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pOrk
06-22-2010, 06:27 PM
Huge puddle around my fridge when I got home from work, temperature inside is cool but not cold enough to drink my milk. Is it worth paying to have it repaired? Any idea on cost? Can't believe a unit this new is already having problems, this will be the third time there will be service done to it, first 2 were covered under 2 year warranty.

emptypockets
06-22-2010, 06:30 PM
Depends one what a comparable fridge will cost new. If the cooling system is shot, its not gonna be cheap to repair. Guess all you can do is get a repair estimate and go from there.

pOrk
06-22-2010, 06:31 PM
Are estimates free? Last time I called they threatened to charge 80 bucks just to come look at it, luckily it was under warranty that time around. This time, it is not...

05caddyext
06-22-2010, 06:34 PM
Check coils on back, make sure they are clean. There is a tray under the fridge that is always wet, should be evaporating the water before it overflows. Also, check freezer, I almost guarantee that the drain line is frozen, this causes the problem you are having.

Make sure coils are clean first, then check freezer for ice under plastic on back and bottom of freezer. Caused by the fridge/freezer running too often, not cycling like it should allowing time for the water to evaporate/self thaw cycle.

pOrk
06-22-2010, 06:50 PM
Don't know how drain line could be frozen since nothing in the freezer is frozen? Its almost 44 degrees in there now.

pOrk
06-22-2010, 07:12 PM
Oh yea, there aren't any coils on the back. I found some down under the doors in the front that are dusty, I can shop vac those off but don't see how that will help. There is nothing frozen underneath, and the tank looking thing that looks to hold the refrigerant is hot as hell to the touch.

05caddyext
06-22-2010, 07:56 PM
The drain line could easily be frozen even if the freezer isn't. Trust me. I have worked on fridges for about 15 years. Clean coils are a huge key to the unit working properly. Also, check for ice underneath the freezer tray, may require some disassembly. The drain line is in the center of the freezer, and must be open at all times. And you say the compressor is hot as hell, that means the unit isnt cycling properly. Take apart the inside of the freezer, I can almost guarantee there will be ice build up behind/under the trays.

05caddyext
06-22-2010, 08:05 PM
Refrigerator problem: There's water on the floor outside of my refrigerator
Refrigerator troubleshooting tip:

If the leak is occurring outside of your refrigerator, the likely culprit here is the drain pan. The frost and ice that melt during your refrigerator's defrost cycle become water. That water moves through a drain hose and into a drain pan located in the bottom rear portion of the fridge behind its grillwork.

Once in the drain pan, the water is supposed to evaporate due to the heat created by the refrigerator's operation. However, a manual drain and clean of a refrigerator's drain pan should be done annually. While cleaning it, check the drain pan for holes or leakage.

If the drain pan is not at fault, your refrigerator may have a broken or clogged drain hose. A leak in the water line would also cause puddling.

Refrigerator problem: My refrigerator cooling is poor
Refrigerator troubleshooting tip:

This problem could be caused by any number of things. First of all, make sure the thermostat/cold control on your refrigerator is set to a cold enough level. If your refrigerator has power but isn't cooling even slightly, you'll need to call a repair tech. The problem could be caused by the compressor, thermostat/cold control, defrost timer, condenser fan motor, etc.

However, if your refrigerator is cooling, but just barely, check the condenser. The condenser coils are located under the fridge or behind a bottom panel, and are thin, black, and radiator-like in appearance. Disconnect the refrigerator, and clean the coils. Do this only if you think enough dust or pet hair has accumulated to affect the refrigerator's performance.

If frost or ice has visibly built up in your refrigerator freezer, the cooling problem is likely defrost-related (defrost timer, defrost heater, or defrost thermostat).

pOrk
06-22-2010, 08:07 PM
Its not the leak I'm concerned about as much as it not cooling. I did some googleing and it looks like the starting device is a common failure on these units. I ordered one for 26 bucks and I am stuck without a fridge for a few days, hopefully it works :) Thanks for the help

theavenger333
06-22-2010, 10:49 PM
estimates are not cheap. parent's amana is going warm as we speak. we got fantastic life out of it, 16 years. to have sears repair come out and even look at it was 80 bucks. my dad works at Lowes, and picked up almost the exact same model with a few more bells and whistles for 600 with the warranty. and don't be TOO suprised it's going to shyt already, average life for a fridge these days is less then 10 years. :(

Russ Jerome
06-22-2010, 11:09 PM
looks like the starting device is a common failure on these units.

Modern fridges always seam to fail due to relays and mag starters, they dont blow up like the old fridges. If there is no puddles of oil around the bottom indicating a blown comp I'll give it a shot Eric, Im 3 for 3 in the last year repairing fridges (hey I fixxed that pool heater the other day when you stopped bye!).

awsomeears
06-22-2010, 11:46 PM
Eric don't start buying parts only to throw em at it, if the compressor is hot its probably running and well it started. Should have that quite Hummm to it....

Caddy is right listen to him, as you know I'm in the HVAC field but Ive never tooled around with a fridge.

Yooformula
06-23-2010, 12:29 AM
I say what caddy said. everytime our fridges died at work or got warm, it was almost always clogged drain tubes and when you took the floor apart in the freezer you would see a big block of ice even though the freezer was barely cool. I would turn first clean the coils, then take some panels apart and look for ice and a clogged drain. Hell if you can, open the doors and leave it off for a day for any possible ice to defrost then clean the drain.

pOrk
06-23-2010, 09:15 AM
There is nothing frozen, I thought I said that already ;). Its not a clogged drain, there is no ice and no water on drain pan. The water on floor is from ice in freezer that melted, and all of the searching I did all leads to a bad starter relay. Compressor was hot but not running, no noise at all. I'm pretty confidant this part will do it

BadAzzGTA89
06-23-2010, 08:51 PM
Eric don't start buying parts only to throw em at it, if the compressor is hot its probably running and well it started. Should have that quite Hummm to it....



X a billion

Russ Jerome
06-23-2010, 09:37 PM
Whirlpool/ Kenmore with a little black box as the starter? I got one from the joint on Appleton and Timmerman field for $30 for my kids fridge.

pOrk
06-24-2010, 05:01 AM
Whirlpool/ Kenmore with a little black box as the starter? I got one from the joint on Appleton and Timmerman field for $30 for my kids fridge.

Yup, its a kenmore fridge and its the little black box that has a 2 prong relay thing sticking out of it that plugs into the side of the compressor

pOrk
06-26-2010, 05:47 PM
My research paid off, got the part in last night and today its working like new again :)

Russ Jerome
06-27-2010, 05:36 PM
Modern fridges always seam to fail due to relays and mag starters, they dont blow up like the old fridges.

Im with this guy Eric ^^ Makes ya feel like ya pulled one over on "the man" not having to spend good beer money on a new fridge that will loose some $17 part in a couple years.

pOrk
06-27-2010, 09:55 PM
Feels good to use my noggin for once, cleared out the cob webs in there