Excellent video, really well explained and concise. I've now used this video to repair two fridge freezers and an upright freezer, all for the cost of a few pounds for the start relay or overload device. Thanks for making such a clear and simple to follow guide.
Thank you for the great video and troubleshooting steps. My 20 year old Whirlpool stopped cooling. I followed your steps and found the continuity test failed also rattled so I ordered the relay. Installed it today now I have ice cubes again. Thanks again !
Very good video. You know your craft very well. I am an old retired appliance repair servicer but have not serviced a refrigerator since 1978 when I began servicing only TV sets. My refrigerator stopped cooling so I started the process of troubleshooting without any tools or test equipment. The refrigerator has been in operation for 23 years with proper cleaning. I had a severe neck injury six years ago resulting in me not being able to do normal cleaning. I also forgot to clean the condenser coil rack. Both the refrigerator and freezer temperature was 72 degrees with the evap and cond fans running. The compressor was warm with the overload protector cycling every minute or so. When the compressor would try to start the cabinet interior light would dim a little for less than a second. At this point, I thought the problem was a restricted condenser rack. I had also noted that a handy dandy door towel was preventing the refrigerator door from closing properly. I had suggested several times over the years that the door handle towel while cute was bad for the proper operation of the unit. I looked under the refrigerator and saw more lint buildup than I had ever witnessed before. I got out the vacuum cleaner and did a partial cleaning with the crevice\brush tool. The unit began to cool down so I turned the Tstat off and informed my wife that we had bad problems and that she should empty the unit and clean the interior before the repairman could take it to his shop for service. I also told her that I had to clean under the refrigerator and run some tests before calling for service. All of the above has been completed and the unit started cooling for about thirty minutes. I tested the temps three hours later to discover the compressor had stopped running again. Puzzled, I called an old friend to help me pull the unit out from under the cabinets that had been built around the unit. The carpenter had failed to leave enough height for the unit and so it had been wedged under the cabinet with less than zero clearance. The wheels on the bottom had permitted enough give for this to happen. With the unit away from the wall; I was able to completely clean out the condenser and compressor cavity. I think the start capacitor does not have enough capacitance to start the compressor now but I cannot figure out why the compressor stopped cooling a couple of hours following the first partial cleaning. I plan on ordering the start relay and capacitor before deciding to contact one of you younger guys. My wife would love a new smart fridge but with fixed retirement income that purchase will be a "real trick". It seems possible that the compressor start un internal windings may now have a problem that causes something within the windings or the relay to open after a few hours of run time. This could have been caused by the compressor running close to the FLR amps and temperature because of the dirty comp rack and\or the door handle towel preventing the complete door closure for many years. Do you have any thoughts? If a new start relay and cap does not fix the problem; should I have a new compressor installed or purchase a new unit? I will have to quit eating and give up my fast internet service to pay for the new unit. :-)
Hi Jerry, if the start relay and capacitor don't resolve your issue it usually isn't very cost effective to replace the compressor so we usually recommend replacing the refrigerator. If your refrigerator has a condenser fan motor on the back to dissipate the heat, make sure that it is working properly.
After a complete defrost and cleaning my freezer wouldn't start back up . This is a Perfect Instructional Video , Helped me out and diagnosed my problem .. Local appliance store had a replacement upgrade in stock , $20. later we are back to freezing , Just in time for the side of beef coming this week . Saved me from purchasing a new freezer or costly repair man. Thanks very much .
@@PartsDr hello I have a tssu-48-12 prep fridge. Recently we had several power outages and the wires going to the overload relay burned and the fridge was warm in the inside. I change out the overload and the start relay but now the compressor is short cycling! Did I connect the wires wrong or ?
@@PartsDr so how should I go about checking the compressor? Would ohming out the terminals work and get my answer or is there’s another way to check it? Thanks for your reply really appreciate!
@@lennyleejr7763 You can ohm the windings of the compressor. But there are some things you can't check because the compressor is a sealed unit and you can't see everything.
Great video, i was able to diagnose a faulty compressor relay on my moms fridge. Failed the shake test and the multimeter test. replaced the relay and capacitor for $10, works great!! Thank you sir!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. Using your guidance I found the capacitor to be bad and the relay was good on my GE fridge. Thanks to you I just saved $1800 on a new refrigerator.
Thanks very much for stating the required ohm values instead of just saying continuity exists. That helps me to determine if the part is good or defective.
Very helpful video. The modern start relay in my Maytag failed the shake test but the impedance was OK. It would work but overload every so often. Via an HBN meter I noticed the surge was not excessive, just 800 watts when the compressor started, 150 watts once it was running, so the compressor seems to be in good condition. I disassembled the relay and squirted tuner cleaner on all of the contactors. Lo and behold, it worked after reassembly but I ordered a replacement anyway. I find tuner cleaner will resolve many intermittent problems. While it was out, I checked the capacitor for microfarads. Mine was good.
You the Man. Thank you. Great instruction. Straight to the point. Turns out I have a bad overload on a brand new Freezer. Great breakdown of each test. I like how you separated each part. Now to find the right replacement. Thank you.
@@PartsDr Yes. Thank you. I actually did check your site but the freezer is a Danby Brand. I used the chat to talk to an agent but they said they don't have parts for Danby Brand. So the search continues. Honestly the overload part all look the same but have different HP perimeters when I search for them. So a little confused on which one would work. If my math is correct (V x W ÷ 745.8) gives me 18.5 HP. Sooooo ya. Haha
@@SF-hd5ds Thanks for checking with us. Overloads are very specific and hard to match correctly unless you get the exact OEM part. Try reaching out to the manufacturer directly to see if they can assist you. Sometimes these cheaper appliances won't have parts available for them.
Thank you so much! Just bought a GE freezer from 88' and it immediately stopped working the next day. I have been struggling to find anyone to show how to fix an older model. Now I know the start relay is good because of your video. I just have to keep narrowing down the issue on why it short cycles if the compressor, thermistor (guardette), and the start relay are still going strong.
Good clear and to the point. I ordered a new overload protector and it tested zero continuity nor ohms out of the box, what a joke. Will be returning it.
In case it helps anyone I had combination style start relay that would test OK, but trigger overload when in the fridge with clicking noise. Replacing it even though it read OK resolved the issue. This is because by the time you take out and measure the overload, if it's not completely dead it could have reset (this would be especially true if you hear clicking sounds and the fridge works sometimes vs not at all). So don't just take the reading for single reason to call your compressor bad.
Having done repairs of all types but not being a master in anything, I've realized most systems focus on the heart of the system, the workhorse. The AC Compressor is that heart. I wish your video focused on testing the compressor. Too often we look to the small parts to heal our wounds. Money is made on those, but be a little more thorough before you throw money into a hope. If we test the compressor always as part of the common tests, we just replace the compressor or buy a new or used fridge unit.
Testing the run cap and start relay is where you should start. I have come behind other techs who called for a new compressor, and in reality, it was the start relay or run cap. It just happened with an Americana fridge. It was the SR and not the compressor. I replaced the SR and it works just fine. Just saved the. Ustomer hundreds.
Hey man! Just want to say thank you for the video. I tested my relay and it was bad, cap was good. Ordered both just in case, and my fridge is back up and running! Was $160 with next day shipping. None of my local appliance shops had the part in stock. The fridge is 14 years old so we're going to replace it anyway, but this extra life affords us some time to make a good decision and not feel pressured by availability. If you're taking suggestions, I'd suggest a vid with a cheap/normal multimeter. Fluke is the best of course, but weekend warriors probably don't have that nice of a unit. I had to bridge the two back connections where the wire hardness connects, then test continuity pin to pin on the three pins that plug into the condenser. I couldn't test like you did with your multimeter. Thanks again, and have a great weekend!
Your video saved my entire fridge of food on Christmas Eve! I would have paid a technician, except I couldn't find one who was working Christmas Eve. But once I was able to determine the start capacitor relay was bad I was able to find one who would sell me the part! Definitely the easiest appliance repair I have ever done! THANK YOU!
Hi, thank you for your work. My situation - small vine fridge overheats the overload protector after 10 seconds, taking around 9amps from the outlet before it happens, but the compressor is not humming during those 10 seconds. The condenser fan works fine, the compressor ohms seem correct - 5.3ohm, 5.1ohm and 10.4ohm. The voltage between the pins is 120v, before it shuts off. I even tried to apply the voltage directly to S pin for a sec, and then to R pin but again there was no humming/vibrating by the compressor.
What is the difference between the 2, 3 and 4 pin PTC relays? Could you use a 3 or 4 pin PTC relay as a replacement for a 2 pin PTC relay? In addition, could you use a different kind of relay instead of a PTC relay? Just trying to understand more about these start relays. Thanks
Ho can I test the overload of the combination style relay (the one you mentioned cannot have a continuity or ahm test done)? How do I do the visual inspection or test power going to the compressor?
My countertop ice maker has been driving me nuts for months with compressor starting intermittently. I was thinking there was some starting capacitor that had first charge to help kick it in, then I found this QP2-4.7 relay mounted on the compressor and read about PTC and how they work. Damn ceramic disk is intact, but it reads 15ohms at ambient temp when it has to be ~5. I guess compressor doesn't get enough time for start winding and system just cuts off. Sometimes it's enough to start and then it works until turned off, which is to be expected.
This is a brilliant video, thank you Parts Dr - your presentation and knowledge is exceptional. I do have a question: the relay and overload protector on my LG fridge, I suspect, are both damaged: the start relay gives 30ohms of resistance, but passes the continuity test; the overload protector sometimes passes continuity and sometimes gives resistance readings, even when contacts are very stable. Sadly, LG doesn't specify the exact parameters of the overload protector and doesn't supply spares in my country. The compressor is a 155w one, so I ordered both a generic 1/4 (180w) and 1/5 HP (150w) overload protector for it - Parts Dr, which one would you use, the 1/4 or the 1/5? I also ordered a generic start relay, it was the only one I could find in the country, so I do hope it works. Thank you so much again for your wonderful video and for any help you can offer.
The overloads a specific to each compressor and we can only suggest to use the OEM overload suggested by the manufacturer. Hypothetically, if you couldn't get access to the OEM overload and had to use a generic, you would want to try using the one that is slightly under rated than over rated. Using a higher wattage rating overload can be a fire hazard and you can also potentially damage the compressor. Hopefully that helps!
@@PartsDr This is a brilliant answer and exactly what I needed, thank you Parts Dr, truly appreciate it. Sadly, OEM spares for my fridge seem to have been discontinued about a decade ago and none are to be found anywhere. Hopefully the generic starter relay works as well. But the advice regarding the wattage of the overload compared to the compressor itself is precisely the guidance I needed; thank you once again.
I'm confused by this test. If I plug both prongs into the back 2 holes, I get 4.9 ohms. If I plug one prong into one back hole and touch the front, I get OL on one and 4.9 ohms on the other. Then if I plug one prong into the other back hole and touch the front, I get OL on one and 0.7 ohm on the other. What does this mean for this start relay?
Did you resolve your issue? Or find an answer to your question. As I have the same exact situation and get the same exact results you mentioned when I test my combination relay.
Thanks for the vid. the 3 in 1s are for single phase compressors. I have a frigidaire side by side , I think its a single phase. I have a double pole breaker in my house but the compressor in my fridge is for a frigidaire FFHS2611LBNA compressor motor is a RSCR fridge amps are 8.5 not sure about the hp of compressor. Desperate to find the 3 in 1 or the relay for this fridge.
You should not use a 3 in 1 style relay for this refrigerator as it can damage the compressor. This is the original OEM start relay for your model here: partsdr.com/part/241941005-start-device?model=FFHS2611LBNA
I have the Relay you show at the 1:25 mark and it reads 5.5 ohms and does not rattle. I have the Overload you show at the 2:25 mark and it reads 0.6 ohms. In short, everything works on my GE GBS22KBSBCC refrigerator except the fridge will not go below 40F and the freezer will not go below 33F. So, what would not allow strong cooling .....if the start relay was bad or the capacitor? Defroster, thermistors, evaporator fan, condenser fan are all working and the coils are spotless. I even checked the three prongs on the condenser and got a 8.4 ohm on the two main prongs, 4.5 ohms on the left and 4.2 ohms on the right. My Embraco 1PH condenser has a label on the side reading "LRA of 11.5 EGU 70HLC' 115 - 127 V". My multimeter read 0.8 amps when it is running. The Capacitor multimeter read 11.85 uF (210 VAC 50/60 Hz @ 12 uF). Some history - In July 2016 I did had a technician add R 134a and in October 2018 I had to add an evaporator thermistor since my evaporator coils were an iceberg and it was not triggering the defrost mode; refrigerator was warm but freezer worked fine. NOTE: I made a video of the Start Relay arcing with the Overload when the compressor was called for power; there was just a click sound but no compressor. Then, 90 seconds later, it called on it again and the compressor hummed away. When I took it apart again the Star Relay gave the same reading but I noted it was VERY hot. Could this Relay still be bad but not activating all the time thus overheating because it is sometimes working? If so, maybe this is why the temperatures cannot catch up. With that said, I do not know the spec for my compressor amps but had some hand written notes from the 2006 technician (when he filled my R143a) stating the original amps were 0.7 and after he added 4.5# the amps were 1.55. His notes also read "spec = 1.5 to 1.7 amps). Should I purchase a new Relay and, if so, is it "good practice" to purchase a new Overload, also? They are very pricy at $76 and $80, respectively......for a piece of plastic! ANY direction would be greatly appreciated by you.
Fantastic documentation, great work. Definitely will be visiting PartsDr. Love the shots of inside the start device (3:49), showing how it works. I'm guessing the little "wheel" is magnet with conductive coating on two surfaces, that slides back and forth to complete circuit when needed. My overload (cheap aftermarket) did not have continuity, took apart and it had tiny wire under the disc that had disconnected or blown (not even sure a proper genuine part should have a wire under there). Wondering if it's possible to convert from a start device (combo relay, overload) to instead use the separate relay and overload? For my old Whirlpool ET1FHMXMT01, parts list does actually include numbers for the separate relay and overload (and wire for capacitor). Would only need to figure out the wiring and connectors. Also wondering how those "3-in-1 hard starts" work and look like inside.
I have the small black type. Part number says QP2-12. I think this means 12 Ohm? It's easy to unclip and open so I looked inside and the ceramic disc looks fine, but it measures aboout 20 Ohms. Is this a high enough resistance to cause a problem? When I turn the small freezer on, it hums a little like it wants to run but can't, and then the overload clicks off.
I saw someone else asked a similar question I think: at the 3:45 mark, you just pull the cover off to do a visual check, but how in the world do you release all the tabs to get the cover off? The two on the sides are no-brainers, but it appears there's a third one that for the life of me I could not figure out. I could not depress what looked like a tab holding it in place. I would love to see details on how to actually release all the tabs.
Hi. This is what I have, does it indicate a bad relay? Whirlpool WRT111SFDW03. 7 years old. 11.2 cu ft size. Freezer on top. Start relay P/N: WPW10448874, aka W10448874. Capacitor ("cap") P/N: WPW10662129 Test relay connections with capacitor on the relay. Results: when together I can get cap to charge and discharge thru the start relay, just like it does when it's off the relay. With cap off and on, neither of the lower holes have continuity with each other. The hole on lower left has 0.0 ohms resistance thru the bottom blade of the back of the plug. The lower right hole has no continuity with anything but can be used to charge the capacitor for testing. The upper hole has 0.1 ohm resistance to the top blade on the opposite side. Remove relay cover and visually check. I cannot get combination relay apart without breaking it, so I haven't committed to that, yet. Ohm test the fridge compressor pins again. Make sure the Common (top) and lower pins are within 3 ohms. And the two pins at bottom should read about the sum of the Common with the Start and Run pins. See RU-vid video... Results: Top and Lower Right : 4.4 ohm. Top to Lower Left: 6.0 ohm. Two bottom pins: 10.4 ohm. None of the pins are shorted to ground. My problem is it suddenly stopped cooling without noises or warning, but I caught it from hearing loud buzzing noise from compressor and relay area, and compressor was very hot. No smoke or smells though, and wires did not seem to be hot. Do you think it's the combination relay? Thanks!
Thanks to your video I could determine that my starter relay was indeed faulty. But how do I find a replacement? The fridge is noname, the compressor is an MP14FB, and the relay says “mtrp 5131” on it. Any help appreciated.
Thank you very much for the video now I know that my new relay n thermostat her OK so I could eliminate that as the issue my compressor gets boiling hot and the inside of the mini fridge nothing like I didn't even turn on the air the light does turn on though lol any clue ? Bad Compressor? The multimeter already told me the thermostat is good and the relay is good I have a galanz mini fridge
Sometimes when the start relays fail, they can melt or burn. Usually this is caused by a failure of the start relay and not an underlying issue. Replacing the start relay will resolve the issue in most cases. One thing to watch out for is to inspect the three metal terminal pins on the compressor to make sure they are not melted or damaged.
Very helpful video. I have a question about the ohms on a start relay. Mine is the newer style and it has continuity and tests at .9 ohms. I believe the range is .3 to .5 ohms. You mentioned that if an ohms reading is much higher than the range it means the relay is bad. How far above the range of .3 to .5 would the relay be considered bad? Thanks
This seems like the true answer to fridges not cooling, but youtube has a lot of videos claiming reset buttons and power cycling on and off does stuff, I think they were just making those solutions up.
For my Maytag fridge/freezer MTB1753ARW my overload reads 2.4 Ohms, it's looks like the first one you tested. My start relay reads 9.9 Ohms, it's looks like the green-brown one you first tested. I assume their both bad or are failing?? I see them on your website. I like it so far. In the video while testing you said, "much higher than that". please quantify what numbers are consider much higher.
Your start relay reading is probably good. The overload reading seems higher than what we typically see. Unfortunately, most manufacturers do not specify the resistance readings or tolerances for these parts so you just have to use your judgment.
@@PartsDr I replaced both parts and compressor still not coming on. Thoughts? I've disconnected power and set freezer and fridge to 0. Plugged power back in and raised settings to 7. No luck.
@@FergusLandscaping If the start relay is receiving power but the compressor is not starting with the new parts installed, then you could have a bad compressor.
My refrigerator (Samsung RS277ACRS/XAA-0000) stopped working after a power outage. The ohm readings on the compressor are: C-S: 0.4 ohm C-R: 3.4 ohm I was wondering if such a low reading on the start winding is normal for this model. The Start Relay (thermistor, DA35-00135A) was not showing continuity (R = 1300 ohms), so I replaced it. The new one couldn't start the compressor either. When I test the new one, it also does not have continuity (R = 4000 ohms). I do no know if I got a bad start relay, or my compressor is bad, and the by pulling too much current burns the start relays. The overload protector has continuity, and seems to be fine.
We don't know what is normal for compressor ohm values on this model. Some are normally lower like that. We haven't heard of a good start relay having that high of resistance values. The overload usually protects the compressor and relay from over current situations.
My Kenmore 15 years old does not have a start capacitor but the online part's list has one. I installed one. Good or bad? Please comment. My wife heard clicking is the reason I put a new start relay and today added the capacitor.
what a great explanation!!! Thank you for taking the time to educate the masses! I have a small Danby wine fridge, the light turns on inside, but don't hear any clicking at all, and don't feel any action from the compressor either. Is repairing it myself worth it financially, or should I even bother, given that it's a Danby? model is DWC93BLSDR1
You're welcome! It is likely worth repairing if you have a bad start relay and the parts are available. Unfortunately, we do not carry Danby parts at this time.
Very good but, how do you remove the overload protection thingy ? got it....with lots of patience and a fine steel spudger..... Opening the relay itself is a chore ... On the electronic board, the active tyristor that goes bad is a BTA212 ... mine simply opened so it's easier to buy a new relay.
hi there nice video i have a whirlpoo double door model 20RI-D4 A+ PT refrigerator the compressor and both fans are off the fridge is not on standby I checked the control panel, it's showing both temperatures cheked the relay it seems ok what can be the problem please? thanks
My JennAir JWC2450ARS wine cooler parts are "discontinued". My starter relay readings are all over the place. Can I just buy another brand and take the ceramic disc out and put it in mine? 5 ohm?
Thanks for the helpful video. My fridge is cold but the freezer isn't. Could it be the compressor start relay problem? I have switched the fridge on and off, pressed the power freeze + freezer button for 8+ seconds to reset the system; unscrewed the back panel of the freezer - checked that there is no ice block there; cleaned the dust off the coils at the back...The freezer temperature oscillates from 11C to 22C by itself... but never to -20C which is what we need. It's a 10 year old Samsung fridge. Am concerned that maybe it's a broken thermostat rather than the start relay - and me messing with the start relay could cause the fridge to break down as well. Any advice please? Many thanks.
That doesn't sound like a start relay problem. When the start relay fails, you will normally not get any cooling at all in both refrigerator and freezer sections.
The overload will open (no continuity) at higher temperatures and close (have continuity) when cooled down to room temperature. But the PTC relay itself shouldn't vary by temperature.
Thank You, maybe you can help me. The start relay I have has a broken chip inside. The Whirlpool refrigerator is about 30 years old. Model #EB22DKXWN01. I need part # 1101014 the start relay, but is discontinued with no part I can find to replace it. It looks like the 2nd one on your table next to the wire one. I've found some that resemble it and also found the disk that goes inside but my problem is all of them have different Ohms, 12,15,22 and 33. Which one should I get? I know nothing about Ohms or refrigerators. My compressor has nothing on the paper on it. I already had a Whirlpool repair man come by and never even checked anything. He told me it was the compressor because it was warm and made clicking sounds. Wish I checked RU-vid before giving $89. away.
