When choosing a refrigerator repair company, look for one that prices materials and labor separately. Some charge by the hour, while others have a flat rate that includes everything from materials to labor.
Professionals can identify underlying problems and provide efficient solutions that maximize the lifespan of your appliance. Contact Refrigerator Repair Orlando now!
The thermostat is your refrigerator’s brain for temperature control. It senses the temperature inside the fridge and sends signals to the compressor to turn on or off as needed. Thermostats usually last about ten years before they wear out and need to be replaced. The most common clue that yours isn’t working correctly is a refrigerator that is either too warm or too cold, which can result in food spoilage and higher electric bills.
Most modern refrigerators have a thermostat dial that allows you to select the desired refrigerator temperature. When the dial is set and the refrigerator turns on but doesn’t cool, the problem could be with the thermostat or the compressor. Fortunately, both are relatively easy to replace on your own with some basic tools and this refrigerator repair guide.
Before you get started, unplug the refrigerator or shut off the circuit breaker for the refrigerator. If you’re worried about your food going bad, move highly perishable items to a cooler or another cooled space where they can stay until the fridge is repaired. Once the refrigerator is turned off, remove any screws securing the control housing to the top of the fridge compartment. Find something to support the control housing so it doesn’t fall as you remove each screw.
Next, open the brackets that hold the temperature control thermostat and sensing tube and pull them loose from their places in the fridge. If the sensing tube has an insulation sleeve, save it to use on the new sensor tube when you install the replacement thermostat. Now, release the wires from the old thermostat and disconnect them. Throw away the old thermostat and sensor tube or set them aside for electronics recycling.
With the wires disconnected, contact the black and red multimeter leads to the thermostat terminals with alligator clips and test for electrical continuity at each dial setting. If you get a “continuity” reading, the thermostat is good and you can continue with your refrigerator repair. If you don’t get a continuity reading, the thermostat is broken and needs to be replaced.
Door Seal
Door seals are an integral component of fridges and help to prevent air leakage. They keep cold air in and warm air out, and improve energy efficiency. They are also a fire safety measure, slowing down or preventing the spread of smoke and flames.
A refrigerator’s door seal should be checked periodically to ensure it is in good condition. If it is damaged, it can cause the fridge to lose its ability to cool. This can result in the fridge making loud noises and producing ice cubes that aren’t as cold as they should be.
Fortunately, replacing a refrigerator door seal is relatively easy and inexpensive. The first step is to determine the size of the gap around the door frame. You can do this by placing modeling clay in each corner of the door and measuring the gap using calipers. Once you know the average gap size, you can choose a rubber seal that will fit the door. After cutting the strip of rubber to the correct length, you can install it in the door frame.
To ensure a tight fit, the strip should be warmed before installing it. Using a hairdryer, heat gun, or hot water can warm the rubber so it is flexible enough to fit in the frame of the door. Once the seal is in place, it should be trimmed to ensure it fits properly and doesn’t create an air leak.
The material of the seal strip is also important to consider. A rigid seal is more durable than a flexible one, and can withstand more wear and tear. However, a rigid seal may not be as aesthetically appealing as a flexible one. The seal strip must also be designed to fit the environment where it will be used.
There are several ways to fasten a door seal strip, including adhesive backings and channel sets. Adhesive backings are popular because they support peel-and-stick installation. The adhesive can be made from a variety of materials, including polyurethane, rubber, or vinyl. Some seal strips have a built-in flange that holds them in place, while others use a “Christmas tree” design with inverted branches that hold the seal in place.
Water Leak
Leaking pipes and drain lines are one of the most common household issues that can cause significant damage. If they aren’t addressed in a timely manner, leaks can lead to rotting walls and floors, mold growth, musty odors around drains and water-using appliances, increased water bills, and lower water pressure. Fortunately, there are several ways to detect and treat water leaks in the home before they become worse.
Leaks from faucets and sinks, toilets, and appliances can often be spotted by checking for wet areas under or near the appliance. However, you may need to conduct further tests or hire a professional to locate hidden leaks. For example, a refrigerator drip tray or water inlet valve could have a slow leak from a worn out gasket.
You can also check for a leak in the water dispenser or ice-making unit by dropping a few drops of food coloring in the tank and waiting about 20 minutes. If the water turns color, there’s a good chance that the flapper valve in the tank is wearing out and not creating a watertight seal.
A leaking fridge can be repaired with new seals, gaskets, and other components that can be easily replaced by a licensed professional. A trained repair technician can provide long-term fixes that will prevent the problem from returning in the future.
The best way to prevent leaks is to perform regular maintenance and inspections on your household appliances. However, even the most diligent homeowners can run into unexpected problems. That’s why it’s important to contact a local repair service that can help. A repair technician can quickly locate and fix the issue to save you time, money, and hassle.
In addition to repairing faulty components, you can find other solutions for common household issues like plumbing repairs, water heater installation, and more. Learn more about how we can help you with your household needs at Neighborly, where our Done Right Promise means that you’ll always get quality service that’s fast and reliable. Call today to book an appointment. We proudly offer same-day and emergency appointments.
Compressor
The compressor is the heart of your fridge, responsible for pumping refrigerant throughout the system to cool everything inside. A broken compressor can be expensive and difficult to find replacement parts for, so it’s important to get it repaired as soon as you notice signs that it’s starting to go bad.
Thankfully, there are several things you can do to troubleshoot and repair your refrigerator compressor before calling in a pro. A few simple steps like cleaning the coils and ensuring proper airflow can often fix overheating problems, which is one of the most common symptoms of a broken compressor. If you can’t start your compressor or if it shuts off too soon, the problem might be with the start relay. This component supplies power to the compressor and if it’s defective, your refrigerator will probably struggle or not work at all. To test your starter relay, remove it from the compressor and disconnect the wires. Using your multi-meter, test the single pin that’s side by side with another pin (the run winding) and the single pin on the other side of the compressor (the start winding). The run winding should read 1-5 ohms resistance, and the start winding should read 3-11 ohms.
Like any mechanical part, your refrigerator’s compressor is prone to natural wear and tear over time, but it can also be damaged by high voltage electrical surges or even a lightning strike that causes an excessive amount of electricity to rush through the refrigerator and “fry” components such as the compressor and its start relay. These types of problems are rare, however, as most modern compressors are built to last for a long time and are typically less than five years old when they begin showing signs of age.
It’s worth mentioning again that it is nearly always more cost-effective to hire a professional for refrigerator compressor repair and replacement rather than doing the job yourself. There are very specific tools needed for these repairs that the average person doesn’t have, not to mention that working with refrigerant gas is dangerous and requires special training. A pro will have the experience and expertise necessary to safely work with the specialized equipment required and properly dispose of or recycle your faulty refrigerator compressor in accordance with environmental laws.