My GE Refrigerator Compressor Will Not Restart
Your General Electric refrigerator needs a compressor to run for the interior to chill and keep the food stored inside at safe levels. The cooling cycle in the refrigerator happens in regular intervals, and you can hear when the compressor kicks on to compress the refrigerant so that it can be cooled through expansion later in the process. But if the compressor will not restart after a cycle, the refrigerator will slowly warm, and cooling will cease to happen. Does this Spark an idea?
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After Repairs
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If your GE refrigerator was just worked on by a service technician, he may have put the refrigerator into a diagnostics mode to determine the problem, which will prevent the compressor from turning on and cooling the refrigerator. If you suspect this may be the problem with your appliance, disconnect the power to the refrigerator for around 30 seconds, and then turn the power back on, which will reset your refrigerator and it will begin cooling again.
Compressor Relay
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The compressor relay is the component of the refrigerator that tells the compressor to turn on. A faulty relay can cause the compressor not to come on at all. The relay is located inside a small terminal box on the lower rear side of the refrigerator near the compressor itself. You should not attempt to test this part unless the power is disconnected because of the risk of electric shock. The relay is a small part with a copper coil around the center that you can unplug from the compressor to check for corrosion. You may also wish to test it using a multi meter to ensure there is continuity in the circuitry. If you are not familiar with this process, you may wish to enlist the help of a professional.
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Defrost Problems
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As part of the self-defrost system in many refrigerators, the defrost timer is responsible for telling the defrost heater how long to run to melt away frost on the evaporator coil. It also tells the compressor when to turn back on when the defrost cycle is finished. If the timer is stuck, it will either make the compressor run constantly or not at all. If it is not working properly, you’ll have to replace the part.
Temperature Adjustment
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The reason your compressor is not coming on may be because you have the temperature set too high, which is especially true if the refrigerator is in a cold area such as a garage where the ambient temperature is below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. When the outside temperature drops too low, the thermostat will not think the compressor needs to come on because it will sense the outside temperature. Try turning your dial to a lower setting to see if the compressor will come on. The thermostat may simply be malfunctioning otherwise and will need to be replaced.
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