home Repairs Large home appliances Why the refrigerator turns on and off immediately: troubleshooting

Why the refrigerator turns on and off immediately: troubleshooting

An extremely unpleasant situation is when expensive household appliances break down in the house, especially as important and necessary as a refrigerator. Failure at which this device turns on and turns off after a few seconds is not uncommon.

How to diagnose a problem?

As you know, the refrigerator compressor is designed for intermittent operation. It turns on only for a certain time. Turning off the instrument is the norm. But how to understand that the device often turns off and needs repair? Most often, an attempt to start the compressor indicates a breakdown: the unit emits an unusual buzz, and after a few seconds it immediately calms down. To calculate whether a device designed to compress and pump refrigerant vapor is working properly, you can resort to a mathematical method. If the compressor is designed for two minutes, and then the rest 10 minutes it rests, then the following calculations are performed: 2: (2 + 10) = 0.166. From the result obtained, it becomes clear that the refrigerator is faulty, since the coefficient during normal operation is 0.2 - 0.9.

How to identify a malfunction by sound?

The refrigerator can turn on and then immediately shut off if any item is not in order. To understand the cause of the malfunction, and which part of the refrigerator needs repair, you need to analyze the sound when it turns on and off.

refrigerator diagnostics by sound

If the device started up for several seconds, and before a shutdown a click was heard, the motor itself worked usually louder - most likely, it would be necessary to repair or change the compressor. Very often, the reason for the quick shutdown of the refrigerator is the start-up relay through which the motor starts.

If the usual work intervals are violated, you should pay attention to the electronic board. Often, when a breakdown occurs, it gives the wrong signals - the refrigerator turns on, but after working for only a few seconds, it turns off.

See also - How to replace the temperature controller in the refrigerator in case of breakage

The reasons for the quick shutdown of the refrigerator and the possibility of their correction

Power outages and power surges

In modern devices, although there are multiple systems that provide security against network instability, sharp and frequent changes can still affect proper performance. To save expensive equipment, it is best to purchase additional protective equipment and connect the device to the network source only through them, for example, a voltage regulator. Otherwise, the compressor, the electronic control unit and other important parts of the refrigerator may not be able to withstand interruptions and fail, which will entail expensive repairs.

Problems with the control unit

Any household appliance that has a control board becomes vulnerable due to this small but very important part. If the program is broken, then the commands begin to arrive at different intervals. The motor turns on and off in a chaotic mode. The most likely cause of a breakdown of the electronic unit is the instability of the power supply. In this case, the board must be reprogrammed or replaced. But it is better to give the right to make such repairs to a specialist, especially since he has all the equipment for accurate diagnosis.

DIY refrigerator repair

Compressor out of order

This is the most expensive part to replace and repair the part of the refrigerator. The compressor performs an important function - pumping out freon in a gaseous state from the evaporator, delivers it under pressure to the condenser. The gas is compressed and cooled, condensing it to a liquid state. Through the capillary expander, the coolant again enters the evaporator, where it absorbs heat.

To understand whether the compressor is working when the refrigerator is often turned off, you need to find out the resistance of its windings - each pair of terminals. If the winding is damaged, or an interturn circuit occurs, the following often happens: the device turns on and continues to work, but already at increased load. Therefore, the compressor heats up more than normal during operation. The relay tries to facilitate the operation of the motor, and therefore works prematurely. In modern models, this part of the device is non-separable, therefore it must be completely replaced.

Start-up relay failure

This part quite often fails due to physical wear or overheating during operation. The most harmless breakdown, which is the reason why the refrigerator turns off after a few seconds of operation. Repairing this malfunction is much cheaper than repairing the compressor itself or the control unit.

replacing the relay in the refrigerator

If the device turns on and immediately turns off due to a relay, you can try to repair it before changing this part. To do this, check the solenoid core. Folk wisdom is inexhaustible, so some craftsmen thought of inserting instead of a damaged core a wire of the appropriate size or an ordinary metal rod from a ballpoint pen. But this method is not always effective, since modern coil models have a different structure. A conductor in such a tablet-shaped solenoid. It is he who can become the source of why the refrigerator turns off quickly if it burns out.

If the equipment still stops working, it is better to call an experienced craftsman who will diagnose and then make a quality repair. Specialists have in stock components of the highest class, all the more so there are warranty obligations. An experienced master will quickly figure out why the device turns on and off immediately, and professionally eliminates the cause of the breakdown.

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26 thoughts on “Why the refrigerator turns on and turns off immediately: troubleshooting”

  1. Alexander:

    Hello.
    I have a problem like this.
    I turn on the refrigerator, it works, but after the set time it turns off and does not turn on again.
    I switch the thermostat from 2 positions to 3 and the refrigerator works again. Once again, after the prescribed time, it turns off and does not turn on. Until I switch the thermostat again.

    1. amaksil1:

      Most likely the thermal relay is out of order. It's worth checking it out first.

  2. Ruslan:

    Hello, my refrigerator turns on, and after a few seconds it turns off, while a beep sounds, which usually sounds when the refrigerator is turned on

    1. amaksil1:

      Defective refrigerator thermostat or temperature sensor. Do you need repair

  3. Igor:

    Hello. My refrigerator turns on and turns off after 3-4 seconds. After a few minutes, everything is repeated. There are no clicks.

    1. amaksil1:

      Most likely a thermal relay for replacement. Or compressor start-up relay.

  4. Larissa:

    My refrigerator turns on and off immediately and does not pick up cold.

    1. amaksil1:

      Replace thermostat. The refrigerator does not understand what is the current temperature in the chamber.

  5. Igor:

    There was a problem for 7-8 seconds the refrigerator works then turns off. The reason turned out to be that the relay fell off from the refrigerator and was in an inverted position. I turned the relay over as expected and reattaching it the problem disappeared. That is, the relay must be properly installed. (relay rpz 23)

  6. Alexander:

    I have such a situation - the refrigerator has become louder and turns on with a click, 15 seconds it works and turns off and after 5 minutes the same picture repeats again, the Biryusa refrigerator

  7. Oksana:

    After defrosting the refrigerator, after a while the red light came on, and the compressor starts to work and turns off after a couple of seconds.

    1. amaksil1:

      1. The problem with the thermostat.
      2. Freon leakage or shortage in the system.
      3. Malfunction of the compressor.

      In this order, it is worth looking for the reason. But it is better to call a wizard for diagnostics - it will be cheaper.

  8. Natalia:

    Hello. I have an Atlant refrigerator, at first it did not turn on, they called the master, he replaced the freon, worked well for 3 days, on the 4th it began to turn on for 10 seconds. What is it? The foreman of the same called, he knocked on the compressor and left. Said if it broke down then repairs would be expensive. What to do now ?

    1. amaksil1:

      The problem is most likely in the compressor. And he was right, changing is expensive.

  9. Alexander:

    Good day! Refrigerator BECO. The compressor turns on and runs for 3-4 minutes, after which it turns off .. After 5-7 minutes it starts up again .. The compressor is not very hot to the touch at the time of operation .. Hold it calmly with your hand .. What could be?

    1. amaksil1:

      1. Thermostat
      2. Freon leakage or insufficient amount.
      3. Compressor malfunction (unlikely).

  10. Alexander:

    The thermostat tried to close to a straight line .. No changes ..

  11. Artem:

    Good afternoon, such a problem the refrigerator does not cool well the freezer is also half frozen, the compressor works for 1 minute, and turns off, after 3.3 minutes it turns on again, and so on, what may be, there are no extraneous sounds except for the clicking of the relay on and off?

    1. amaksil1:

      Good afternoon, Artem.They have already answered more than once, this thermostat is malfunctioning, replace it first.

  12. Guillemot:

    Hello
    And I connected directly without a thermostat.
    It still turns on for a few seconds and turns off

    1. amaksil1:

      So it's the compressor. You need a wizard to make a complete diagnosis.

  13. Igor:

    Refrigerator Biryusa 131R does not start, clicks.

    1. amaksil1:

      Check the thermal relay first.

  14. Vlad:

    Hello! The refrigerator turns on and then immediately turns off with a click to indicate

    1. amaksil1:

      Hello.
      The thermostat or compressor is out of order, check it first

  15. Yuri:

    Indesit refrigerator works for 20 minutes, turns off and does not turn on. Replaced timer

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