- Appliance
- Integrated panel-ready built-in refrigerator
- Symptom
- Stopped cooling completely
- Resolution
- Compressor, evaporator and heat exchanger replaced
- Location
- Madison Park, Seattle
What the customer reported
The refrigerator stopped cooling outright. With a panel-ready unit built into the cabinetry, replacement would have meant rebuilding the surrounding cabinetwork, so the repair was worth doing properly.
What we found
This was not a single-part failure. The compressor had gone, and inspection of the sealed system showed the evaporator and heat exchanger also needed replacing — putting a new compressor onto compromised components would have bought a few months at most.
What we did
Replaced the compressor, evaporator and heat exchanger, evacuated and recharged the sealed system, and ran an extended cool-down to verify temperatures across both compartments before closing the cabinet back up.
Why this happens
When a compressor fails it can push debris through the system, and whatever it leaves behind will kill the next compressor too. Doing the sealed system as one job is more work up front and the only version that lasts.