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Erratic Refrigrator

I have a 10 year old Jennair up/down refrigerator.

Last Friday both freezer and refrigerator started to get warm. Judging by the noise, the compressor was running.

Saturday it kept getting warmer, while the machinery inside was making the right noises. All of our food was lost.

Sunday I unplugged the unit, waiting for the service man to come on Monday. There seemed to be no point in having it run but not cooling.

This (Monday) morning I plugged the unit in again. It made the same noises (compressor running) AND iT WAS COOLING again.

The temps keep dropping by the hour.

What could be the cause for this kind of behavior and what can I do about it? It hurts to waste all this food.

Reply to
Walter E.
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defrost thermostat went bad.

the ice clogging up behind the freezer panels melted. it will stop cooling again after it ices up again.

Reply to
chaniarts

If the compressor is running and it's not cooling, then something major is wrong, ie refrigerant link, compressor kaput, etc. With a

10 year old unit, I'd be looking at the cost of a new one, compared to what the service guy is going to tell you.
Reply to
trader4

Look in the freezer compartment for a removable panel.

Behind that panel will be the evaporator coil, evaporator fan and defrost heater.

It could simply be that your defrost heater has stopped working so that frost is caking up so badly on your evaporator coil that air is no longer flowing through the fins of the coil but over a big hunk of frost, and that's not sufficient to provide proper cooling.

When you unplugged the fridge for a few days, that frost would have melted, so you get proper cooling again, but once the frost accumulates again, you'll be back to where you were before.

Find that removable panel and remove it to see what your evaporator coil normally looks like without any frost on it. Wait for the problem to happen again and see if it looks the same or is all clogged up with frost.

Reply to
nestork

Well, the service man was here. He said I need a new compressor for $ 947. He checked the pressure on what he said was the low side. It read 10 lbs. He said that a correct reading would be zero or maybe 2 or 3. "Luckily" he had just the right compressor on his truck.

The trouble with a/c repairs is that the layman is almost totally ignorant and at the mercy of the technician. It's a field ripe for rip-offs, just like TV repairman used to be in the old days.

Well, can't live without a refrigerator! And glad for it, too.

Reply to
Walter E.

Sounds like it could be freezing up. Bad defrost units, bad evaporator fan, possibly a couple of other things. Figure a $75 service call to find out Then add parts and labor. If you like the fridge, get it fixed, otherwise it may not be much more for a new one. Basic models are $400 and up, bu t fancy ones easily top $2000.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

Gosh I hope you weren't ripped off. I would be suspicious that a service tech may have sold you a new compressor when that wasn't the problem and he repaired the actual problem which wasn't that severe. I'm suspicious because refrigeration repair is one of the legal things I've done for a living. The problem you described is what usually happens when a defrost timer goes bad. Around $8.00 wholesale and if a tech charged you $25.00 for one, that wouldn't be out of line. Service call charges vary with which area you're in. ^_^

TDD

Reply to
The Daring Dufas

I could make that kind of money. Problem is, I have morality and conscience. I'm sure I'll drive rust buckets and die poor, but my eternal soul won't go where that service tech is going.

. Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus

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Reply to
Stormin Mormon

I was installing a phone system for a local HVAC company when I heard the owner bragging about selling a $3,000.00 system when there was absolutely nothing wrong except for a very simple repair. The customer they reamed was an elderly couple in their 80's. I don't like people who take advantage of anyone especially the elderly. O_o

TDD

Reply to
The Daring Dufas

You went out and got your pistol, and shot him to death on the spot? Or, more likely give him a piece of your mind, and then tell everyone you know about his scam?

. Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus

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Reply to
Stormin Mormon

No, I'm a professional when it comes to dealing with customers. I didn't chastise the guy about it. I just did the job as I agreed to, got my money then lost his number. I also spread the word at every supply house and to every guy I knew in the HVAC business. I don't think the miscreant is still in business. o_O

TDD

Reply to
The Daring Dufas

Snip>>

I was installing a phone system for a local HVAC company when I heard the owner bragging about selling a $3,000.00 system when there was absolutely nothing wrong except for a very simple repair. The customer they reamed was an elderly couple in their 80's. I don't like people who take advantage of anyone especially the elderly. O_o

TDD

TDD I am with you. I did radio repair in the 40's and 50's . Quick working at two different firms because the owners were ripping off the customers. WW

Reply to
WW

You don't have to steal from people to make a living. My late friend GB and me did a lot of HVAC work together and we took it easy on folks we knew didn't have a lot of money. We would do a repair for an elderly person and not charge them a lot then their family would call us to do work for them at full price when they found out how well we treated their elderly family member. I suppose it's good karma at work. ^_^

TDD

Reply to
The Daring Dufas

Yeah, me thinks that the $947 would have been better spent on a new fridge.

Reply to
nestork

From each according to their ability, to each according to their needs. (Karl Marx)

. Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus

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Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Or drop a $947 and call the investigative news team.

. Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus

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Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Maybe. Depends on what the cost of a new similar one would be. Those Jenn Air appliances aren't cheap. A new one could be $2500+ Also depends on if you want to stay with JA because all the other appliances are JA, etc.

First thing I suggested was checking out what a new one would cost. Often with some luck you can find a good deal. I bought a new KitchenAid one that was a floor model at BestBuy for $1300, about half price. It's been great for about 4 years now, except the motor for the door ice delivery system apparently just went. I looked it up and was quite surprised to find they are available for $75 and looks like it's very easy to put in. Knowing how parts work, I thought it could be 3x that, or that you had to buy a whole unit for 5x, etc. But I also think this is probably an example of using sub-standard parts. No kids, so there wasn't a whole lot of demand placed on it. I haven't taken it apart yet either. May be a thermal fuse or similar too, if I'm lucky.

Reply to
trader4

That's exactly what happened to our GE. Installed a new defrost heater and it is still working after 8 more years.

Reply to
Mike

That would be my choice. You can usually get one delivered the next day. When my freezer died, the dealer could not get what I wanted for a couple of days so he lent me a used one.

New fridge will cost from $400 to $3000 depending on your desires, but

947 makes a good head start.
Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

Even on a $2500 (not all that expensive, BTW) 'fridge, I wouldn't spend $947 on a service call. I'd have a new one.

Reply to
krw

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