This is not a good sign at all, somewhere in the electrical circuit there's voltage going to ground only as far as the fridge cabinet.. My guess is your wall electrical receptacle is not properly grounded or the ground wire prong on the refrigerator cord plug has been broken off or an adapter is used on a 2prong receptacle... Next to worst case scenario is your compressor has an indirect ground, if you locate the path to ground interruption and remedy the problem then the compressor will not start and never will, replacement of compressor or fridge is the next decision.. Worst case scenario is you or a loved one being electrocuted, suggest dealing with this problem pronto... cheers, kooler

When you say old fridge, just how old??? A lot if not all units 40+ years old did come with 2 prong plugs but there was only 2 wires in the cord...If the plug on your fridge looks like you can disassemble it with a screwdriver then 'yes' someone replaced it... If the plug has that 'molded' look with a raised bridge between the 2 prongs then originally there was a ground prong protruding out of the bridge but it's been broken off... If there are 3 wires in the cord then there should be a 3-prong plug on the end; replace the plug with a 3 prong plug (if you know how)... Hopefully the voltage finding it's way to the fridge cabinet is something simple like your faulty door switch and not the compressor... Use an ohmmeter to locate the culprit...

A compressor can be electrically grounded internally... A direct ground or short typically will trip the circuit breaker feeding power to the fridge usually indicating a burnt compressor motor, fan motor, defective wiring or switches... I've come across an indirect ground on two occasions in which the compressor showed continuity to ground (metal casing of fridge) but would still operate just fine... That is as long as the ground wire of the power plug was removed... Hook up the ground wire and the compressor would not start; it would try to but shut off with the current overload clicking the circuit open... Without the ground wire your fridge will operate as needed however you or someone you love runs the risk of becoming that ground wire (path to ground) when you reach to open the door or simply lean against the fridge... If any accessible wiring or switches are causing the short, they can be repaired/replaced... If it is a hermetic compressor with an indirect ground then it must be replaced or the fridge disposed of... It will still cool fine but in my opinion it ain't worth risking someone's life over... cheers kooler