Got a tip from an old Maytag guy about compressor start relays

For like 5 years I'd always just swap out the whole start relay when a fridge wouldn't kick on, never even checked the PTC or overload. Last month this retired repairman watched me toss a good relay in the trash and showed me how to test each part with a multimeter right there on the counter. Anyone else been replacing parts they didn't actually need to replace?

2 comments

2 Comments

fiona73712d ago

My dad always swore by just swapping the whole relay too, so I never questioned it until I blew forty bucks on a part for my mom's old Kenmore last spring. That old Maytag guy you mentioned sounds exactly like the retired HVAC guy down the street who finally stopped me and showed me the same trick with a multimeter on my own fridge. Turns out it was just a dirty overload, cost me nothing but a paper towel and ten minutes to clean. I felt pretty dumb for all those years of tossing parts that were probably fine, but now I test everything first and save the money for actual problems.

jennifersmith12d ago

Read an article last year that said something like 70% of relay replacements aren't even necessary, just people guessing. That old timer sounds like a goldmine of info. I've started keeping a cheap multimeter clipped to the side of my toolbox just for that exact test now, saves me like twenty bucks every time.