Hope someone can help.
We've had this fridge over 10 years and lately I've noticed it doesn't stoping working.
What I mean is it used to stop once it reached certain temperature and stayed quiet.
Now it is constantly working (I can hear that) and I fear it is costing us a lot.
I know it has been really hot (I am in Brisbane) but we've never had this problem in the past.
Can you think of a reason and is there any way to fix it cheaply?
(Yes, we've already defrosted it but it didn't make any difference.)
My fridge does not stop working.
tomatosauce on 21/02/2014 - 08:58
Comments
Act on it quickly otherwise you will end up with a massive electricity bill - our old fridge was adding around $250/quarter to our electricity bill until we unplugged it.
If you have the time call around and ask for general quotes based on the issues the fridge is having.
Otherwise it might just be easier to purchase a new one - heaps of interest free deals around for fridges.
Faulty thermostat should be easy to diagnose. Everything in the fridge will be much colder that normal, or even half-frozen.
Might be a refrigerant leak, as Tas said.
Might also be the seals. Check the seals around the doors and see if they are closing properly.
If it's 10 years old, and it's leaking gas or has dead seals: buy a new fridge. I did recently (bad seals), and am happy with my decision.
We've replaced seals quite recently.
If it's gas leak, how do we fix it?With a lot of money.
It's not a DIY job. You'd have to get an expert to make a house call, which is $$$$
It will cost hundreds.
How big is your fridge? How expensive will a new one be of the same size?
If it's not a DIY job, we will probably consider buying a new one and put money towards it.
How about if it's faulty thermostat, how do we fix it?
A leak is definitely not a DIY job.
Repairman will test pressure in the system. If it's a small/slow leak, I assume that tracking down origin of that leak must be fraught.Many years ago, there was a gas leak in the fridge that was kindly installed in our partly furnished first rental property. Subsequently found out that shonky owner knew of the problem from the get-go. A re-gassing 'fixed' the problem - for awhile anyway…
You can fiddle around with the thermostat and it might come good.
Electricity-wise, and otherwise, use your common sense if you're going to go down that path.Ok we will check on thermostat and it doesn't fix the problem, we'll be off to Good Guys this weekend.
If you end up resolving that you have to buy, at least consider buying secondhand.
The fact that your fridge hasn't carked it completely gives you a bit of time to look around.
Huge glut of secondhand appliances of all descriptions, pretty much everywhere.If you don't want to take a chance on something really cheap in a private sale, bigger appliance repair places (usually located in industrial precincts - look for ones that are long-established) (maybe go for a drive on the weekend), will often have white goods with warranty.
A gamble, yes, but potentially big money to be saved.There are so many people these days virtually chucking out perfectly good medium size and even large-size fridges in order to replace them with ginormous ones.
We've replaced seals quite recently.
theres your problem. the fridges ive seen seals replaced on never seal properly and leak out the cold air and if its already hot there your just adding to the issue. id double check for even the smallest part of the new seals in either teh fridge or freezer door where it might be leaking.
New frost free fridge may be the best option… if it is not something simple to fix the old one.
You say you have had the fridge for 10 years… was it used when you got it? Being a cyclic one it could be?The new fridges will make a big saving on your elec bill too.
Be wary of businesses selling used appliances … usually they are not that much cheaper than a new one with a factory warranty.
Depends on just where you look. I'm not recommending places that specialise in selling secondhand whitegoods.
Frost-free fridges have been around for a long time now. Plenty now available secondhand.
Our old fridge is a frost-free Kelvinator, and it's over 20 years since it was purchased.
Check the troubleshooting section of your fridge manual.
Some fridges have condenser coils in the back or bottom that need cleaning. These transfer heat to the air and won't work efficiently if they are covered in dust.
http://www.wikihow.com/Clean-Refrigerator-CoilsOur 2002 Whirlpool side-by-side had coils in the bottom that were very challenging to keep clean. When they got dusty it would run continuously and eventually fail to keep to temperature. Our new Westinghouse fridge doesn't have exposed coils.
Thanks, we'll have a look at the coils tomorrow:)
Yes I believe op has a problem if the coils are very hot. If it is, try the dust idea, or even moving it further from the wall so it stays cooler. But the fridge is very old. The coils should not be very hot.
A few years ago, the Missus insisted I defrost the frig before I went to cricket. I was (obviously) in a hurry, so I began to use a bread and butter knife to chip the ice from the freezer compartment…straight through the gas veins!!
Called a repairman who quoted $150 more for the repair than the cost of a new (better) frig and charged me $80 for the callout!
White goods these days have a shorter life than previously and considering the cost of repairs,chasing (major) problems is not cost effective.
I reckon you should bite the bullet and get a new fridge. I decided to get an "all fridge" and a small freezer and I seem to be using less electricity and have more usable space.
As the recipient of someone who tried to do me a "good turn" (albeit impatient one with the knife) I must say never ever use one of those to speed up the defrost/clean process. Hot water and if absolutely necessary try one of those plastic cake spatulas usually do the trick. I also just bit the bullet and bought a new one; the one that died was a $100 special from another friend … that required de-icing every fortnight. Yes, give up on that fridge and buy a new frost free.
The problem could also be with the defrost timer.
By way of background, every 6-8hrs the defrost timer switches off the cooling system and switches on a heater to defrost the coils inside the fridge. If the timer gets stuck on the cooling stage of the cycle and doesn't defrost the coils, ice will form around them. The ice will prevent cool air from circulating, so the fridge doesn't stay cool. The thermostat will then stay switched on so that your fridge runs all the time, without properly cooling down (and this creates more ice so the problem gets worse).
I had this recently and it was as simple as replacing the defrost timer for about $40 (less online). Try this page http://www.partselect.com/refrigerator+test-defrost-timer+re… or some Googling for instructions. You may also need to remove the built up ice - this will probably involve removing the back panel inside the freezer so you can access the coils.
It would be worth at least checking the defrost timer before buying a new fridge.
Either it's a straight-out faulty thermostat, or you have a refrigerant gas leak and the fridge is struggling to achieve the temperature you have set.
'Fridge repairs' and 'cheap' are words that don't often appear in close proximity.
If you narrow down where you are in Brisbane somewhat, someone may be able to recommend somebody reputable, based on their experience.