The freezer is defrosting and the refrigerator is warming. the compressor is kicking on approximately every three minutes and is making a loud buzzing sound when it kicks on. is my compressor shot?

There are plenty of reasons this could happen like the following: PROBLEM POSSIBLE CAUSE Loud operating sound level • See "Sound Information" section for explanation of normal operating sounds Freezer too warm. Compressor not operating • Freezer temperature set too warm • Defective compressor • Defective overload or relay Refrigerator too cold • Refrigerator temperature set too cold • Chefs Pantry control set too cold or misaligned allowing freezer air to escape into refrigerator section • Freezer temperature set too cold • Restricted condenser air • Refrigerant shortage or restriction • Refrigerant overcharge Freezer too warm. Compressor cuts off on overload • Heavy usage • High ambient • Restricted condenser air • Defective condenser fan motor • Loose or missing condenser fan blade • Improper voltage • Defective relay or overload • Compressor motor winding • Non-condensibles in system • Refrigerant overcharge Freezer too warm. Compressor operating • Freezer temperature set too warm • Restricted condenser air • Defective condenser fan motor • Opened door • Heavy usage • Defective freezer fan motor • Opened defrost thermostat • Opened defrost heater • Loose or missing freezer or condenser fan blade • Heavily frosted evaporator • Refrigerant shortage or restriction • Inefficient compressor Refrigerator too warm • Refrigerator temperature set too warm • Freezer temperature set too warm • Return air or air supply duct blocked • Chefs Pantry control set too warm or air supply tube blocked • Heavy usage • High ambient Problem Possible Cause Freezer too cold • Freezer temperature set too cold Long off cyde • Low ambient • Freezer temperature set too warm Short off cycle • Heavy usage • High ambient • Freezer temperature set too cold • Light constantly on • Poor door gasket seal Long or continuous run cyde • Heavy usage • High ambient • Inadequate condenser air flow • Freezer temperature set too cold • Loss or restricted refrigerant Short run cycle • Light usage • Low ambient • Freezer temperature set too warm Exterior cabinet condensation • High humidity. Design accepts beads of water on cabinet exterior after 4 hours with 0° to 2°F (-18° to -17°C) freezer food temperature and 38° to 40°F (3° to 4°C) refrigerator food temperature in 84% R.H. conditions. See "Typical Sweat Pattern" section under above conditions. • Freezer temperature set too cold • Poor door gasket seal • Insulation void

You have a defrost timer behind the front kick plate turn it clockwise slowly until compressor and fans stop. Once this happens the timer should remain off for 30 minutes and the defrost heater should come on during the first 15 minutes. If after 30 minutes the defrost timer part=> 215846602 Defrost Timer Assembly should come out of defrost and the compressor and fans should restart, if not advance the timer clockwise until they start and replace timer. Try that first and tell me what your results are. If that is not the problem then we can narrow this down to the defrost heater=> 218657301 Defrost Heater or 5303917954 Defrost Thermostat How to test the defrost heater is found on same page as the defrost heater. If you have any questions I will be here to help you, Thanks Sea Breeze

Sounds like the defrost circuit of your fridge has failed. If you remove the back panel of the freezer compartment, you will see the evap coil encased with ice. Normally the defrost circuit will turn off the compressor and turn on a heater to warm the coil to about 45 degrees to melt any frost build up. After about 40 minutes the compressor will kick back in to keep your fridge cool again.

The typical failures are that the defrost heater burns out. If you have an older fridge, the defrost timer fails to advance, causing the fridge to stay in cooling or defrost mode.

There is a defrost heater that periodically turn on to melt the accumulated frost on the coil. The heater will warm the coil to about 45 degrees and a defrost thermostat should shut off power to the heater. The defrost cycle should only last about 30-45 minutes then the compressor should kick on. If you find that some items in your freezer are melting, or that the freezer is not maintaining temperature, then something is wrong. Hope this helps you.

Noise can come from these areas:
The inside of the freezer Self-defrosting refrigerators use a circulating fan to move the air through the freezer and refrigerator compartments. This fan runs whenever the unit is cooling. The fan is located in the freezer, as follows: If the freezer is on top, the fan is on the back wall, near the top or bottom, in the center of the freezer. If the freezer is on the bottom, the fan is on the back wall, near the top of the freezer. If the freezer is on the left, the fan is on the back wall, halfway up or near the top. Over time, the fan may become noisy--usually making a chirping or squealing sound, though it may make a loud groaning noise instead. To find out if the fan is causing the noise, just open the freezer door and push in any fan/light switches. If the noise is louder when the door is open, the evaporator fan motor is the cause. You can't lubricate or repair this motor. You must replace it.

The outside back of the refrigerator There are three components on the outside back of the refrigerator that may become noisy: the compressor, the condenser fan motor (if self-defrosting), or the defrost timer (if self-defrosting). The compressor is a football-sized case with no apparent moving parts. You can see it on the outside of the refrigerator at the back near the bottom. It is usually black and has black or copper-colored tubes and various colored wires attached to it. If the compressor is the device making noise, there is probably no repair that will reduce the noise. You will have to replace it--which can be quite costly. If the condenser fan is making noise, there may be a build-up of lint or other debris on the fan blade. The fan is located near the back of the machine, sometimes behind a thin panel. To clean it, first unplug the refrigerator, remove the thin panel, and use a soft bristle brush to clean it. If there is no lint build-up or debris on the blade, you will have to replace the motor. The defrost timer is often located at the bottom of the refrigerator, near the front and behind the kick plate. Occasionally the electric motor inside the timer may become noisy. The timer must be replaced to solve this problem.

The bottom of the refrigerator Noises detected at the bottom of the refrigerator almost always originate from the back of the refrigerator. However, sometimes the drain pan under the refrigerator will rattle. You may need to tape the pan in place to stop a rattle. Also see the “Outside back of the refrigerator.”

OK'Lets start with the defrost timer located below refrigerator and front kick plate. Turn timer until it cklick into a position that stops fans and compressor. Leave like this for about 30 minutes. Listen inside the freezer for sounds od sizzling or crackling sounds the sounds of defrost. If timer does not automactically come ou of defrost turns gently again clockwise until the compressor starts. Let me know what you find, Sea Breeze

Noise can come from these areas:
The inside of the freezer Self-defrosting refrigerators use a circulating fan to move the air through the freezer and refrigerator compartments. This fan runs whenever the unit is cooling. The fan is located in the freezer, as follows: If the freezer is on top, the fan is on the back wall, near the top or bottom, in the center of the freezer. If the freezer is on the bottom, the fan is on the back wall, near the top of the freezer. If the freezer is on the left, the fan is on the back wall, halfway up or near the top. Over time, the fan may become noisy--usually making a chirping or squealing sound, though it may make a loud groaning noise instead. To find out if the fan is causing the noise, just open the freezer door and push in any fan/light switches. If the noise is louder when the door is open, the evaporator fan motor is the cause. You can't lubricate or repair this motor. You must replace it.

The outside back of the refrigerator There are three components on the outside back of the refrigerator that may become noisy: the compressor, the condenser fan motor (if self-defrosting), or the defrost timer (if self-defrosting). The compressor is a football-sized case with no apparent moving parts. You can see it on the outside of the refrigerator at the back near the bottom. It is usually black and has black or copper-colored tubes and various colored wires attached to it. If the compressor is the device making noise, there is probably no repair that will reduce the noise. You will have to replace it--which can be quite costly. If the condenser fan is making noise, there may be a build-up of lint or other debris on the fan blade. The fan is located near the back of the machine, sometimes behind a thin panel. To clean it, first unplug the refrigerator, remove the thin panel, and use a soft bristle brush to clean it. If there is no lint build-up or debris on the blade, you will have to replace the motor. The defrost timer is often located at the bottom of the refrigerator, near the front and behind the kick plate. Occasionally the electric motor inside the timer may become noisy. The timer must be replaced to solve this problem.

The bottom of the refrigerator Noises detected at the bottom of the refrigerator almost always originate from the back of the refrigerator. However, sometimes the drain pan under the refrigerator will rattle. You may need to tape the pan in place to stop a rattle. Also see the “Outside back of the refrigerator.”

I want you to see if you can manually get the refrigerator into defrost. At the bottom of the front of your refrigerator and behind the kick plate is a defrost timer part number 10530703 I want you to pull the kick plate away from the bottom and there should be a metal mount with a hole in the center. Take a flathead screwdriver and slowly turn clockwise until the compressor stops. The refrigerator should remain off for about 25 minutes. During that time open the freezer door and listen for crackling and sizzling sound. That should be sounds of defrost taking place. If timer is not working properly you may need to turn again slowly clockwise after the 25 minutes and replace the timer. The only other 2 things that may be causing this is the defrost heater or defrost thermostat inside the back of freezer and behind the rear panel. Try this first and let me know what you find, Thanks, Sea Breeze

8yr old? Buy a new one. The cracking sound is from expansion and contraction of the cabinet and ice cooling or defrosting. It can be as simple as a bit of a top up of refrigerant, but can also be that your compressor has worn down the valve plates and therefore is not producing sufficient pressure throught the system.

Does the compressor click on and off every minute or so and is hot? That would likely be tripping on a thermal overload due to not being able to start (bad motor starter on the compressor). If the compressor is running normally and warm then you may have a froze up coil. Take the lower rear back sheetmetal cover off the inside freezer section and look at the coil. If it's frozen block of ice basically the defrost cycle is not working and the ice has blocked the air flow through the unit. (could be bad defrost heater, defrost timer or defrost t-stat). If the compressor is running normally and warm and you see no ice or even frost on the coils then you have a sealed system problem that usually means most if not all of the refrigerant has leaked out of the system (or a blockage/restriction in the system). This would be the worst case since it means a whole bunch of money to repair. Let us know what you find out and we can have a better idea on what to recommend.