Samsung fridge freezer trouble

[dethstar]

Hi, im a newbie please be gentle.

I have a Samsung SR-L3928B Fridge freezer. Its a top and bottom style model, fridge at the top, it has an opening for drinks dispensing, and above the top of the fridge is the digital control panel. Its frost free. Its around 3 yrs old and moved house about 9 months ago.

Yesterday both top and bottom didnt feel very cold, so i put it down to being warm out and went to bed, as the display was reading ok (the temperature is supposed to flash when i drop in temperature inside).

I came down and it exceptionally quiet so i checked in the fridge it was warm as was the freezer. I thought before phoning anyone id have a root about as i am a qualified electronics engineer.

I checked the main transformer which was fine the relay in there was also fine. turned the power back (at the plug, the main panel also has an on off switch), and it fired into life, the temperature started flashing as it wasnt up to temp and the compressor kicked in and started pumping the cold in.

Worked fine all day then it started feelin warm again this evening the panel still showed no signs of telling me the temperature had dropped. so i turned it off and on again, this time using the control panel switch, and again it fired into life as before showing temp low etc etc.

On the back it has the circuit diagram of the PCB which i would quite happily test and fault find if i knew where it was, i suspect and dry joint or something gone wrong on the temperature sensing circuit, but any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

many thanks.

[dethstar]

Re: Samsung fridge freezer trouble

Ok done some more investigation.

Here is the cct diagram from the back of the fridge.

Now Upon first startup the wires read.

Yel 240V, S/B 240V, WHT 240V, PNK 200V (all ac)

Then After about 2 minutes

YEL 240V, S/B 0V, WHT 240V, PNK 200V

Then after a while (when the freezer is up to temp and the display stops flashing), it is then completely silent.

YEL 0V, S/B 240V, WHT 240V, PNK 200V

but then the motor never becomes audible again and the freezer and fridge warm right up without the controller turning anything back on, until i reset it then it cools it down to the set temperature and the cycle starts again.

[kwatt]

Sounds awfully like a thermistor (sensor) failure to me, possibly the PCB itself but I’m not too familiar with the Samsung stuff. Essentially the sensor, or thermistor, would have to send a signal back to the PCB to tell it to engage power to the compressor again in order to maintain the set temperature and it looks, from your description, as if the compressor isn’t being energised again when required.

K.

[dethstar]

kwatt wrote:Sounds awfully like a thermistor (sensor) failure to me, possibly the PCB itself but I’m not too familiar with the Samsung stuff. Essentially the sensor, or thermistor, would have to send a signal back to the PCB to tell it to engage power to the compressor again in order to maintain the set temperature and it looks, from your description, as if the compressor isn’t being energised again when required.

K.

Right did some more testing, the compressor is turning off sooner and sooner after every power reset, and this time it cut out before the display said it was down to the correct temperature, but i then checked the voltage accross the compressor circuit and it was 240volts, does this mean the compressor is failing?

I was thinking towards the sensors until just a minute ago.

thanks for your reply, really appreciate it.

[kwatt]

Yep that would indicat the compresor overheating and cutting out on the TOC alright and to be honest, it was my first thought but I was living in hope that it wasn’t. Compressors, not a cheap thing to be replacing. 🙁

K.

[dethstar]

kwatt wrote:Yep that would indicat the compresor overheating and cutting out on the TOC alright and to be honest, it was my first thought but I was living in hope that it wasn’t. Compressors, not a cheap thing to be replacing. 🙁

K.

Couldnt give me a rough guide on price? with a ballpark figure i can decide whether to get a new fridge.

Thanks for all your help.

[Dave_Conway]

Re: Samsung fridge freezer trouble

Compressor change would normally be between £125 – £175 depending on type and how long it took.

I would seriously recommend you ask an engineer to attend and diagnose this though as we can only make assumptions based on experience and the information given 😉

Dave.

[dethstar]

Re: Samsung fridge freezer trouble

Cheers that’s very helpful.

I’ll phone someone today to look.

Thanks for all the replies.

[Dave_Conway]

Re: Samsung fridge freezer trouble

I forgot to mention, you may wish to try the repairs@ function here:

http://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/modules.p … whitegoods

Dave.

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