Product review (5 stars): Cheaper Than Hiring An Appliance Technician
I noticed in the morning our ice was a bit slimy and when I returned from work later that night I realized the freezer and refrigerator were thawing. I also notice every so often I would hear a click. I unplugged the refrigerator from the wall, took off the backing and touched the top of the compressor.....wow it was so hot to the touch I couldn't keep my hand on it. With my technical abilities and a bit of research on-line I was able to figure out the culprit was more than likely the white overload/starter relay unit that slides onto the 3 straight terminals of the compressor. I disconnected the jumper from the capacitor making sure I didn't touch the terminals and properly discharged the capacitor to ground so I didn't get shocked. I didn't realize at first the overload/starter relay pulled away (to the left of the compressor) since it was on there pretty good so it took a little muscle. As soon as I got the unit off I shook it and heard a rattle. Yes, after 13 years of service this relay unit disintegrated internally. Keep in mind the original overload and starter relays were in the same plastic unit. The replacement kit comes with 1 overload relay and 2 different start relays depending on the type of compressor you have (so one does get thrown away). I was a bit nervous before I ordered because it was clear the parts were all seperate. Rest assured they slip onto the compressor terminals just like the old all in one unit did. Besides the extra starter relay that I didn't use I also tossed the safety cover because it didn't fit my setup. I did throw a cable tie across the overload/starter relays once I popped all of the wires back on to make sure the relays didn't popup off over time due to vibration. As a preventive measure I also replaced the little black capacitor as well although it wasn't neccessary since the overload/starter relay was the culprit. The whole repair took me about 30 minutes, 15 minutes to blow the dust out of the bottom of the refrigerator and about 3.5 hours to thoroughly clean the inside of the refrigerator and freezer (may as well when the whole thing is thawed). The capacitor and this relay kit cost me $69 with shipping. If you have a reasonable level of handiness you will be able to do this repair.....just have a healthy respect for power. I included pictures of the disintegrated overload/starter relay and of the new kit wired onto my compressor