Refrigerator not cooling
by Ong
My Mitsubishi Elegance MR-V416GY fridge is about 15 years old. It is not cooling. When the power is on, it sound like some motor is running and heat can be felt at the outside wall of the fridge but can't feel any cool air blowing. I have switch off the power supply and left the fridge door opened for more than a week (to let it dry). After turning it on for more than 5 hours, only a very thin layer of ice was found floating on top of a bowl of water placed in the middle of the freezer. May I know what is the problem and what is the approximate cost of repair. Answer Hi Ong, Since it has been off for a week we can eliminate ice-blocking airflow. We also know that the compressor is running at least some to get the ice starting to freeze. Here are a few things you will need to check. Airflow We know ice isn’t blocking airflow but if the fan isn’t running inside the freezer it will not cool properly. If the fan isn’t running replace the fan motor. Compressor The compressor is running but is it running enough to get the job done. A dirty condenser coil will cause the compressor to short cycle. If this is the case cleaning the coils may put it back in service. If the fan near the compressor isn’t running the compressor will short cycle. If the fan isn’t running you will most likely need to replace the fan motor. All of the above problems are fairly simple do-it-yourself jobs if you are handy. All you will have in it would be the cost of the part. With price of parts going wild I can’t guess at what they would cost. But it shouldn’t be so bad most likely less than $150 and for a repairman to come out most likely less than $200. But I am just guessing so take it for what it is worth. If the fans are running and the compressor is running almost continuously there is most likely a major problem such as a bad compressor, low on refrigerant, clogged refrigeration lines. All of which are major repairs that must be done by a professional. Expect very high repair bill (over $500) so you may be better off replacing the refrigerator. Thank you, Shawn/administrator |