My Frigidaire ain't frigid!
July 17, 2010 2:40 PM Subscribe
Any refrigerator mechanics out there? Just got given a new-old Frigidaire but it doesn't seem to work!
It was bought new a couple of years ago - 16.5 cu ft, basic fridge - looks brand new inside and out. No dirt on coils or compressor - very clean. Hasn't been plugged in for a while & may have quit working before then. When you plug it in the interior light will come on, but no compressor noises or fan - nothing. Could there be some kind of reset I could try, or is it $80 show-up fee + parts for a repairman to troubleshoot?
It was bought new a couple of years ago - 16.5 cu ft, basic fridge - looks brand new inside and out. No dirt on coils or compressor - very clean. Hasn't been plugged in for a while & may have quit working before then. When you plug it in the interior light will come on, but no compressor noises or fan - nothing. Could there be some kind of reset I could try, or is it $80 show-up fee + parts for a repairman to troubleshoot?
I know it sounds stupid and obvious, but is the temperature setting dial at the 'off' position?
posted by Rhomboid at 5:45 PM on July 17, 2010
posted by Rhomboid at 5:45 PM on July 17, 2010
Response by poster: Ha! Yeah we've run it back & forth, freezer & fridge, from cool to arctic - no change.
posted by sahutch at 6:51 PM on July 17, 2010
posted by sahutch at 6:51 PM on July 17, 2010
How long ago did you move it? The consensus in this previous askme is that you should let it sit overnight before running it.
posted by cosmicbandito at 7:11 PM on July 17, 2010
posted by cosmicbandito at 7:11 PM on July 17, 2010
80%: the fridge is in the defrost cycle and it'll magically start working after being plugged in for 20-30 minutes.
19.5%: the fridge is in the defrost cycle and the defrost timer is either stuck or defective. You can try advancing the timer manually if you can find it.
.5%: some other problem like cold control or even burned up compressor. Not much you can do to diagnose this yourself in most cases though if you are handy you could try shorting the cold control and see if it starts working (agian you'd want to leave it shorted for 20-30 minutes in case the fridge happened to be in the defrost cycle.
Old Geezer writes "Sounds like the coolant pressure is low. The compressor has a switch that will keep it from coming on if the coolant is low, to keep from burning out the compressor. I would go with the repairman. S/he can check for leaks, top off the coolant and give it a complete physical for not too much more than the $80 show-up fee."
It's 99.9% not a low refrigerant problem. Unlike automotive A/C and commercial refrigeration residential refrigerators essentially never have low or high pressure sensors because the systems are hermetically sealed so there isn't any need. In fact the presence of those devices would introduce both system and electrical points of failure. If it is a leak you aren't going to be able to fix the leak and replace the refrigerant for anywhere close to $80.
posted by Mitheral at 10:17 PM on July 17, 2010
19.5%: the fridge is in the defrost cycle and the defrost timer is either stuck or defective. You can try advancing the timer manually if you can find it.
.5%: some other problem like cold control or even burned up compressor. Not much you can do to diagnose this yourself in most cases though if you are handy you could try shorting the cold control and see if it starts working (agian you'd want to leave it shorted for 20-30 minutes in case the fridge happened to be in the defrost cycle.
Old Geezer writes "Sounds like the coolant pressure is low. The compressor has a switch that will keep it from coming on if the coolant is low, to keep from burning out the compressor. I would go with the repairman. S/he can check for leaks, top off the coolant and give it a complete physical for not too much more than the $80 show-up fee."
It's 99.9% not a low refrigerant problem. Unlike automotive A/C and commercial refrigeration residential refrigerators essentially never have low or high pressure sensors because the systems are hermetically sealed so there isn't any need. In fact the presence of those devices would introduce both system and electrical points of failure. If it is a leak you aren't going to be able to fix the leak and replace the refrigerant for anywhere close to $80.
posted by Mitheral at 10:17 PM on July 17, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Old Geezer at 3:28 PM on July 17, 2010