Startup device

[retread]

Installed a startup device for my KSRS25IH today. Followed the advice found here when my freezer quit this weekend. Good thing it was 0 degrees outside! We put all the food in the garage since it stayed below freezing.

My replacement part came in 3 pieces to assemble.... 2 parts were the same device, but for different compressors. I didn't pay attention to the compressor number because the instructions just listed 4 cu ft sizes, 20,22, 25, and 27 with one part for the 20 and 22 cu ft models and the other for the 25 and 27 cu ft models. Actually, the fact that they were in pieces rather than one assembly made those two parts easier to attach. The real stinker was the cover! It took me longer to install the cover than it took for all the rest of the assembly. (I had to work in a cramped space)

Being of the curious sort, I wondered why a failed startup device would rattle... opened mine up and had a pile of broken debris fall onto the table! So there... for the rest of you who might question the rattling noise. (Also evidence of electrical short... black soot, etc.)

Plugged the unit back in and freezer got cold pretty quick. Only issue now is that the refigerator side is still warm... (was not before freezer quit). I am assuming it will take overnight for the unit to stabilize. I put a thermometer in the fridge side... so if it does not cool down by morning, I will assume the control board is gone, too.

 

[Jake]

Being of the curious sort, I wondered why a failed startup device would rattle... opened mine up and had a pile of broken debris fall onto the table! So there... for the rest of you who might question the rattling noise. (Also evidence of electrical short... black soot, etc.)

A clogged condenser causes it to overheat and break inside the start relay.

You just pull the front lower bottom kickplate grille off, just unsnaps, its easier to do with both doors wide open, then vacuum or brush the condenser coils underneath.

Its recommended to clean the condenser coils every 6-12 months, especially if you have pets that shed hair.

Plugged the unit back in and freezer got cold pretty quick. Only issue now is that the refrigerator side is still warm... (was not before freezer quit). I am assuming it will take overnight for the unit to stabilize. I put a thermometer in the fridge side... so if it does not cool down by morning, I will assume the control board is gone, too.

Yes, give it overnight and the refrigerator section should be back to normal as well.

Let us know in the morning.

Jake

 

[retread]

A clogged condenser causes it to overheat and break inside the start relay.

You just pull the front lower bottom kickplate grille off, just unsnaps, its easier to do with both doors wide open, then vacuum or brush the condenser coils underneath.

Its recommended to clean the condenser coils every 6-12 months, especially if you have pets that shed hair.

Yes, give it overnight and the refrigerator section should be back to normal as well.

Let us know in the morning.

Jake

Yes, I clean the condenser coils at least annually. In this case, they weren't too bad, but I cleaned them yesterday anyway. Thanks for the info.

I was just curious as to why "rattling" would reveal a bad device. I found out that the internal component is apparently made of ceramic material and when it gets "cooked" by an electrical short, disintegrates. There was a mixture of large and small pieces, the large chunks were obviously made of a ceramic material, and the smaller pieces were sand-like (silica), which were probably part of a semiconductor device that was destroyed by the arcing of the electrical short.

As to the recovery of refrigerator temp... it seems awfully slow to me. I put my hand by the diffuser and felt only a very small amount of flow. I would think it should be greater. I could not see anything to move that would allow for flow restriction. Not knowing how it is put together or how it works, I was hesitant to probe it, fearing I would only make matters worse if I broke something. So I just waited...

I put a thermometer inside the fridge compartment, and the temp dropped from room to about 50 degrees within a couple hours. Overnight it dropped to about 40. I am still not satisfied that that is good enough. I think it should be about 35 or so, and should not take so long to reach it. My biggest concern is that, if I re-stock all the food items, that it will not stay cool with even a short opening of the door, since it takes so long to recover. What regulates the fridge compartment? I know there is a control panel (ergo a control board), but what does it move to open/close the cold air from the freezer? I assume it is in the diffuser, but I can't see any movable part.... I assume I will have to remove it to find out if it is stuck. One would assume either the control board or diffuser would be the culprit if I am right. How do you diagnose this? I don't want to remove the diffuser if it is the control board, and vice versa.

 

[Jake]

The rattle from inside the compressor start device is caused by the contacts inside it breaking due to heat overload.

The evaporator fan motor inside your freezer section blows cold air into your refrigerator section through your air diffuser up in the top left section of your refrigerator, your air diffuser may be acting up as well not allowing enough air to come through it, Put a small object in your air diffuser like a small pocket screwdriver and see if it blows out more cold air.

Here's the diffuser for your model:
Manufacturer's Number: 2209751

2209751

Let us know what you find.

Jake<!-- / message --><!-- sig --><!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

 

[retread]

The rattle from inside the compressor start device is caused by the contacts inside it breaking due to heat overload.

The evaporator fan motor inside your freezer section blows cold air into your refrigerator section through your air diffuser up in the top left section of your refrigerator, your air diffuser may be acting up as well not allowing enough air to come through it, Put a small object in your air diffuser like a small pocket screwdriver and see if it blows out more cold air.

Here's the diffuser for your model:
Manufacturer's Number: 2209751

2209751

Let us know what you find.

Jake<!-- / message --><!-- sig --><!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

I took out the top shelf so that I could stick my head in far enough to look into the diffuser.... when I poked a small screwdriver through the fixed vanes and touched the inner movable vanes, they immediately flew open and walla! the air flow increased!!! With the box temp varying around 40-44 degrees, this should result in cooler temps. Thanks!

Now my concern is that those inner vanes will modulate with the temperature called for on the control panel. If it doesn't, I am still back to the question: How to diagnose whether the diffuser needs replacing or the control board. Comment?

 

[Jake]

Ok, then you would need to order the air diffuser, thats the part thats bad, not the control board.

Jake

 

[retread]

Ok, then you would need to order the air diffuser, thats the part thats bad, not the control board.

Jake

My suspicions are in that direction. My wife moved the control to colder because she saw the temp at 40 on the thermometer without telling me. I looked into the diffuser again and it was closed as before, with the control calling for colder air. I opened the diffuser manually and the air flow increased, and the temp dropped to 35.

Looks like I will have to pop for another part.... but thanks for the assistance!

 

[Jake]

Glad to help.

Keep us posted when you get it installed.

Jake