#REFRIGERATOR COMPRESSOR REPAIR NEAR ME PRO#
Running power through the run windings with the compressor stalled causes it to overheat which trips a bi-metal strip thermal protector causing the familiar click after 20 seconds or so.Looking for a local and trusted refrigerator repair pro that is nearby? Appliance Pro Today is here to help.
With the ptc damaged, the start windings never get energized in the first place and the compressor can't start with the run windings alone. Not meant for continuous use, the start windings will overheat and eventually burn out if left on. It's there to switch off the start windings in the compressor after the compressor gets up to speed. One slight correction, the ptc isn't an overload protector. Works like a charm! The replacement ptc is only 3 dollars and change on amazon so I'll order one to have a spare but it's nice to have it working without waiting on parts! Thanks for the write-up! Flipped the disc around and slid it back in, cleaned the pitted contact, and reassembled. I had the PTC out, apart, and was searching the part number looking for a replacement when I ran across this. At first, I thought the board had gone on my again. I have two of these units and have replaced the control board on the same one with this problem about a year ago. BTW, this is a Vinotemp Model VT60 unit and has been in service for over 8 years now. It saved me hundreds of dollars for repair or replacement of the cooler. THANK YOU THANK YOU for this gREAT article. After reassembling the unit and plugging it back into the compressor, the compressor immediately started running and the cooling the wine cooler. As soon as I cleaned off the oxidation, I read 0 ohms (a short circuit). Before that, using a multimeter it appeared as an open-circuit. I simply scraped the oxidation off of both the disk and the connector. The connector on the marked side was very dark and oxidized. My disk looked exactly like yours with one side looking new and the other having four distinct marks on it. The central disk is apparently a temperature sensor that opens up when it gets too hot. Wow, this posting SOLVED my problem in less than 5 minutes. And thanks to the Alabamian for the (now working) fridge! Within 20 minutes the fridge was down to 40 degrees! Hopefully this will provide others with some DIY troubleshooting inspiration. Voila! Whatever contact or circuit that is supposed to make wasn't being made on the destroyed side. I think this disc acts as either a sort of discharge capacitor or a large overload resistor.Įither way, I decided to flip it and put it back in the overload protector. One looks like it has been shocked/burnt and the other is only slightly scratched. You can see a strange white disc shape that separates the two sides.Īs you can see, the two sides of the disc are in different condition. Now after removing the metal securing strip and the cover. After taking it off this is that it looks like. (P6R8MC OR0510, just in case someone searches) The common wire attaches to the overload protector. The overload protector is the small black plastic housing attached to two terminals protruding from the compressor housing.
If the compressor is gone then I'm hosed so I decided to check the relay and overload protector. The takaway from that and a few other forums with posters with similar symptoms was that its either a bad relay, overload protector or compressor.
#REFRIGERATOR COMPRESSOR REPAIR NEAR ME HOW TO#
Same result, so I did a little Google searching and found a convenient How to Test a Refrigerator Compressor article. Making sure to not touch any of the exposed contacts I plugged it in again. Here is the thermostat with the dial and cover removed. The first step was to bypass the thermostat, sending an "always on" to the compressor to eliminate that as a potential problem. All that was let was to pull off a cover exposing the relay and circuitry for the compressor. I had to bend some of the brass tubes in the process, being careful not to kink them. I took off the condenser (panel of tubes on the back), removed the thermostat housing and finally pulled out the compressor.
There was no change inside but the compressor was almost too hot to touch. I let this go on for about 15 minutes while I monitored the temperature inside the fridge. Then it would click and the cycle would repeat itself. I finally had time this weekend to troubleshoot it.Īfter plugging it in,the compressor would hum for 15-20 seconds and then there would be a click and it would be silent for about two and half minutes. Regardless, I've had this fridge sitting in the middle of my apartment now for the better part of a month. This Alabamian gave me a non-working wine cooler mini-fridge, half out of generosity because I might be able to fix and use it, half out of wanting to get rid of it :-).