Discovered a fridge compressor start relay trick by accident

I had a Whirlpool fridge that would click but not start, and after swapping the start relay twice in three months I got frustrated. On a whim I wiped the contact points on the relay socket with a dry paper towel and found a thin layer of gunk that must've been preventing a solid connection. Anyone else ever solved a no-start problem by just cleaning the contacts instead of replacing parts?

2 comments

2 Comments

sarah1983d ago

Wiped mine out with an alcohol wipe after reading a random forum post about it. Had the same issue with a GE fridge clicking but not kicking on. I had already ordered a new relay online but figured I'd try cleaning first just to see. Turns out whatever gunk builds up on those contacts from years of humidity and dust is enough to mess with the signal. It's been running solid for six months now without a hiccup. Saved me the hassle of swapping parts for no reason.

phoenix_campbell883d ago

I get what you're saying but I've had a different experience. That "gunk" is usually just light oxidation and cleaning it is more of a band-aid than a real fix. I'd still swap the relay if you've already got one on hand because those contacts wear down over time and cleaning doesn't bring back the metal thickness.