Like air conditioners, refrigerators transport heat to maintain cold temperatures. Below are some of the most vital refrigerator components and the problems they can experience. The more you know about this major appliance, the more information you can provide your refrigerator repair technician.

A Quick Refrigerator Anatomy Lesson

1. Refrigerant

Refrigerant circulates and recirculates throughout a refrigerator. It absorbs heat, working with the condenser, compressor, and evaporator to keep the appliance cold.

If there’s a leak in a refrigerant tube, you will likely notice warm food and an oily residue around the base of the refrigerator. The appliance’s motor will also run continuously. Severe leaks that do not get fixed quickly can cause freon poisoning symptoms.

2. Evaporator

While at low pressure, the refrigerant flows into the evaporator, a type of heat exchanger consisting of aluminum or copper coils. The evaporator fan blows the hot air it has drawn from the refrigerator over the coils, which the refrigerant absorbs as it starts to vaporize. The newly cooled air flows back into the fridge to keep it cold.

Coils can become clogged with frost, causing the compressor to run even though food and beverages aren’t staying cold. A compressor may also continue to run because of a failing evaporator fan. If the latter issue is to blame for your cooling problem, you will hear the fan making chirping or squealing noises as it breaks down.

3. Compressor

The compressor, located at the lower back end of the appliance, removes liquid refrigerant from the evaporator and compresses it into gas. The gas heats up during compression, then travels through evaporator coils to expel heat into the air. As the gas cools, it turns back into a liquid to maintain a cold appliance.

Compressor problems include start-relay and overload issues that cause the part to switch on and off or stop working. A failing compressor motor causes the refrigerator to warm and makes the ordinarily silent part noisy.

4. Condenser

Condenser coils turn compressed, hot refrigerant vapor back into a liquid. They rely on fans that blow over the coils to cool and subsequently condense the vapor. Cool, liquid refrigerant flows back into the evaporator to continue the heat removal cycle.

If the condenser fan breaks, the vapor will not become a cool liquid, therefore disrupting the entire cooling process. Dirty condenser coils also cause cooling problems because the fan cannot chill the copper tubes efficiently. While a broken fan requires professional refrigerator repair services, it’s easy to clean dirty coils with a vacuum.

 

Schedule refrigerator repair services with Complete Appliance Service to keep your appliance operating smoothly. The appliance repair business has served clients throughout northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati, OH, since 1980, providing a wide array of services and upfront pricing. Call (513) 661-3708 to request a quote, and learn more about their refrigerator repair services online. Like the Facebook page for appliance maintenance tips.