Compressor on my fridge freezer has gone, help!!

[Jenny]

My Admiral American fridge freezer has stopped working and we have been told it is the compressor. The engineer who arrived this afternoon wanted £500 to replace it, he was so rude when I told him I thought it was a bit steep, and he said "take it or leave it", so I left it. What would be the more realistic price I would expect to pay for a replacement compressor and fitting. My husband said he could do but I think there is a lot more to it than it looks.

Also can anyone recommend a honest refrigeration engineer in Surrey

Thanks in advance Jen

[Sparks]

This isn't usually a DIY-able task ...You will probably need... A vacuum pump A cylinder to put the current gas in (if it hasn't escaped) A Braising torch Braising rods a sweiging tool The refrigeration gas reclaimed from before, plus some more (maybe) Pressure gauges A new compressor.

So unless you are, have been, or know a refrigeration engineer, you are unlikley to have the tools to do it!

How old is the Fredge/Freezer?

[ABC]

Probably cost slightly more to purchase a new one. The £500 will be mainly labour charges.

[chris_doran]

Are you _sure_ it's the compressor? The usual thing to go is the thermostat. Did you see the engineer test that?

Making sure he knows where not to put fingers with the power on (unless you are looking for a new husband too :) get him to short out the thermostat microswitch contacts (if they can be found) and see if the compressor starts. If so, and assuming it's not a new-fangled complicated microprocessor-controlled fridge, replacement thermostats are available for a few pounds on eBay. Google this group for further advice on fitting.

Chris

[meow2222]

Just been looking at prices, a bit over =A3100 for compressors for standard ffs, so somewhat more for yours. His =A3500 probably isnt too far off.

If its a partial short, compressors can often be got going again without repairing them by modifying their electrical feed. It is a bodge, but it works and saves =A3499, so sometimes its the only practical choice.

Like you I dont know how trustworthy your eng is, so it might be worth doing a few checks with a meter to confirm the diagnosis. If it were a bimetal cutout that would be very cheap.

Does your hubby know enough to do it? Does he have the tools?

NT

[nightjar]

The price sounds realistic. I have yet to have a fridge freezer compressor failure where it was cheaper to repair than to replace. I also would not consider replacing the compressor to be a DIY job.

Colin Bignell

[Jenny]

How old is the Fredge/Freezer?

6 years old, it cost £1600 new.

[Jenny]

be labour charge

I had a quick look on ebay and they are selling brand new ones for £550

[Dave Liquorice]

Ouch, I had a bof standard fridge freezer fitted with a new compressor i= n my home and had chnage from =A380, this is a good few years ago mind and= a UK fridge so a "generic" compressor was used. Done properly with old gas= collected etc.

Took no more than a couple of hours, maybe only one. So if a new compressor is =A3100 and a few quid for gas what is this chaps hourly ra= te? I'm sort of assuming that this is the makers service department, never a= cheap option... Another factor is this being a US device, maybe none of =

the (cheap) UK generic compressors are suitable, I do find that unlikely= though. Have a wander through yellow pages for a local refridgeration companies and get a few quotes.

[Paul]

Its been a few years now since I retired But I cannot remember ever charging more than £150 to change a compressor.

Phone around and get a couple of quotes in first. You never know it may just be the stat or starter.

[Pete C]

Does the compressor make any sound (humming sound) or is it totally silent?

Might be worth paying someone else to have a quick look and give you a second opinion.

If you have house insurance they may have a helpline who can find a good local engineer.

cheers, Pete.