Cutting open a failed LG refrigerator compressor
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- Опубликовано: 30 сен 2024
- In this video, we cut apart a failed LG FC75LBNA refrigerator compressor from a fairly fancy 8-year-old LG french door fridge. These compressors in these fridges fail frequently... sometimes, they only last a couple of years. In this video, I show you the part that failed in this one.
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Really appreciate the 14,000 comments concerned for my safety :) Will definitely wear safety squints going forward.
True. When you’re young you’re six foot tall and bulletproof!
@@runsolomon - looks like metal to metal contact caused debris.
I was worried about your wine... 🤣
I know a former construction worker who was using an angle grinder to cut bolts. It was prepared and given to him by a stupid, careless fool in the site store. The disc was worn, the wrong size and there was no guard. The disc shattered and a piece shot into his leg which was amputated above the knee. Please take all precautions even if you think they may be excessive.
Just looking out for you Joe.
Using an angle grinder without safety glasses has to be one of the dumbest and most dangerous things anyone could ever do.
I have done that for decades without incident except did get some debris on my pants sometimes.
You do not put your face or other sensitive things in the "plane of rotation".
With a guard on the grinder, things can only fly out of the "plane of ratation" in a limited arc.
And using a cutting wheel with no guard. I've seen those things explode
@@dwightsornberger8916
0:44 Yes! No guard is stupidity. You know he knows better.
Safety glasses would offer no help for that.
Still not as bad as buying an LG fridge.
@@grayrabbit2211 You can't buy a good fridge anymore. They stopped making those twenty years ago. Everything is engineered to fail now.
Thanks for making this teardown video. It is frustrating how poorly these newer appliances hold up' compared to how much money customers are charge for them. I routinely work on older refrigerators, such as GE Monitor Tops from the 1930's. Working on fridges from a large range of years, it's easy to see how the bean-counters infected the design decisions which went into building them. The first ones, such as the 1930's models were built to last "forever." By that I mean they didn't plan for any specific expected life span in operating hours. The built it to the best of their abilities. Many of these are still in operation 85 years later. They go until some outside force kills them. These compressors ran at a lower speed than most more modern ones. They had larger parts running slower to do the same work. They also had 6 cups of oil in them. The construction materials were typically copper, brass, and stainless.
As time went on, in the 50's, new designs emerged. The compressors were mostly still low-speed, but contained less oil. The manufacturers had begun using aluminum parts (typically the evaporator) in the refrigerant circuit. These are now failing due to corroded aluminum parts which are very difficult if not impossible to repair.
As time marched on, in the manufacturers transitioned from the low speed ~1800 RPM motors to ~3600 RPM two-pole motors. This allowed a compressor of half the size to do the same work. Consequently the stress on the reciprocating parts was increased. The number of flexings of the reed valves doubled, decreasing the fatigue life of the parts. These designs continue to be used today, and thankfully are a mature technology with good reliability.
Then the bean counters struck again, and 3600 RPM was not enough. Enter the inverter compressor. Now, the motor can be run at speeds far above 3600 RPM by the electronic frequency converter. Again, the cyclical fatigue life was reduced - particularly for reed valves. Also, running the compressor slower to save energy use can allow for poor lubricant circulation.
Your linear compressor is so "encheapened" that it is little more than a glorified speaker voice coil. The springs which support the piston are a source of failures due to high-cycle fatigue. As you saw in yours, the reed valves can fail (there may be a chip out of the reed on your piston) as can the cheaply made plastic parts in the compressor. The bean-counters love this design because it is cheap as dirt to produce and can be operated at very high speeds. Again, use a smaller compressor to do more work, at the expense of life expectancy. I realize your video is 4 years old now. Currently there is litigation over these compressors and their poor service life. I sincerely hope LG gets their rear handed to them on a silver platter for producing such Literal Garbage and costing consumers so much money and hassle over their poor design decision.
I agree....When I saw this, the first thing that came to my mind was an oversized vibrator style air pump used for fish aquariums and the same common failure those pumps had....At least you can easily disassemble the air pumps to replace the worn parts.
I wonder the efficiency rating of the old 1930's fridge vs today and over time? My old 1980's fridge performed well compared to a new one. Suspect they just design things to fail because the currency is failing and keeps economy rolling.
We had a 1927 GE monitor top that still ran when scrapped in 2018. The case finally was rusting out. Also had a 1936 GE that I left in my old shop when I sold it- still cooling like a champ. I'll take a reciprocal compressor with a solid state relay any day over the current crap they build. (Can you tell I was from an appliance service family- 61 year old firm that I ran the last 31 years.)
general motors has(HAD) some of the best engineers on the planet but the bean counters rendered their efforts in vein.....
@@ssnerd583 Sad but true.
Some technicians replace those LG crap-pressors with old school compressors, they just connect an external relay somewhere to the control board that when closed runs the compressor directly from the mains. A normal compressor uses more electricity but with the cost of a new fridge you can pay the extra electricity for decades and making a new fridge uses a lot of energy and resources so saving the old one is better for the environment.
Great work here to uncover the failure as too thin a piece of metal which fatigued over cyclic time. LG was likely undergoing a large cost reduction effort, and being a part of these things driven by corporate greed, decisions are often made by people who have no expertise in anything. These people still owe us the $1700 we paid.
According to the lawsuit, the problem starts in the tubing of the evaporator, a part that works in conjunction with the linear compressor. The suit says that the tubing is “prone to corrosion and pitting” and that small holes can develop, which can cause leaks and allow air to enter. Because of this “air leakage,” the refrigerant that moves from the evaporator to the condenser generates excess pressure that puts stress on the compressor, according to the suit.
The compressor can’t take this additional pressure, the suit says, and begins to fail. It is usually the discharge valve in the compressor that is the first to go, as it is the weakest component.
But they left out the fact POE oil absorbs moisture and causes waxy gel and acids to form when a low side evaporator leak draws in moist air into the sealed system.
So this contamination moves around and clogs the capillary tubes which are foamed inside the back wall of the box.
The new compressors sometimes work and others fail due to the capillary tube clogs with the black sludge and waxy buildup from the POE oil and moisture chemical reaction.
Older fridges used R12 and mineral based oil that could handle a bit of moisture much better but the R134a requires the POE oil which is hygroscopic oil.
Sounds like the new compressor design doesn't address the root cause... Is the "corrosion and pitting" described in the suit similar to the formicary corrosion that plagues the HVAC industry, particularly in residential split systems with copper evap coils?
@@JoesGarageProductionsLLC LG techs know that certain evaporator part numbers are the ones that are prone to the pinhole leaks and they always change the evaporator coil if evaporator part number ends in 1411 and 1802. It seems to be all the upper refrigerator coils that leak not the freezer coil. So models that do not have 2 coils are better LG models not as prone to this issue. Mainly the dual evaporator models that have the black 3 way valve next to the compressor.
not true if there a leak there less pressure. Main thing is no pump. or starting to fast the update on the board makes the compressor start slower, and the first sign is no ice. Now leaks may let moister in will the freon and freezer up in the cap tube making the unit go in pump down mode. the maker of the compressor is the problem. like samsung ice maker problem last 10 yrs top left ice room. lawsuit.
If there is a leak then it wouldn't increase pressure it would decrease pressure. It is the filter/dryer developing a restriction. LG does not pull a vacuum on the system when its is built they sweep charge it. That leaves moisture - which a filter/dryer adsorbs - leads to restriction - high head pressure - blown seals. Lesson here is always pull a vacuum to 500 microns before charging the system.
@@slaughterzealibib Air gets in the system drawn in on the low side through the pinhole leaks in the evaporator because low side is running in a vacuum. Air in a refrigeration system is "non-condensible". So it makes the pressure increase and the compressor works harder to try to compress the air. Just like a shop air compressor. Then the compressor overheats and the valves get damaged.
I've got a freezer in my basement, that I got from my parents when I moved into my house. It's 64 years old. They gave it to me in 1980.
Still works like new. Manual defrost.
My bench fridge in the shed is 75 years old, and running perfectly since 1949.
Same with me. A bullet-proof Kelvinator. I bought it 30 ears ago and it has a huge American made compressor. Cheap energy efficient Chinese compressors are the problem in everything.
“Safety first...”, but no safety goggles 🤣
And no safety cover on grinder too.
at least he will hear what runs him over.
safety glasses/ goggles are a must ... he could lose an eye. Those grinder blades can break when caught in the two metal parts and fly in whatever direction.
haha
It is cool, he wears contact lenses...
That’s an $850 part if your compressor fails after the fifth year and the class action suit sign up has expired. I won’t be purchasing any LG appliances ever again, and I’ll tell everyone about it that I can when these things come up. I had a Kitchenaid fridge that failed a month ago that I purchased in 1992. Buy American, if possible.
Unfortunately, I don't think any appliances are made in USA anymore
@@ArkadyGetselis Yes, almost all of the refrigerators like LG, Samsung, and others sold in America are made in America. Same as automobiles.
Bingo. LG major fail.
Ours failed and LG don't sell compressors to repairmen anymore, they only supply them if under warranty, after that they won't even sell them
Who are you trying to kid, nothing is manufactured in the USA anymore. It’s rarely even assembled here. Only seven companies left making HVAC equipment! You can thank your greedy, corrupt suits in corporations and politics in the USA. 40 years of outsourcing to communist China and Mexico. Good job boys of no integrity. Yeah, you wanna close the borders to migrants, but it’s OK to bring tractor and trailer loads of junk goods, across-the-board.
11:33 she is looking at you, the valve, that's the killer in this compressors. Believe me. Former Sears Refrigerator tech, former LG Electronics field tech here.
LG (LC) compressors are the WORST, I was replacing an average of at least 5 compressors a week. The best in everything else, but LG (LC) compressors are the worst due to the design of the valve. It goes attached to the end of the piston, it is like a check valve that it closes when pushes the piston to the high side and it opens when it goes back. It is extremely thin, so when the compressor works too hot, it tends to stay a little bit opened, that will equalize the system so it won't cool. Inexperienced techs think there is a restriction in the sealed system, they start replacing coils and capillary tubes, but is not the problem. I'm sure because I've done my own compressor autopsy (tired of LG tech support and managers denying the issue with compressors) and I found that. When you have an LG not cooling is that simple, compressor, or a very few cases, a leak on the evaporator of refrigerator section, mostly the top line close to the cap tube, extremely low leak sometimes hard to find even with dye, sometimes it only can be seen pressurizing the system with nitrogen and spreading with big blue leak detector.
A tech still working with them told me they have a new compressor design that substitutes the LCs but I don't know the results. I left LG and the appliances business 3 years ago.
Wow - thanks for the detailed info! It truly is a shame as these compressors are so common... What about that cracked seal-looking-thing I called out in the video at 12:45? What is that part and is that just a casualty of the failure you described?
Thank you for your transparency
@@JoesGarageProductionsLLC
11:35 That's the valve, at 12:45 it's maybe a filter.
@@ZackHeinkel2000 thanks for the insight! I spoke to someone just yesterday whose LG compressor was junk after only 1 year. Makes me wonder if they really fixed the problem...
I'm working on these currently with the A&E side of Sears. Doing an average of 2 to 3 per day. What's sad is every system is less than five years old. The kicker is now I'm third partied thru Sears to only work on LG. Good ol' Virginia Beach for you (8175). 1706 replacement compressors aren't much better. Been to calls where the substitute that was "guaranteed" to fix the issue, has been replaced already. What does LG tell us to do..slap in a new one cause that'll fix it...That third lawsuit against LG hopefully does something..maybe recall everything. Loss of money and rep to their name but hey, build a major component correctly and competently the first time and you wouldn't be hated as a company.
Awesome! Thank you so much for sharing this video. Reminds me of the time I repaired my father's car. I replaced a failed component. He insisted that I dismantle the failed part to find the root cause. So glad I listened to him! I discovered what failed and learned in the process. Maybe you had a father like I did.
I really miss the good old days where fridges were built like tanks and even lasted for decades. Nowadays, manufacturers dont build their products as robust compared to the 80s. My LG fridge gave me so many issues that it left me feeling stressed. Even repairing it costs a bomb. I dont expect a fridge to last me for decades in this era but it should at least last for more than 5 years !
back then every fridge was basically the same , now every manufacture has the wiled hair up their butt to re create the world and start over with design flaws
I DO expect that that when I pay good money the product lasts for decades. The last stove we bought cost $1,000 and within months the burner switches failed and then the main control board. They wanted half the price of the stove to replace the board. It's pure THEFT, as far as I am concerned and if I was a millionaire, I'd SUE.
When I was forced to buy a new fridge last year, I shopped around and the Samsung and LG were the most popular and affordable. But, after some research, I found out they were the least reliable. Instead, I bought the slightly more expensive Fisher and Paykel for superior reliability: could not be happier.
A friend has a fridge freezer from 1960. No bells and whistles, but it works. I'm waiting for the EPA police to bust down her door snd take it away.
Had NO idea this kind of tech being used. Spent about 10 years HVAC/R service/ maintenance/ install. I've worked on a 250hp shaft drive Dunham-Bush screw compressor, they are interesting. I actually repaired a failed compressor, used for recovery back when all that got started. Failed head gasket. Cut it open, fixed, and MIG welded the shell back together. I'm 75
The patent on the oscillating compressor has expired.
Not impressed with the lack of basic safety equipment. No Gloves, pants or eye protection
Yea, this is why when I wanted a new fridge, I found a GE from 1991. Simple rotary compressor and no electronics. No stupid ecm fan motors or control boards for the defrost either. I also have a Whirlpool fridge from 1996 as a second fridge, and it also works fine. I just clean the condenser coils and fans on both of them every few months, and thats it. Along with those refrigerators, my washer and dryer are Maytags from the 80s. The washer is a top loader. My stove is a 1989 GE with an analog clock, and my dishwasher is a 70's Hobart Kitchenaid. I even have my front porch light controlled by a late 60s or early 70s Intermatic wall timer. Things today are just made so poorly today, and nothing is designed to last anymore. Even cars are shit today. It's very sad.
Videos like this are the reason I watch youtube. thanks for posting it
Internal valve failure is consistent. 3-5 a month for my service company. Motor/drive is rare, usually compressor running, no pressure. In other news, the bits of the seal are getting into the systems as well. Great video!
Thanks very much! Has LG fixed this problem? I heard there are newer/redesigned service replacement compressors out there...
@@JoesGarageProductionsLLC the new compressor is called the "universal compressor" and the software on main board has to be updated with a little jig tool. Not enough data yet to see if they last longer than 3 yrs since they came out about 2 yrs ago. But if too much debris got into the system or if the evaporator leaked and it sucked in air then the POE oil gels up and clogs the capillary tubes. If you catch it in time you might get lucky.
when I started in HVAC in 1981, it wasn't a big deal to find a 30 year old fridge still working fine. My first vacuum pump was made out of a compressor from an early 50's fridge compressor
Yea.. My Hotpoint/GE was here when I moved in, in 1995. Mfg 1990. Still going strong. Door seal at the bottom is a bit saggy, so I should do something about that...
Same here. It was left behind by the previous owner in 1979. It is a 1947 Hotpoint and is running to this day. It is virtually silent in operation as it has no moving parts other than the compressor. The condenser is a large metal plate attached to the back of the cabinet. It does need a door gasket, though.@@cnielsen3739
Hair dryer will tighten that up.@cnielsen3739
I had worked for my best friend's Dad's Furniture and used appliance business from the time I was 14 years old. We reconditioned and sometimes rebuilt appliances, and had a salvage operation as well. We would replace compressors with good used when necessary. Back then compressors would often outlive the appliances that they were in. Some refrigerators that i worked on were from the late 1930's and 40's, with only a minor electrical issue. I worked in this industry from the early 1970's until the mid 80's
@@mako-g90 when Ge changed their compressor, the new one would last as long as the warranty, the warehouse was changing out 3+ pallets a day, I let my Hotpoint dealership go. not enough profit and too much ill will from selling lemons
My kenmore elite fridge that has this exact same LG compressor just broke down last weekend. Glad to see this video.
How old is your fridge
It rather simple the compressor has an inert design flaw. So no matter how or what you do it not when it's gonna fail, it's going to fail period. And you can keep replacing them till you blue in the face and it's not going to correct the issue.
On the commercial and residential side of hvac we see LG compressor failures all day long. Why? They are just plain junk.
Did I just see you wear ear but not eye protection when cutting ? Lol
I never said I was smart :)
@@JoesGarageProductionsLLC lol
It's called safety squinting ^=^
When you depend on rubber and plastic to make something work 50 years or more you are obviously dreaming.
The engineers that produce this kind of poorly designed garbage, need to be held accountable. No one should ever have to pay about 3 grand for a refrigerator, only for it to fail in 2-3 years.
Also, this country’s dependence on Chinese products is astonishing.
DTF: Designed To Fail.
For the last 12 years, my wife and I have paid over $600 a year for fridges. We have had to replace two of them.
Meantime, the "Frigidaire" bench fridge my grandfather purchased new in 1949, for my grandmother, continues to run perfectly in 2024, just as it always has.
Please note that we have replaced the door seal a few times, and that's easy with a standard stick-on seal strip. Costs about $20 to replace, every 20 years or so.
Thank you enjoyed the video. We had our 4 year old LG french door fridge/freezer repaired this week. LG service replaced the compressor and dryer and upgraded the software on the controller board all under warranty. Our unit was part of the class action lawsuit.
whats you model #?
lfx31945st?
I got a 2 year old LG french door / bottom freezer that unexpectedly just lost all cooling. approximately $150 food ruined. Unplugged it for 3 hours and cleaned the coils in the back under the panel plugged it back in and it is back to normal. I bought a fridge / freezer temp sensor so I could monitor it better and found the temps of the fridge and freezer are all over the place, not consistent at all, ranging from -5 in the freezer to 25 degrees F. and the fridge from 34 to 41 it varies. I called LG and they set up a service call but still haven't heard anything from the service tech going on 4 days now. I did hear that the techs are tired of working on these pieces of junk and can take up to 2 weeks to get one to even respond to the work order. My old whirlpool lasted 15 years and when we remodeled our kitchen we went looking for a new fridge. Lowes and Home depot pretty much only carry LG so thought it would be OK plus they brag about a 10 year warranty on the compressor. I can tell you will be lucky to get 2 years out of that compressor, and mother board. So disappointed
@@sttraveler2593 your thermostat would be the frist place I'd look
Did you really say "go kaputt"!?😂 I know, there are very few german words that are rarely used in english language (Rucksack, Kindergarten, Bratwurst, ...). But I never heared this one before. Greetings from germany😊
Yeah but it's energy efficient, saves probably 50 pounds of carbon but only lasts 4 years so you can buy a new one which takes a ton of carbon to make. Just like the new eco boost tiny engines don't last. EVERYTHING IS A SCAAAAAAM!
I applaud your efforts for taking it apart to make a video, but the fact that you didn't have a clue what you found is baffling. It is not a piston. LG's feeble description of this compressor should say 'Solenoid Plunger Pump".
Electric coil pulls against an iron armature / center piece. and springs push it back. What you found and showed at 12:27, is about worthless if you don't show where it came from - again, not your fault, but is lacking any value to the audience (me).
If you were to show the point at 6:13 as to where it came from, it is easily seen as a bellows or a diaphragm, that moves the FREON through the system and pressurizes it. The split is why it can no longer compress. A diaphragm pump is not something that belongs in a sealed system.
If you show the 6:13 point, you can see that the entire pump system, pipes, etc, is basically pushing the little rubber circle in and out. Have you ever seen a speaker cone ... kind of like that.
This is a TERRIBLE system, and none will ever last 10 years. The designer needs to be liable to the common sense police and removed from ever making anything again. LG has made a fortune, copycatting "reverse engineering', everyone around them, and this shows, they are not ready to stop counterfeiting outside technology ...YET.
Please ... you worry about your hands - blue rubber gloves, you worry about your ears - muffs... Your eyes are more valuable than both ... unless you live in California, I guess.
My fridge stopped working, did search here on RUclips and found the problem. Easily remedied with some solder on the main mother board. Nice!
This really makes me mad. We bought an $1800 refrigerator from Sears. Two years later, the compressor went out. In the meantime, our Sears store had closed. I had an old Harvest Gold Amana refrigerator and I wanted to update to a stainless steel one to match my stove. Needless to say, I had to buy another refrigerator. We gave the Amana one to friends as they wanted an extra refrigerator to keep beer, pop and extra things in. That refrigerator is still running and it has to be over 30 years old. New stuff is crap.
Looks like the reed valve at 11:30 on the left is missing some metal so the port is open. I like the good old piston and crank design.
Yep, some of those lasted 30 years.
The reed valves are what York A/C compressors used in the '70s/80's on vehicles. Basically it's a two stroke engine.
I wonder if it was so dirt the valve was always open so it couldn't generate compression
Grinding with no GLASSES????? Are you CRAZYYYY????
Does anyone know what's being done with the defective refrigerators & compressors? Units being put into the landfill full of refrigerant & components? Does anyone know if data has been compiled defining scope of this boondoggle and impact to the environment and landfills? Across global sales, the total defective units being trashed must be monumental. US/Korea government export/import & manufacturing trade laws must be aware of these hornswoggle shenanigans pulled on the consumer for past ten years, infiltrating markets with known defective materials that they are fully aware will have to be trashed. Are there no laws to send the guilty to jail and levy fines to put them out of business permanently? From the CEO on down the ranks, and including the politicians with greased hands.
Do not buy LG or Samsung appliance products.
While it may be called a 'linear' compressor, it obviously oscillates an accelerating and decelerating piston. How is this better than the much simpler rotary compressor that mostly avoids accelerating and decelerating masses?
Meanwhile, my Nan's 50 year old Kelvinator still works like a charm. Go figure.
Exactly!!
Hard to understand why a pro would not have the safety guard on the grinder AND no eye protection, unreal.
that's why they are being sued. contact the class action to get your money back. i hope they use this video in court
Our LG stopped cooling the other day. It's past the warranty period. Wife wants a new fridge because this one has been troublesome with the ice maker. Hint: The fridge side was "too cold" and as far as I can figure, the water supply line was freezing before the water made it to the ice maker. Will be avoiding LG and anything with a linear compressor. Thanks for the great video!
There's a number inside the fridge on a sticker. Call it, and someone will come fix it free of charge. At least get it working to make a few bucks selling it.
@@Chris-vx5kpWhat are you talking about? Sears?
@@BadAssDude69 Sears is just as dead as the compressor. The number in fridge is to LG.
@@Chris-vx5kp Don't they charge the labor?
@@BadAssDude69 Nope. They didn't charge me a dime. However, be wary of calling a repair place that says they fix the fridge. Repair places will charge you and LG; I told on 2 repair places to F-off. Call the LG.
Thank you, very informative. A perfect example of purposeful design obsolescence for early failure. Throw the refrigerator away and buy another refrigerator. Disgusting what this world has become.
My LG will be 9 years old this July. How much longer will it run?
i wonder if this is planned by the manufacturer to have the compressors go bad after a few years.
I too have a bad LG linear compressor. There is a class action lawsuit in Canada. Everyone sound the alarm for one in the US. LG as a company knows there is a problem with the linear compressor and could care less about their customers.
LOL. No eye protection at all! Wow.
Got 1 1/2 years out of my 4K dollar LG Refrigerator. After 3 compressors, they voided my warranty and sent me a check for $100 for being an unsatisfied customer. I think Samsung and LG were exploiting defective stock in Korea and started to sell those items in the US for massive profit. They know they will be sued, but they made their dollars on us and are going to pay pennies for lawsuit. I will never by another
LG item after this. I purchased a Whirlpool, made in USA after this and I am very happy now.
Samsung does not use linear compressors. The Samsung has a conventional reciprocating design and is more reliable than LG
@@xcmskim4 Thanks for the update. After being totally abused by LG, I went with Whirlpool and I am Extremely happy. No issues for the past 3 years.
Whirlpool is a US company but the compressors are Embraco made in Brazil and now owned by Chinese company. Almost all the other parts in Whirlpool are made in China like the boards and valves and sensors etc. Look at the decal in your fridge and it will say where it was made probably Mexico. Or possibly it was assembled in US with global components (mostly Chinese).
i cant cry for u if u stupid to buy keorean crap im a refrigeration tech i saw this coming i do wish u well buy usa know how
Nothing is made in America, you’re totally kidding yourself there… we have let at that go overseas and they make the rules now… Korean. German and Japanese stuff is the best now, although Japan no longer makes much and German products are expensive, so Korean is about as good as it gets these days… Your analysis of what Korea is doing is about as dead wrong as it gets…
And here we are 4 years after you made this video and the saga continues.
What surprised me was how complex and expensive it looks. The rotary / reciprocating compressor is so simple and cheap to make by comparison.
Any energy savings by going linear must be tiny. Why the hell did the do this?
This is what happens when you change a proven design.
It's good to see people still using power cords for their power tools.I gedit rechargeable batteries are convenibut there's nothing power of electricity
A couple of years ago my
LG linear compressor went out. Luckily it happened a week before the warranty expired. They sent out a technician and he had the compressor installed in an hour or so. He said it would be better than new. So far so good. If it croaks now it won’t be another LG until they get their act together
I’m glad they stood behind the warranty. They did not with mine. If you read the BBB complaints, they typically aren’t standing behind their warranties.
Dude wear some eye protection. I’ve had a tiny metal shard stuck iN my eye and let me tell you what…
I hope it is understood by viewers that this highly informative tear-down DOES NOT constitute a blanket condemnation of linear refrigeration compressor technology, which is a positive technical advance. It does however constitute an enditement of the slack (or lack!) development engineering in the testing phase. The embarrassment of shooting yourself in the foot for the sake of a low-quality 20c component while wrecking your company's reputation in the process definitely qualifies for the doughnut award!
Really no eye protection!!!!!
we've had our LG fridge compressor replaced 3 times under PC Richards extended warranty. the repair guy says it's important to keep the back vents clear because heat seems to be what degrades that little part. it's a design flaw - weakest link type of thing as the rest of the mechanism looks pretty stout
Loving the safety squints :D
Skookum as frig!
How can Consumer Reports give them a high rating.
Exactly!! CR claims there's no bias or payment received, etc.. Meanwhile, I've gone through 2 LG refrigerators in 11 years and one of them was a very expensive, top of the line model. My LG dishwasher also broke right after the warranty period ended, luckily I was able to fix it myself. Once again, it was a cheap part. I bought a better made part for around $30 and it's outlasted the OEM part from LG. A lot of people would have paid lots of money to have LG come in and fix their dishwasher or they would have spent even more money and bought a new one. LG is garbage and CR continuously recommends them, even with massive complaints and problems. I used to trust CR but not any longer.
My daughters LG refrigerator failed three times and was awarded a refund or another brand. The compressor was changed out on the second failure but failed again in about a week. This is the price we pay for moving local manufacturing offshore. Quality out the window.
Good job on the hearing protection, but where is the eye protection! You don't need it until you do. Then it's too late. Those cut off disks can shatter, never nibs the burning steel fragments. Thanks, though, for showing the problem with these compressors.
60 days into compressor warranty repair. LG dragged their feet for 30 days giving authorization. Compressor arrives. Install. Then more error. Repair tech said needs new condenser. Now 3 weeks later and repair saying “stuck compressor”. Saying we need another compressor. What a joke. $900 in parts and labor. We feel like suckers.
Thank you. This has to be the problem. I’ve done everything but tear that compressor to pieces. I can sleep finally!!!
The broken seal kind of confirms my hypothesis:
For start, this is a resonant vibrating machine, where the mass of the piston with the springs is in resonance with the frequency it is excited by the winding. Kind of the same as e.g. electric shavers use to work, although the shavers run on mains frequency directly, here the inverter is able to lock in to the exact resonance of the assembly so is able to make the thing very efficient (not that difficult with the electronic drive). The key difference between this resonant mechanism vs the classic "rotating motor plus a crank" is, the crank has an exact displacement range without any exact control required, with the resonant mechanism the displacement, so vibration amplitude, must be carefully controlled by something reducing the drive strength once the amplitude reaches the designed level. Now with a piston compressor to be efficient, you need to push it really to the head without any gap, so you need the displacement to be really accurate. Not that big deal with a crank, but the heck of complications with something that has its amplitude so temperamental. If the amplitude became too large, the piston just crashes to the head, so that is why they probably used the rubber bumpstop there. Most likely the electronic was supposed to drive the compressor so it just does not hit it, but that is rather delicate balance,quite easy to get upset. What happened most likely here is the upsets, leading to the piston actually hitting the rubber bump stop, happen in the real life way more often than LG R&D expected, tearing the rubber apart.
To me it is very naive to assume those upsets to be rare (it could even be the fridge operating under not fully optimom conditions) and for practically any material to withstand those crashes so many times for the thing to last for any usable time. To me it looks like some management moron jumped on some "high school science class idea" and pushed it through dismissing all suggestions for it to be nonsense.
It's also likely that they had to go to this design to meet energy efficiency standards. The old style compressors are durable but use more energy.
@@SSHitMan I'm not sure the resonant thing is necessary for that. I would rather guess the (now classic) BLDC motor with normal crank would yield practically the same efficiency.
The inefficiency of the "old school" is in the use of induction motor (losses to get the rotor field, vs a permanent magnet rotor BLDC), not in the crank mechanism. The resonant springs and the fact the whole thing has to vibrate causes losses too. I would even doubt they would be any lower than those in a crank mechanism (even when talking about a system with an extra balancing mass auxiliary crank, to fully compensate imbalances), mainly when the compressor piston can operate with much tighter margins with less dead space and less elastic elements within the cylinder (and still no risk of any crashing whatsoever).
To me it more looks like an attempt to cut costs: The resonant vibrating system has fewer parts and may appear simpler to manufacture, so may have promised lower manufacturing costs.
It may work well with things like shaver, which has barely 1000 hour runtime expectation yields more than 10 years of service, but in a fridge the same 1000hour compressor runtime gets spent within just barely few months. And that is, when these compressors appear to start failing...
EXACTLY, you can blame the government for all this waste. @@SSHitMan
The broken part is a reed valve, similar to York A/C compressors used in the '70s/80's on vehicles. Basically it's a two stroke engine.
I had not thought of it before, but the "linear compressor" is what we called a cryo coldfinger when we put together infrared night sights for armored vehicles.
I would give anything to buy a fridge built with the quality of the 80’s. Don’t need the bells and whistles, just need my fridge to be cool and freezer, cold. That’s asking a lot these days.
Labor $575 + is what LG quoted for repairing the junk compressor in my 2018 refrigerator. The compressor is free. Debating whether to pay that so it lasts another 5 years or less. Someone mentioned installing a standard old-school rotary compressor with a relay. Wish I could find a Technician that could do that. Darn fridge still in great shape.
Your video made me clear now. I worked on a LG fridge yesterday. The compressor ran but it wasn’t hot. I was confused. I think I knew why after watched your video. Thank you sir.
I have that exact issue -- compressor not hot and fridge not cooling (stuck at 50-52 degrees). I called LG and they put in a ticket now I'm waiting to hear back from someone to schedule a repair! Fridge model is LMXS30776S
@@sethmeistergee Ours failed a month ago after six years, and the class action lawsuit where LG awards every claimant $450 expired in 2021.
@@pointzerotwo there was a different lawsuit where you can still get relief but only if the failure happens within 5 years of purchase.
My LG compressor was extremely hot. It was on but barely cooling. You could not touch it without burning your fingers.
@@sethmeistergee Do you know where? Mine failed within 5 years just this week.
My 1990 Kenmore side-by-side is still going strong 34 years later. Zero replacement parts needed besides the light-bulbs every 10 years or so.
I will be very sad when the time comes to replace it.
Common knowledge they make shitty refrigerators, but great TVs.
Nice video. Just bought a LG refrigerator with compressor model no FLD165NBMA. There is 10 years warranty on the compressor. See you in 8 years.
Lol - I've heard from a few sources that they've corrected the "issues". I don't know that for a fact, though. Good luck!
@@JoesGarageProductionsLLC well I sure do hope so, just bought one today. I mean they must've solved the issues in order to avoid more lawsuits, right? Right????!!!!! 😖😖😖
Don't be had by the so called 10 year warranty. Ours quit after 4 years and they are just giving us a check for 1500. Frig was 2200 and now a replacment comparable is 3000.
The 10-year warranty on the compressor is usually just a parts warranty. You will have to pay the labor to replace the compressor, which is usually $300 to $500.
$900 in Portland @@rreagan007
I wonder why LG doesn't use their Dual Inverter compressors? They last forever in their AC units.
LG, good job.... Will NEVER buy ANY of LG products again..... Thx for sharing from Wyoming
This compressor look nice and good system but unfortunately failure because small things supposed not to happen. It's should be replaced with some things strong Long time using
Compressors built in the 50's are still running and can be repaired easy. My mothers fridge that I used as a kid(I am 68) is still running with no work needed and still running well, very cold. We had the technology, just go back to the old way of doing things. As we "progress" our appliances cost vastly more and last only 5 years instead of 30 years. It is a loose for the consumer and the planet. It is only a win for company profits.
Hearing protection, no safety glasses, you value your hearing more than your eyesight!!!!!!!!
I watched another YT video about an expensive modern refrigerator failure & the engineer determined that 100% of the reason was due to the manufacturers attempt to gain a higher EPA rating on the big yellow sticker, so they could sell more units to brainwashed & defrauded Public.
He found that ultra-thin, water-like oil was used inside the compressor to squeeze just a bit higher EPA number caused the failure. He tore down & examined every single part of the compressor & found nothing wrong with the design or build, just that the oil was insanely thin. He lamented that this practice/scam is the worst for the environment because refrigerators cannot be "recycled" because of the incorporated foam, most just crushed in the landfill, Then the environment takes another hit by having to build an entire new garbage fridge that lasts only 5 years. Uncool!
Is this a similar problem that Kenmore is having with their refrigerator freezers because after nine years ours just took a dump and we just went out and bought a GE✌️😎
Today is July 11 2024 ,, has all these problems NOT been addressed? Help! I'm in the process today of buying a new LG French Door 30" wide fridge!
Cuttoff wheel and only his safety contacts in.... yikes
Simple solution. Don't buy any appliance with a linear compressor. Stick with Scroll compressors.
Like Humpty Dumpty, that thing is NEVER going back together again!
LG is good at making junk. Have a microwave from LG that works ok, except the push-in lever to open the door is broken. Have to jig it with tape so the door can still open without the lever popping out. It is made from poor plastic that has become brittle and broke, that makes a working oven useless, if not for Gorilla tape. Never LG anything again.
Planned obsolescence... LG clearly worried about the share holders instead of the customers.
Your infamous LG Compressor Is suppose to have about 8 ounces of mineral oil in the compressor Unless you dumped it It was Intentionally designed to fail Overheating Vibration in oil cool Lube the Motor.
It is not a scroll compressor. It is a linear compressor. There is a simple method for saving the refrigerator.
Famous last words "I'm not too sure what I'm looking at yet"..... wow
Good to see what fails.
Speaking of which…PLEASE wear safety eyewear!!
Remember you said…”Safety First!” PLEASE protect your eyes when grinding/cutting etc!-)
I just came across your video. I didn’t finish watching it all the way yet as the obvious failure point is at the 11 minute 38 second mark. the top of the piston has a valve which is symmetrical in a good unit. The left valve on your piston is actually Broken and the chamber below it is visible. This causes the pump to not generate pressure as the valve has no way to ensure compression.
I cutted my own linear compressor and I found the same thing.
I opened mine today..i will be making the retrofit with a convectional compressor and relay mod..
Designed by corporate clowns who wish to aimlessly wander about in trash. My parents GM/Frigidaire fridge from 1969 outlasted our LG from 2017.
It's a piece of junk because it's made by Lucky Gold Star
At the end of the day.
It's a box that keeps shit cold.
Why do they have to make it complicated?
They want it to fail.
Because if it lasts a long time. Then they won't make money.
Every appliance made by LG that I bought failed early just after warranty period, the dishwasher mainboard died, I took it out and tried to re-solder it with an oven but that thing was dead and a new board was more $$ than just buying a new machine, Fridge died also I assume it was the compressor but who knows... and above range microwave the latch stopped working which I did manage to hack back together with a screw to hold the spring so got it to working normal again but I got tired of it all the LG so trashed them all. I also had a Samsung Range that died too, it did last 10 years so not too bad but the oven would flicker on and off , I tried to repair it but it was a no-go. I now mostly have Maytag appliances and so far so good after 3 years. My fridge is Chinese made by Haier but so far so good after 3 years, only issue is that the gasket on one of the Fridge doors split but that might have been me I sometimes grab something on the way out of the house and holding keys so yeah I just replaced it with a new gasket at least it was a cheap fix.
Geeezzz, I am going to buy my next refrigerator from TEMU so I can feel like a billionaire. I think the landfills could use some more scrap materials.
Design engineers aren't engineers any longer. They are all about using fancy terminology to brag about their education.
You won't have your eyes long grinding without using safety glasses.
The thin piece of metal on top of the piston is a reed valve. If the compressor was running before you took it apart, the valve assembly more than likely was at fault. The piston was moving back and forth but because the valve(s) were leaking, it couldn't pump anything.
Ears? I’d rather keep my sight!
When you said "We evacuated all the refrigerant," who's we? There were no high and low side access valves visible. I did not see a recovery machine, recovery tank, or refrigeration gauges required to recover. If you had invested the $2000 for that equipment, you would have shown us that process but you didn't. So you just blew the small 10 ounce or so charge of R134a into the atmosphere just like people who waste an hour of their time to get $7 worth of scrap copper. What happened to the oil that was in the compressor?
My LG fridge compressor failed at 5 years, tech said that it is common for "The Seal" to fail. LG was and, from what I hear, is being sued again over compressor failure. "Faulty Seals"
Ya. The safety contacts and proper safety squints has him cover. SMH.
Too complex. Put an old piston compressor in there & it would run for decades.
But all the plastic in the box will break up within 10 yrs & be NLA.
LFOD !
Beko 6 yo $800 went kaput right in Christmas Eve. I bought a new one MPM for $300. I was told that they will take for free the 'old' one for environment care. I gave them the middle finger and I throw it at the garbage. if u want to care about the environment just produce things that last decades like they did 4-5 decades ago.
No safety gear.. sparks on his clothes and all over his wooden desk.. no eye safety..😅😅.. Title should be do only cats have 9 lives😂😂