Hi, I just bought a second hand Westinghouse refrigerator (RJ502D). When I plugged it in, I heard it start up and then heard a sizzling sound, so I turned it off and then saw smoke come out the back.

I turned it around so I could see the back, and then briefly turned it on again. I saw a glow coming from under the cover of the starter relay. I unplugged the fridge and took the cover off the starter relay. There is a burn mark on a part of the starter relay.

Here is an image (assuming I've linked properly).


It is a bad phone pic, but shows what the part looks like. The bit that is burnt is where the reflection is, so it can't really be seen, but I think you get the idea.

Just wondering if replacing this part should get the fridge working again. From what I've read, the compressors themselves last a lot longer than most of the other parts. Could a faulty start relay damage the compressor? Or can I assume that if the compressor was working prior to the relay blowing that it is still probably working?

I know there can be no definitive answer without getting it looked at by a technician, but just wondering if it is worth the gamble of paying for a replacement relay. Buying the part and replacing it would cost 1/4 of what it would cost to get a technician out to replace it.

Also, what could have caused it to blow. There is a small chance that moisture got in it, but it looked dry. Could that have caused it? If it's another faulty part, say the compressor, that caused it to blow, it would be silly to put in a new relay and then blow that one too.

Does anyone know where I can get this part, or if there is a compatible part for a different model?

Thanks in advance for any help :)