Fridge always on...

[Lobster]

I have a integrated/under-worktop fridge (it's a Howden's unbranded one - best guess is Hygena APN6121) in a house that I rent out, and the tenant's complaining that it's always running and too cold. Went round for a looksee, and sure enough although it's set to minimum cooling, their lettuce is all frozen...

Is there any likelihood that this could be anything else than a failed thermostat? The fridge is probably 12 years old, and I'm weighing up the pros and cons of repair vs replacement. The added complication is that being in a rental, really I need to be able to just go in once and fix this; I can't be going back and forth trying out different things (eg dismantling it and cleaning up the stat contacts!) as I would probably do on my home fridge. (and these tenants want to be there when I go round, and are the sort who stand over you watching the entire time!)

I can get a new integrated fridge for ?200; a new stat for this model is about ?40.

[Adrian]

I think you know the answer.

[Toby]

The only thing that turns the fridge off when it is cold enough is going to be the stat, it's not going to be dirty contacts, as it is running, (assuming it is a standard mechanical stat, not an electronic one with a display or buttons to change the temp), so if it where me, I would buy the stat and go swap it out, which probably can be all done from the front without taking it out the cupboard (but do power it off at the wall first!).

If you had a spare standalone fridge or fridge/freezer, you could loan them that and take the broken one away to fix and return. - That's what I did when the standalone fridge/freezer did exactly this, I swapped out the stat, which took about 5 minutes Tenants were fine with it, as the loan machine solved the immediate need, and the return of the original put everything back to normal.

[Mr Pounder]

I can't find the model on Gooogle. If it has an ice box (?) is the door broken/missing/or hanging orf? If so, tough shit. No matter what you do, within reason, it will fall orf again. If so, that is the problem. If the tray under the ice box is not there, the lettuce will freeze up. Stat at ?40 ??????????!!!!!!!!!! I don't think so. Your best bet is replace the 12 year old knacker.

[Brian Gaff]

Yeah, I'd go for the fridge, get the old one back to your place and try a new thermostat, if its good keep it safe as a back up. Brian

[Lobster]

On 06 Dec 2014, "Brian Gaff" grunted:

Yeah, I think that's probably the safest answer (bloody nuisance having a spare fridge lying around though!!).

[Harry Bloomfield]

Lobster expressed precisely :

Shop around, you can get them for £70 delivered.

[Lobster]

On 06 Dec 2014, Harry Bloomfield grunted:

An integrated one? Don't think so, but if you know of one I'd certainly love to know!

In fact the cheapest I can find is ?230 (a Baumatic BR100 at Curry's), because it needs the icebox :(

[meow2222]

sounds like a thermostat then

NT

[Harry Bloomfield]

on 06/12/2014, Lobster supposed :

Apologies, I missed the 'integrated'.

[Davey]

Keep the champagne in it, ready for use.

[Gordon Freeman]

I had that, I plugged the fridge on one of those ?5 push-pin timeswitches, set to go on and off at half hour intervals, did the trick until I got a new one. You may need to juggle the on/off ratio a little according to the ambient temp and the efficiency of the fridge.

[Huge]

Yep. Ran our kitchen frig like that for a couple of weeks (switched off altogether for a few hours overnight when the door wasn't being opened) until I got round to replacing the thermostat.