Somethings wrong with the fridge!

[Backfourty,MI.]

I kept hearing a clicking sound, thought it was my Bunn coffee pot so I unplugged it. Still I kept hearing the clicking sound & since the coffee pot sets next to the fridge I figured that was it.

I opened the freezer part & there were things already thawing & blood from meat laying in the bottom already. Not really sure but the fridge also doesn't seem to be keeping as cold but I think it's actually getting warmer in there.

I want to know what could be wrong with this fridge/freezer & if it's worth getting a repairman out here?
This fridge is 7 years old & it was a cheap fridge to start with.

[agmantoo]

IMO the clicking is the overloaded thermal disc trying to start the compressor motor which is not starting. With the compressor not starting the current rises and the thermal disc heats and the heat causes the disc to click opening the circuit. You may have a start capacitor that is shot (hopefully) or the compressor motor is bad.

[Harry Chickpea]

Unplug the fridge for a couple hours. If you have a source for dry ice, get some. Otherwise, put some regular ice in a bowl or such and salt it, then stick it in the freezer part.

After a couple of hours, plug it back in. Sometimes one can be resurrected this way. Agman is right about an overload switch kicking out the compressor. Sometimes that can be overheating of the motor, sometimes if it stopped and tries to restart, there is enough liquid refrigerant in the compressor that it just keeps cycling. Letting it rest gives things a chance to normalize.

If it does this a second time, get a new unit.

[Curtis B]

Have you ever cleaned your coils?

[Backfourty,MI.]

Yes I have cleaned the coils. Not alot but I have pulled the fridge out probly 3 times in 7 years & cleaned the back & the coils.

I will try cleaning everying & the ice in the freezer with the salt. I'll shut it off now & try all you've suggested.

I can hear the fan running too.

I just checked the fridge temp which I turned the control to 7 (9 is the coldest setting) & it's at about 42 degrees right now but the freezer is still not frozen. I have already moved all the food from the freezer to the deep freeze in the garage.

[Stephen in SOKY]

Defrost timer going bad? Pehaps hung in the defrost mode or failing to move into defrost mode and causing the thawing by frosting up the element?

[Backfourty,MI.]

Originally Posted by Stephen in SOKY

Defrost timer going bad? Pehaps hung in the defrost mode or failing to move into defrost mode and causing the thawing by frosting up the element?

If that's what it is or the compressor I'm wondering about the repair costs? I have never fixed a refridgerator & will have to call someone out to do any repairs.
Just wondering if this fridge is worth it since it is a cheaper model & 7 years old.

I have it unplugged with a bowl of salted ice in it now.

[How Do I]

Our fan kicks off during defrost mode. Don't know if that's typical.

[Backfourty,MI.]

Now I thought of another worry! We are going to town tomarrow which is like a day trip for us.
Say I start the fridge back up & it's working fine but while no one is home it starts doing the same thing, could it cause a fire in the motor or fridge? Sure would hate to start a house fire because of a faulty fridge!

[Ryan NC]

it sounds like a bad defrost element to me. if the freezer section was froze up pretty good behind the metal shield it'll make the controller click trying to get it to come on or the fan will be semi froze up and hitting ice. If you unplugged it and then plugged it back in and it works I'd be willing to bet a dollar this is your problem. (and it will do it again in a week or two.)

They are not hard to replace if you google your fridge and replace defrost element you should be able to find the full instructions fairly easy. If you take the element to a repair shop they can test it for you if you don't have a multi-meter.

[Danaus29]

Grab the coolers and put stuff from the fridge in them. Leave the fridge unplugged all day tomorrow so you don't have to worry about it.

[Backfourty,MI.]

OK, I just plugged it back in, it is still making the clicking sound. I should have said before it's not a constant clicking sound but like something kicking on then off a minute later or so & then it does it again a few minutes later & just keeps doing this.

I made sure to use the vacuum & clean what ever I could get to which it really didn't look that dirty.

This frdige is weird, the whole back is all a sheet of metal that doesn't look like it comes off & the motor, etc. is on the back at the bottom. I know some of you folks are really mechanically inclined but it looks pretty complicated to me.

[Travis in Louisiana]

Ok, First, if the clicking sound is coming from the bottom where the compresssor is, then it is probably the thermal disc/overload turning the compressor off and on as it trys to start, but can't. You said the clicks were about every minute or so and this would be about right. If the clicking sound is coming from the top freezer part, then it is the fan hitting ice, BUT, the clicking would usually be more rapid as the fan tries to turn. I am opting that the clicking is coming from the bottom where the compressor is. You should be able to get to the compressor and the wires from the back, down at the bottom. The fiber board should come off with just a few screws. UNPLUG THE ICEBOX FIRST before starting work. (I am hoping this is a icebox with the freezer on top and fridge on bottom). After getting the fiber board off, look at the wires and see if any or burnt. Also, take the plastic cover off the compressor, where the wires go and see if any are broken or loose. The capacitor should be a black round cylinder looking thing with two wires plugged into it. See if the wires are loose or broken. NOTICE, THE CAPACITOR MAY HAVE A SLIGHT CHARGE TO IT. You can take a screw driver or wire and short across the capacitor wire terminals to discharge it. If all the wires look good, you are going to need a multimeter to check to see if the compressor is Number one - grounded or Number two - if any of the circuits in the compressor of open. I am working all night, so I will be checking in.

[Harry Chickpea]

Travis is on the right track. Since it is still clicking, you may have a motor/compressor that has gone bad, but follow Travis's instructions and you will rule out some other possible issues before having to make a plunge for a new unit. Good work, Travis.

[Backfourty,MI.]

I think Travis is right too! The clicking is not a fan hitting ice, it is coming from the bottom motor area.
Yes, it is a freezer on top model. I plugged it in again this morning & it's still doing th same thing. I gave up & put things in coolers out in the garage. It's down to 22 degrees last night so the food should be fine out there for now.

I just looked at the motor, good with a bright light. Nothing looks like it's unplugged or disconnected & there aren't any burnt looking wires either.

We don't have a multimeter so would have to buy one in town today.

[agmantoo]

Backfourty,MI.

Did you see a capacitor mounted on the compressor housing? It should be under a small cover that is held on with a screw. With the power unplugged look at the capacitor and see if you can see oil leaking or a bulge on the material where the prongs protrude from the capacitor. Do not touch the end prongs coming out of the capacitor! Sometimes there will also be a burned smell. If that capacitor is defective it will create the problem you have. Do not leave the refrigerator plugged to power as you could cause the snap disc to fail.

[Backfourty,MI.]

I moved everything out of the fridge last night & unplugged it.

I will see if I can locate the capacitor, I don't smell anything burning or see anything leaking when I've checked it out last night & this a.m. though.

[agmantoo]

The leak is not going to be a flood. It would be nothing more than wet greasy spots on the end of the capacitor. The bulge will be just a raised area on the end of the capacitor. The odor is not great but often can be smelled when tested at the end of the capacitor. When you locate the capacitor then search for the indicators for a capacitor failure.

[Travis in Louisiana]

Backfourty, did you take the plastic cover off the compressor where the wires hook into the compressor? Those wires are hooked to the prongs on the compressor, that hook to the internal electric motor. Usually the wires or loose or broken. MAKE SURE THE FRIDGE IS UNPLUGGED! If they look fine, you will need the multimeter, put the meter selector on OHMS setting to check and see if the motor wiring has not broken. After putting on the OHMS setting, with the PROBES of the meter not touching, this reading will show lots of OHMS or resistance, because the probes not touching represent a broken circuit or wire. Now take the probes of the meter and touch together, you should read ZERO, no resistance, a complete circuit. Now, look at the compressor where he wires hook up, the top or left terminal is the "COMMON" point of the winding. Putting one of the probes from the meter on the COMMOND, and the other probe on one of the others, one at a time. You will not read ZERO on the meter, but it will read something. If the meter reads a broken motor winding, it will read lots of OHMS or resistance. If the wire is broken in the motor, then the compressor is bad. Now if the compressor readings show a good compressor, you may have a bad relay(this may plug into two of the terminals on the compressor where the wires go). It does get a bit complicated if you are not used to using a multimeter or doing electrical work. I would suggest if you do not know much about electrical electrical troubleshooting or not comfortable with it, then get someone you know who knows about using a multimeter or get a repairman out to just tell you what is broken. I hope I have not been to confusing, I am at work and have had twenty questions asked to me while I wrote this. I will be online all night if you have any questions.

[Backfourty,MI.]

We have a pretty good appliance guy we have used in the past for our dishwasher when it broke so I think I'm going to call him tomarrow. At least like you said he can tell me what's broken & if it's worth fixing.

The neighbor did say if the compressor was bad that it's not worth fixing but not sure if that's true or not. I know I'm not spending hundreds of dollars to fix it as it is a very inexspensive model & 7 years old.

I remember years ago I bought a fridge, it was used when I moved into a rental house. Had to have it repaired once & the repairman said it was about 30 years old then & would probly run another 30 years. It cost me &75.00 to get it fixed. I think that was back about 1992. I ended up buying that house, lived there 10 more years after that & sold the house with the fridge.
They sure don't make things like that anymore!!