Kenmore Refrigerator Not Cooling - Compressor Troubleshooting and Testing
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- Опубликовано: 6 фев 2025
- In this video I look at my brother's Kenmore Refrigerator that is not getting cold. The fan in the freezer and down by the compressor are both running, but the compressor is not.
There is a buzzing and clicking sound coming from the compressor area. This usually indicates that the relays are bad and should be replaced. I put a good set of relays on this fridge and the compressor will still not run.
Here is a video on the 3 n 1 starter
• How to Install a Unive...
Here's another video on how to diagnose a compressor on your refrigerator
• How to Diagnose a Comp...
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![Refrigerator Not Cooling - How to Fix - What to Check [2020]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ocOW2GYxdTE/mqdefault.jpg)
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RIP Bill, thank you for your service and the time you took to help thousands of people here on youtube.
I had plans on a replacement fridge,, but decided since the motor and fan worked, that it's worth attempting a repair, was planning on calling a repairman, but maybe I CAN deal with whats going on with it..new territory, as a 59 yr old Grammy, but thanks to youtubers like you, I've done all kinds of fixes on my own, as a rural homeowner, ex city girl, this is challenging, thank you for the clear demonstration!Ive a kenmore side by side, the back is off, its coils cleaned, the compressor is cool to touch; its been unplugged for a month, but when plugged in, its not vibrating, no clicking at all. I'm missing my new multimeter,, I dont know now what next..taking the relay out is the daunting part, and I dont have a new one to try,, of course. Thanks again Bill :)
I have a Sears Kenmore freezer from the early 70s (I think it's 1972; I can't find a reference for the model number ANYWHERE so went off appearance of different era freezers) that stopped last summer. This video gave me a good idea what to check for once I can free up the space to tear into it.
Semper Fi, Brother, prayers up to a great technician who helped thousands
All your fridge videos are extremely clear and concise. Great job!
I see your channel looking into
Kenmore fridge not getting real cold.
With this information I can track down the problem
Easy to understand. Thank you.
I have a small Kenmore chest freezer that is doing the exact same thing. Same buzzy noise. Same hesitation sometimes before the overload kicks in. An entirely new freezer is only about $50 more than just the new compressor, so I'm going to go that route. Thanks for the video. Very helpful!
thank you so much for showing the inside of the compressor - I had no idea what was in that black balloon
Your brother is a lucky man. I need to convince my brother to go to refrigeration school.
Bill, your legacy lives on. Helped me today. RIP
Jerry Sollien rip!? Is he gone?
What happened
Thanks Bill, This video helped me to confirm our BEKO fridge/freezer compressor is unserviceable. We have already replaced the fridge/freezer and so we'll probably scrap the faulty one.
Total bad ass!! I’m trying to learn the different appliances and your videos are by far the best. Thanks for doin what you do Bill.
Great demonstration brother!! Appreciate you going to the effort to get this on RUclips!!
Bill died in 2016
@@homemadefood7197 What happened? That's what I wanna know
RIP sir, thanks for helping me with my refrigerator issues.
RIP???
What happened
Thanks man! Now I know how to fix this problem AND have an understanding of how it all works. Great video.
Great video on isolating the compressor at fault. I used to use a test cord that I built in school back then. It had a momentary switch to generate start winding and flip switch to run winding. An old school method but still worked to isolate compressor problems.
Nice. I try to keep a 3 n 1 around, but I keep leaving it on fridges. lol
Thanks .. I need a bad end trouble shooting, as most other videos are fixed with a new Relay .. not to realistic in real life. And yes, you explain things really well too.
Excellent explanation. I watched couple of other clips also and I understand this really well now. My fridge has stopped working and I was thinking it may be compressor gone bad but in my case, there is no fan or any power except power to the light on the fridge (means fridge is getting power alright), so it could be thermostat or could be the defrost timer stuck in defrost mode. I am going to check this how he has explained . Hopefully it is a simple fix.
I found the problem. Defrost timer was stuck. I turned it and all came to life. Now the question is , can I get this part? My fridge is about 25 years old but before this had never missed a beat and now also it has started cooling. Even if the timer does not get stuck now, I know it is bad and it can get stuck again at the same point and best is to change it. I will do that next but if I can not get the exact part, can I replace it with another one? Are they generally similar ?
Thank you for your kindness to share your great knowledge I love your videos and explanatory ability
Excellent video..great detail. Now I'm going to look at the fridge I have to see if anything is obvious that I can see from the back. my sister told me about a refrigerator a guy was giving away on let-go as it turned out after getting it home plugging it in it turns on but there is absolutely nothing. the guy said the only thing was wrong with it was the ice maker. I believe he knew it was bad and it was an easy way I'm getting it taken away for free. I just hope it is something simple my neighbor works on heating and air conditioning I'm going to call him as well hopefully he has the training for refrigeration. Maybe I will get lucky and it's something simple.
Yes.this vedo do explain exactly what you want to know about a compressor that won't run.thims up.
God bless your soul, you have helped us all. RIP.
On most locked rotor compressors you can rewire it to run backwards and it will usually start then you can put the wires back how they were and you might not need a new compressor. Look for a video on how to make a 1 pole induction motor run backwards. (Or try a Massive start capacitor if you dont like playing with electricity)
Awesome video bro, what refrigerator brands do you recommend with the most quiet and most reliable compressors built from 2017-2022? Top 3 brands ?
Great video Bill.😀
Dicofole - I can't reply to your comment so I'll post a new thread. Embraco compressors are pretty decent. They are probably the most popular one. Most failures are from poor conditions like dirty coils and high room temps in summer. And for the wiring, I would cap off the blue going to the cap and remove the cap and pink wire from the machine. That's for converting to a 3 n 1.
Bill Newberrl
Hey man thx for your video !! Do you have a video on how u make that all together !! The capacitor starter and relay ? And also what is the other way u can make it i believe there is 2 ways pn how go do it !! And once your remove the original ones you just leave them ther out of the way unpluged ??
Hey Bill, suggestion for you. Video on troubleshooting compressors on inverters refrigerators.
Bill, need your opinion about my Kenmore upright freezer problem. It is not cooling like it should. I have replaced the evaporator fan motor because it had stopped turning. I oiled it and lived with it for a month. After replacing it, yesterday it hasn't gotten below 35 degrees. I have continuity tested the defrost thermostat outside the unit. No continuity. Placed it in my freezer and got good continuity test. Tested good continuity on the heating element. Tested the defrost timer....put it in defrost mode, fan motor and everything shut off. I marked the position of the motor position indicator. After about 30 minutes, the fan came back on. I felt of the compressor and it felt like it was running but not sure. The temperature adjustment knob inside the freezer shuts off the unit as well as turns it back on. I can't tell that adjusting the settings turns off the unit other than at the off position. This freezer doesn't appear to have a fan for the condenser coil. I believe the fan for the evaporator coil is also used for the condenser coil. The model # 253.21721101 (Kenmore). Any suggestions are appreciated! I did notice some frosting at the top of the evaporator coil today when I went inside to test the defrost thermostat.
Would have been good to know how you would test the relay or compressor with multimeter. Thanks
Very informative video, thank you.
Would you cap the old blue wire with a wire nut ?
Thank you
Bill is freaking awesome. Thanks for the videos I really appreciate it you save me a lot of trouble
Will lack of gas (134A) cause the relay to cycle on and off? Fridg (Amana) quit cooling.
Where is the thermostat located on these...can't find anything on the location anywhere
What causes the wall circuit breaker to trip ? And the starter relay and capacitor has been replaced.
I have a Kenmore refrigerator. Both the fan and the compressor are running, but it is not cooling. Please advise.
Thanks for the video Bill. Quick question- is the compressor fan supposed to blow air towards the compressor? Or pull air from the compressor? Mine is pulling from the compressor. Thanks
I have a whirlpool that is not cooling. The condenser fan is on and the compressor is warm but I never hear any clicking. I’ve ordered a new starter with a new resistor and installed but still no clicking. I’ve tested the harness going to the compressor and it does have power…so I’m stumped. Any advice?
Bill, you think a lack of maintenance (a lot of dust) caused the the compressor to fail?
So wait... Are you saying I could hook up my newer amana blu and white wires to a plug then directly to the wall? I've replaced the relay/starter combo in mine and the compressor still clicks off after a few seconds. This would be a huge troubleshooting help!!!
Can you fix a problem with the compression? Like take it apart. Thanks m
Thank you for this video!
How often do you Replace a Refrigerator Compressor and in a few months it goes bad and needs Replacing again? I ask because I Replaced the Linear Compressor in a Kenmore Elite 4 months ago and Worked perfectly until today when it was discovered both Refrigerator and Freezer were Warm!?
Well explained.
Guess this video instructions are all I need to experiment a double bypass fridge
I appreciate this video
If your relay starter is bad, can and how would you wire in a 3 in 1 start relay?
Sorry if I got the wrong guy, but is this not the same repairman who also was an exmarine and died two years ago ?
For a while now, fridge is cooling some but not what it should be. Milk and other things spoil sooner than before. I think I've used a thermometer and reads too warm. I remember a friend who cleaned up the back side of fridge blowing air maybe using a vacuum. Can that do the trick? I think I'll try that.
Good video friend. My refrigerator quit cooling. When I put power to it, the compressor sound like it starts then with a clicking sound it shuts down. We transferred the food to another refrigerator and freezer in the basement that day, and I ordered a new start relay and capacitor ($45 tl). The next morning the refrigerator was up running and cooling normally???? I'm thinking the overload reset itself or its bad, I don't know. When the parts come in, I' rip into it.This refrigerator isn't trustworthy right now, any suggestions like maybe change the overload or what do you think. The 5 year old Whirlpool Gold model number is GB2SHDXTQ01, I need the overload part number for this hulk.
If you are able to find a compressor but it has LG before the number when I look for it. Do you know if it is the right for Kenmore refrigerator?
Thanks Bill very informative 👍🏻
Great video. Thank you for all the details.
You are very welcome, Thanks for Watching!
informative (I like the diagnostic method used !)
We have a 23 year old Kenmore side by side refrigerator that stops cooling but returns after a 20 minute shut off. What might be the problem please?
What if you hear motor running, both refrigerator and bottom freezer are warm, but no clicking??
Bill if you change the compressor please do a video.
Will do for sure.
Is the LG compressor the same for omes
great video thank you
Your well loved Bill
Awesome video.
My refrigerator is not cooling but the freezer is fine- the tech guy said that there is a restriction in the evaporator- that the compressor can't pump the freon over to the evaporator. He never pulled the fridge out to look at the back of the refrigerator, only the front underside and took some shelves and bins out of the interior. Is it possible to have that diagnosis without pulling the fridge out looking at the back workings? He is saying I need a new fridge - mine is a GE and not very old- may be purchased in 2010.
Very well done.
Great video my friend,.
I had a repairman change my relay to a new one and my compressor is still clicking but not starting...does this mean my compressor is dead? or is there something I can do further to try and get it going? Mine is a 40 year old Coronado. It stood the test of time, would like to keep it going.
My 4 year old LG fridge had a bad compressor. I called around and two LG certified repair companies said they will not replace any LG compressors due to the complex nature of the repair. I also called Best Buy and they told me they no longer work on compressors. Unfortunately. refrigerators are now disposable commodity.. I bought a new Samsung fridge. .
LG. SUCKS!
Thanks for this video and I must say that it is informative and helpful like the others that you have done that I have watched.One thing that I have noticed is that plus the fact that you sure understand fixing appliances you are also a level headed type so you sure will be the type of person that a person can talk to.I have this MayTag refrigerator model mzd2766gew and when it want to start it makes this clicking sound and I knew that it was a relay and overload ( single unit ) issue which I ordered and changed,when this issue was going on as at when the original relay and overload was there the condenser and evaporator fans are working fine but when I installed the new relay and overload ( two separate units ) the unit worked for sometime and it stopped so I unplugged it from the power supply and waited for sometime and plugged back to the power supply and it does not start,the condenser and evaporator fans also did not start so I did something,I took out the new relay and overload that I installed and put in back the old one,it started making the clicking sound again but the condenser and evaporator fans started working.Based on your experience with these appliances what could probably be the problem.
I used to hear a big clunking sound coming from my kenmore side by side which quit freezing & cooling properly. I got the gadget to clean the dust under frig and the clunking stopped. still not cooling.
great video where can i find the compressor relay
I know that Embraco compressors a very popular in residential fridges but are they reliable ?
Is there a better brand of compressor that can be used when replacing a compressor like a more rugged brand used for commercial appliances ?
Thank you.
I just had my LG compressor go out in my 18month old LG french door unit, the compressor is under warranty for 10 yrs, the labor was around $360 from LG
the fact you would need to pay a dime to repair a piece of foundational technology on such an expensive fridge is pretty messed up
I only buy GE refrigerators and currently my side by side model is 29 years old. The compressor in my model is a Mitsubishi. Seems very reliable, I do my own maintenance on it. Every ten years I replace the defrost heater and defrost timer, even if the parts look good.Timers today are electronic, I would not touch a refrigerator that has a bad compressor. Under warranty is ok, not worth the money for repair costs.
Awesome video.
Bill,
I think from the u tube video you did was very informative. I have a problem with my refrigerator. I have a kenmore elite (Amana)596. it is not cold. It is not showing any error codes at this time. All fanes are working in refrigerator, freezer, and at the compressor. The compressor is vibrating. I think this means it is on. I am not getting any hot or cold temperature in the refrigerant lines. I don't think the compressor is working properly. The unit is 7 years old. Is there a way to make it show a code or is the lack of a code mean anything. If it is a compressor is it worth doing my self or should I call someone?
Thanks
Joe Fab Philadelphia
Excellent..Question: Dude is coming in A M...Fridge/Freezer not cooling right/Ice maker not making ice...No sounds of fan running...a 1012 Whirlpool...Idea's please?? Thanks...Marty in Florida...THANKS
great video like you bill...
knowledge of alternative appropriate compressor size that is important?
great video like always mr Newberry....keep it up
Thanks!
Great job with the videos love your channel
I have a Frigidaire 2003 top bottom fridge. I THINK this is the issue it has :( Darn it, LOL, everything else checks ok, the compressor gets hot, but it doesn't seem to be running with the sounds it should have. Hey Bill, on your make shift starter relay set up. doe it matter which wire is the hot??
HOW DO YOU MAKE YOUR STARUP CONNECTION TO CHECK COMPRESSOR BEFORE BY HOOKING A RELAY
I am learning the trade by watching your videos and for that I thank you. I have encountered a problem I hope you can give me guidance. I bought a 2003 GE chest freezer. When I picked it up it was very cold and I could hear the compressor running. I loaded it and brought it home. When I connected it nothing. The compressor has very slight vibration for 20 seconds and then clicks off. If I keep it connected it gets very hot but does not start. I removed the start relay and it rattles. I connected a 3 in 1 but nothing at all. Not even the slight vibration. I'm really stumped. Can you give me some ideas? Thanks! I should add I bought it on Craigslist so no warranty or anything like that.
Bill Newberry passed away in 2016 .
What brand compressor is it.
Thank! Appreciate the advice.
Where did you get the test relay? Can you build one?
If you put your refrigerator on its back or side what goes bad so to speak? It's not cooling or freezing 😫
I replaced a water valve and icemaker, it made about 8 cubes and then stopped working. The compresser was hot af. Unplugged the fridge, turned off the icemaker for an hour till compressor was cooled off. Then with icemaker off plugged it back in and it seems to be cooling, compressor is not as hot. Totally perplexed, kenmore side by side from 2004. Appears to be the same compressor as the video.
Is it too difficult to replace compressor by a do it yourselfer like us?
Another great video. Quick Question? I've trouble shot a fridge down to the compressor. Everything seems to work fine. Good Amp readings on compressor but still not cooling. Suspect refrigerant low or gone. (If leak, could be anywhere.) I'm not capable of replacing refrigerant. What is your recommendation?
Determine age and condition, make a decision if it's worth paying about $300 for someone to come repair a leak or possible restriction in the sealed system. Some are worth it, some are not. The one in this video is would be an example of a machine to spend a few hundred on. The fridge in my house, nope.
thanks for this Bill ...
My compressor has qp2-15 but i only have qp2-22 . I think its 15ohms and 22ohms. Can i use the 15 as replacement?
thanks. You've helped a lot.
Hi, do you live in Florida, by some chance?
Great share
Can I recharge a sub zero with R-12 with R134a ?
No, you cannot. You have to use the specified refrigerant or you will mess it up badly. (Trust me, I tried it.)
In your opinion, the compressor failed most probably because of overheating caused by the dust accumulation overworking the machine over the long term ?
I would assume you get more compressor failures during the summer time or at the end of the summer time ?
Thank you
Yo Bill how do you make that relay start up?
but sorry for your brosky luckily he has you...
I guess I'll take it easy on him with the labor charges! lol
great video
0:52) Did you mean "condenser" fan instead of "compressor fan"?
thank you
Another Good Video...................
Thanks!
Thanks.
Hi bill I have compressor starting rig that I invented I know it will make checking compressors even easier I would like to send you one at know cost to you. I just ask you to do a video on it and let me know what you think Regards Rob
So compressor was bad because it drew too many amps and was noisy?