28 replies to this topic

[Sunlight Appliance]

Hello Everyone,

 

Client has informed me that the Fresh Food compartment warmed up and that the Air damper is completely closed. Freezer is working well. I have the appointment scheduled tomorrow and am wondering what typically causes this problem. I put in the request for the manual a few minutes ago.

[DurhamAppliance]

Check the damper motor part no 241600902 ..not unusual for it to fail or be frozen shut. Btw really cool avatar

[Sunlight Appliance]

Hi Durham,

 

Thanks for the heads up.

 

I would like to know at what times is voltage applied. 120 volts isn't always present, correct? How can I check that voltage is actually being sent to the motor?

 

In regards to checking the motor itself, are we just checking the windings for continuity?

 

What is the black device with the 4 terminals and how does it work?

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

I would like to know at what times is voltage applied. 120 volts isn't always present, correct? How can I check that voltage is actually being sent to the motor?

In regards to checking the motor itself, are we just checking the windings for continuity?

What is the black device with the 4 terminals and how does it work?

Just operate the fresh food control to make it either warmer or colder so the damper will actuate in responce. While doing this, monitor damper motor voltage for 120vac. Monitor the voltage at E6 on the ADC board-- this is the input to the DPDT switch you asked about (more on that below). When the damper is finished changing state, the voltage will go away.

If you're getting 120vac at E6 of the ADC board, then check damper motor windings for continuity. The actual resistance is not important-- you're just looking to see if it's open.

The black device with four terminals is the damper switch. It is two SPST (single-pole, single-throw) switches ganged together, electrically equivalent to a DPDT (double-pole, double-throw) switch. You'll see it on the wiring diagram and schematic on the tech sheet.

[Sunlight Appliance]

Thank you Samurai,

Your advice proved indispensable tonight.

I walked in and he already had the entire damper assembly and control panel in pieces, wires hanging everywhere. He was frustrated; it was very important to him that he beat this thing. He had just plugged the unit in when I got there, so both compartments were warm.

I located the ADC box harness and connector and found the red wire at 6. It was marked "damper" and it was supplying 120 volts. I then went to the motor and did a continuity test; it failed. Switching to ohms on the multimeter I got "4K." So my diagnosis was a bad damper assembly and replacement recommendation. He wanted to do the work himself, so I sent him to you guys for the part.

 

But, then he tells me, "Oh, there's one more thing." Turns out that even with the damper off there still was no airflow.

 

"Did you work on the evaporator fan?" I asked.

 

He told me he replaced it just today. So I opened up the rear panel in the freezer and saw the evaporator fan pulsing, starting and stopping. He said that he got it from a place in town and that it is a universal fan. They told him to splice it into the harness and he would be good to go. So, he cut into the harness. There are two connectors in the harness that look like they need to be going somewhere but they have nothing to connect to. One of those connectors is what he cut into. I do have a picture for you, but, I can't get it uploaded right now; I will work on this.

 

The fan is marked "Florida Group."

 

My client had installed it backwards, so I reinstalled it for him. It turns out that after the fridge has been plugged in for about 5 minutes the fan stops the pulsing charade and settles into a permanent high speed.

 

Not being sure if this was due to him having so many things apart I told him to get the damper assembly ordered, put it in, reconnect all the wires and get back to me if he has any more issues.

 

What do you think? Is that fan bad news? I told him it needs to be a true Frigidaire part.

Edited by Sunlight Appliance, 29 December 2012 - 03:47 AM.

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

First of all, there's too many cooks making this stew.  Why in the world are you letting a customer do some of the work?  This has powerful potential to be a Charlie Foxtrot as we used to say in the squadron because it is in direct violation of the Golden Rule of the Prophecy, "Never trust customer diagnostics."  Only reason I would do that is if it were a friend and I was helping him for beer (which I do frequently).   

 

It's hard enough troubleshooting these things in person, harder still when doing it remotely through a forum like this.  Now add in the mix a customer who may not have the first clue about what he's doing and we're supposed to take his input/findings/observations as valid?  This is a great illustration of the old adage, "Garbage in, garbage out."  

 

Get all of your own diagnostic info first-hand and report here.  We'll go from there.  

[DurhamAppliance]

Amen! Not only that, but since I am not the best wiring diagram reader, I rely on my camera phone and memory to be able to put things back together. I would be highly pissed if I had to unnecessarily trace wires. We provide customers with explicit instructions regarding the appliance before we go out. Such as keeping fridge turned on and not to change any controls (unless it's obviously a setting problem then we advise them for free over the phone) . I don't even want them to take the food out of the freezer before I arrive. They think it would help but it only serves to warm up the freezer making diagnosis more difficult. Plus if you get delayed, the pressure for you to finish before food thaws increases. We also advise them we will charge a reassembly fee if we have to do significant reassembly work.

Btw if you have any shortcomings, like I have with regards to reading diagrams, do everything in your power to eliminate it. Relish learning this stuff, it will pay off. With a few "for dummies" books, even and old dog like me can learn a few new tricks here and there.

Edited by DurhamAppliance, 29 December 2012 - 06:41 PM.

[Sunlight Appliance]

Guys, guys, you gotta believe me!!

 

I was upset at the sight when I arrived. I don't form a team with my customers. Did not like what I saw when I walked in. The initial phone call went like this:

 

"Hi. I'm having a problem with my fridge. The freezer works fine, but the fridge side is warming up. The damper door is closed." I asked him for a model number and then set up the appointment.

 

When I arrived he starts directing everything, telling me what does what and what goes where.

 

I told him, "Yes, I understand that." And I began locating E6 and testing the damper motor.

 

I told him that he needed a new damper assembly and I quoted him out. He said, "Yeah, but what are you really going to charge me for labor? I've already done half the work."

 

I was astonished. I told him he obviously knows what he's doing and to order the damper himself.

 

Then he turns me over to this fan he replaced that he never mentioned before. He tells me to help him get that going and maybe he'll give me $5 bucks.

 

Well, I ended up leaving with the full service call fee. Nice guy, very blunt though, a little disrespectful. Right now, as it stands, I can walk away from this.

 

Durham: How much is a reasonable charge for the "reassembly fee?" Because, believe it or not, I get hit with surprises like this from time to time. Or, a customer will call telling me that they gave it their best shot and now, as a last resort, are calling me for help. I then inherit a mess and I'm getting so f*#king tired of it.

 

Can I say that on here?

 

                

Edited by Sunlight Appliance, 30 December 2012 - 06:34 AM.

[RegUS_PatOff]

... telling me that they gave it their best shot and now, as a last resort, are calling me for help.

because all the other guys I've called before you, won't touch it ...

[Sunlight Appliance]

Reg, you're up right now??

[DurhamAppliance]

Reg, you're up right now??

Are you kidding? He's always watching.....

 

Edited by Samurai Appliance Repair Man, 30 December 2012 - 12:54 PM.
Added video as a test

[DurhamAppliance]

Ps for some reason I could not put this video in my previous post. This happened once before...any clues?

Edited by DurhamAppliance, 30 December 2012 - 10:10 AM.

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

Ps for some reason I could not put this video in my previous post. This happened once before...any clues?

 

 

Only thing I can think of is that the other past had a quote in it, which shouldn't affect adding a video unless it's (yet another) bug in the new "upgrade."  

 

Trying to add the video below:

 

 

Looks like that worked.  And I was able to edit your other post and add it there, too.  

Edited by Samurai Appliance Repair Man, 30 December 2012 - 12:55 PM.

[RegUS_PatOff]

I've had problems in the past,

after I added a YouTube video, then went and re-edited the message text,

the video would be gone ..

needed to add it again.

[DurhamAppliance]

Using a Samsung tablet. There have been some weird things happening since the uprade. Many times, when editing, everything but the text block disappears. I then play a game. I press on empty screen areas like playing a game of "Battleship." if lucky, I hit the correct location and the post is submitted. If unlucky, I hit a mine (nongamers call it a "link") which transports me away from the battlefield. Sometimes after being transported, I lose all of my edit (my battleship is sunk). I lose immediately if I hit the cancel (self destruct) button. I'm actually getting pretty good at it.

Uh oh.....hmmmm ...where is that "submit modified post" button? ...maybe it's here....here goes nothing.....(poof!)

Edited by DurhamAppliance, 30 December 2012 - 01:47 PM.

[DurhamAppliance]

Back to the topic at hand.....we charge $25 for reasonable reassembly. If the customer has done as much work to an appliance as your customer, I would simply walk unless I wanted to be married to it. Then I must charge enough for a ring as working on it is akin to saying " I Do". As my business partner always says, "the last person who touches it gets all the blame." For dangerous appliances like dryers, I would get cold feet and run away.

Here we go again......."g - 4".......(poof!)

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

Using a Samsung tablet. There have been some weird things happening since the uprade. Many times, when editing, everything but the text block disappears.

 

I get occasional weird behaviors on the iPad, too.  No problems on my desktop.  What I'll do when I'm on my iPad is compose the reply in a separate text editor and then copy and paste into the post edit box.  

 

Interestingly, it's been very reliable when posting on my iPhone in the site's mobile theme.  

 

Durham, when you're on your tablet, are you using the full site or the mobile theme?

[DurhamAppliance]

Use full version 99 percent of time. Same thing happens with mobile version....on mobile version now just to make sure. Not as familiar with layout so have to search for submit post button but I cannot remember where it is.....a searching here I go.... found it! This round to me! Btw no problems on my galaxy s3 with either full or mobile version.

Edited by DurhamAppliance, 30 December 2012 - 03:32 PM.

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

Back to the problem at hand...

 

 

 

Guys, guys, you gotta believe me!!

 

I was upset at the sight when I arrived. I don't form a team with my customers. Did not like what I saw when I walked in. The initial phone call went like this:

 

"Hi. I'm having a problem with my fridge. The freezer works fine, but the fridge side is warming up. The damper door is closed." I asked him for a model number and then set up the appointment.

 

When I arrived he starts directing everything, telling me what does what and what goes where.

 

That's when you leave.  I've said this before elsewhere and I'll say again here:  When I'm on a service call, it's because someone has hired me to fix a problem.  I'm there to do a job.  I am not there to hold a class.  

 

If a customer tells me on the phone that they've already disassembled this or taken apart that, I will not schedule the job.  I do not work on partially "customer-ized" appliances.  Too much room to introduce weird errors and problems and guess who gets the blame?

 

I have been on a several jobs where I get there and the customer has either removed or partially disassembled the appliance.  I leave.  I don't charge them anything, I simply leave and I won't work for them again because 1) they didn't tell me on the phone that they did this and 2) they are not the kind of customer who would appreciate or see the value of my service; invariably, they turn out to be cheesedorks.  I cut my losses and move on to the next customer who may become a cheerleader.  

[DurhamAppliance]

Lol... He said "cheesedorks"

Just read "your cheesedork customer qualification challenge for the frst time! Great stuff. Gonna frame, pilfer, borrow, and or post it. Damn! It's copyrighted...okay.....little modification here and there and.... tada! I got me a new "VELVETA-NERD CLIENT TEST!"

Edited by DurhamAppliance, 30 December 2012 - 03:30 PM.