Fridge-freezer problem

[justnod]

Hi - I'm not an electrician but I have done wiring etc in the past so I'm not a complete novice.

I own a rental property and the tenants reported that the fridge-freezer was tripping the RCD. I verified this (it tripped within a second or two each time), brought it home and left it for a few weeks. I plugged it into a portable plug-in circuit-breaker that I use in the garden. It worked fine for a few mins (light on and could hear motor) but then tripped.

Any suggestions as to what the problem might be - is it worth repairing?

Many thanks.

 

[telectrix]

need to IR test the f/f. probably the compressor at fault. if it's an oldish appliance, bin it.

 

[Marnik]

Depends on wether it's a frost-free one or standard.
If its frost-free it could be; de-frost element,fan motor,de-frost timer or compressor
if standard , then more than likely compressor.

 

[Marvo]

As Marnik says it could be any of the electrical components. If you've checked the obvious such as damaged trailing cable, plug fitted correctly and no visible moisture anywhere electrical then you'll need to get an electrician who's handy with a Mega tester. He'll need to test to find the fault and isolate the individual areas to localise it. It's a -----up whether you should take it to a refrigeration specialist, some of the modern fridges are not straight forward to dismantle so an electrician with no domestic refrigeration experience might struggle.

 

[justnod]

Thanks for the replies. I may bin it!

 

[RogertheBodger]

Thanks for the replies. I may bin it!

Against the potential cost of repairing it, that could well be the most sensible option, if it's not a really expensive model.