Fridgeman on Refrigerator Repair and Design

By Daniel Lewis

A compilation of blog posts for DIY refrigerator repair. Includes basic description of how refrigerators cool, refrigeration cycle, common failures, and simple repairs a layman may perform. No procedures involving expensive tools or equipment or breaking the sealed-system are included since an EPA certification is required. The good news is 90% of failures do not involve the sealed-system!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Daniel Lewis
• Release date: Dec 27, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370925353

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

The content of this book was originally written as a series of blog posts in 2007. That material is the foundation of this book, but has been expanded and updated in areas where the technology has changed–primarily in the defrost and compressor control systems

No repair procedures requiring specialty refrigeration tools or certifications are included and this is primarily intended for the

diy

homeowner and apartment maintenance workers with no

epa

certification to purchase or handle refrigerants. An understanding of basic electricity and how to perform continuity and resistance checks with a volt-ohm-meter is required to get the most use of this repair and troubleshooting manual. It does not provide procedures to recover refrigerant, perform sealed system repairs, or replace the compressor.

Many of the diagnosis covered can be performed with no tools at all. A few screwdrivers, needle-nose pliers, ¼-inch nut-driver, and a volt-ohm-meter will take care of most repairs. GE uses Torx head screws in some places so a torx screw driver may be required for some tasks.

Testing electrical components require a volt-ohm-meter and an understanding of continuity and resistance. I do not list any procedures which require measuring voltages on live [ hot circuits ]. Voltage checks are rarely necessary and can be dangerous. When doing continuity checks always disconnect the unit from the power source to prevent personal injury and damage to your volt-ohm-meter.

Troubleshooting and diagnosis of refrigerator malfunctions requires focus (I know the ice cream is melting) and a basic understanding of the function of each part, how it works, and why it is in the system. The technology of the domestic refrigerator has changed little since the 1930s except for the addition of automatic defrost [introduced in the 1950s] and microprocessor control in the past decade.

Since the 1990s the quality and longevity of the domestic refrigerator has gone down hill dramatically for a variety of reasons [most which have their origin in energy saving dictates]. Once a refrigerator would run for 20+ years or longer, but in 2007 the mean-time-to-failure had fallen to 8 years.

1

Why This Book Was Written

After repairing a few thousand refrigerators in the past fifteen years, my records indicate that less than ten percent had problems involving the refrigerant carrying tubing or compressor. The things your refrigerator warranty refers to as the sealed system. Thus most malfunctions can be diagnosed and repaired by the D

IY

homeowner. There are models with microprocessor control and monitoring systems that might be too complex for someone not trained in electronics to fathom, but most refrigerators are simple machines and most problems are easily diagnosed.

I was lucky enough when I first started repairing appliances to work for an appliance recycle business for a few years. Basically, when people bought new appliances and needed to dump their old or defective ones, the company took them, diagnosed the malfunction, and repaired them as quickly and cheaply as possible. Resale prices were low so speed of repair and cheap (used but good) parts were essential to the owner making a profit. Not that the work could be shoddy since a 90-day warranty was offered with each refurbished appliance when it was sold. I was hired as the refrigerator man which got shortened at some point to

Reviews for Fridgeman on Refrigerator Repair and Design

[Bernard Bailey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is wonderfully wrote and tells the real truth about the appliance world today thank you so much.