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Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!
broddersbaldrick wrote:Hi RichardCowey,
is it the orange relay clicking?
If you have replaced C1 and C2 you shouldn’t have any more problems not unless your LED display is flashing and turning the temp control on and off.
I would stick the 6.3 volt in.Brodders, are you saying that the flashing display effects the temp control of the unit ?
As discussed, I tend to think the problem with mine is down to the unit not de-icing the evaporator. It works fine after a defrost, but only lasts 2 weeks tops, before the fridge side is too warm.
I have changed all caps on the rear board, besides C2, which is the 1000µF 6.3v, as the one on the board is exactly the same as the one in the repair kit.
I am going to change this tonight hopefully, along with the relays as you suggested.If I change the temp settings on the front of the panel, I can get it to stop flashing, its -21°, and 4°C that seem to stop it.
Are you suggesting that by stopping the panel flashing, it may hold temp better ?PM coming.
Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!
Hi Shaun,
I’m confident the problem on your unit is the compressor relay.
A little piece of plastic breaks internally and stops the contacts from turning off and supplying the defrost circuit.
It’s definitely the first place to start.With regards to the front LED / LCD display, this has a communication line to the rear module. I can only surmise that, if the front module is faulty, it will send erroneous messages to the rear.
I don’t know what the rear processor will do in the absence of a correct ‘SET’ temperature.
It will either run at a pre determined temperature or it will not.
Your guess is as good as mine but, given the time I will try and find out.Hope this helps (a little)
Brodders
Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!
Thanks again Brodders.
I was sort of wondering (dreaming) that maybe if the flashing stopped, that this may help :rolls:Nevermind, I have all the bits now, so I am determined to have another go at it later on.
Did you get my PM ?Shaun
Ok… I put the 6.3v in C2. No change.
Today I bought I bought a desoldering iron/pump and removed the relay, also tidying up some other bits of soldering. Fitted new relay and put tidy solder on C1.
Now, a change. I turn out to a normal display -19 and 3 with no faults but absolute silence, not even the little internal freezer fan. After a few minutes, the freezer display shows CF and much beeping. Doh!
So out again… Took the 6.3v out of C2 and put the new 10v in it’s place, double checked everything, bit more solder on some of the relay pins.
Turned on, and buzzzzzz compressor straight on. Freezer temp display flashing — but I expect that is right as it’s at room temp. 20 mons have passed and the comp is still running, both fans have kicked in and the freezer is getting colder. This seems great, but of course this happened the other day after doing just C1, C5 and C7 and that only lasted about 4 hours before going back to the faulty status.
As I sit now, the relay makes a click once every few minutes, I assume while doing it’s job. It seemed quieter tho, maybe it’s a different relay.
I’ll watch today and report back with thanks or tantrums! 😉
Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!
Hi Richardcowey
There should be no relay activity within the first few hours of a warm freezer other then the compressor turning on once.
If it is clicking every so often, it’s worth trying to establish which relay or just establish if it’s a relay on the rear module or clicking inside the compressor connection box and go from there.Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!
broddersbaldrick wrote:Oh sorry, I thought the 240 volts would give one a clue.
silly me ! well as long as you know it’s there, it obviously wont kill you . my apologies . by the way , could you let us know how to disconnect the board while it is live ? which part should you grab hold of ? …and why would anyone want to do this anyway ?
surely the very fact that the guy had to ask the question should have been enough to set alarm bells ringing or maybe i am wrongRe: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!
Wow! 😯
I ordered the 2 off 190-8450 capacitors from RS for the front panel as advised – yesterday afternoon…. They just turned up today less than 24 hrs later in a yellow and red RS van about 30 minutes ago 😯
Awesome service RS! Thanks
And thanks to Brodders of course 😉
Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!
Hi Chezza
Of course you’re right.
However, the answer was not advice given to the public; it was an answer to a specific question asked by someone I view as competent, knowledgeable and with enough experience and know-how to make an informed decision with the answer I gave.
He may have a justifiable reason for wanting the unit switched on.
The ‘public’ reading these pages which includes myself, have already taken it upon them selves to tackle the repair, this alone suggests they have some understanding of the potential hazards when working with appliances supplied from the mains.
Do we now start telling people ‘don’t touch the end of your soldering iron because it will burn?’
I do give people a little leeway and credit them with some common sense but do not endorse fixing anything with it turned on or plugged in.
Thank youRe: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!
Well, I’m no expert but regarding unplugging the front module whilst on, yes 240v is dangerous and no, I don’t know why would you’d need to…
Nevertheless, it should be pretty safe because the board is sandwiched between 2 bits of plastic and of course the connectors are plastic, so… altho it’s probably still best avoided… I would think you could remove the frot board pretty safely.
I don’t know, just my opinion.
Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!
Please can someone explain to me about these model numbers, i have trawled thru the site looking for a rear pcb but my model number is never mentioned, it is a 20 rud4, on the badge inside the fridge it says sb540w. Is there something i`m missing?
I originally called repair care to fix this fault at a quote of £180, engineer come out and said its the rear pcb but he`ll order a front one too. a week goes by…………nothing. Called repair care, the part still not ordered, argued with them and they said they`d get a move on. The part was eventually ordered 10 DAYS after the engineer called. 2 weeks later i get a text saying they have the part and will arrange for it to be fitted. Another week goes by………NOTHING! Call them back they say they have 4 engineers working my area (liverpool) but 3 are off sick! After a lot of arguing they say an egineer has arranged a date for a visit………………….IN 7 DAYS TIME! Anyway the engineer call out, takes the back off my fridge, goes into his bag for the part, only to discover its the wrong part! Its the front pcb! Gets on the phone and they say its gonna take ANOTHER 3 weeks for the part to come. Its now been 6 weeks since the first visit, with another 3 week wait. Grrrrrrrrrr. I have bought the repair kit but would rather buy the full board, but all the boards on the sit are not for my model.Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!
Chezza Is that the best you can do?
You take the moral high ground and criticise my answers, get off your throne and be a little more constructive.
A little foot note would have sufficed and I would have been happy.
Who appointed you executioner?Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!
Maybe 240 volts up his kilt would suffice!
Re: Whirlpool American Fridge Freezer broken down – help!
Live testing is illegal, it was outlawed by H&S many years ago and, it has to be said, not without good call.
Every year that I’ve been looking at the news there’s at least one person, usually more, KILLED trying to repair an appliance in the UK.
I’ve seen engineers with electrical burns from trying to be smart, ripped hands as a motor jumped to life unexpectedly, burns from elements, gashed open hands from trying to get away from power… it just goes on and on. In short, it’s not safe, end of story.
The problem here is that the advice is given in an open, public forum where any muppet can think, “Oh, I’ll have a go at that then…” even if they have absolutely no clue what they’re doing. That may well not be the person asking for and getting the advice, but what about the next couple hundred people that do read it and think as above?
It’s this simple, you cannot in any way judge the competence of the people that read the thread later.
Which is where a very real danger lies for sites like this giving advice on technical issues as, under EU legislation introduced in the early 90’s, the person giving the advice can be held liable for any damages. I don’t think it’s ever been tested in court but, the problem remains that technically, if someone fries themselves they could (if they survive) say, “he told me to do that” and you’re in trouble, potentially.
Where there’s blame, there’s a claim. It is very, very sad but that’s the culture we live in and that’s how the legal system seems to operate and one of the reasons that we, in the strongest possible terms, tell you DO NOT WORK ON LIVE APPLIANCES under any circumstances.
If you do work on an appliance or anything else with 240VAC running through it and fry yourself, on your own head be it as, you’ve been warned.
K.
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