We’ve a Samsung “American” style unit, that’s about 2 years old.
This eve it stopped working on both sides (fridge and freezer). I pulled it out and removed the back panel – the compressor was roasting, but the “cooling fins” aren’t warm at all.

I checked there is power to the compressor, and the resistance to all 3 pins was zero.

I cooled the unit down with a fan, and turned it back on again, but all that’s happening is the compressor is heating up again, but the pipes leaving the compressor remain cool…..

It’s as if it needs to “pump the heat out”….. I imagine the compressor is FUBARd…..

Any views on this – anything I can’t do to kickstart the compressor???!!!

DrP

When you say cool…do youmean cold or ambient?

Likely causes are knackered compressor or loss of gas. Has unit been recently moved or clumsily defrosted with sharp impliments?

sounds like it’s lost it’s refrigerant so the motor is just running flat out trying to cool it down.

don’t necessarily try this method, but I overheard a mate earlier today recommending that to fix a fridge you just need to turn it upside down and then back up the right way again.. 😯

yunki, you missed off the wink face.
My dad used to go to several fridges and freezers each month that died because they had been laid on side or back and then plugged straight in afterwards.
The comprssor contains oil, if you lay it on its side or even worse invert it then you need 24h before plugging in to allow the oil to drain back, otherwise you pump it where it should not go!

It’s been static for, ooh, 9 months! And no defrosting either (it’s chosen to do that itself!)
And the pipes are ambient temp.

Have demasculinated myself and booked an engineer (although I did buy and cook on a BBQ today, so I suppose that brings me back to ‘level’ in man points….)

DrP 😉

Is it getting hot inside as when they loose gas the heat from the compressor travels around the inside pipes, heating it up.

it may be a problem with the automatic defrost if fitted, lok for a little tray somewhere above the compressor, that recieves the defrost water, and the heat of the compresor then evaporates it away,sometimes the pipe feeding it blocks.

Alos as above never invert a fridge or freezer as oil will drain from the compressor, into the pipes.

The pipes that are ambient should be warm/hot.
Basically the compressor pumps liquid refridgerent through small diameter pipes to the inside of the fridge. As the fluid enters the fridge the pipes are wider diameter and so the liquid turns to gas. This phase transition is what cools the inside of the fridge (its like if you ever spill alcohol on your hand…it cools as it evaporates).
The gas is pushed round the system and the compressor re-liquifies the gas causing it to get fairly hot.
the thing that looks like a car radiator in your pic is to cool down the liquid refridgerent before it has another go at evaporating.

Hope that makes sense.

^^
I had a basic idea, and this confirms it. I knew the pipes should at least be warm, so the fact they aren’t does suggest the compressor isn’t moving the fluid on…

DrP

yes, either the compressor is not moving the fluid, or the fluid has gone on holiday!
The older refreidgerants were ace, the one my dad used turned to phosgenegas if it went anywhere near a naked flame.
This was 20 years ago, I think he caused the ozon hole.

sorry for poor spelling and punctuation….ipads are ace, but not for typing.

similar Samsung fridge here that also stopped cooling. Don’t recall what bits were hot though 😉

Turned out the the air inlet (near the bottom at the back) was blocked with dust/fluff. removed that and it was fine.

Indeed – the auto correct can be a bit over zealous!

DrP

this site may help

http://samsungfridgefreezerproblems.co.uk/

Fridge engineer, really? Come on.

the two pipes going to/from the compressor are suction/discharge.
The dischage should be warmer than the suction (as the gas is warmed up as its compressed.
The refrigerant gas shouldn’t be going through the compressor as a liquid… as liquids don’t compress very well!
There will be a small amount of oil in the system which is carried around by the refrigerant, the primary function of the oil is to lubricate the compressor.
The fan in your photo is pulling air through the condenser (cool thing with fins on it) to cool the refrigerant gas, and ‘reject’ the heat (from inside the fridge) to the outside world.

Guess what industry I work in – however on a slightly different scale.

freeagent, are you a fridge engineer? because ads-b doesnt believe in them

;-)1

Don’t worry about it CHB, I remember a thread on here a while ago where some idiot (grad design type) claimed to know everything there was to know about refrigeration. He then went on to name one of the components “boiler” 😆
Freeagent and CHBs posts are dot on, except the discharge from the compressor will be a bit more than “warm”!
One warning; a lot of modern domestic jobs use propane as the refrigerant so exercise proper care (obviously)

You’ve got a fridge repair man coming or someone who actually designs them? 😉

Dr P, do you have a purple satin robe?

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-x8nh949JQ[/video]

known problemon usa style Samsung F/freezers, contact samsung they will either replace the fridge freezer or the back panel inside has something to do with the coooling fan getting iced up, google it you willfind loads of info