Rank: Member
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Joined: 11/6/2010(UTC)
Posts: 5
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My ancient GE finally went out and I found this Admiral side by side as is for $75 and decided to take a chance on it. It seems to run fine, lights and dispenser works, etc, just does not freeze or cool (i.e. either side) Previous owner said she was told that it was probably the thermostat, from what I have read on here, I'm wondering if it may either be the defrost timer, or the maybe the control assembly (freezer side) Obviously I dont want to replace either if thats not the problem. Do you guys have any suggestions on testing either to know for sure. I think the fridge is around 7-8 years old. In the parts diagrams on here, I dont see an actual "thermostat" listed, is it called something else on these Admiral's? Any help at all would be most appreciated. For what it is worth, the control knob for the freezer feels "loose", and also when I first plugged it in, everything sounded fine, but after 10 minutes or so I noticed something clicking on and off occaisionally that sounded like it was coming from below. I am just trying to give you all the info I can. Thanks in advance, I can't afford a new fridge right now nor troubleshooting by replacing expensive parts blindly.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Senior Expert
Joined: 10/31/2007(UTC)
Posts: 214
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The 'clicking on and off' is typically the overload on the compressor.. The compressor is trying to start but can't or won't; pulls a certain number of amps and the overload 'clicks' open the circuit interrupting power to the compressor.. An inexpensive and fingers-crossed method of troubleshooting the problem is to replace the relay to see if your old relay is defective... With your model tho there's seems to be choice of two relays in the diagram shown on this site so a call into APPros may be necessary to locate an exact match... The clicking noise does verify that the thermostat is sending power to the compressor to initiate cooling so it's worth trying to see if the compressor is good on this fridge... cheers, kooler
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Rank: Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/6/2010(UTC)
Posts: 5
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Thanks Kooler for the prompt reply. I will certainly give them a call Monday morning and get the right relay ordered. If you don't mind giving a novice like myself a beginners lesson in the basics of fridge operation, I would sure appreciate the info greatly. I have "heard" that the way a fridge works (basic old simple fridges anyway) is basically by sending the freezing cold air into the freezer only, and thus only cooling the fresh side by allowing a controlled amount of that air in, is this fairly true or is that a stretch? Also I assume that the thermostat is for that freezer side and the control for the fridge side would simply be controlled by a damper? Then there is the whole "frost free" issue that I know also plays a big role in there somewhere that I also don't get the full drift of, I know that basically it partially defrost once or twice a day by a timer, but not sure of how exactly all that takes place.
My old GE that just gave up the ghost, leaked water out of the front left bottom for the last year of it's life, and I don't think it ever "shut off" once during that time. What was probably causing that? And, could that of been what was causing my electric bills to be so high?
Thanks again, you guys are awesome,
Mike
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Rank: Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/6/2010(UTC)
Posts: 5
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Kooler,
Got impatient and went out to the garage, I listened and found the relay by the clicking. The overload relay, the one that is $11.23 appears physically to be fine, the other part (both #4 and #5 are in a white plastic housing, #7), #4 literally poured out as I opened the white housing. Of course, I will still have to call in and try to figure out which #4 I have, but you definitely put me on the right track for sure. If you were me would you go ahead and replace both components? As they are both basically in the same unit.??? By the way there is a burn mark on the inside of the white housing where the prongs of part #4 stick thru the housing. And as I said the part #4 itself looks to have imploded, broken into 3 or 4 small parts and about a hundred smaller dust Luke particles.
Please advise,
Mike
I have pics on my phone but not sure how to get them on here.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Senior Expert
Joined: 10/31/2007(UTC)
Posts: 214
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It would take a lengthy reply to explain the way a fridge works mainly because of all the different models out there... If you can remember one thing let it be that a fridge system moves heat... It doesn't make something cold; it takes the heat out of it and what you have left is cold... Hot always travels to cold so heat inside your fridge which includes the food products you place inside will travel to the cold piping (evaporator coil) enhanced by a fan on many models and absorbed by a refrigerant inside the piping; then travels to a compressor which 'makes' the absorbed heat in the refrigerant hotter than the air around your fridge; which now can give off the absorbed heat via the hot piping (condenser) also sometimes enhanced by a fan... The refrigerant changes state from vapor to liquid and vice versa during the cycle... This is the basic cycle and mfrs put their own spin on how they do things for me to explain in a small blurb here...
YES, do replace the capacitor and relay to see if your compressor will start. By general practice it's smart to replace the overload as well but yours sounds it's working like it's supposed to... cheers
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Rank: Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/6/2010(UTC)
Posts: 5
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Originally Posted by: kooler  It would take a lengthy reply to explain the way a fridge works mainly because of all the different models out there... If you can remember one thing let it be that a fridge system moves heat... It doesn't make something cold; it takes the heat out of it and what you have left is cold... Hot always travels to cold so heat inside your fridge which includes the food products you place inside will travel to the cold piping (evaporator coil) enhanced by a fan on many models and absorbed by a refrigerant inside the piping; then travels to a compressor which 'makes' the absorbed heat in the refrigerant hotter than the air around your fridge; which now can give off the absorbed heat via the hot piping (condenser) also sometimes enhanced by a fan... The refrigerant changes state from vapor to liquid and vice versa during the cycle... This is the basic cycle and mfrs put their own spin on how they do things for me to explain in a small blurb here...
YES, do replace the capacitor and relay to see if your compressor will start. By general practice it's smart to replace the overload as well but yours sounds it's working like it's supposed to... cheers Thanks for the explanation, it was exactly what I was looking for, just a general "how it basically works". I ended up live chatting with them late Sunday night because of the multiple #4's and 5's. I gave them my serial # and they gave me the right part numbers, however, the one they gave me for #4 looked nothing like mine at all, neither did actually, but she assured me it was right, I knew it would not fit in my housing (#7), so I had her give me the part number for a new housing too, In short, I ordered Parts #4,5 and 7, which would be #4 Start Relay AP4071456, #5 Overload AP4072841, and #7 Terminal Cover (Housing for the two), AP4067586, Sunday night. I wish I had read this email before then because if I am understanding correctly, I should also have ordered part #24 as well, The capacitor, which there are 2 choices of as well, lol. What makes me nervous is that the parts she assures me are the right ones per my serial number are not like the ones I took out of it. With the exception of the Overload which looks exact. Since my start relay is in 1000 pieces, I am only going on the fact the the 2 prongs are positioned horizontal and not vertical when I say not alike and would not fit my white terminal cover, which is why I ordered the new one she said too. Now, back to the capacitor, of the two shown, mine is the black one pictured. Now, I am wondering if I would be safe getting the black one to replace mine, or if that would be different now too since the other parts are different now too??? I'm thinking maybe I should live chat again and have them check serial number again on which capacitor it calls for beings it called for that starter and overload. This is getting crazy, huh?
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Rank: Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/6/2010(UTC)
Posts: 5
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:D Kooler, you are the man, parts arrived today and after a quick trip to my local parts place to have the capaciter checked, which checked fine by the way, she is up and running. I just set the controls each on 5 and am waiting to reach temp to shut off before bringing it in and bidding the old GE fairwell. It was still working, just never shuts off and leaked water all over the floor. After reading how a fridge works from you, I assume the evaporater wasn't evaporating! lol
Anyway, thanks again for all your help on this repair. You saved my family alot of money and I really appreciate it a lot.
Mike
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