Man, you've got perseverance! Like me with broken stuff. In the interest of perseverance and just to see what's wrong, you could empty out the refrigerant, remove the compressor unit then you can cut them open with an angle grinder with cutting disc.
I'm having the same with my chest freezer I'm in a hvac class as well and when I troubleshoot it and made a conclusion that the ptc relay qas bad so I replaced it with my 3 n 1 hard start kit that rated for 1/12 - 1/5 hp and the compressor still trips on Overload
Sad that we have such a disposal mindset that we price the replacement components far above their actual cost and end up trashing perfectly good equipment because of it.
It's called economies of scale. Costs to make a lots of refrigerators are driven down by mass production. Repair is a one on one procedure and involves a lot more costs in material, shipping and labor.
Thank you Ken! Very thorough explanation. The best video I've found not his topic. After watching this, I retraced your steps on my unit and found the problem!
The capacitor in series with the start winding draws a current that is 90° out of phase with the run winding. This sets up a magnetic field that generates a torque sufficient to propel the rotor beyond the opposing forces set up in the two halves of the stator (run) winding under normal circumstances. Once these opposing forces are overcome the start winding & capacitor are disconnected and the rotor's motion is maintained by these two forces, but it's a shame they didn't place the capacitor outside of the compressor or you didn't use a starting cap (which would need to be calculated to achieve the above) and PTC in series - I'm sure it would have worked. Thanks a lot for the videos, especially the methodical emphasis on safety🙏
What an excellent troubleshooting Ken! You're a real MASTER and great teacher. I'm a retired aircraft mechanic that worked on DC-3, C46, Super Constellations, French built Caravelles, Boeing 707, 747, and 767 also MD 80 however, in aviation we did not use hammers but MALLETS (not in modern aircraft) and therefore the term "malletizing" back in the early 1960's! Keep-up with the EXCELLENT JOB and best of luck!
HOORAY!!!! You sir are our HERO!!! I was ready to toss our Magic Chef mini fridge until I saw your video and followed your CLEAR and COMPLETE step by step diagnoses and voila!!! I fixed the problem!!! Thank you again and more power to you!!! Thumbs UP!!!
@@omoroomoro ow wow! This was a while back… I fixed mine by replacing the module/relay near the compressor… I can’t recall exactly what the part number is, but that fixed mine…
When you tested the PTC starter you only tested for a continuity beep which indicates it is less than 25 ohms but you didn't mention a reading. PTC starters are typically 4.7 ohms +/- 20% (3.76 -5.64 ohms) so, if it were 24 ohms it would be almost 5 times the resistance allowing only 1/5 of the starting current. I would have tried a known good PTC starter before condemning it. I recently had a mini-fridge that stopped running. The PTC read 50 ohms. I took it apart and found signs of arcing on the PTC and the flat spring contact connected to the Run socket. I cleaned them both off and got the resistance down to 9 ohms when reassembled. I reinstalled it and the fridge has been running fine for over 24 hours while I wait for the new PTC in 2 days. Also, I believe the start pin is on the far side from the camera and the run on the close side with the common on the top pin. So with the leads reversed you would be letting the start winding cook while disconnecting the run winding with your test rig. That probably cooked the start winding and doomed the compressor so the further attempts were futile.
Henry, Thank you for this post. I hope other tech's try this approach first and fully test the PTC. I was assuming I had a mechanical problem and I reversed the leads to try to reverse the motor. I know it is possible to reverse the motor on 3 phase motors but is it possible to reverse direction on single phase compressor motors? Thanks again.
Absolutely agree with you Henry! Great comment. Also in the very last part of the video with the 240V test, the stat lead was not use. The compressor motor will never start, even with much higher voltage. Reversing the start and run windings on a single phase motor will not reverse direction of rotation, this will damage your motor.
very nice ,step by step explanation. one additional step could be done, that is through drill on the top of the compreesor (the ferion will be lost )and make a small opening which a screw driver be intered to the upper part of the comprssor and try to rotate the armeture of the electric motor of the compressor or any mechanical parts ,this might release the stuk parts , then to connect it to elctricity as usual , if it worked the small oppening may be closed by welding and recharge the system.
Excellent summary. I'm surprised those things are so simple, no capacitors, no high or low pressure cutout switches, just a couple of coils. So, in these basic beer fridges, how does the system shift the phase of the current reaching the start winding, to give a reliable start in one direction? Is there some kind of inductive loop on the start windings, like a shaded pole motor?
I did not know the compressor pins had such high resistance. Guess I just have not run across any that did. 4, 7, and 11 come to mind with the older full sized fridges I have experience with. I remember the startup and run amperage being different too.
Ken, I really like the vid with a ton of info you provide. I am just asking here but voltage is one thing but torque is something different. Why would you not as the last resort purchase a hard start kit since it is designed to provide 300 to 600% more starting torque? Again, not being critical just asking.
Hello dear, There is some problem with my fridge which is not cooling at all, it happened just after a month of no use while it was plugged in and turned off from the thermostat switch (although before that one month break, it was working totally fine). When turned on, the compressor starts its normal sound, and water dripping sound through the radiator can be heard from the interior of the fridge and freezer (as in normal refrigerator start up). I searched online for several testing techniques, almost all are the same. There are three probes in the compressor: C, M and S (where C is the top one and M,S are side ways). The resistance check between C-M=40.56, C-S=44.34, and M-S=84.9 ohms. So theoretically, it looks alright, as M-S = (C-S) + (C-M). But the ohm reading examples on the internet are 4, 6 and 10 ohms. May be different types of compressors have different resistant readings. However, the continuity check is a bit ambiguous. The continuity between C-M and C-S is alright, but between M-S is no buzzer sound, however the multimeter displays some ohms reading for it. So i am confused about this test. The relay is a SSR type so cannot be checked. And I am doubtful about that relay because both on it probe and the connecting wire, there is some electrical burning indent. But the continuity between two probes of this relay is ok, so it’s pretty confusing. The thermostat is a large advanced type, so I am not sure how to check that. Please reply me ASAP because m in a heck. or PM at mowaisshahid@gmail.com. Thanks
Thanks Ken for a very informative video. As an appliance sales specialist I value understanding how appliances function and the problems that may arise to help my customers. Can you do a video on ice dispenser issues on French Door refrigerators? Thanks.
👇You did well by explaining in scientific way all possible causes of the problem and how to solve them. My freezer compressor starts then stop in less than a minute and it seems the compressor is troubled! Do you have an advise on how to help it? Thank you
if it runs pull amp draw and check your capacitors for proper condition. If your Capacitators are good and your amps are high and you have the proper power coming in, then I would say your compressor is the issue.
Hey man, thank u for the demonstration...my refrigerator recently have this issue, compressor no run just humming, and I have omhs out everything part and is showing good numbers ....my compressor is machanally ceased but I will try the hammer and try to get a hard start kit and see if it runs .
and you can try hitting it with 240 Volt to try to shock the compressor. none of this may help but just trying to squeeze out all life the compressor will give. and you can try reversing the polarity.
Sir, thank you. You're respectable honourable intelligent engineer but not videographer. So, you may sir, please, select a good videographer for better result. You've well enough of knowledge. You work hard, you tried the best but videographer make your success light. As like as following job but half salary. Thank you , Sir.
Hi sir, a very good day to you! I repurposed a refrigerator compressor as a tire inflator and it worked well until I tried to use it to inflate an inflatable pool but it overheated after 30 minutes of use and won't start anymore. I tested the start relay and overload protector and they're ok. Do you have a technique whereby I can make it to run again? I don't have money for a replacement right now and I need it for my van's tire which has a slow leak. Thank you very much! From the Philippines!
Hi, i hope you dont mind me asking but some how ive got to try and save my fridge as cant afford anew one at the mo, ive got a proline 55cm under counter fridge only 4 yr old, it will get cold and the freezer is ok, but when it drops below +4/+5 in temperature it dont switch itself back on i have to do it with the control knob, but it will switch itself off when it reaches the temp, so i dont know if its got something to do with a thermostat or something simple that i can fix and save me buying anew one, any help mate would be very appreciated. Thanks Matt
Hi Ken. My fridge just recently stopped cooling. It makes a beeping sound and the digital thermostat flashes. I removed the cover in the rear to inspect and the compressor was hot and the condenser motor and fan was not working either. I replaced the condenser motor thinking that was the problem but it wasnt. Should I replace the compressor? Could it be the inverter box? what do you think? BTW, its model number KSCS25INSS00-kitchen aid. Thanks.
dinobravo23 see if the manufac. put out service troubleshooting info for your model. ohm out comp. to see if good. you can also by pass and put power direct to compressor to make sure is good.
Hey bud, you are by far the most thorough tec i have ever seen. I need some help from someone with your expertise. So i got an old Saturn Commercial worktop freezer. R600a Refrigerant. I don't have access to R600. So i got a freezer that ran R134a. It was not working. Gutted all the parts and put them in the R600 freezer. I switched everything but the condenser. I found that the start relay was shot. Noise when you shake it. Replaced it. The freezer will only cycle on and off. That is also the problem R134 freezer was having when i got it. I tested the 3 terminals on the compressor. Good resistance. Is the modification im making possible? I think i just have a siezed compressor. Any help or advise would help.
When you say "The freezer will only cycle on and off" does that mean the compressor is at least running for a short time? You need to have a working compressor for this to work.
Ken, wanted to let you know that I had a similar problem with a large refrigerator serving the snack bar where I work. We troubleshooted the problem to be relay related. We purchase the correct relay and nothing happened. The compressor was stuck. Tried a 45 dead blow hammer and nothing. Tried a dead blow hammer with 120V through relay nothing. Finally decided to try a hard start 3 n1 kit and bingo our stuck compressor operates like new. Hard start kits do not cost much and as a last resort have always worked for me over the years. By the way I always leave the kit in place as it acts as the new start capacitor. My opinion is age matters so if the frig is 10 years or old I say do not invest a lot of time and money in trying to fix it. Buy a new frig as will save you the headache of trying saving a dying unit.
Wayne Williams you know the newer appliances are really junk now days. With that said there are times when does make sense to keep what you got and bite the bullet.
lost me at 13:00 Earlier in the video you checked the ohms in the overload and it checked out. So did mine. One thing I found was that my compressor has an LRA Rating of 10amps. When I power it up and check amps, it never gets over 4 amps, which to my undersstanding, means no locked compressor? You didn't mention anything about LRA. After a couple more looks, when I plugged it in, compressor seemed to come on for 3 seconds and then I heard a click and compressor would stop. As I went to recheck the overload, it was extrremely hot, it was also open, no resistance, when it cooled off, it clicked and I had resistance again. So what it was doing was, firing the compressor,overload got hot, and kicking off compressor, then it cooled, kicked on compressor, got hot, kicked off and just continued this cycle. Something was getting the overload hot and I found the start/run relay rattled when I shook it, which I heard meant the relay was bad but my resistance on the relay appeared good between the common and start tabs. all my resistances were also good everywhere else.The overload seems like it is working like it should.
I think you have a bad start relay. can you replace that and try? you could also pull the run winding off, try to start the compressor though the start winding only and see if it starts and pulls amps. If it does start and pull amps, then try with run wire attached and see what happens.
Please can you show some videos of Westinghouse RT217A series model . Trouble shooting what cause to stop working and if there's diagram . I thank you for sharing.
I tried the same thing you were but on the one I had I hit it a lot harder but not with a hammer just with my hands and all that shaking that went in there Ashley make the compressor work and started working
A short piece of 2x4 can pursuade a stuck compressor sometimes. Like making n automotive in tank fuel pump give it's last effort before pulling the tank out.
I bought a "British Made" freezer but on its first run I nudged it to where I wanted it to be. The nudge caused the Chinese compressor to make a terrible noise like big-end-knock. Its not run since so it could now be a trip to the recycling centre.
It is now running OK! After letting it stand for a few days it was powered-up again. The compressor was given a light tap with a hammer and everything is now OK. The compressor is extremely quiet and the freezing performance is excellent.
Good morning my refrigerator was making a very loud thump which would stop immediately today it didn't and i had to unplug it, it was still running but to loud to keep on
Hey the meter your using I see it's a Fieldpiece SC77 is that a good meter? I'm looking for something decent to test compressor amp draw & also want to test capacitors on Appliance's along with HVAC Equipment. I would also like to get more involved in testing capacitors on circuit boards in TV's & other small Electronics so would you be able to suggest something that can do all of the above or even if I need to meters like a champ meter & possibly just a separate capacitor tester by itself? Right now I'm using a $20 Harbor Freight Clamp Muli meter & a Craftsman Digital/analog meter. I see harbor freight tools now sells Ames multi meter & I seen they have a decent clamp meter for $40 Please excuse my ignorance as I'm still learning. I am mechanically inclined as I've repaired car's for many years but I am really interested in appliance & TV/Electronics repair now too. Thank you very much & have a wonderful day!! 😃 All the best, Ron.
KenTraining I see they are a little on the expensive side. Do you have any knowledge on Ames Meters at Harbor Freight Tools? They are definitely more affordable for someone like me just starting out as a hobby for now. They actually have a pretty decent clamp meter one for just $40 with capacitor tester & non contact voltage tester. At the moment I'm using a $20 centric clamp meter that's a few years old
spend the money on a good meter they last a lifetime and are more accurate than the cheap ones, plus they offer better variety of add ons and customer support. Look to fieldpiece , UEI Amprobe
anybody can answer this my system use ptc system. I am not sure if I use the correct ptc but I hear and see the overload activited and working. is that mean the ptc is correct and motor stuck .. what happens if ptc fits but wrong ..
siri i want to ask what is the reason: a 110 watt compressor runs ok in around 70 watts, ..low side stays in vacuum around 25 and high side around 200 psi.the pressure on high and low sides does not equalize if i turn off the compressor..
This is my second video of Ken's Training I've watched. Great content, but does he intentionally do poor lighting and bad audio or hasn't anyone told him?
Interesting. I have a Danby mini fridge 2 years old and it looks like it did the same thing. The overload thermister and relay all checked out ok. The compressor ohmed out ok also. Putting full ac power to the top pin of compressor and then white to other terminal and then jumpering white to the start turned the compressor on. It was drawing 6 amps and was hot and no cooling. It sat for 5 days, put the relay, thermistor, wiring all back together and now it's running normal again, compressor is running cool, and it's cooling. So this must have been a stuck compressor. Is there a chance this would do this again?
I have a unit Lg refrigerator french door type and the compressor runs fine but it does not get cold,can you please shed a light on what can probably be the issue here.Thanks and I hope that you will be able to help me in getting to the bottom of this issue and solving the problem.
My chest freezer having the same problem. Even with a hard start kit I bought rated for 1/12-1/5 it tripped on overload so is there anyway to fix this without replacing the compressor or should I just buy a new one?
I just had to have a compressor replaced on a 14 month old full size refrigerator. Thankfully, it's under warranty so they fixed it, no charge to me. Cept probably 50 dollars in ruined frozen goods. Because, it took almost 3 weeks, too get it repaired. Insane. I did end up buying a mini fridge but only after much of the frozen goods were mush. My concern is, will the new compressor last 14 months and go bad and I won't have a warranty.
Most likely the new compressor will last 10+ years UNLESS something other than the compressor is killing it. Like poor air flow or a contaminated refrigerant circuit which you have no control over. You have no option but to just run the unit until it fails. is this refrigerator a Samsung?
@@KenTraining Nope, Hisense. Of which I did research before I bought it. Had good publicity. But don't they all. And yes, if the new compressor lasts 10 years, I'll be satisfied. 14 months? Not so much. I understand ventilation is important. The area in which it sits is relatively free flowing. But the last fridge sat in the same spot and ran 12 years,0 problems. 0. Same type of fridge but a Kenmore with an LG compressor. Bottom mount freezer, ice maker. Basically the same as the Hisense. I realize there are lemons in everything we buy. Luckily, the service guy was very good. Changed out the compressor in probably an hour and a half. Vacced the system. Clean solder job, charged it. School trained, 10 years in the biz. Very knowledgeable. But, no matter how good you are. If parts don't last. Makes you look bad. Anyway, thanks for writing back. 👍
Does a stuck/seized compressor always hum (make some sort of a responsive sound). I get no sound at all from the compressor. I've checked my relay start kit (capacitor & relay switch) and the compressor. All check okay, but I have no sound whatsoever coming from the compressor. I've also checked the defrost thermostat & defrost heater (both okay) , but have not checked the adaptive defrost control board.
I bet you have no voltage going to the compressor and that is why you have no sound. do a non contact voltage check when you are calling for compressor to verify.
I know that I have power because fans & lights come on and I’ve plugged other things into the outlet to test. The exposed sections of the probes on my multimeter are so short that I can’t make contact thru the plug receptacle to measure voltage. I’m guessing the voltage is okay, but will pick up some different probes to check.
@@KenTraining 120 volts! I put my ear very near the condenser. I can hear a very low hum and feel a little warmth as the relay switch keeps trying to turn it on.
Use a hard plastic hammer and whack it harder from many other angles. What have you got to lose? If it was plugged in and the compressor was locked and hot you will have to wait until it cools completely.
Good vid! 3 in 1 starter packs comes in handy for this. When you have many refrigerators with all different relays they are nice to have around. Check me Kung Fu Maintenance videos "Refrigerator Compressor Buzzing Won't Start Fridge Freezer Stopped Cooling Repair Video" or "How To Repair A Refrigerator With A Compressor That Suddenly Stopped Working Or Will Not Run" for more details. Keep up the great video work!
if you just bought it why not take it back i mean there is a reason the compressor seized in the first place i wouldnt trust it even though its running fine. just my two cents.
hi my compressor will struck ,so my fridger not getting cool,how can i remove struk from compressor any tips to restart the compressor please advise westpoint 3 door reefrigerator
That's an easy mistake to make but I know for sure, hi resistance is start winding. Great question about missing Cap. I did not design it but it did work fine until the comp. locked up. The manufacture want's to building with as little components as possible to keep their costs as low as possible.
at time 19:00 til the end of the video, how come u didn't try a hermetic analyzer to run current through the compressor in the opposite direction?? it has worked for me many times
