Amana ABB2524DEB Bottom Freezer - replaced starter relay - still have hmm-click

[dont_panic]

My Amana ABB2524DEB bottom drawer freezer has an ice-maker that was slowly dying (crack in unit, long icicle hanging down to ice bin), so I removed it while I'm waiting for the new part to arrive in a few days.  But I also noticed the previous day that things in the freezer were not completely frozen.  Ice cream partly melted, etc.  Everything seemed cold, but the small thermometer I keep in there was definitely not where it's supposed to be.  Then I heard the dreaded "hmm-click".  

After reading several articles posted here and elsewhere on the internet, I went behind the unit to verify that everything was still working.  I do hear the compressor running sometimes, and then sometimes I hear the hmm-click.  The evaporator fan next to the compressor is working fine.  I am pretty religious about keeping the coils under the unit clean and I vacuum under there and use a coil brush, at least every 6 months.  So I removed the starter relay & capacitor, and I did hear a slight rattle and some burned smell, as described on this forum.  I went and got a replacement part (W10613606).  I installed it this morning, plugged the power cord back into the wall, and it immediately did the hmm-click again.  I put the old one back and it did the same thing.  The old one is still installed.

I saw something on the internet about testing the compressor with an ohmmeter.  I get 10 ohms across the Left & Right prongs, Left to Center I get 5.5, Right to Center I get 4.  As I said, the compressor does seem to run.  It was left on last night and I put an ice-cube tray to make some cubes - it never completely froze them.  So that's telling me that the compressor is running intermittently?

This fridge is 14 years old.  A friend of mine who is a former appliance tech suggested I check my voltage at the outlet.  I have an older home and he suspects low voltage which will eventually kill the compressor.  I had an electrician friend come over and the voltage was 121 volts.  He put a clamp meter on the wire at the breaker and we plugged in the fridge.  It's pulling 9 Amps when making the hmm-click.  The rating sticker inside the fridge says 7.70 A, but that's probably at full load with the defrost heaters on and everything.  He suggested putting a fan behind the unit to cool down the compressor and see if it frees things up.  It seemed to work and the hmm-click went away for a few hours and the unit did start getting cold again.  But 3-4 hours later, I was hearing the hmm-click again and the freezer temps had gone down again.  

Both my technician friend and my electrician agreed the compressor is working intermittently and dying.  Time to fix or replace.

So is this worth fixing?  I've looked at some new ones and to get something in this size, I've basically got a LG or a Kenmore Elite (which is an LG).  There's a GE unit, but we didn't like the interior layout.  We also hate the french door styles, so that's out.   I've heard a lot of bad news about the LG's, especially the compressor, and getting parts.  If I fix the Amana, what would be a typical charge (parts & labor) to replace the compressor?

Thanks for your help.

HW

[Hiroshi]

If that compressor has a blue Tecumseh logo sticker on it, it is likely toast as you suspect... 

Since there is not a leak, a new compressor is a sensible option- and would be cheaper than a new machine. If the unit is in great physical shape, this was not a perfect design by Whirlpool, but the controls and components are straight forward, JAZZ boards are familiar to most of us by now. There is something to be said for: "Sticking to the Evil you already know."

There is an affordable, aftermarket, start device that would likely buy you some time to decide- it is a start relay PTC with a start capacitor to help get that first revolution in motion before the motor start winding struggles and heats-up: 

 

http://www.supco.com/web/supco_live/products/URCO410RC.html

 

In my area, a new compressor is around  $600-700 bucks, out the door. ( n. Illinois)

Edited July 18, 2017 by Hiroshi

[Richard Demint]

16 hours ago, dont_panic said:

My Amana ABB2524DEB bottom drawer freezer has an ice-maker that was slowly dying (crack in unit, long icicle hanging down to ice bin), so I removed it while I'm waiting for the new part to arrive in a few days.  But I also noticed the previous day that things in the freezer were not completely frozen.  Ice cream partly melted, etc.  Everything seemed cold, but the small thermometer I keep in there was definitely not where it's supposed to be.  Then I heard the dreaded "hmm-click".  

After reading several articles posted here and elsewhere on the internet, I went behind the unit to verify that everything was still working.  I do hear the compressor running sometimes, and then sometimes I hear the hmm-click.  The evaporator fan next to the compressor is working fine.  I am pretty religious about keeping the coils under the unit clean and I vacuum under there and use a coil brush, at least every 6 months.  So I removed the starter relay & capacitor, and I did hear a slight rattle and some burned smell, as described on this forum.  I went and got a replacement part (W10613606).  I installed it this morning, plugged the power cord back into the wall, and it immediately did the hmm-click again.  I put the old one back and it did the same thing.  The old one is still installed.

I saw something on the internet about testing the compressor with an ohmmeter.  I get 10 ohms across the Left & Right prongs, Left to Center I get 5.5, Right to Center I get 4.  As I said, the compressor does seem to run.  It was left on last night and I put an ice-cube tray to make some cubes - it never completely froze them.  So that's telling me that the compressor is running intermittently?

This fridge is 14 years old.  A friend of mine who is a former appliance tech suggested I check my voltage at the outlet.  I have an older home and he suspects low voltage which will eventually kill the compressor.  I had an electrician friend come over and the voltage was 121 volts.  He put a clamp meter on the wire at the breaker and we plugged in the fridge.  It's pulling 9 Amps when making the hmm-click.  The rating sticker inside the fridge says 7.70 A, but that's probably at full load with the defrost heaters on and everything.  He suggested putting a fan behind the unit to cool down the compressor and see if it frees things up.  It seemed to work and the hmm-click went away for a few hours and the unit did start getting cold again.  But 3-4 hours later, I was hearing the hmm-click again and the freezer temps had gone down again.  

Both my technician friend and my electrician agreed the compressor is working intermittently and dying.  Time to fix or replace.

So is this worth fixing?  I've looked at some new ones and to get something in this size, I've basically got a LG or a Kenmore Elite (which is an LG).  There's a GE unit, but we didn't like the interior layout.  We also hate the french door styles, so that's out.   I've heard a lot of bad news about the LG's, especially the compressor, and getting parts.  If I fix the Amana, what would be a typical charge (parts & labor) to replace the compressor?

Thanks for your help.

HW

Guess it depends where you live as the market is different from state to state. I would get an estimate from a known good company with good techs. Do your homework on them to be sure.

[evaappliance]

22 hours ago, Hiroshi said:

"Sticking to the Evil you already know."

 

yep !

[Econo Appliance]

On 7/18/2017 at 7:23 AM, Hiroshi said:

If that compressor has a blue Tecumseh logo sticker on it, it is likely toast as you suspect... 

Since there is not a leak, a new compressor is a sensible option- and would be cheaper than a new machine. If the unit is in great physical shape, this was not a perfect design by Whirlpool, but the controls and components are straight forward, JAZZ boards are familiar to most of us by now. There is something to be said for: "Sticking to the Evil you already know."

There is an affordable, aftermarket, start device that would likely buy you some time to decide- it is a start relay PTC with a start capacitor to help get that first revolution in motion before the motor start winding struggles and heats-up: 

 

http://www.supco.com/web/supco_live/products/URCO410RC.html

 

This is the best advice.   The Supco 3N1 is a great bandaid to get some more life out of a struggling compressor.  Only thing is, you can't predict how long it'll last.   Some last a day, some last the life of the fridge.

If it were my 14 year old Amana,  I would do 3n1 until it fails altogether, and then go fridge shopping.

[MoTeD]

I'm wondering what the start capacitor is reading at. 

 

In my area (NorCal) we get $800 -1200 for a compressor job. Closer to the $800 for a freestanding unit. 

[Econo Appliance]

15 hours ago, MoTeD said:

 

In my area (NorCal) we get $800 -1200 for a compressor job. Closer to the $800 for a freestanding unit. 

That's also what I would quote on something like this, here in Southern California.  People hardly ever opt for compressor replacement in freestanding units anymore. 

[Koi Guy]

20 hours ago, MoTeD said:

I'm wondering what the start capacitor is reading at. 

 

In my area (NorCal) we get $800 -1200 for a compressor job. Closer to the $800 for a freestanding unit. 

That's a run capacitor.... No effect on starting, improves efficiency when running.

[Koi Guy]

On 7/18/2017 at 9:23 AM, Hiroshi said:

If that compressor has a blue Tecumseh logo sticker on it, it is likely toast as you suspect... 

Since there is not a leak, a new compressor is a sensible option- and would be cheaper than a new machine. If the unit is in great physical shape, this was not a perfect design by Whirlpool, but the controls and components are straight forward, JAZZ boards are familiar to most of us by now. There is something to be said for: "Sticking to the Evil you already know."

There is an affordable, aftermarket, start device that would likely buy you some time to decide- it is a start relay PTC with a start capacitor to help get that first revolution in motion before the motor start winding struggles and heats-up: 

 

http://www.supco.com/web/supco_live/products/URCO410RC.html

 

In my area, a new compressor is around  $600-700 bucks, out the door. ( n. Illinois)

Brother Hiroshi, have you encountered any issues using the hard start on models with ADC's? I once installed a hard start for a buddy to buy time (Mayag/Amana unit with adc on left side wall of fridge) and four or five months later the ADC was cooked. Had a second incident on another unit years ago of a similar circumstance.

I don't use hard starts very often, really just to buy the customer some time so they don't lose product.

Just curious if you have encountered this...

Thanks

[johntech]

9 hours ago, Koi Guy said:

Just curious if you have encountered this...

I have. I don't install hard starts on computer board containing units unless the compressor will not start with correct start device and the customer is planning to replace the unit.  Hard starts will allow much higher amps and is hard on the board. 

[Hiroshi]

When I use one, I leave the factory overload in the circuit  which keeps the LRA at the intended level for the compressor at hand, the start capacitor, in my experience, does help a compressor start more decisively, and therefore alleviates the stress on the control board- it has lessened the relay failure rate on JAZZ boards I have paired them with. I primarily keep these on hand for cases just like dont_panic is having and most every Tecumseh compressor I run across gets one too...

The hard start is the same PTC type relay that the factory discrete relays use, I have never noticed it to negatively affect any ADC, not even the high fail Maytag 61005988. ADC boards fail all the time with no Supco products in the room...

Edited July 21, 2017 by Hiroshi

[dont_panic]

Thanks everyone for all your replies.  $600 + was going to be just too much.  We went out and bought a new fridge.  We ended up getting the Kenmore Elite 79049 (which is really an LG).  It's nice.  I hope it lasts.

 

 

[MoTeD]

On 7/21/2017 at 1:25 PM, dont_panic said:

Thanks everyone for all your replies.  $600 + was going to be just too much.  We went out and bought a new fridge.  We ended up getting the Kenmore Elite 79049 (which is really an LG).  It's nice.  I hope it lasts.

 

Hope you purchased the extended warranty.