Results 1 to 7 of 7

Thread: Compressor overheated and now runs almost non-stop

  1. January 31st, 2012, 10:25 PM #1
    soulturkey
    soulturkey is offline Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Portland
    Posts
    4

    Default Compressor overheated and now runs almost non-stop

    Model Number: TNX22PA
    Brand: GE
    Age: 6-10 years

    The compressor on my GE profile fridge overheated because of a factory mistake where one of the wires feeding power to the cooling fan was not seated properly in the connector. By the time I got to it, the compressor was so hot that it melted the icemaker line, and water was leaking everywhere. Now that I've fixed the problem with the cooling fan, and the compartments are cooling appropriately, I have noticed that my refrigerator rarely shuts off for the past 3 weeks. Does anyone have any opinions on if the compressor is completely fried beyond repair- do I need to buy a new fridge, or does the compressor just need more coolant or some other easy fix?
    Thank you for any advice on an overheated compressor.
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  2. February 1st, 2012, 05:46 AM #2
    rickgburton's Avatar
    rickgburton
    rickgburton is offline Appliance Tech - Moderator
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Murray, Utah, United States
    Posts
    13,683

    Default

    Which fan are you referring to as the cooling fan? The condensor fan motor is by the compressor and the evaporator fan motor is in the freezer section. Is the compressor still running hot? Is the back cover over the compressor on or off? Are the condensor coils under the refrigerator clean so air can flow across them?
    OWNER RICK'S APPLIANCE REPAIR
    APPLIANCE TECHNICIAN FOR 25 YEARS
    REFRIGERATION SPECIALIST
    ONLINE SERV TECH: ApplianceBlog.com
    CERTIFIED TYPE 1; TYPE 2.....REFRIGERATION SERVICE E.S.
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  3. February 1st, 2012, 07:45 AM #3
    soulturkey
    soulturkey is offline Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Portland
    Posts
    4

    Default

    Hi Rick,
    Thanks for your reply. The fan that was not working, but is now fixed was the compressor fan. The compressor is warm to touch, but not hot. The coils are clean, and the back cover is off with the fridge pulled about 5 inches away from the wall- so I don't think it is an airflow problem.
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  4. February 1st, 2012, 08:42 AM #4
    rickgburton's Avatar
    rickgburton
    rickgburton is offline Appliance Tech - Moderator
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Murray, Utah, United States
    Posts
    13,683

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by soulturkey View Post
    ... and the back cover is off with the fridge pulled about 5 inches away from the wall- so I don't think it is an airflow problem.
    Au contraire mon frère, the cover needs to be on to direct the air flow across the coils. Try that first and see if that's it.
    OWNER RICK'S APPLIANCE REPAIR
    APPLIANCE TECHNICIAN FOR 25 YEARS
    REFRIGERATION SPECIALIST
    ONLINE SERV TECH: ApplianceBlog.com
    CERTIFIED TYPE 1; TYPE 2.....REFRIGERATION SERVICE E.S.
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  5. February 1st, 2012, 09:55 AM #5
    soulturkey
    soulturkey is offline Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Portland
    Posts
    4

    Default

    Hey, good to know, I will slap that cover back on when I get home, and hopefully have some good news to report in a couple days. Stay tuned!
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  6. February 6th, 2012, 08:29 PM #6
    soulturkey
    soulturkey is offline Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Portland
    Posts
    4

    Default

    I put the cover back on and it is still running almost nonstop. What happens to the compressor when it overheats? Any chance it just needs more coolant?
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  7. February 6th, 2012, 09:19 PM #7
    rickgburton's Avatar
    rickgburton
    rickgburton is offline Appliance Tech - Moderator
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Murray, Utah, United States
    Posts
    13,683

    Default

    A sealed system issue can only be diagnosed by a certified tech with the proper equipment. If the compressor over heats it will usually shut down on the overload. Remove the back wall of the freezer and take a look at the coils. There should be an even coat of frost on all of them.
    OWNER RICK'S APPLIANCE REPAIR
    APPLIANCE TECHNICIAN FOR 25 YEARS
    REFRIGERATION SPECIALIST
    ONLINE SERV TECH: ApplianceBlog.com
    CERTIFIED TYPE 1; TYPE 2.....REFRIGERATION SERVICE E.S.
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
« Previous Thread | Next Thread »

Similar Threads

  1. hotpoint csx25dr runs non-stop
    By adad4good in forum GE/Hotpoint
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: September 2nd, 2011, 11:34 AM
  2. Compressor runs and cools - then not!
    By GeorgeM in forum Sears Kenmore
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: July 3rd, 2011, 05:45 PM
  3. [FIXED] Compressor runs continuously
    By Driver944 in forum Amana
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: November 23rd, 2010, 10:57 AM
  4. Compressor runs for 5 seconds
    By nadiao in forum Sears Kenmore
    Replies: 12
    Last Post: June 27th, 2008, 12:07 PM
  5. Kenmore 70 Dryer wouldn't stop, now runs cold
    By erindye in forum Sears Kenmore
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: January 25th, 2007, 10:39 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

Forum Rules

If you feel that you have benefited from this site, and would like to show your appreciation, you can throw a buck or two in the Appliance Blog Tip Jar - Thank you!
Facebook Page: ApplianceBlog Twitter: ApplianceBlog YouTube: ApplianceBlog