Shokan

My fridge makes a loud rattling noise when turning off and on. A friend told me its probaly the compressor, but I dont know what a compressor even does. Any help? Should I worry about it?

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iHawk

The compressor is there to compress the cooling gas in your fridge. Some law of thermodynamics states that expanding gas gets cold, because it has to take in external energy to decompress. It's the same effect as with the NO2-Cartridges that are used for making whipped cream. Once you screw them into the fitting, they quickly release the stored compressed gas and get freezing cold. And that is exactly what your fridge does: It compresses the gas with it's compressor (hence the name), pumps the liquid into pipes running through the cool part of the fridge and expands it there. The gas gets gaseous again, and to accomplish that it takes in the thermal energy from inside the fridge. Then the gas is put back into the compressor and it starts over. So, to be precise, the fridge doesn't cool stuff, it actually takes the heat out of it. Because cold is just a lack of heat. Or very little heat.
That description is probably not 100% accurate, but I guess you get the idea that is behind the system.
As to the rattling, that depends. Older fridges make a lot of noise, since the compressor never runs all the time. It just gets turned on if the temperature inside the fridge raises above a certain level, and gets turned off again if it falls below another threshold. And when starting, there's no pressure in the compressor, so it will rattle very likely. The same applies to newer models, but the rattling should be a lot less.
So, if the noise started recently, I'd say your compressor is about to die. You should check the temperature every now and then, to see when it's gone for good. But I think you can get replacement compressors either at eBay or at any other real-world-junkyard. At least in Germany you can, that is.

iHawk

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Dibbler

The compressor is the black thing in the lower back part of the refrig. It's about 1' square and has small copper tubes coming out of it.

The compressor could keep that up for years and still be fine or it could go out today. No matter what, if the compressor goes out, you need to buy another fridge. The cost of the compressor would be about the same cost of buying a new fridge. It's illegal to replace the compressor yourself anyway due to the freon in the system.

In a nutshell, I can get all the parts and freon at wholesale prices due to having relatives in the business and I wouldn't bother fixing the thing cuz it would cost too much. Fridges are like TV's anymore, if they break you throw them away.

IckUber

Hrm, not quite my thing, try googleing it.

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GSRIDER

I can answer that in 2 months when
i get down w/ my refridgeration class.

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contrail

It may be helpful to clean the condenser section of your noisy fridge. This is where the heat is rejected, the dirtier it is the higher the pressure the system operates at. Add to your post if you want more info, Shokan.

Sion

" It's illegal to replace the compressor yourself anyway due to the freon in the system."

no it's not. However, buying the refrigerant gas (r22 I think it is) requires a certain type of license, just as vehicle ac refrigerant (r12, the older stuff) does. Also, in most (all?) states, it is illegal to vent the refrigerant to the atmosphere, just as with cars. It is supposed to be recovered with the proper equipment.

in any case, legal or not, its not something you are going to be able to do with proper training and equipment. and IF the compressor does go, chances are pretty good it will be nearly as expensive to replace as the entire fridge would be. depends on the model.



my advice, as mentioned above, is to clean the condensor (that grill thing on the back or underneath, as thoroughly as possible. remove all dust, hair, etc using a long brush of some kind (they make ones you can buy for just such a chore, go to a hardware store). This will help you fridge do its job easier.

also, it you have at least some small amount of mechanical ability, you should check the condensation drain tube for blockage. locate the drain tube by looking under the fridge for the drain pan. the tube will sit right above it. trace it up the back of the unit, removing all screws/clamps that hold it in place. eventually you will have it loose and usually just have to pull it out of where it goes into the back of the fridge. it should come out fairly easily. if not, dont force it, check inside for more clamps/screws. once you have it off, make sure its not blocked with crud (can happen over the years). clean as necessary, put back on.


monitor fridge for changes in coldness. as long as it is keeping things cold, great. but if that stops...

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Dibbler

Ok, it's not illegal to replace the compressor but unless you have the tools to capture the freon escaping from the system during the process you will pay heavey fines and possible jail time. I come from a heating/ac family so I should know a little about it.

Also, since we're getting picky. It's not illegal to buy R22 or R12. I got some about 6 months ago. You need a permit and it's not being manufactured in the US anymore so hard to find. Also it's not cheap. 30# tanks are $300 instead of $30 like they used to be.

canucker

I'm in the business too. It's the valves in the compressor. They are getting noisy.

Too replace a compressor you need alot of equipment. One being the recovery machine to recover the refrigerant. You need to be at least a good first year or average second year apprentice refrigeration mechanic to do it.

Hope this helps.

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