Single door refrigerator repair

How a direct cool fridge works

There is no fan. The freezer box at the top is the evaporator, and cold air sinks from it into the rest of the fridge by itself. A thermostat, usually the knob inside, switches the compressor on and off. Frost builds up on the freezer box over time and has to be melted, either by switching off or with a defrost button on many models.

Because there is no fan or defrost heater, there are fewer parts to fail than in a frost-free fridge. The common faults are in the thermostat, the compressor starting parts, the gasket and the gas.

What you can safely check first

• Turn the thermostat knob from its lowest to a middle number. A knob at the off or lowest point can stop cooling
• If ice on the freezer box is thicker than about a finger, defrost the fridge. Thick ice cuts the cooling
• Do not chip at ice with a knife. A puncture in the freezer box is an expensive leak
• Check the door gasket all round with a sheet of paper
• Clean the small drain hole at the back of the fridge part if water pools inside

Faults we repair

• Not cooling, or cooling too much and freezing vegetables
• Compressor not starting, or clicking on and off
• Thermostat stuck on or off
• Ice building up very fast
• Water collecting inside or under the fridge
• Door gasket worn or torn
• Gas leaks, including from a punctured freezer box
• Inside light or door switch not working

What the technician does

The technician checks the supply voltage, tests the thermostat, relay and overload protector, and watches whether the compressor starts and how much current it draws. They look at the frost pattern on the freezer box, which shows whether the gas is right. You hear the fault and the price before any part is changed.