We fix 10 typical refrigerator malfunctions with our own hands

TOP 10 main faults

Refrigeration equipment is a technology without which it is hard to imagine life. If any of the above malfunctions occur, you should immediately repair the breakdown or contact a professional.

This article is universal, suitable for one-two-chamber, three-chamber models of foreign and Russian production: Hotpoint ariston (Hotpoint Ariston), Ardo (Ardo), Beko (Beko), Bosch (Bosch), Candy (Candy), Daewoo (Daewoo), Electrolux (Electrolux), Gorenje, Haier, Hansa, Hitachi, Indesit, Liebherr, LG, Nord, Polair, Pozis, Sharp, Shivaki, Siemens, Snaige, Stinol, Samsung, Toshiba, Vestel, Vestfrost, Whirlpool (Whirlpool), Zanussi (Zanussi), Elenberg (Elenberg), Biryusa, Yuryuzan, Atlant, Oka Sviyaga, Ocean, Minsk.

Doesn't turn on

The refrigerator may not turn on for several reasons:

• First of all, you should check the voltage in the network. It happens that a voltage surge occurs and the plugs are knocked out, the RCD or circuit breaker in the distribution brush is turned off. To make sure there is electricity, plug in other equipment, such as a hair dryer or vacuum cleaner.
• It is also recommended to inspect the power cable and plug - if they are damaged (multi-colored wires, exposed wires, marks from animal teeth are visible), you need to replace the wire yourself or contact an electrician.
• the on/off button does not work (sticks, sticks or shorts);
• the thermostat is broken - the module starts the motor in the compressor when the air temperature inside the chamber rises above 3-12 degrees;
• Compressor defects are the most expensive repair, since in most cases the part must be replaced as an assembly.
• If the equipment turns on, works for a few seconds, and then a click is heard and it turns off, the reason may be a breakdown of the start relay.

Leaking

There are several reasons why a refrigerator could leak and form a puddle on the floor.

1. The doors are not closed tightly or the seal is worn out. Warm air enters the cracks, causing condensation to form and flow onto the floor.
2. The drainage system in the freezer or main compartment is clogged. Pieces of food could get into it; in this case, excess moisture will accumulate inside the chamber and flow out.
3. The drain pipe has become disconnected. The problem usually occurs after moving equipment.
4. The evaporator heater has failed (only in equipment with the No Frost system).
5. The container for collecting and evaporating condensate has burst.

It gets very cold and frost appears.

If a snow coat appears on the walls of the freezer, and the refrigerator is not equipped with a No Frost system, this may indicate that it has not been defrosted for a long time.

Other causes of the defect include:

• overloading of equipment with products;
• compressor failure;
• breakdown of the thermostat or temperature sensor;
• the capillary tube is dirty, it needs to be washed and refilled with refrigerant;
• Freon leak.

More details in this article.

Doesn't freeze or cool

If the refrigerator stops freezing or cooling, you can look for the cause in several technical units.

1. Incorrectly set temperature on the thermostat. You can fix it yourself by adjusting the parameters.
2. The thermostat is broken; the part needs to be replaced.
3. Contaminants have accumulated in the condenser, which is why the passing freon does not cool the chamber to the required levels.
4. The seal on the doors is worn out. Cooled air leaves the chamber, and warm air accumulates inside.
5. Refrigerant leakage occurs due to damage to the capillary system or tube.
6. Compressor failure - the part must be replaced.
7. The room may be too hot, which also leads to a similar breakdown. The equipment must not be installed near heat sources.

Read more here.

The motor runs non-stop

Under normal conditions, the refrigerator runs continuously for 12-20 minutes, then turns off. If the equipment works for a long time without breaks, the compressor may soon break down or the starter winding may burn out due to overheating.

The main causes of failure include:

• doors that do not fit tightly due to a skewed hinge or wear, a hole or a crack in the sealing rubber. Often accompanied by a squeak or other sound warning that the door is not completely closed;
• The express freeze function is turned on. It is impossible to leave it working for a long time in such modes, since the equipment is subject to wear and tear;
• failure of the temperature sensor or thermostat;
• incorrect operation of the main control module, it needs to be reflashed or replaced;
• freon leak - leaks and damage in the circuit are eliminated, refueling is carried out;
• a broken compressor does not pump pressure into the system and the electric motor idles.

Often the refrigerator runs almost non-stop if the room temperature is too high.

Very noisy

A refrigerator can make a lot of noise even if it is not installed correctly. During installation, it is worth making sure that the equipment stands on a solid, level surface. If the requirements are met, you need to look for a fault.

Main reasons:

• fan breakdown or difficulty in its operation due to a thick layer of ice on the walls;
• incorrect installation of the compressor - during its operation it comes into contact with the tubes, which causes rattling;
• loose compressor fasteners.

You can learn more about noise sources and elimination methods from this article.

The light doesn't light up

If the light does not light in a working refrigerator, this may indicate the following malfunctions.

1. The reed switch or magnetic switch is broken (the light in the chamber may blink). When the door is opened, the network closes and light appears inside the chamber.
2. The light bulb has burned out.
3. The cartridge has failed or the contacts have come loose.

Instructions for replacing a light bulb.

Water accumulates inside or under the bottom

Water under the vegetable container or under the bottom of the refrigerator is not a reason to panic and look for a new model. This is a breakdown that you can fix yourself.

Among the causes of the malfunction:

• the drainage system of the freezer or upper chamber is clogged;
• the doors do not fit tightly, warm air enters and condenses on the icy back wall of the chamber.

You can learn more about the problem from this article.

Unpleasant smell

An unpleasant smell from the refrigerator occurs for a number of reasons.

1. The drain hole for draining melt water is clogged.
2. The thermostat failed, so the food began to spoil due to incorrect temperature conditions.
3. The wiring or electrical components are shorted out, and a burning smell appears.

If you are planning a long trip, the switched off equipment should be opened and thoroughly washed to prevent a musty smell from appearing.

Error or red light on

Modern refrigerators have a system for indicating problems that arise - the red indicator (exclamation mark) lights up or flashes (sometimes accompanied by a squeak) and an error code appears.

Common reasons:

• refrigerant leak;
• compressor breakdowns;
• failure of the thermostat;
• the automatic defrosting system has turned on;
• other faults, full list in the operating instructions.

Device

Based on the principle of operation, refrigeration equipment is divided into several categories. Each type has individual faults. When repairing or replacing individual elements, you need to know the features of the refrigerator.

Compression

A compression refrigerator is a chamber with a built-in evaporator. Inside the metal container, the refrigerant changes from liquid to gas. The principle of operation of the refrigerator is based on the flow of refrigerant into the evaporator, where it picks up heat and gradually evaporates. The compressor then sucks out the refrigerant and returns it to its liquid state through condensation. Due to the cyclical nature of the process, the air inside the chamber where the products are stored is cooled.

Absorption

The main difference between an absorption refrigerator and other types of equipment is the absence of a built-in compressor. For this reason, equipment without moving devices does not create noise during operation and is less likely to break down. The absorption type involves the movement of refrigerant through the internal system, occurring by dissolving ammonia in a liquid medium.

Semiconductor type

Semiconductor refrigerators are equipped with a thermopile formed from several elements that have the shape of rectangular bars. This type has a number of advantages when used for cooling small objects. Most often, semiconductor refrigeration equipment is used not at home, but for medicine and industrial purposes.

Simple repair

In some cases, you can return household appliances to working condition after carrying out simple repairs yourself.

Changing light bulbs

Replacing a burnt out light bulb with a similar new one is not a difficult job for a professional. You can read the instructions in the article; it describes in detail the procedure for removing the lampshade, how to correctly unscrew the remains of the base and other nuances.

Cleaning the drainage system

During operation, contaminants appear in the drainage system of the refrigerator - small pieces of food, grease, dust. To ensure that there is no moisture under the vegetable compartment or under the bottom, it is worth cleaning the drainage tube regularly.

Replace the rubber seal

Wear of the seal occurs due to careless operation and leads to a change in the temperature regime inside the compartments. You can learn about replacing this component from the article.

Eliminating compressor rattling

Noise that occurs during operation of the refrigerator may be due to improper operation of the compressor. The technician needs to inspect the equipment and determine whether the engine is in contact with pipes and other mechanisms.

We rehang and align doors

For ease of use, modern kitchen appliances are equipped with the ability to hang the door. Such repairs will be carried out by professionals; details can be found in this article.

Checking the correct installation

The refrigerator must be placed on a hard and level surface. To ensure that the requirement is met, you can use a building level. The equipment should not wobble or be skewed to one side. In modern models, the legs are distinguished by the ability to adjust in height, so unevenness can be eliminated. More details here.

If there is a lot of ice in the freezer

Ice in the freezer may indicate that it is necessary to temporarily turn off the equipment, defrost it, and then thoroughly wash the unit. You can learn how such simple repairs are performed from this article.

More complex repairs

When a serious refrigerator breakdown occurs, you should immediately contact a repairman. A timely response will extend operating life and help avoid costly repairs, for example, to the compressor or refrigerant circulation system.

Refrigerant replacement

Freon leakage is one of the most common breakdowns.

To fix the problem, the technician needs to:

• using special equipment, find the location of the leak;
• repair the damage and check for leaks;
• Refill the tank with freon.

You can learn more about this type of repair from this article.

The control board is burnt out or faulty

Modern refrigerators are equipped with a control board. It is responsible for display operation, maintaining optimal temperature conditions, turning on the light when the chamber is opened, and starting the compressor and fan. Restoring functionality usually involves reflashing the module, since due to power surges, non-volatile memory becomes glitchy and sometimes overwrites data. If the board burns out, a new part is installed; repairs are not economically feasible.

If the thermostat is broken

When a thermostat fails, it must be removed and a new, similar one installed in its place.

Evaporator defect

A defect in the evaporator is manifested by an increase in temperature inside the refrigerator compartment, the appearance of an unpleasant odor and an icy coat. The technicians search for freon leaks, restore the tightness of the tubes and refill with refrigerant. If the evaporator is worn out, it must be replaced.

Temperature sensor glitches

There are several ways to eliminate incorrect operation of temperature sensors.

1. Repair the open circuit in the control circuit contacts.
2. Eliminate the effects of oxidation (clean off rust).
3. Restore the normal position of the sensors.
4. Replacement of the assembly, since the module is not repairable.

Temperature fuse blown

The temperature fuse may blow out because the evaporator defrost heating element has overheated. And to protect household appliances from fire, the fuse broke the circuit.

Ideally, check the resistance of the part with a multimeter, or at least ring it. If an open circuit is detected, the heating element is replaced with a new one. You can try to “cheat it up” by closing the circuit with a wire of a suitable cross-section, but there is no answer to how long such a structure will last and whether it is safe.

Malfunctions of NoFrost systems

The operation of the fan is checked manually - carefully rotate the blades, if the impeller rotates freely, check the electronic part. Ring the engine starter, if there is a break in the winding, replace the whole thing. The fuser may fail - this part is removed and checked with a tester. If the resistance is close to zero, then the part is considered serviceable. If both technical units are working normally, the electric timer needs to be replaced; it cannot be repaired.

Ice maker not working

It is impossible to determine the cause of the ice maker failure without diagnostics.

The most common factors:

• low water pressure;
• the intake valve is broken;
• the generator unit is faulty;
• the door switch does not work correctly;
• you need to change the filter.

Compressor repair

Resuscitation of a compressor is one of the most expensive jobs.

Entire replacement

In most cases, the compressor cannot be repaired and must be replaced. To do this, order a suitable model and install it yourself or call a specialist.

Start relay problems

In the start-up protection relay, the contacts can jam, the winding of the electromagnets can burn out, and the spring plate loses its elasticity over time. Usually you hear clicks, but nothing happens. If the part has not completely failed, the coil is repaired, the contacts are connected or cleaned. The easiest way is to throw out the old one and buy a new one for 500-1000 rubles, and not waste a lot of time looking for “phantom pains”.

Thermal protection relay failure

If the thermal protective relay fails, the cycle of switching on and off the equipment is disrupted, and the electric motor overheats. Repair is allowed if the rod is jammed. If there is damage to the winding, the part must be replaced.

Diagnostics of refrigerator components

Despite the cumbersome design, the refrigerator does not have many components that can fail. In most cases, troubleshooting is quite simple and will not take much time.

Carrying out diagnostics of unit components requires minimal knowledge in the field of electrical engineering. If you do not have confidence in your own abilities, it is better to entrust troubleshooting to a qualified specialist!

Important! All work must be carried out with the device disconnected from the electrical network!

Compressor diagnostics

The compressor is the heart of any refrigerator; the speed of reaching the desired temperature in the chamber depends on its efficient operation.

Compressor failure is the most expensive part of refrigerator repair.

Compressor problems can be caused by electrical or mechanical problems with the unit. It's easy to check the electrical part. To do this, in the arsenal of a “home diagnostician” it is enough to have only a multimeter.

Before taking measurements, you must make sure that the unit is disconnected from the electrical network!

To gain access to the compressor terminals, the start-protective relay must be removed from its housing.

The right terminal is the output of the working winding, the left terminal is the starting winding. The upper terminal is the common point of the two windings of the refrigerator motor.

For diagnostics, it is necessary to separately measure the resistance of both windings, as well as their total resistance. To check the working winding, measurements are taken at the right and top terminals, while the starting winding is measured between the left and top terminals.

As a rule, for low-power compressors, the resistance of the working winding is within 15 Ohms, and the starting winding is about 20 Ohms.

The third measurement is made to check the overall integrity of the windings, for which the resistance between the right and left terminals of the compressor terminal box is measured. If the windings are in normal condition, the device should show the total resistance of the two windings (the sum of the measurement results obtained a little earlier). As a rule, the total result should be 30-35 ohms.

Additionally, you should make sure that there is no short circuit of the windings to the compressor housing. If the electrical part is working properly, all three measurements should show the absence of a circuit for the flow of electric current.

It is best to find the nominal winding resistance values ​​for a specific compressor model on the Internet.

Checking the mechanical part of the unit will require depressurization of the cooling circuit. It is better to entrust it to a specialist who has the necessary equipment in his arsenal. To perform such work you will need:

• pipe cutter;
• pipe rolling tool;
• pressure gauge;
• connecting hoses;
• electronic balance;
• Vacuum pump;
• gas-burner;
• set of couplings for connection.

The test itself comes down to connecting a pressure gauge to the compressor being diagnosed and measuring the pressure it creates in the line. If, after turning on the refrigerator, the pressure gauge shows 4 bar or more, the compressor is working. Otherwise, it must be replaced.

Diagnostics of the capillary system

If the compressor is working properly, but the refrigerator does not produce cold properly, a clogged capillary tube may be the likely cause of the malfunction. This problem prevents the normal circulation of the refrigerant and prevents the unit from operating normally.

The problem can be indirectly diagnosed by the temperature of the compressor discharge fitting. If it heats up quickly, but cools down after a couple of minutes, it is highly likely that there is a blockage in the capillary system of the refrigerator.

You can determine the blockage by feeling the surface of the condenser. If it has uneven heating over the entire area or part of its surface remains cold, then this also indicates an existing blockage.

A more accurate diagnosis can be made after the system has been depressurized. It is enough to connect the pressure gauge to the filling pipe. If, when the compressor is running, the device shows negative values ​​(vacuum formation), and after turning off the unit, the pressure in the system remains unchanged or increases very slowly, a blockage of the capillary system is obvious.

The likely culprits are the filter drier or the capillary tube. If the filter is clogged with debris, it is simply replaced with a new one, but if the capillary tube is clogged, they try to “push” the system using a hydraulic press.

Thermostat diagnostics

The thermostat is responsible for maintaining the set temperature in the refrigerator compartment. At its core, this is a regular switch that turns the compressor on or off when the required temperatures inside the device are reached.

If the refrigerator does not turn on at all or, on the contrary, works without stopping, the likely cause of the breakdown is the failure of the thermostat.

It's easy to check. If the compressor does not start, you need to short-circuit the three wires connected to the unit, and then plug the refrigerator into the network. In older refrigerator models, two wires were used to connect the thermostat. They need to be connected to each other. If the compressor starts, the culprit has been found and must be replaced.

When the compressor does not turn off, it can be assumed that the regulator has failed and remains in the closed position. It is also subject to replacement.

Replacement is not particularly difficult; the main thing is to avoid breaking or jamming the bellows tube with gas, which is responsible for triggering the contact part of the assembly, when installing a new unit.

Tips and tricks

In order for household appliances to work without failures, you should follow the recommendations:

1. Drip-type refrigerators must be defrosted regularly.
2. The device must be placed on a flat and solid surface.
3. The upper and lower compartments should not be overloaded with products.
4. It is prohibited to install household appliances of this type near heat sources.
5. The evaporator (radiator on the rear wall) must be protected from the possibility of mechanical damage.
6. The device must be transported carefully.

If your household appliances are not equipped with a No Frost system and you need to defrost, you need to wait until the ice melts on its own. You cannot pick at it with sharp objects - there is a risk of damaging the refrigerant pipes.

It is prohibited to place hot food - violation of the temperature regime and the formation of a large amount of moisture will lead to serious damage. If malfunctions occur, you should immediately contact a specialist: independent repairs can only worsen the situation.

It is not recommended to ignore minor defects: over time, a serious problem may develop that requires expensive repairs.