Among the various appliances in your kitchen, one of the most utilized is your refrigerator. It’s responsible for keeping your food fresh and safe for consumption. However, opening the refrigerator doors day in and day out, and frequent defrosting would most likely put a strain on it over time until it finally breaks down. Here is a brief guide to diagnosing and troubleshooting common problems with your refrigerator.
Noisy fridges
Perhaps one of the most reliable brands of refrigerators comes from Frigidaire—a company founded in 1916 that is credited with making the first true refrigerator. Their side-by-side refrigerators are popular with American consumers. However, this type of fridge is prone to creating groaning or squealing noises, which could be an indication of circulating fan problems. Thus, you’ll need to replace it with a new one bought from a reputable Frigidaire refrigerator parts supplier, like A-1 Appliance.
Faulty doors
A side-by-side fridge has a tendency to develop door problems, as the force of closing one door makes the other pop open, leaving it slightly ajar. Eventually, the door will fail to shut properly, allowing warmer air outside to come in, likely causing the contents of your fridge to spoil. This can be easily fixed by replacing it with new door seals.
Defective thermostats
If your fridge is running but doesn’t cool, the culprit may be a faulty thermostat. To know for sure, remove the thermostat carefully using a screwdriver, tape the ends of the wires together with electrical tape, and then replug the unit. If your refrigerator starts and runs normally, then the problem, indeed, is the thermostat. Replace it immediately.
Compressor problems
Another dependable brand of refrigerators comes from General Electric—an industry leader when it comes to electrical devices and home appliances. But even a good brand like GE refrigerators may develop problems over time, and one of the most common ones involve the compressor, usually indicated by a malfunctioning defrost timer. When this happens, you’ll need to replace the defrost timer with genuine GE refrigerator parts.
Remember, when doing any repair work on your fridge, make sure it’s unplugged. Also, for severe problems that have to do with a circuit breaker, it’s best to contact licensed technicians who offer professional services.