Refrigerator stopped refrigerating. I suspected compressor problems but really didn't have the time or inclination to check it out myself, so I called a repairman (at random from the phone book). Reairman showed up, asked a few questions, pulled the unit out at which time I left the room for 3 minutes at the very most. When I returned he confirmed that "yep, bad compressor". Quoted $550.00 to replace and I gave him the go ahead.

After he left I and I had time to think, I could not remember ever seeing him with a meter, so I now decided to check it myself. When I removed the start relay to access the electrical pins, it was obvious that the relay looked burnt, and I could hear pieces rattling aroun inside. I found the start relay in stock locally for $49.00, replaced it and the refrig has been running fine for 2 days.

Here's my question......I canceled the compressor order, and basically accused the repairman of trying to screw me over. His defense was that when the start relay goes bad, the compressor will almost always follow within 30 days, so he always replaces the compressor. I reminded him that he told me the COMPRESSOR was bad and that he OBVIOUSLY never really checked the relay OR the compressor. Am I right????...or falsely accusing????

You really have no evidence he did not take any measurements. It's quite possible he measured excessive current, or he may have found a compressor short.
It is very hard to determine if a compressor has shorted turns without replacing the start relay,measuring the current draw and let it run for a period.
It has been my experience that a good say 60% of relay replacements are succesfull
The only problem I see here he did not even try to repair the unit which could have been done easily while he was allready there saving another service call.
A bit unprofessional, but not a ripoff.

I'm sure he never put a meter on it because he came in with no tools except fo a screwdriver and a nutdriver to remove the back panel. Never left the kitchen to go out to his truck. IF he saw the burnt relay, is there any validity to his claim that the compressor will fail within 30 days?

I still suspect that he was recommending uneccessary repairs, but if I'm wrong..... I'm wrong. Do I owe him an apology?

Again I feel he did not try to fix it,rather unprofessional!!
If you ask him he might say it is just good policy to auto-replace compressor because the compressor has a decent probability it will fail later. Only problem he is not providing proof of that.
I would just tell him that and see what he says. And yes you are on shakky ground here without evidence. Would just make concilliatory statements.

Goody:

Been doing refrigeration service since 1970. It is always been my practice to go the effort to measure & test the refrigeration compressor with all the resources (Meters, diagrams, data, etc), before I tell the owner they need a $500.00 compressor replacement.

A lot of the newer residential compressor utililize a solid state relay (typical a Klixon 4SP series). I have found that these relays don't hold up. I have talked with Tech Service @ Klixon, and they acknowledge "some issues".

I have always held, that there is a reason for a relay failure. Did the relay fail on its own or did the compressor take it out. Only meters, diagrams, & data can accurately determine that.

I would say, that this repairman, may have been hasty in coming to that conclusion, unless that he was aware of some ongoing problem from the OEM (ie: service bulletin).

I have NOT found that replacing a relay means that the compressor will only last 30 days. If the specifications as far as amperage and resistance are within range....there will be NO issues.

I agree with thumbrfg and then some. In 31 years I've replaced lots of solid-state relays and never had the compressor go bad in 30 days, or ever. I have had the replacement relay go bad once or twice, but that's all.

My practice is to to shake the relay, and if it rattles, I know its element is shattered. (You can do an autopsy on yours to verify that.) If not, it's probably good. Then I test the start and run windings for resistance and if they check out O.K., I put my test cord on the compressor and try to start it. If it starts, I observe the wattage by using a Kill-A-Watt, and from that I get the horsepower of the compressor. Then I put on the appropriate replacement relay, or if it's an emergency, the appropriate RCO.

For years I didn't seen any unstartable compressors on home refrigerators, but a couple of years ago I ran into one made in China and since then with increasing frequency others made in Brazil. I don't do sealed-system work, so I referred those customers to technicians who do. Some of those dead compressors were still within the 5-year warranty.

I also agree with thumbrfg about solid-state relays not lasting. Many of the ones I've had to replace were under 10 years old. The old fashioned solenoid-type relays would burn up eventually but only after a considerably longer time in service.

By the way, if the guy said the compressor was bad, he was lying. That's obvious because when you put a new start relay on it, it ran for 2 days at least. (Your posting was January 2007. Is it still running?) So you don't owe him an apology; he owes you one.

I hope this helps you in thinking about your experience.

scratch his name from the list. technically, you owe him for the visit. if was me i would have replaced the part(common) and if it was still running by the time i sent the bill (which has 30day labor and 1yr part warranty), then we're done. and yes, i mail you the bill later- don't pay me, you end up on my list and i'll never come back, remind you when you try later and refuse your attempt to pay late. would have been funny to see how he put on the production of "replacing the compressor" show without actually doing it, more so if you're lurking around. myself, i don't like the audience. leave me to it and i'll finish faster and don't have to worry too much about banging my tools around or making small messes with you watching- i do take 8meg pictures of lame stuff i find, like all the incorrect installs of late. 50% of my dishwasher calls are install related.