Refrigerator Dead!

[Essy]

We have a 2016 Bighorn 3875 FB with a Frigidaire refrigerator! We did not use our rig at all last year due to my wife having back surgery. So in total we have used our Bighorn 5-6 times! We are currently at the South East regional rally at Stone Mountain GA. And the refrigerator won't work! Had an appliance repair service come to our campsite and he said that was the compressor!!! $900.00!!! We can buy a new one for $200.00 more!
Two years old and we are looking at replacing the refrigerator! This is unacceptable!!

 

[donr827]

My compressor, home fridge, has a 5 yr factory warrantee on the compressor. Check your manuals and see what it says about the compressor warrantee.
Don

 

[danemayer]

Silly question - when you open the refrigerator door, does the light come on indicating power getting to the unit?

 

[Essy]

My compressor, home fridge, has a 5 yr factory warrantee on the compressor. Check your manuals and see what it says about the compressor warrantee.
Don

Checked the Frigidaire booklet! One year on compressor!

- - - Updated - - -

Silly question - when you open the refrigerator door, does the light come on indicating power getting to the unit?

Yes the light is on! Fan runs but won't cool!

 

[jerryjay11]

Yup! Refrigerator manufacturers did away with the 5 year warranty on the sealed system (compressor and refrigerant circuit) years ago. $900 is about right to a replace compressor. As an appliance (retired) technician I have seen this way too often when storing an R12 or R134A type fridge for extended periods. Something prior to storage causes the compressor oil to become acidic and because it sits in one place (compressor) and not circulated throughout the sealed system it takes it's toll. Then again there could have been something wrong with the compressor from the get-go and not being a fridge tech did not notice.

Things to look for in R12 and R134A type fridge: (not absorption type)
-freezer reaches "0" degrees R134A (older R12 units "0" to"10" degs. satisfactory) Needs to be below "14' degs. for icemaker to work properly
-Fresh food compartment "38 - 42" degrees (preferred temps)
-Condenser fan must be operating to cool refrigerant properly
(fridge may appear to cool, but takes longer to get there. Edge of fridge where door seals meet (yoder loop) will be very hot due to insufficient cooling at the condenser coil. This can eventually cause the oil to be overheated as well


Note: Other than some fridges like Samsung that has multiple evaporators, the cooling coil (evaporator) is located in the freezer compartment and if you are getting the temps in the freezer I mentioned above the fresh food compartment should reach proper temps. If not there is a problem with airflow caused by no fan operation, defrost not working and frosting up the evaporator, other blockage, etc.

These are just quick checks that a homeowner or in this case an RV owner with a conventional fridge can do to assure they catch a problem before major issues occur. Hope this can help someone.

 

[Essy]

Yup! Refrigerator manufacturers did away with the 5 year warranty on the sealed system (compressor and refrigerant circuit) years ago. $900 is about right to a replace compressor. As an appliance (retired) technician I have seen this way too often when storing an R12 or R134A type fridge for extended periods. Something prior to storage causes the compressor oil to become acidic and because it sits in one place (compressor) and not circulated throughout the sealed system it takes it's toll. Then again there could have been something wrong with the compressor from the get-go and not being a fridge tech did not notice.

Things to look for in R12 and R134A type fridge: (not absorption type)
-freezer reaches "0" degrees R134A (older R12 units "0" to"10" degs. satisfactory) Needs to be below "14' degs. for icemaker to work properly
-Fresh food compartment "38 - 42" degrees (preferred temps)
-Condenser fan must be operating to cool refrigerant properly
(fridge may appear to cool, but takes longer to get there. Edge of fridge where door seals meet (yoder loop) will be very hot due to insufficient cooling at the condenser coil. This can eventually cause the oil to be overheated as well


Note: Other than some fridges like Samsung that has multiple evaporators, the cooling coil (evaporator) is located in the freezer compartment and if you are getting the temps in the freezer I mentioned above the fresh food compartment should reach proper temps. If not there is a problem with airflow caused by no fan operation, defrost not working and frosting up the evaporator, other blockage, etc.

These are just quick checks that a homeowner or in this case an RV owner with a conventional fridge can do to assure they catch a problem before major issues occur. Hope this can help someone.

Thank you Jerry! I appreciate the information very much!
So.... Is there a make you would recommend or brands to stay away from?

 

[wdk450]

I wonder if letting a refrigerator stand idle for periods, or RV use, is NOT covered in the extended warranties Walmart, Sears and the other appliance vendors are trying to sell you at time of purchase? This time the extended warranty might make sense, for RV use.

 

[Essy]

I wonder if letting a refrigerator stand idle for periods, or RV use, is NOT covered in the extended warranties Walmart, Sears and the other appliance vendors are trying to sell you at time of purchase? This time the extended warranty might make sense, for RV use.

Yes.... That's what we are thinking! Maybe the Good Sam protection plan might be a good option!

 

[jerryjay11]

Thank you Jerry! I appreciate the information very much!
So.... Is there a make you would recommend or brands to stay away from?

I have been a Whirlpool fan and have become an LG fan. Whirlpool because they are easier to work on and LG because I have found their electronics are better. In my home we have an LG with the Kenmore name on it. No issues with it in the past 7-8 years. Now most modern efficient fridges have the condenser coil below the fridge with a fan, but if you can find a suitable fridge with the static type coil behind the cabinet (no-fan) and able to maintain the clearances needed for proper ventilation you may be better off. At least if I were to change to a residential unit, that is the way I'd go. The static coil type don't get plugged with lint, dust, pet hairs, etc. and don't rely on an electric fan to cool them. So what if they use a bit more electricity. You aren't paying extra at a CG for it and you aren't running it 365 days. Kenmore manufacturer code for LG is 795.XXXXXXX

Stay away from Samsung, don't like em, difficult to diagnose, some appliance repairers refuse to work on them, Samsung tech support not very good.

Frigidaire, GE, (Maytag and KitchenAid which are manufactured by Whirlpool) are all okay.

 

[jayc]

The amount of information that is available on this forum is AMAZING!

 

[farside291]

I have been a Whirlpool fan and have become an LG fan. Whirlpool because they are easier to work on and LG because I have found their electronics are better. In my home we have an LG with the Kenmore name on it. No issues with it in the past 7-8 years. Now most modern efficient fridges have the condenser coil below the fridge with a fan, but if you can find a suitable fridge with the static type coil behind the cabinet (no-fan) and able to maintain the clearances needed for proper ventilation you may be better off. At least if I were to change to a residential unit, that is the way I'd go. The static coil type don't get plugged with lint, dust, pet hairs, etc. and don't rely on an electric fan to cool them. So what if they use a bit more electricity. You aren't paying extra at a CG for it and you aren't running it 365 days. Kenmore manufacturer code for LG is 795.XXXXXXX

Stay away from Samsung, don't like em, difficult to diagnose, some appliance repairers refuse to work on them, Samsung tech support not very good.

Frigidaire, GE, (Maytag and KitchenAid which are manufactured by Whirlpool) are all okay.

I will second that on staying away from Samsung. Tech told me they have the most failures of any brand. His recommendation is Frigidaire/Electrolux. Also, Samsung has a standing recall on their icemaker In most models that have the icemaker in the top left of the double door model. That being said, I just changed the control panel in my Frigidaire in the RV. Easy to change but still over $100.00 for the part.

 

[carl.swoyer]

We have a 2016 Bighorn 3875 FB with a Frigidaire refrigerator! We did not use our rig at all last year due to my wife having back surgery. So in total we have used our Bighorn 5-6 times! We are currently at the South East regional rally at Stone Mountain GA. And the refrigerator won't work! Had an appliance repair service come to our campsite and he said that was the compressor!!! $900.00!!! We can buy a new one for $200.00 more!
Two years old and we are looking at replacing the refrigerator! This is unacceptable!!

My house refrigerator just died.
I purchased a new capacitor an relay. They mount to the side of the compressor. You should consider testing the capacitor.
Saved me from buying a new one.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[jerryjay11]

My house refrigerator just died.
I purchased a new capacitor an relay. They mount to the side of the compressor. You should consider testing the capacitor.
Saved me from buying a new one.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

I have to add an observance I have experienced many times in the appliance repair field. There are service technicians that will tell you the compressor is bad and never pull the refrigerator out to test the compressor to see if it will run and cool. This is because some so called techs are lazy, don't want to work in tight spaces, don't want to spend the time to check it out, and figure if they make the bill high enough they can collect their trip charge and go away. I would at least test the compressor by itself with a 3 in 1 start kit to see if the compressor will run and cool. Only then I would declare a bad compressor or a sealed system leak. So if that tech didn't remove the back cover he couldn't have fully diagnosed the compressor. The only time I wouldn't have to remove the cover and test the compressor directly is if I can hear the compressor running and no cooling is taking place.

 

[Essy]

I have to add an observance I have experienced many times in the appliance repair field. There are service technicians that will tell you the compressor is bad and never pull the refrigerator out to test the compressor to see if it will run and cool. This is because some so called techs are lazy, don't want to work in tight spaces,
don't want to spend the time to check it out, and figure if they make the bill high enough they can collect their trip charge and go away. I would at least test the compressor by itself with a 3 in 1 start kit to see if the compressor will run and cool. Only then I would declare a bad compressor or a sealed system leak. So if that tech didn't remove the back cover he couldn't have fully diagnosed the compressor. The only time I wouldn't have to remove the cover and test the compressor directly is if I can hear the compressor running and no cooling is taking place.

The service tech seem to know what he was doing and said as well that he really needed to get to the compressor. To do a thorough analysis of the problem!
He said that he could hear the compressor running but it wasn't cooling at all!
We are going to wait until we get home and have our local appliance repair shop check it out before replacing! If that means pulling the refrigerator out so they can access it so be it! I'll have to do that anyways too replace it!
Thank you and everyone else for the information and help!
Just chalk it up to another camping experience!

 

[carl.swoyer]

The service tech seem to know what he was doing and said as well that he really needed to get to the compressor. To do a thorough analysis of the problem!
He said that he could hear the compressor running but it wasn't cooling at all!
We are going to wait until we get home and have our local appliance repair shop check it out before replacing! If that means pulling the refrigerator out so they can access it so be it! I'll have to do that anyways too replace it!
Thank you and everyone else for the information and help!
Just chalk it up to another camping experience!

The capacitor and relay is very easy to remove. Disconnect power. Unplug the power lead to the capacitor. Flip the holding clip and slide it off.
You can carry it to the a service tech to test it. And it's very easy to put the new one in.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[jerryjay11]

The service tech seem to know what he was doing and said as well that he really needed to get to the compressor. To do a thorough analysis of the problem!
He said that he could hear the compressor running but it wasn't cooling at all!
We are going to wait until we get home and have our local appliance repair shop check it out before replacing! If that means pulling the refrigerator out so they can access it so be it! I'll have to do that anyways too replace it!
Thank you and everyone else for the information and help!
Just chalk it up to another camping experience!

Well there you go. If the tech heard the compressor running and relayed that to you I wouldn't bother spending anymore $ on this machine. If compressor is running and no cooling then it's a bad compressor or loss of refrigerant. The only check a tech can do from here is add a tap valve and check for refrigerant which only proves it is going to be expensive. Depending of where the leak is could still mean a compressor replacement. Low side leaks in R134A fridges allows air/moisture to enter system destroying the oil. Leaks in yoder loops are non repairable though some manufacturers say it is. I could go on, but bottom line compressor running with no cooling means time to replace refrigerator.

P.s. No capacitor or start controls are going to fix a running compressor that isn't cooling.

 

[danemayer]

Do you have brackets mounted to the top of the refrigerator that keep the doors closed when towing?

 

[Essy]

Well there you go. If the tech heard the compressor running and relayed that to you I wouldn't bother spending anymore $ on this machine. If compressor is running and no cooling then it's a bad compressor or loss of refrigerant. The only check a tech can do from here is add a tap valve and check for refrigerant which only proves it is going to be expensive. Depending of where the leak is could still mean a compressor replacement. Low side leaks in R134A fridges allows air/moisture to enter system destroying the oil. Leaks in yoder loops are non repairable though some manufacturers say it is. I could go on, but bottom line compressor running with no cooling means time to replace refrigerator.

P.s. No capacitor or start controls are going to fix a running compressor that isn't cooling.

Do you have brackets mounted to the top of the refrigerator that keep the doors closed when towing?

Not needed! The refrigerator doors are in contact with the island!

 

[wdk450]

My house refrigerator just died.
I purchased a new capacitor an relay. They mount to the side of the compressor. You should consider testing the capacitor.
Saved me from buying a new one.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

Replacing at least start/run capacitors should be a step to try before replacing the entire cooling unit. In general, capacitors are expected to have a shorter lifetime than the rest of the cooling unit. The relays would come in a close 2nd in shorter lifetimes in a cooling unit because of contact arcing and pitting during each and every time they switch on or off. This especially holds true for rooftop air conditioners with their much higher operating environmental temperatures. Degraded run capacitors can cause the cooling unit to pull more and more current until the breaker trips, too.

Capacitor failure is about the most common problem with older electronics. Antique radio refurbishers change out all old capacitors by rote. In the 80's-90's there was a PLAGUE of defective computer motherboards and consumer electronic devices failing due to small capacitors shorting out. This was due to inept industrial espionage by 1 Chinese company - they copied the electrolyte formula wrong.

 

[carl.swoyer]

Replacing at least start/run capacitors should be a step to try before replacing the entire cooling unit. In general, capacitors are expected to have a shorter lifetime than the rest of the cooling unit. The relays would come in a close 2nd in shorter lifetimes in a cooling unit because of contact arcing and pitting during each and every time they switch on or off. This especially holds true for rooftop air conditioners with their much higher operating environmental temperatures. Degraded run capacitors can cause the cooling unit to pull more and more current until the breaker trips, too.

Capacitor failure is about the most common problem with older electronics. Antique radio refurbishers change out all old capacitors by rote. In the 80's-90's there was a PLAGUE of defective computer motherboards and consumer electronic devices failing due to small capacitors shorting out. This was due to inept industrial espionage by 1 Chinese company - they copied the electrolyte formula wrong.

Both of mine were bad.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk