Refrigerator Warming Up and Makes an Occasional Clicking Noise

by Samurai Appliance Repair Man

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This is usually a burned out start relay on the compressor. The function of the start relay is to momentarily energize the start winding in the compressor motor and then cut power to the start winding as soon as the motor is running. In the good ol’ days, these relays were mechanical: heavy copper wire wound around a plunger that would open and close in response to current… and they almost never failed.

Most of the start relays on modern compressors are solid state and use a special material whose resistance increases with temperature. So, as current flows through the relay and the relay heats up, its resistance increases to the point that the start winding is isolated from the rest of the circuit, accomplishing the same thing as the old relays. A common failure of these relays is that the solid state material “cooks” and breaks up, staying open and thus never allowing the start winding in the compressor motor to energize. The end result is that the compressor tries to start, usually you’ll hear a humming noise, and then, after a few seconds, the compressor’s overload protector takes the compressor offline with a loud CLICK!

Easy way to tell if the start relay is bad is by simply removing it from the compressor’s control pod and shaking it. If you hear any rattling, it’s fried.

The most common start relays are shown below. Match ‘em up to yours by sight. If you don’t see yours, you can use the 3-in-1 start kit or look it up here using your model number.

Start device, combination start relay and overload

Compressor relay & overload assembly

Relay and overload, compressor

3 in 1 Start kit

The other, more ominous possibility is that the compressor itself is FUBAR. You can check this with your ohm meter. Set it on the lowest setting and then measure the resistance between each of the three pegs sticking out from the compressor in the control pod– the same ones that the start relay and overload connect to. Should read something in the low ohms. If the reading between any two pegs is infinite resistance, then one of the windings in the compressor motor is burned out. You should also measure from one of the compressor pegs to ground with your ohm meter on the highest setting. If you read anything, the compressor has developed a path to ground and is bad.

To learn more about your refrigerator, or to order parts, click here.

Refrigerator Repair FAQs

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 1st, 2005 at 5:15 pm and is filed under Refrigerator Repair. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Or, you can jump to the homepage.

9 Responses to “Refrigerator Warming Up and Makes an Occasional Clicking Noise”

drake Says:
April 5th, 2006 at 1:03 pm
If the problem is caused by a faulty start relay does this problem usually happen suddenly? Or is there a degradation over time? I have a fridge/freezer that has been making dull clicking noises for a few months now, but only in the last 1-2 days it has warmed up to room temperature and refuses to do anything. Any ideas?

Anyway, great informative site!
Samurai Appliance Repair Man Says:
April 5th, 2006 at 1:29 pm
Hi, Drake. Have you checked the compressor relay? If not, do that now. Go ahead, I’ll wait…

Back already? Boy, that was fast! Anyway, these solid-state, PTC relays usually fail all at once. But, hey, no need to guess about it since it’s so easy to verify.

Other things can cause a fridge to warm up, too. Read all about that ratcheer.
drake Says:
April 9th, 2006 at 9:06 am
Ok, the problem initially was that I couldn’t get the compressor relay out to check whether it rattled or not. Eventually I got it out and it did indeed rattle noisily. Next problem was getting a replacement - I’m in Japan and don’t speak Japanese. I had a Japanese friend come with me to check out a repair shop - the translation was that these comporessor relays don’t break!! Instead they could come out and try to fix it for ~US$100+parts, or I could just buy a new one!! (Then the Japanese recycling laws needed to be considered, which dictate that there is a fee of ~US$80 for disposal of an old fridge) Wanting a second opinion, I got my friend to call the manufacturer who confirmed that these relays do break, and so we got them to send out a replacement. Cost US$6 (plus US$7 postage)… plugged it in and its been working like new ever since.

Thanks for your suggestion and your great site.
Samurai Appliance Repair Man Says:
April 9th, 2006 at 2:08 pm
Wow, great story, Drake, thanks for posting it. It’s interesting that people are the same everywhere in the world– even Japan has ripoff artists and hustlers in the appliance repair trade.

And thanks for your generous love-offering to the United Samurai Beer Fund!
tonybeth103 Says:
April 16th, 2006 at 4:44 am
Hello Love the site!!!!
With my Frigaire PLHs69eess1
I have the same problem. I took out what I think is the Relay and it does rattle a little. but it does not look like the relay you hav ein the picture . Can you confirm for me I have the right part out. according to the Frigaire website the part I have in my hand is the ????Starter-TSD 241527803????
Samurai Appliance Repair Man Says:
April 16th, 2006 at 6:56 am
Tony, this is the start relay you need for your refrigerator’s compressor: click here. Buy it through that link and help support this website!
tonybeth103 Says:
April 17th, 2006 at 8:22 am
Thanks for your help. I just ordered the part via phone from Repair Clinic .com
Samurai Appliance Repair Man Says:
April 17th, 2006 at 11:52 am
We do not get credit for phone orders, so that doesn’t help support the site.
However, your love-offering to the United Samurai Beer Fund does help keep the magic alive.
27mts Says:
July 19th, 2006 at 5:41 pm
My refrigerator has the click-buzz-click syndrome. I ordered an overload/relay and capacitor, but got just the relay since the capacitor is on back order. I installed the new relay with the old capacitor and got the same click-buzz-click; though, the compressor did come on once. (I also tested the compressor for continutity and current flows through.) Do you think the capacitor is the culprit?

-Mike

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