A failure of the refrigerator turns people’s everyday life into a real disaster. It’s recommended to find the most common breakdowns and their causes at the stage of choosing and purchasing fridge equipment because it will help you follow the operating rules. Some failures can be fixed with your own hands, and some are better to entrust to professionals who are experienced and qualified. That’s why it’s so important to set aside a little time and get acquainted with the main malfunctions of fridges and the ways of fixing them.
Most Common Fridge Failures
Modern household appliances have become an integral part of our life. Their work is taken for granted until some kind of breakdown happens. The failure of the refrigerator is considered one of the biggest problems. In the chambers of the fridge, food is stored for several days. In the freezer compartment, there are strategic stocks of frozen fruits, vegetables and meat for the winter. For a couple of hours, depending on the fridge manufacturer and the functionality of the device, all products begin to melt and deteriorate, becoming unfit for human consumption.
It’s vital to point out the most common fridge failures:
- It doesn’t turn on. In other words, the device doesn’t freeze, and the temperature inside the chambers has increased significantly. The reasons for this problem may be a compressor failure, a malfunction of the sensor or thermostat, problems with the relay or errors in the electronic control module. To determine the true cause of the malfunction and properly eliminate it, it’s better to contact a fridge repair service.
- It doesn’t turn off. The reasons for such behavior can be explained by loosely closed doors and too high ambient temperature. In that case, it’s necessary to ensure that the doors are always closed and adjust the temperature regime to the appropriate external factors. However, there are other reasons that cause the incessant operation of equipment. More serious problems include damage to the door, malfunctions of the temperature sensor, thermostat or control module, refrigerant leakage and compressor failure. It’s vital to urgently seek help from the service center and call the master, who will provide you with the correct “diagnosis” and fix the refrigeration.
- Loud noise during operation. The wrong position of the refrigerator can lead to such consequences. As a result, the fridge walls touch furniture items, creating vibration. Besides, loud noise can occur due to violations of the compressor, a faulty fan or motor, and an unstable relay position. If the position can be adjusted independently, it’s better for the master to deal with it.
- The freezer doesn’t freeze. First of all, you need to check the density of closing the door and the correctness of the temperature regime. If they are OK, then the causes of a high temperature in the freezer can be malfunctions of the compressor, thermostat or temperature sensor.
How to Fix Them
Fortunately, many failures are easily fixed even by untrained people who have never repaired anything themselves. However, in case of serious malfunctions of the electrical equipment of the refrigerator, thermostat, compressor or freon leakage, you may need to have a professional refrigerator repair.
When you find that the refrigerator makes the usual noise, it’s cold inside, but there is no internal illumination or the indicator lamps are off, there are probably problems with the lighting devices. If necessary, replace the failed indicator lamps. It may also turn out that the refrigerator’s electrical circuits are faulty or the light switch button is broken. If the complexity of repairs is high, you should immediately call the professional – he can quickly solve such issues.
In the absence of cold and any sounds, the refrigerator’s indicator lights can work. In this case, you need to look for a breakdown inside the device. Start by checking the thermostat and control unit, because these are the most likely causes that fall under the symptoms mentioned above. However, sometimes there is a break in the compressor or in other parts of the refrigerator, affecting the voltage inside the system.
Note that some refrigerators may have not one, but two compressors. In this regard, the repair is complicated. Therefore, if you find it hard to perform any repair with your own hands, just call a master.