My house was flooded in Hurricane Sandy. I had about 1’ of salt water throughout the house which affected everything including my appliances. My whole set was less than 2 years old, and I am getting ready to move back in and running out of money. I plugged the fridge in when my electrician finished wiring the house about a month ago. It worked perfectly for about a week. One day I opened the door and it was warmer inside the fridge and freezer then in the house (in the middle of July with no AC on). I unplugged it and plugged it back in and after about a minute there was an audible click and it shut off. Every time I’ve plugged it in since it runs without shutting off no matter how long I leave it on but there is only lukewarm air blowing into the fridge. I took the back panel off and the fan is working as well as the compressor (line coming out is cold to the touch). I played with the humidity controls as well as the temperature settings, but no change. I’m pretty good with fixing just about anything, but I know nothing about appliances. Could someone please guide me in the right direction? Thank you!
Your start device mounted on the compressor is probably bad, get a new one on this site (W10194431).
It’s also possible the wiring to the compressor got damaged, will need a meter to check.
— Begin quote from richappy;825792
Your start device mounted on the compressor is probably bad, get a new one on this site (W10194431).
It’s also possible the wiring to the compressor got damaged, will need a meter to check.
— End quote
Ok, I removed the start device last night and shook it. I heard a mild rattling sound that seemed to stop after I kept shaking it. The connections were alittle discolored, but shouldn’t be bad enough to block the current. I plugged the start device back in and plugged the fridge in as well. The compressor is definitely running. Would the start device keep the compressor from running at all or could it just affect the performance? Thanks for your help!
The start device is damaged by salt water. Best to just replace it as I suggested.
Ok, I changed the start device and still no change. I let the fridge run for about 6 hours and the air blowing in was still barely cool. Any ideas on what I should check next? Thanks.
If the compressor is hot, but not vibrating, either the new start device failed, or the compressor start winding failed.
If cold, you have some connection in the fridg that failed. You can check some connectors.
You may want to pull the cover in the freezer so you can inspect the evaporator coils. They should have a fairly even coat of frost on them.
If the compressor and the evaporator fan are running and there is just frost in one area (usually where the freon enters the coils) or no frost then you have a sealed system problem.
This will be an expensive repair as you need a pro.
Usually it makes sense to put those dollars towards a new unit.
Be sure that the compressor has run for at least an hour. If you check them shortly after or during a defrost cycle then you could end up with the wrong diagnosis.
Take a look at the example pictures about half way down the following page.
http://www.applianceaid.com/refrigerator-not-cold-enough.php