Frequently Asked Questions About Domestic Refrigerator Repair:
A question about run times
I have a GE side by side refrigerator that is about 15 years old. It is one of the models that had some kind of newfangled energy efficient compressor. This compressor failed after 5 years and GE installed a new one at no charge. The replacement was of conventional design.
I noticed some weird sound coming from the refrigerator a few days ago and I found that a piece of fiberglass insulation had fallen into the path of the condenser fan and was impeding its rotation. I cleared the obstruction, cleaned off the fan blades, and put it back together.
Since then I have noticed that the refrigerator/compressor seems to run constantly. Maybe it has been doing that for awhile, but I never noticed it before. The room temperature is in the 70s. The condenser coils are clear and clean, and there is a noticeable drop in temperature (to my hand) between the condenser coil inlet and the outlet. The evaporator fan is workingwell. The temperature controls are at their normal settings, food is kept cold (but not too cold) and the icemaker is making ice, but I feel that something must be wrong for the compressor to be running constantly. Do I need a charge of R-12? A new compressor? Should I call a repairman? Any ideas?
Frost-free refrigerators like this one will typically have 4 long cycles every 24hrs right after the defrost cycle is complete. They can last up to 2 hours, but after that run times should be about 50/50 + or - 25%, depending on its age and ambient conditions. If it runs almost constantly but the temperatures inside the cabinet are normal, this could mean 2 things, low on refrigerant or weak compressor. If their is in fact a leak it will soon get worse to the point it won't be cold enough but for the latter, you might as well use the compressor up before you have it overhauled or replaced with a new refrigerator.
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