Is your refrigerator is not working?
Easy Checklist of things to look for and test.

• Check Power
• ​Check Temperature
• Check for Frost Build up
• Check Fan Motors
• Check Condenser Coil
• Check Compressor

Tools Needed

• Electrical Pen Tester
• Screwdriver or Drill Gun
• Wire Brush
• Heat Gun
• Vacuum Cleaner

Check Power
Checking the power is the easiest thing to see first why your refrigerator is not working. Test these components visually and with a electrical pen tester.

• Do the lights come on when opening the door?
• Do the water or Ice dispensers work?
• Does the power cord have a good connection?
• Is the Breaker tripped?

If the first 2 do not have power or work then pull your refrigerator out from the wall and use your electrical pen tester to test power cord and run it along the length of the cord and if it stops you know you have a short along the way or a break in the line. If no power in the outlet go outside to where the electrical panel and look for the breaker label refrigerator to see if it is tripped. Try to rest it, if it does not reset it could be a weak or bad breaker. if it trips again than you have a short in the electrical line or possibly a bad compressor. In either case you should call a qualified service repair man to asses and diagnose the components.

Check The Temperature
Reading the temperature of the refrigerator is an easy way to tell if a refrigerator is not working.

• Check the temperature
• Does the refrigerator have a digital display
• Does it feel warm?

On the digital display does it show the refrigerator temperature? try lowering the temperature if it does not let you then unplug the refrigerator for 1 minute to reset the control board and display controls. If that does not work you may need a new display control board. Next if you have a Analog thermometer place it in the refrigerator for a while to see if temperature rises or drops. A faster way is to use a digital laser thermometer and point it at the back wall or where the cold air comes out and take a temperature reading. Temperature in a refrigerator is supposed to be 38 to 42 degrees.

Check for Frost Build Up
Ice or frost in a refrigerator can affect the operating temperature. 

• Is there frost ice build up in freezer/refrigerator?
• Is the freezer cold but refrigerator warm?
• Why is there ice build up?

Open up the freezer and see if there is extensive ice/frost build up. If so this can cut down on the air flow through the evaporator coil into the air channel that cools the refrigerator. There are 2 ways you can defrost it. Shut refrigerator off for 24 hours or unscrew the panel that covers the evaporator coil and use a heat gun to defrost it. Be careful to not let the heat gun stay in one place to long as it will melt parts of the refrigerator. Ice build up can be caused by a few things, bad frost terminator, shorted defrost heater and a bad or slow fan motor. You can test these components with a Multi-Meter to check for continuity.

Check Fan Motors
There are evaporator fan motors that pull the cold air flow up and through the coils to keep the freezer and the refrigerator cold. There is also a condenser fan motor that cools the condensing coil either on top or bottom of the fridge next to the compressor. 

• Is the Evaporator Fan motor running or moving slow?
• Is the Condenser Fan motor running or moving slow?

You can visually check to see if these components are running. If not or running slow then replace them. If the ice has built up to the evaporator fan motor then thaw it out and see if it starts moving. It is also a good idea to see if there is power running to the motors by checking the wires.

Check Condenser Coil
The condenser coil is a heat exchanger that does just that, expels the warm air from the refrigerator to the outside air.

• Is the condenser coil dirty?
• Is the shroud in tact?
• Is the condenser coil damaged?

The condenser coil is located next to the compressor usually located in the back bottom of the refrigerator outside the cabinet or on top of the refrigerator. A dirty condenser coil will cut down or block the air flow thus not allowing the refrigerator to cool properly. Use a brush to with the grooves of the coil fins, do not go against or you will bend the fins reducing air flow. Take a vacuum cleaner or shop-vac and clean the dust and dirt out.
Next check the black covering over the coil, make sure it is not ripped or torn and in the proper place over the coil. If the shroud is not repairable you need to replace it. When looking at the coils can you see extensive bending of the fins or damage? You can use a fin straightener to bend them back into place. If coil is to damaged you may need to replace the coil. 

Check Compressor
The compressor condenses the Freon or refrigerant and is the heart of the unit that pumps the super-heated gas to the evaporator in turn cooling the refrigerator.

• Is compressor Running?
• Is the compressor warm/hot to the touch?

Can you hear the compressor running or feel the vibration? if not use a electrical pen tester and check the wires to the compressor for power. No power then check the run capacitor for any bulging, leaking and the micro-farads with a multi-meter. The Micro-farads should have a reading of 12 on most refrigerators. if more than 2 micro-farads off then replace it.
Is the compressor not running but hot? this could be from a bad run capacitor, low on Freon/improper charge causing it to short cycle or a problem internally with the valves, in that case you need to call a qualified appliance service technician to further diagnose and evaluate the refrigerator as there are many more reasons the compressor can fail. Need further assistance? give us a call so we can answer your questions. Check out our refrigerator repair service if you are located in the Las Vegas area.

Check Pressure Switch
​The air pressure switch pictured above checks the negative pressure created by the inducer motor and tells the furnace if it is performing correctly, if not it will shut the furnace down preventing damage and unwanted carbon monoxide gasses into the house. First check the rubber hoses to make sure they are not kinked, torn or have a blockage. If so clean them out or replace them. Next it could be an electrical failure with the switch being stuck open. For an in depth guide check here on how to test a Pressure switch.

Check Blower Motor
Can you hear the blower motor running? is the air blowing out hard or slow? If it is not running then you have another problem and need to call a qualified HVAC technician out to diagnose as these motors have multiple wires, a run capacitor and limit switches that need to be checked for proper operation.  To find an in depth blower check/test post follow the link. If you need a HVAC Repair Service in Las Vegas give us a call or book online.

Lid Switch Assembly
The lid switch assembly is a safety feature that tells the washer that the lid is closed and it is safe to continue to wash clothes.  Lid switches are generally made out of plastic and tend to wear, bend and break easily do to natural wear and tear or the lid closing hard resulting in the washer not advancing to the next cycle.  People always ask How do you replace a washer lid switch? or How do I fix the lid lock on my washing machine? Kenmore, LG, Maytag, Whirlpool, Samsung, Fisher-Paykel & Speed Queen
​Washing Machine Repair Las Vegas

Replacing the lid lock on a top-load washer:

​Replacing a door lock on a front-load washer

Water Level Pressure Switch
The water level pressure switch sits higher than the water towards the top of the machine and tells the control board what level the water is in the drum and when to turn off the machine or water inlet valve. The pressure switches can fail by:

• Having a hole in the hose attached from the drum to the switch
• Clogged chamber in the bottom of the drum
• ​Break in the wire from pressure switch to the control board

People also ask How do you adjust the pressure switch on a washing machine? How to test a water level pressure switch? Washer repair Las Vegas

​Diagnosing Washing Machine Pressure Switch Problems

Water Inlet Valve
The water inlet valve, pumps fresh water into the clothes washer to wash clothes. Sometimes this valve becomes clogged with calcium and debris then your washer won’t fill with water. These valves have small filter screens that can become damaged, rusted or clogged. If these are not the problems then it could be an issue with the solenoids, or coils, on the valve.
​People also ask How does a washer inlet valve work? How do you fix a water inlet valve?
Where is the water inlet valve located on a washing machine? washer repair near me

How to Test the Water Valve on your Washer​

If you need further assistance from a quality service tech give us a call now 

Custom panel refrigerators have 230v compressors that run from a 115v household plug. How is that possible to step up in voltage? A inverter is used to increase the voltage from 125v to 230v. The first thing you check besides power coming in is the inverter. How can you test the inverter? There are 2 things to look for . The common inverter has  2 components to test. 

​First thing is to check the voltage on the thermostat wire coming into the inverter shown in yellow to the right. This voltage is DC; if you have an A/C digital voltage tester your reading should be above 50v to ensure the thermostat is working.

Next is the compressor wires voltage coming out of the inverter into the compressor should read at lest 80v to 230v,  if both are within those readings then the next step is to check the compressor ohms.

How to ohm out a 230v refrigerator compressor.
With these compressors the readings are different than a regular compressor. On a multi-meter from common to run, common to start and start to run all resistant readings should read the same. If more than 1 ohm off then the compressor will not run. You can flip the diagram upside down and it will match.

If compressor is running but the refrigerator is not cooling its a good idea to check the amperage on each leg and refer to the data plate on the refrigerator to make sure it is operating in the LRA range to manufacturer specs. If not then you can have a low refrigerant problem. Then you need to call for a refrigerant leak test or you can test the compressor  yourself with a inexpensive 134a refrigerant leak tester. This refrigerant leak detector can detect R22 R410A R134A CFCs HCFCs HFCs refrigerants. Read our other post on how to do a refrigerant leak test.

If you need more help, please give us a call, Quality Service Tech can diagnose your appliance for free with repair. Click on the button below to get in touch with us or schedule online for refrigerator repair​

Refrigerator Compressor repair near me

  The most common types of capacitors for HVAC, Refrigeration & Home Appliances are Dual & Single. There are 2 kinds, A Run Capacitor and Start Capacitor. To test these we will need a Volt Meter. *Warning, good capacitors hold an electrical charge. To prevent shock unplug the appliance and use a screwdriver to touch across the the terminals together to discharge

Next on the multi-meter turn the dial to the microfarads symbol as you can see in the picture to the left. On a dual capacitor take the black probe lead and touch the terminal on the left and the red probe to the terminal to the right. In the middle pictures above you can see the capacitance next to the uF. the digital reading should measure the same microfarads, if it does not with in 2 microfarads range then change the capacitor out. If you see a capacitor is swollen or damaged in any way, has holes or rusted, leaking oil change it out with a new one.

​If You need further help don't hesitate to give us a call at Quality Service tech or schedule online to
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replace a run capacitor