Can I leave my broken fridge plugged in till the repair?

February 29, 2020 5:25 PM

I woke up this morning to find my refrigerator is making a clicking noise every couple of minutes and everything in my freezer is melted. Based on this article it seems like it may be the start relay. I've emptied the fridge and have got a new part coming on Monday but in the meantime, is it safe to leave it plugged in till I can make the repair or is there a risk of an electrical fire?I'm pretty sore from work and don't really want to move the fridge right now if I don't have to, but I will if need be.
posted by Pretty Good Talker to Home & Garden (8 answers total)

Most breakers have fridges on their own circuit, might be worth checking.
posted by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 5:49 PM on February 29, 2020 [2 favorites]

I would not leave the power to it on. If the start relay isn't working, the compressor is probably repeatedly trying to start and heating the internal motor windings up. This may not be an actual fire hazard but that is doing the compressor no good. +1 on seeing if it's possible to kill power to the circuit the fridge is plugged in to if you don't want to move it.
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 6:18 PM on February 29, 2020 [3 favorites]

Best answer: I agree with the previous two comments, locating and turning off the breaker for the refrigerator is a good option if you don't want to move the refrigerator to unplug it (if you are in the US you almost certainly have a dedicated breaker for your refrigerator in your breaker panel, as this is required by the National Electric Code) . However, if you wish, and you are in Southern California, send me a message via MeFi Mail and I will drive over and move your refrigerator so that it can be unplugged.
posted by RichardP at 6:34 PM on February 29, 2020 [9 favorites]

I once had an old fridge catch fire on me, so yeah, unless you're planning on staying conscious and close to it, I'd unplug it.
posted by philip-random at 8:06 PM on February 29, 2020

The cold control for your frige will have an off position. Just set it to off and the compressor won't be engaged.
posted by Mitheral at 9:22 PM on February 29, 2020

Response by poster: Thanks all. Special thanks to RichardP. It got unplugged by a visiting relative.
posted by Pretty Good Talker at 10:06 PM on February 29, 2020

fridges stink. Leave the door open and be aware that it is a hazard for children who love to climb in and shut the door.
posted by Cranberry at 12:47 AM on March 1, 2020 [1 favorite]

Cranberry:

Leave the door open and be aware that it is a hazard for children who love to climb in and shut the door.

FYI, all refrigerators sold after October 30, 1958, can be easily opened with a push from the inside. Unless this fridge is more than 60 years old, you don’t have to worry about kids getting trapped inside.
posted by snowmentality at 7:47 PM on March 1, 2020