Refrigerator Compressor Replacement Cost and Options: 5 Cost Drivers, 4 Options and 5 Quote Questions What Does a Compressor Replacement Involve? A compressor replacement is a sealed-system repair, so a certified technician replaces the compressor and the related parts and restores the refrigerant charge. The job includes recovering the refrigerant, installing the new compressor, replacing … Read more
Refrigerator Start Relay: 5 Signs of Failure, 4 Test Steps and 5 Replacement Steps What Does the Start Relay Do? The start relay gives the compressor motor the extra current it needs to start and then drops out of the circuit. The part plugs onto the side of the compressor, often in one assembly with … Read more
Refrigerator Condenser Coils: 5 Warning Signs, 4 Rule-Outs and 6 Cleaning Steps What Do the Condenser Coils Do? The condenser coils release the heat that the refrigerant carries out of the cabinet into the room air. The coils sit at the back, under the unit behind a grille or inside the cabinet walls on some … Read more
Refrigerator Fan Motors: 5 Failure Signs, 4 Rule-Outs and 6 Checks What Do the Refrigerator Fan Motors Do? The evaporator fan moves cold air through the compartments, and the condenser fan moves room air across the condenser coils and the compressor. The evaporator fan sits behind a panel in the freezer, and the condenser fan … Read more
Refrigerator Defrost Drain Clog: 5 Signs, 4 Look-Alike Faults and 6 Clearing Steps What Does the Defrost Drain Do? The defrost drain carries meltwater from the evaporator coil to a pan under the refrigerator, where the water evaporates. A frost-free refrigerator warms the evaporator coil at intervals with the defrost heater, and the melted frost … Read more
Refrigerator Control Board: 6 Failure Signs, 5 Rule-Outs and 5 Replacement Steps What Does the Control Board Do? The control board is the circuit board that reads the temperature sensors and switches the compressor, the fans, the defrost heater and the display. Brands also call the part the main board, the PCB or the electronic … Read more
Refrigerator Thermostat, Thermistor and Damper Problems: 4 Parts, 5 Failure Signs and 5 Checks What Do the Thermostat, Thermistor and Damper Do? These parts decide when the refrigerator cools and how the cold air is shared between the freezer and the refrigerator compartment. A part that fails can leave the food too warm or too … Read more
Refrigerator Door Seal and Gasket: 5 Warning Signs, 4 Tests and 6 Replacement Steps What Does the Refrigerator Door Seal Do? The door seal, also called the gasket, closes the gap around the door so that warm room air stays out and cold air stays in. On most models a magnet in the seal pulls … Read more
Refrigerator Defrost Heater: 4 Signs of Failure, 4 Test Steps and 5 Replacement Steps What Does the Defrost Heater Do? The defrost heater melts the frost that builds on the evaporator coils during each defrost cycle. The heater is a metal or glass tube, or a wire element, mounted at or below the coils. The … Read more