fridge karked it

[edddo]

any one know if its worth having a look at a 'Centrex' fridge..only a few years old..or should I trailer it away...the freezer still works..the fridge section doesnt..it is a cheepy brand. I have just fired up the Engel to take up the slack, I doubt that will let me down:mad:
Anything I could look for for an easy fix? It hasnt been moved or anything, just decided to stop.

[abaddonxi]

Had something similar happen on my F&P, turned out it was a broken fan.

Cheers
Simon

[George130]

If it's dead and you are thinking of chucking it you might as well have a play. Check the fan and temp sender. Often they are simle fixes but cost a bomb to get done profesionaly.

[scarry]

More than likely something wrong with the defrost cycle,or ice in the vents,not letting the fan pump the air to the bottom section.
As said could also be the fan,you should be able to hear it going in the freezer.Could be the fan switch if fan not going.
Ice in the vents is a tip job,defrost cycle repair around 200-300 to fix.

[Blknight.aus]

try turning it off for a few hours and leave it open to defrost it...


our fridge did the same thing and it said to do this in the manual... Dont ask me why.

[ladas]

try turning it off for a few hours and leave it open to defrost it...


our fridge did the same thing and it said to do this in the manual... Dont ask me why.

This is normally because the 'evaporator coil' freezes - and blocks air flow across the coil, whilst the freezer will be served by the cold air flowing downwards off the coil, by natural convection, the fridge part has the air blown in by the fan.

[ladas]

any one know if its worth having a look at a 'Centrex' fridge..only a few years old..or should I trailer it away...the freezer still works..the fridge section doesnt..it is a cheepy brand. I have just fired up the Engel to take up the slack, I doubt that will let me down:mad:
Anything I could look for for an easy fix? It hasnt been moved or anything, just decided to stop.

Typically this is nomally caused by the fan either failing or the evaporator coil freezing up - and the evaporator coil freezing up is normally caused by the fan failing.

It's quite an easy test, but you have to remove the inside panel at the back of the freezer to get to the fan - to test it just connect it to another mains supply.

When you remove the rear panel - if its the model I am thinking about you will also expose the evaporator coil - and you will see if it's frozen.

[slug_burner]

When was the last time you defrosted the fridge?:angel:

What ladas said

[edddo]

When was the last time you defrosted the fridge?:angel:

What ladas said

....never...its a frost free one......

Plan
turn off o'nite and if that doesnt fix it, check the fan and sender
for an easy fix.....o'wise trip to tip coming up.

I dont mind living out of the engel for a while..
cheers

[scarry]

try turning it off for a few hours and leave it open to defrost it...


our fridge did the same thing and it said to do this in the manual... Dont ask me why.

they get you to turn it off.....usually for 24 hrs so as any ice can melt.If it has ice in the air ducts that stops the air flowing to the fridge section,it will melt.This is often the problem,& the ice sometimes takes a year or soto return.If the evaporator coil is iced over ,turning it off will melt the ice,but it willprobably return in a few days& the fridge has a fault with the defrost systm that needs rectifying.

AS said check fan,but it is usually ok or coud be fan switch if it has one,as this is common problem.
The cold air is pushed to the bottom section by the fan that is in the freezer.If the air canot get to the fridge section it will warm up,while the freezer will stay colder than it should be
If it is ice in the vents,insulation in cabinet is starting to get waterlogged & time to think about replacing cabinet as it will happen more frequently,common problem in these cheap imported cabinets

Hope this helps

[Rangier Rover]

Has it a timer on it that controls defrost cycle?

[scarry]

Has it a timer on it that controls defrost cycle?
yer it will have...it will be at bottom rear of the cabinet,on the left if it is the type i think it is:D

[Blknight.aus]

edddo, our fridge is a frost free job too.

[slug_burner]

....never...its a frost free one......

Plan
turn off o'nite and if that doesnt fix it, check the fan and sender
for an easy fix.....o'wise trip to tip coming up.

I dont mind living out of the engel for a while..
cheers

They all need defrosting......frost frees not as often

[edddo]

Typically this is nomally caused by the fan either failing or the evaporator coil freezing up - and the evaporator coil freezing up is normally caused by the fan failing.

It's quite an easy test, but you have to remove the inside panel at the back of the freezer to get to the fan - to test it just connect it to another mains supply.

When you remove the rear panel - if its the model I am thinking about you will also expose the evaporator coil - and you will see if it's frozen.

Well I have defrosted and turned it back on...it seems that the fan is not working. I have removed the bac panel from the freezer with fan intact. There is an in line glass fuse on the balck wire to the fan that looks empty ie it must have blown. I suppose this indicates that the fan might be stuffed. In the post quoted here...how exactly do I test the fan by " connecting to another mains supply"...I have the fan and 2 wires-one black and one pink? Thanks for any advice.:angel:

[scarry]

Get a multmeter,and see what resistence is through the windings,if there is a circuit it should be ok.

Cant tell you how to wire it up as i am guesing you are not qualified,and if you hurt yourself,i could be in the poo.:(

[edddo]

The resistance between the terminals on the fan motor is 168ohms...I take it this probably means the motor is dead?...the fuse is clearly blown confirmed visually and with multimeter... And yes..I am totally unqualified and unsavvy with electronics..

[Blknight.aus]

dont thats 240v stuff and unless your confident with electrickery it can bite you....

so long as you take the right precautions....

look at the fridge end of the power lead and it should terminate into a set of screw terminals.

connect the fan to them they will have blue/brown or red/black wire combos

the yellow green wire is earth dont connect anything to that or you will trip the RCD.

once youve got it wired up plug the fridge back in and turn it on at the mains the fan should run up or your CB/RCD will trip.

I strongly suggest that you just replace the fuse and be done with it, if it blows you need a new fan.

Occasionally fuses will let go from age especially if they are fast/ultra fast blow type fuses. Standard automotive fuses and the cheap ones you get from jaycar and dicksmiths are considered slow blow and dont usually blow out with age.

[edddo]

you mean I should have turned it off at the wall before I started tampering with the wet wires and terminals???????

Only joking....I am not silly enough to venture into that realm with no knowlege

The fuse is integral to the black wire, not replacable. I think I will take the fan and wiring to a leccy and get them to assess it and quote a fix for me.

Or maybe I could get a motor and wiring from a fridge wreckers---I doubt it though

thanks

[scarry]

Checked a couple of evap. fan motors i have,one is 259ohms,other is 354,so hard to tell if it is ok.Some of the later ones also have a small run capaciter,dont know what resistence of that type could be.

Dave is SPOT ON ,on what he said.I couldnt say it as i have a ticket to loose,but be damm careful.:D:D

[slug_burner]

The in-line fuse most likely went when your fan was impeded from turning by the ice build up, no back emf and pulled too much current.

Take fan with wiring back past the fuse, once fan is tested if ok the eleccy can put in a new fuse for you and presto ok until next time the ice builds up.

[Blknight.aus]

The resistance between the terminals on the fan motor is 168ohms...I take it this probably means the motor is dead?...the fuse is clearly blown confirmed visually and with multimeter... And yes..I am totally unqualified and unsavvy with electronics..



168 ohms is an odd reading for a winding... that tells me that it has a capacitor built into the motor for noise supression. Which unfortunately means at your level you have no way of testing it for okedness other than bypassing the wiring to mains and powering it up..

the fuse should be soldered in which means that its a slow blow type fuse

If it was me.. Id test spin the fan by hand. if it spun nicely then

Id wire it up like I described before, plug it into a strip board that has a the little push to reset button on it and fire it up...

If it stayed in and the fridge made promising noises and the fan spun Id solder in an inline fuse holder after turning it all off and cutting the old fuse out.

If it popped the little black button out Id pull the fan from the circut and go again. IF it stayed in Id go at bodging in a fan from something else.

But I should warn you..

I Have no liscence to lose from doing this.
My insurance has no clause that prevents payouts based on acts of stupidity.
It would make for a new interesting story for my book if it went wrong and i survived.

[George130]

I live of the dangerous side.
I would test by by passing the fuse. If it worked fine then I would replace the fuse.

I must confess at this point that I have cut through live wires twice:eek:.
Thought I had switched the power of and then cut through the lighting wire which triped the fuse. I then fixed it and turned the lights back on so I could cut the other wire:eek:. It was the lights again.
After that I called a mate who called me an idiot once he stopped laughing.

[edddo]

I decided to live dangerously..I bridged the fuse and turned it on...fan worked. So on advice from a local leccy who said most dont have fuses anyway I just cut the fuse out, soldered the wire and refitted eveything thinking well that is sorted. Well it was...........for about 20 seconds then I smelt something burning and the fan stopped:mad:. The fan is now totally burnt out. I guess it was on its way but I didnt test it for long enough. SOOOO can anyone suggest where to look for a replacement fan or complete rear freezer panel for the fidge (Centrex). I have been tld that parts for these fridges are impossible to get....or could I put some other fan in its place?

[abaddonxi]

Try RS Australia for all kinds of good things.
http://www.rs-components.com

I can't see if they do fans because their website is down for maintenance tonight and the kids are sleeping on my big paper catalogue.

Or try an appliance repair place, they might be able to find something very similar.

Cheers
Simon

[edddo]

Local bloke had a fan that fitted..same one as in the name brands...been working fine now for a week..total cost $33.....beats 500 for a new fridge.:D

[rick130]

<snip>

the yellow green wire is earth dont connect anything to that or you will trip the RCD.

<snip>

except on a couple of commercial Chinese fridges I serviced once.
They used some earths as switching wires :eek:

Yep, they comply to AS's...........not

[rick130]

They all need defrosting......frost frees not as often

Fan forced frost frees should never need defrosting, they automatically defrost between one and four times a day, (depending on design)

Cyclic defrost fridges will off cycle defrost the fridge section, but the freezer will need defrosting periodically.