anyone know anything about fridges?

[yarrumsg]

just back from a trip home and our fridge freeze is on the blink, the light comes on so it has power, but i'm not sure if it's the motor that has gone or if it's out of gas or something. basically it's not keeping anything cold. i banged it on the size yesterday out of frustration and it turned on but it's off again...

[joemac]

Ummm, the compressors are usually the first thing to go, though , essentially, the gas doesn't get compressed enough and nothing will get cold. A gas leak will mean much the same thing. Do you have a local tame sparky?

[yarrumsg]

yea sadly even though he's an aircon sparky (one would think he'd be ideal) he's not keen to have a look... so that makes me my own sparky i just need to know what i'm looking for, another good thumping seems to have kicked it off again just not sure how long it's going to last for... :)

[joemac]

Look that sounds like the compressor motor. Have a look around the back. Is there an electric motor driving a belt or something. If it were out of gas it would be running continuously without getting cold. It sounds as though the motor is stuffed. Bushes, windings?

[joemac]

How to Test a Refrigerator Compressor Motor
By eHow Contributor, eHow User updated September 07, 2011

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If refrigerated food don't feel cold enough, check the compressor motor.
If your refrigerator sounds like it is turning on and off frequently or it just isn't cooling as well as it used to, there may be a problem with its compressor relay or its compressor motor. Determine first if the problem is with the relay. If it's not, then learn how to test your refrigerator's compressor motor.

Difficulty: Moderate
Instructions

Things You'll Need
Screwdrivers
Multitester
Needlenose pliers
1
Unplug the refrigerator or turn off the breaker that powers it. Since you will have to get to the backside of the refrigerator anyway, unplugging it is easier.

2
At the back of the refrigerator, near the bottom, you will see a large cylindrical object. This is the compressor. On the right side -- in most cases -- you will see a box with wires coming out of it. Remove the cover over this box. The cover will be held in place by either screws or retaining clips.

3
Now you should see the relay, the overload protector and the terminals for the compressor motor. The relay can be removed simply by pulling it straight off of the compressor.

4
Use needlenose pliers to pull the wire connector off the relay. Pull it off by gripping the connector, NOT the wire. Inspect both the connector and the relay for any signs of corrosion. If there are any, replace the corroded part.

5
On the compressor motor you will see three terminals. Set your multitester, available at any home improvement store, to read ohms, usually the RX1 or X1 setting, depending on the model.

6
Touch one of the tester's probes to one of the terminals and leave it there. Then, use the other probe to touch first one of the other terminals and then the last one. The tester should display a reading of "zero" ohms for each test.

7
Move the probe you held on the first terminal and hold it in place on the second terminal. Use the other probe to touch each of the other terminals. The tester should continue reading "zero" ohms with each test.

8
Hold the probe on the last terminal and touch the other two terminals individually with the other probe. Again, the readings should all be "zero" ohms. If the compressor motor fails any of these tests, it will need to be serviced by a professional refrigerator repair person.

9
While you are testing the compressor motor, you might as well test the compressor for ground. Keep your multitester setting on ohms and touch one probe to the side of the metal box that houses the relay. With the other probe, touch each of the three terminals, one at a time. The tester should read "infinity" every time. If it doesn't, the compressor motor will need to be serviced by a professional.



Read more: How to Test a Refrigerator Compressor Motor | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4504022_test-refrigerator-compressor-motor.html#ixzz1ZbzMUTaI

[yarrumsg]

Sweet thanks i'll give that a go and see what comes of it :) thanks for your help :)

[pennymac]

how old is your fridge? we had the compressor replaced for free because it died in less than 5 years.
Good luck with the tinkering.

[yarrumsg]

it's 6 years with a year waranttee so we have lucked out :( could spend 700£ and get a 5 year , or spen 300 and get a year and just by one and store one :P (or just by one and wait for that one to pack in ;) and just put this one on a surge supressor

[boards]

by one?

[yarrumsg]

by one what? buy one yea looking at 300£

[boards]

wasnt sure if you were standing by a fridge that cost 300 quid or looking to buy one at 300 quid... yea!

[doug-g]

Damn appliances are designed these days to just outlast the warranty - we went through Tropical storm Irene with not a drop of water in our basement (while bridges & roads around us were totally washed away)

Soon after Irene our washing machine decided to empty itself into our basement !!!! (2nd time it's done it) it needed a $120 part AGAIN - neither time was covered by the warranty!! - we decided to bite the bullet & buy a new washer.

Hope this one lasts longer.

[pennymac]

Our washing machine periodically floods the laundry, but that's because it has no lint collector, so after a while the lint blocks the drain. It's a pain in the neck, but no I'm not going to get a new machine.