You don’t hear your refrigerator working properly, but when you open the door of the appliance — the light is on, though the air inside is not cooling and no sound of the compressor can be heard.
The working light means your device is connected to the main power, but what the silence can mean?
What can cause such a situation?
In a new refrigerator, the improper operation can be caused by both the failure of its components and the wrong firmware of its “smart” parts – the control board and the compressor fuse.
As for the older models, they have more mechanical parts, and damage to many of them could cause this error.
The situation when only lighting works in the refrigerator and the refrigerating chamber is not cooled can be caused by a number of reasons. But first of all, try to reboot your appliance by switching it off and unplugging from the power for 5 — 10 mins. Also, check the items inside the chamber — one of them might be blocking the airflow.
But in most cases, the explanation would be a bit more difficult.
Main reasons
- failure of the thermoregulator. The sensor doesn’t send a signal about the tem-perature in the chamber, so the cooling control is stopped;
- problems with the operation of the starting protection relay, which controls the switching of the compressor;
- for new models — problems with the electronic control board;
- failure of the compressor;
- defrosting button failure.
In simple words, there are main elements, which make your appliance work:
- Compressor.
- Thermostat.
- Condenser coils.
- Evaporator coils.
- Air Damper.
And the situation where your fridge doesn’t work but the light is on is most likely the result of the malfunction of one of these elements.
First things to check
• If you have new equipment filled with modern functions — and they all work, but the chamber is warm — check that the installation is correct.
• Look whether your device is placed on an even surface, as if not — the door may not fit tightly. Then warm air may get into the chamber which won’t let the motor work.
For a better diagnostics, pay attention to additional symptoms, they might de-termine the following issues:
- The camera has a light but the motor is silent, the fridge clicks, but does not start. Most likely the compressor has to be reinstalled. It is one of the most serious breakages, and a very costly one, so sometimes it’s even easier to buy a new re-frigerator.
- The light is on, the compressor does not turn on, but you can hear clicks. On electro-mechanical models, this can signalize about the issues with the thermostat. Check it with a multimeter and replace it if needed. The sensors can not be repaired.
- There is light, the motor is switched off (relevant for models equipped with an elec-tronic control type). Breakage of the air sensor in the main chamber. The sensor doesn’t send signals about the temperature in the chamber, so the control unit doesn’t command the motor to start. Check the sensor with the multimeter and replace it if needed.
Only a user with basic electrical engineering skills will be able to determine if the defrosting button or thermostat breaks down. In both cases, it is necessary to close directly a pair of contacts leading to the part to be checked. This operation must of course be carried out with the household appliance disconnected from the power supply. If the refrigerator starts working after that, the cause of its malfunctioning condition will become obvious.
For diagnostics of the compressor serviceability the master “calls” its windings among themselves and with the case. The resistance in all cases must be at least 18 Ohm, otherwise, the motor is short-circuited. With some skills, this fault can also be detected on its own. A failure of the protective relay can only be detected by a master.
If the compressor, temperature controller, protective relay are damaged – they must be replaced!
If the defrost button breaks, it can sometimes be repaired, and if the electronic board contacts are oxidized, they must be thoroughly cleaned to restore their function. But we recommend you to contact a professional repairman, as if there are issues with the electronic components of your appliance, they may lead to more serious malfunctions if not fixed properly.