DIY Refrigerator Repair -Refrigerator Leaking-
Good Observation Skills Are The Key To Any Successful Refrigerator Repair!
If your temperatures appear to be normal this can be a tricky problem; the best way to solve it is to get your flashlight and a kneepad and start watching. If the problem is constant it is probably related to your water supply to the ice maker or water dispenser; however, if it seems to be on a schedule it is probable related to the ice maker system or the defrost cycle. Possible sources: ice makers, water valve, ice maker water supply line, filter housing, cracked drip pan, defrost drain tube missing the drip pan, or a clogged defrost drain. More
Refrigerator Problem Menu
The defrost cycle
The defrost cycle is what makes a frost-free refrigerator/freezer frost-free, and this is how it works…
As the sealed system pulls heat from the refrigerator, frost builds up on the evaporator coils behind the back panel of the freezer compartment. A timer, appropriately named "the defrost timer" keeps track of how many hours the compressor has been running. (The compressor will cycle on and off to keep a particular temperature.) After approximately 8 to 10 hours of run time the defrost timer will signal a defrost cycle to start. The defrost timer will stop power to the compressor and evaporator fan and reroute it to a thermostat called a "bi-metal thermostat" which will be "closed"
(Allowing electricity to flow through) when it is cold. From there the electricity flows through a heater called the "defrost heater" located at the bottom of the evaporator coil. The heater melts the ice that has developed from the moisture in the air condensing and freezing on the very cold evaporator coils. It is common to hear a "hissing" or "sizzling" sound in the freezer compartment during the defrost cycle. As the ice melts, the water is directed down a drain below the evaporator where it is channeled through some tubing to a pain called a "drip pan" near the warm compressor or condenser coils (black coils underneath the refrigerator) so the air can absorb it once again. Defrost cycle times usually last between 15 to 30 minutes. More
Refrigerator Problem Menu
Checking the compressor and start relay
This information is provided as a service to you! Please view the safety disclaimer page and safety page before proceeding. The compressor can get very hot, the condenser fan is sharp, and water and electricity can make a dangerous cocktail! If at any point you don't feel comfortable you should stop and call a professional appliance repair person for help.
If the compressor is vibrating and your freezer compartment is not cold enough, try cleaning any dust that may be blocking air from moving freely across the black coils located underneath or behind the refrigerator. These condenser coils and are used to release the heat that has been removed from inside the refrigerator into the room. Many refrigerators also use a condenser fan near the compressor to help move air across the condenser coils. If the condenser coils are clean and the condenser fan is working(if your refrigerator has one) it is probably time to go shopping for that new refrigerator you've always wanted.
However, if the compressor is not vibrating you may have a power supply problem.
Set your voltmeter to measure 120 volts AC and check for power at the relay terminals, if no power is measured you may have a problem with your cold control thermostat, if correct voltage is measured check the relay
Unplug the refrigerator.
Look for a small unit attached to the compressor with 2 or 3 wires plugged into it; this is the "start relay"
Draw a little map reminding you what color wires go where, and then remove the start relay.
Take your voltmeter and check each of the three compressor terminals to the frame or a ground wire for continuity, if you get a reading its time to buy a new refrigerator. If not go to the next step.
If you shake the start relay and you hear what sounds like sand inside, it might be worth the gamble to replace the relay. (That's the nice part about hiring a pro, they have spare parts to gamble with.)
Refrigerator Problem Menu