Customer's basement fridge taught me a lesson about condenser coils

I was out in Oakville last Tuesday working on a 10 year old Whirlpool fridge that kept running hot. Turned out the condenser coils were packed with a solid layer of dog hair and dust, like a thick felt blanket on them. After I cleaned it all off the compressor finally cycled properly and the guy said it hadn't run right in 3 years. Now I check coils first on every cooling call because that one thing saved me chasing a bad thermostat for nothing. Has anyone else had a simple coil cleaning fix what looked like a major problem?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_thomas7d ago

Tbh that's the exact kind of thing that makes you feel like an idiot once you figure it out. I had a similar deal with a freezer unit a few years back where the coils were so bad the fan was practically suffocating. Cleaned it out and the thing ran like new after 2 years of the owner almost replacing it. Condenser coils are honestly the first thing I check now because it saves so much time and hassle. It is wild how much buildup happens without people even noticing it.

lauras837d ago

Oh man, reminds me of the time I spent an hour trying to fix a toaster before realizing it wasn't even plugged in.

the_patricia6d ago

Did you end up checking the condenser coils or the thermostat first on that call?