Whirlpool Princess Series Top Mount Refrigerator

[gadgetgary]

Have a second fridge in basement. Went downstairs yesterday and the freezer was not cold...Just cool
Fan motor working
Unplugged and left for a while...still not cooling.
Compressor feels HOT
Fridge is probably 30 yrs old
Any suggestions on problem?

Would like to repair rather than replace so to avoid another vintage appliance in the landfill.

[this post was last edited: 6/24/2016-07:24]

 

[eronie]

Crig

Is condenser coil on the back or underneath?
If underneath is fan there working? Coil covered with dirt- pet hair?

 

[vacerator]

Yep,

that's what I say also. I've seen so much dirt on the condenser fan, it couldn't turn, so the compressor gets hot, and the thermal cut out shuts it off.

 

[combo52]

WP Princess Ref Not Cooling Well

Yes check the condenser and fan if this model has a condenser fan, most Princess refs had a static condenser on the back, in any event check for a heavy frost build-up on the inside rear wall of the freezer section. If it is frosted the ref might be worth fixing as it has a defrost problem, but if everything is working and it is running all the time it has a sealed system problem, Recycle the ref.

 

Refs do not end up in landfill any longer and a ref like this uses 2 to three times as much power as a new one, a new one will also maintain better food temperatures so food will last longer.

 

[DADoES]

 
Can also be a bad compressor start relay. Fixed that on my grandmother's 1984 box, the only repair it had through Dec 2013/May 2014 when she died and the house was sold.  The buyers are still using it last they told me a few months ago.  The replacement relay probably is a substitute that requires a bit of wiring change.

 

[gadgetgary]

Bad compressor

Toast!

 

[gadgetgary]

Suggestions

For a basic downstairs fridge to keep soda, juice, wine etc

Nothing with frills or fancy....

 

[combo52]

A basic Whirlpool Product

Top freezer, 2nd best GE or Frigidaire product, I would buy price and energy efficiency.

 

What went wrong with the compressor on the old one ? usually if they cool at all they are ok, but in any event its not a bad idea to replace a Frost Ref this old.

 

[rp2813]

Kitchen Remodels = Fridge Bonanza

Around here, there are (literally) tons of perfectly good, used refrigerators in working order on CL for FREE.  Anything from basic to full-featured, and new enough to be energy efficient. 

 

It might be worth looking into on your local CL.  This one came up when I checked:

http://hartford.craigslist.org/zip/5636860507.html

 

[ilovewindex]

Our garage fridge is a Roper and it was 7 years old.. Free as free can eb

 

[gadgetgary]

Service call

$90 to come out and tell me it was either a leak or the compressor.
I do not have the means to haul old away or get the new one by myself due to back injury 3 yrs ago.

Would have repaired it, but guess it was too costly.

 

[vacerator]

Our local

power company pays $50 for replacing a non energy saver fridge with a newer one.
At least they were.
Home Depot or elsewhere has sales all the time on appliances. You can get a basic top mount fridge/freezer for under $500, ad they will deliver, and take your old one away. They never even asked if our old one still worked.

 

[goatfarmer]

Ummmm....that 'fridge has to be working, to get the $50.00 from the power company.

 

Set the old one by the road, it will disappear.

 

[ilovewindex]

In San Diego or in Portland thats how you get rid of your dead fridge..Call the power company and have the delivery people leave it in your cat port

 

[polkanut]

Gary,

Put an ad on CL for the scrappers to come and get it out of the house for you.  Be sure to mention it's free for the hauling.

 

I also would look on CL for a good used replacement.  Much more reasonable than buying new, and you're preventing a perfectly good appliance from possibly ending up being trashed.

 

[rp2813]

Gary, since you need to outsource the removal of the old fridge and installation of the new one, you might consider visiting used appliance shops to find a suitable replacement.  They'll likely deliver and install the new fridge and perhaps haul the Princess away.