dead?

Originally Posted by TRDood

Fuck. My fridge is not working, both top freezer and bottom cooler. It doesn't run at all and makes no sound. Only the light works so electricity is available.

Repair or buy a new fridge? I called up a few places and it looks like service calls are at least $60, plus hourly labour rate. Repaired sounds like a better option than having to haul a damn fridge back home and dispose the broken one.

What's a good fridge? or who would you recommend for repairs?

[matrixfwd]

my fridge is really loud when the engine cycles couple times an hour, it makes a humming sound and I just can't stand it... it works fine though, but I don't think the sound is normal.

anyone know what is causing this loud sound it's like.. hummm zzzzz hummm zzzz.... i live in a small townhome so I can hear it on the whole floor.

[LP700-4]

^Get a new fridge? Our old one went bbbbzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ for like half an hour straight frequently.
Didnt bother with repairs as it was like 10 years old.