20 Most Recent Kenmore 50522 / 50524 Side by Side Refrigerator - Page 7 Questions & Answers

Could be a defrost problem. When the coils get froze over it quits coling. Turning it off will temporarily defrost a portion of the coils and it works for awhile. Check behind the freezer wall for frost buildup. If it is, you will have to determine if the timer, heater or termination thermostat is the culprit.
Eric

You HAVE to wait 24 hours , for the oil to go back into the compressor , before plugging it in . If not , the compressor will try to pump refrigerant thru the oil , causing an unrepairable restriction . In other words , ruining the refrig .

HI. i would recommend to check the relay first, then the compressor last to confirm total failure. If both devices test out ok, this will lead to a failed main power control board.

THE RELAY

The compressor relay starts the compressor. A fault relay can result in the compressor failing to cycle on. The relay is accessed from the lower rear of the refrigerator. The compressor relay can be accessed by removing the terminal cover box. The cover is held on by tension or with a retaining clip. On some units. the relay may not be covered at all.(each model may vary). Beneath the terminal cover(if equipped), you will find the compressor relay, and the overload protector as well. The electrical terminals of the compressor motor are located here also. Remove the compressor relay by pulling it straight off from the compressor, gently. Pull the wire off of the side terminal of the relay. It is connected with a slip on connector. Firmly pull the connector, do not pull on the wire. You may need to use a pair of needle-nose pliers. Inspect the connector and terminal for corrosion. If either is corroded they should be cleaned or replaced. There are two types of relays you may encounter, wire coil and solid state. If the relay has an exposed wound wire coil it can be tested for continuity. Otherwise, the relay is of solid state design and requires specialized equipment for testing. Test the relay with a ohm(multimeter), for continuity. Set the meter to the ohms setting X1. With the relay upside down, place the probes into the terminals labeled "S" and "M"(the labeling may vary on each modle). The meter should display a reading of zero ohms, indicating continuity (or if using a continuity tester, it should light up). With the probes still in place, turn the relay over. You should hear the click of the magnetic switch engaging. The meter should now display an ohm reading of infinity (or the tester should not light up). Turn the relay upside down again, place the probe on the "S" terminal and place it on the side terminal labeled "L". The meter should now display a reading of zero ohms (continuity). Turn the relay over and the reading should change to infinity. With the relay upside down place one probe on the "L" terminal and the other probe on terminal labeled "M". The meter should display a reading of zero ohms. Turn the relay over and the reading will stay the same, zero ohms. Now, if the relay fails these described tests, it should be replaced asap.

COMPRESSOR TEST PROCEDURE

The compressor is accessed from the lower rear of the refrigerator. Generally the same proximity of the relay. The compressor motor can be accessed by removing the terminal cover box. The cover is held on by tension or with a retaining clip. The main testing points will be the actual terminal post that hold the relay, gently pull the relay of the terminal box on the side of the compressor, and use the relay holding probes for testing. Once the relay is removed, Place one probe on any terminal and then touch the other probe to each of the other two terminals. The multimeter should display a reading of zero ohms. Be sure to set your meter to 1X before beginning. Now move the first probe to a different terminal and test the other two terminals with the other probe. Finally, move the first probe to the last terminal and test each of the other terminals with the other probe. Every test should have continuity with the multimeter displaying zero ohms. If the compressor motor does not pass all of these tests, the compressor will require professional service. Now test the compressor for ground. With the multimeter still set to X1, touch one probe to bare metal on the compressor housing (it may be necessary to scratch away a little paint to expose the metal). Touch the other probe to each of the three terminals in turn. None of the terminals should have continuity; the multimeter should display a reading of infinity. If any of the grounding tests show continuity, the compressor will require professional service.


NOTE_ If both components test out ok, the culprit will be a faulty main control board.

bad ice maker thermostat

If you remove the 3 screws holding the ice maker to the wall , and you do not see a plug at the rear , then unplug the refrig . Remove the ice maker cover ( it just snaps off ) . Where the line connects to on the ice maker , you will see a small square hole with a " flap " which has to be depressed , and the wiring will slide out , after unclipping the black fuse piece , from the mold .

Wake up one morning and Boom no ice left in the bin. What happened and What can I do to fix it without calling someone? Some ice makers will get a piece of ice in the wrong place and jam the extraction. Get a hair dryer and heat up the ice maker to release the fouled ice cube and that baby will start going. No water in ice mold?Do this easy test: pour some water in the ice maker mold and wait. If it kicks out a batch, but it has no water in it, most likely the water valve is bad. Since it is the cheapest part and you can do it yourself replace it. If it turns out you need a new ice maker then you have a new water valve already to go with it. What if the ice maker has ice in it but won't harvest any? One cheap and easy item for the do it yourselfer to replace is the ice mold thermostat. Check for voltage between T and H if you have 120 volts then the bi-metal (inside that ice mold thermostat) is bad. If it's good you will have 0 volts. Located in the plastic housing and seated against the ice mold is that thermostat. This looks intimidating but is easily fixed by anybody who could change a spark plug. There is no wiring. One more thing to look for: You can put a jumper between L and V and this will activate the watervalve. Have rags ready! If you are a cheapskate and want to be frugal and not buy a new ice maker or a new head(brain) you may want to remove the main gear and clean the copper plate behind it. That plate gets dirty and won't allow for a good contact with the water valve connection and does not power up the valve...Shhh! They will all be doing it! Modular crescent Icemaker test points: With NO power to the icemaker, and ice ejection fingers in the freeze position: Your ohm meter should read 8800 ohms between L and M, and 72 ohms between L and H. With power ON to the ice maker: If meter reads 0 volts between L and N you have no power to the ice maker. If the meter reads 120 volts then you have power to the ice maker. If you have 0 volts between L and H heater is off if you have 120 between L and H the heater should be ON. If you have 0 power between L and M the motor is off. If you have 120 between L and M then the motor should be ON. If you have 0 volts between T and H the thermostat is closed If the meter reads 120 between T and H then the thermostat is OPEN. If the voltage is 0 between N and V the water valve is closed. If the meter reads 120 water should be filling the mold. Confused yet? LOL

Fan motors are great item to give off a burning smell when failing.
You have one in the freezer compartment behind the back panel.
You should be able to hear it when you open the door to the freezer.
A second motor is behind the cover panel at the bottom rear of the machine near the compressor. Failure of either motor can cause no cooling, and a burning odor.
There is a calrod heater located in the freezer compartment behind the real panel that can short and burn, but it would not immediately cause rapid cooling failure unless it burned a hole in the evaporator causing a total loss of refrigerant. ( I've seen it happen, but it's rare). Beyond those items wiring runs throughout the machine and can be suspect especially if the machine was transported on it's side. Refrigerators should always be moved in an upright position.

Prior to 1999, all refrigerators used R12,commonly called "Freon".
After that date due to mandates by the Montreal Protocol, the refrigerators were forced to switch to R134A, the same refrigerant used in automobiles since 1994.
R134A is less efficient, and far more troublesome than Freon 12, but the manufacturers had no choice.
Somewhere on your machine there is a placard that lists they type of refrigerant. Inside the freezer compartment or fresh food compartment, along the front rail of the machine behind the grille, or on the rear of the machine, many times even on the compressor itself.
It will usually give the amount of charge in ounces along with the type of refrigerant.
If it says dichlorodifloromethane then it is the old method of describing R12.
Units in leisure vehicles running on gas instead of electricity, use ammonia.

not really.. unless you have the right(expensive) equipment.. to replace it you have to disconnect the refrigerant lines.. and then refill system with refrigerant and thats not possible without the right equipment.

Could be a couple things. Turn freezer dial control to suggested setting---usually 5. turn fridge dial up. if you set the freezer dial to a higher number it will divert more air to freezer, turning down will divert more to fridge.
Clean coils in back or under fridge.
Is ice building up in freezer?
Are your door gaskets sealing?

Your evaporator coils frost up in normal use and every eight hours or so the entire unit shuts down and the defrost heater comes on to melt the frost. This cycle last about 20 minutes. The melted frost drips into a drain pan and through a drain tube to the drain tray under the freezer/refrigerator where it's evaporated by the condenser fan.


Your drain tube may be stopped up with ice at the upper end because it drains too slow because it's stopped up at the lower end in the evaporator pan under the unit at the floor. It can get dust and mold in it. Once you get the ice out at the top a little pressure with a turkey baster will usually clear it out. Flushing it out with hot water and clorox may help.
Make sure it drains quick enough to prevent refreezing. . The drain should be located below the evaporator coils on the lower back of the freezer.

Check at the back of your freezer panel for excess icing / frosting this will affet proper cooling - if so, then you have a defrost problem - have it serviced - if no excess frosting and defrosting normally, and freezer is normal, then you might have a damper problem, not opening wide enough . have them check your control boards, defrost timer, and damper (if any)

time to dump the ice each time the frig goes into defrost all odor is absorbed into the cube another thing to check make sure where the water is attached to the house waterling +that it is not hooked up to the water heater on the hot side

There will be a label either along the side by the crispers or on the cieling near the front. Eric

To completely clean a frig of bad smells you will need to remove the back cover of frig and freezer compartment to access all areas. I operated a used appliance store for years and had all manner of stinky refrigerators to deal with so what we did was take out all panels and clean out with bleach and water solution. This took care of most odors. Hope this helps.

Is the fan on the bottom on? Do you hear the compressor kick off and on within a minute? No/ Is the evaporator fan running? Do you have frost on the evaporator? Frost is a sign that the defrost isnt working. If evap fan doesnt run it wont cool the refrigerator. If everything is running and no frost buildup in freezer then you have a sealed system problem and need of a tech.

You moved the refer from one house to another, did you clean the refer first? was there a dusty old piece of cardboard hanging off the back? that cardboard needs to be in place for proper air flow through the condenser coil.