The refrigerator is one of the main household appliances that no respectable homemaker can do without for long. A refrigerator breakdown causes real shock and significant inconvenience for the whole family. Fortunately, any malfunction can be fixed. Whether you do it yourself or call a technician is another question. It all depends on the complexity of the malfunction, your skills, and your willingness to understand all the nuances.

Specialists at Many issues can be resolved on your own. For diagnosing a malfunction, you don’t need any special measuring instruments with difficult-to-pronounce names. Most often, having a multimeter on hand is enough. If you decide to find and fix the problem, don’t forget to first unplug the refrigerator and wait until it is completely defrosted. Safety is the first thing a novice refrigerator repair technician should be concerned about. In this article, we will look at the main refrigerator malfunctions, how to identify and fix them, and when you can repair the refrigerator yourself at home and when you need the qualified help of a service center technician.

According to Best Solutions Appliance Repair the main signs that your refrigerator is malfunctioning and requires intervention include:

• No lighting inside the refrigerator compartment
• Weak or excessively strong cooling of the refrigerator compartments
• Increased noise (hum, knocking, vibrations)
• No cooling when the compressor is running (or not running)
• Frosting on the walls of the freezer compartment
• Water appearing on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator compartment
• The refrigerator does not turn on or turns off almost immediately after starting

Let’s take a closer look at the main refrigerator malfunctions (Liebherr, Samsung, Haier, Indesit, Whirlpool, and other modern home appliance models). Our service technicians will suggest ways to fix these issues.

If your refrigerator isn’t freezing well or not freezing at all, possible reasons might include:

• Temperature regulator malfunction: The thermostat may need to be replaced or adjusted at a service center.
• Refrigerator compartment seal failure: This can happen due to a loose door gasket or misaligned refrigerator doors (door hinge adjustment is needed).
• Compressor performance loss: Diagnosis and repair of such issues are performed at a service center.

For refrigerators that do not turn on, potential issues include:

• Insufficient or excessive voltage in the power grid: While older refrigerators are less sensitive to voltage fluctuations, modern units operate within the range of 200 – 240 V. Otherwise, the refrigerator simply will not turn on.
• Damaged power cord or plug: If the light inside the refrigerator compartment is off and the refrigerator does not turn on, there may be no power supply or the cord, plug, or socket is damaged.
• Thermostat failure: To check the thermostat’s functionality, disconnect the wires connected to the thermostat and then connect them together. If the refrigerator starts working, the problem is with the thermostat. The temperature regulator is not repaired but replaced.
• Relay malfunction (start or protective): Check the part using an ohmmeter. Each wire connected to the relay is checked in turn. If the relay is faulty, it needs to be replaced.
• Compressor motor failure: Diagnosis involves checking all three contacts of the electric motor using an ohmmeter. If the device shows a resistance of less than 8 ohms, it indicates a short circuit between the stator winding turns, and the motor needs to be replaced.

An increased noise level indicates possible issues such as:

• Incorrect refrigerator installation: First, visually inspect to ensure the appliance is not in contact with kitchen furniture, pipes, etc. Also, check if the refrigerator is properly leveled: the body should be slightly tilted backward. When correctly positioned, the refrigerator door should close on its own when opened to 45 degrees.
• Damaged compressor suspension: For this issue, you will need a specialist’s help.

If water appears at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment, it may indicate a clogged drain tube for meltwater. Cleaning methods for the tube vary by refrigerator model. Although the procedure is not complicated, it requires steady hands. Therefore, it’s better to entrust this task to a service technician.

Here are some other issues that may require refrigerator repair:

• No lighting inside the refrigerator compartment: This could indicate a lack of contact between the plug and socket, a damaged cord, a burnt-out bulb, or a faulty switch. All issues except the broken switch can be fixed independently. Repairing the switch is better left to a technician.
• Frost buildup on the freezer compartment walls: This can be caused by poor door sealing or a faulty thermostat. Poor door sealing is often due to a damaged rubber gasket. The thermostat usually needs to be replaced rather than repaired.
• Refrigerator turning off immediately after starting: This problem may be related to the start/protective relay or the compressor, where the winding may break or short-circuit. When the compressor starts, the protective relay trips, shutting down the unit.

The likelihood of refrigerator malfunctions largely depends on how the appliance is used. Service center technicians can quickly diagnose and repair issues and provide advice and recommendations on proper appliance use to help avoid future problems.