broken fridge question

[rainy32]

Hi - I'm trying to figure out what will be the most frugal/cost effective way to fix my fridge.

It seems to be broken .. .the freezer is way too cold and the bottom/fridge is too warm. I think it is the compressor that is broken, based on sounds it made and is no longer making. It is no longer warrantied - its an 8 year old Kenmore.

So, Sears will either: 1) let me pay $251 for unlimited parts/support/fixing for an entire year on the thing, and if its too broke to fix, they'll give me a voucher for $500 towards a new fridge. OR 2) let me pay as I go, at about $65 an hour for service + parts.

Any idea how much a compressor + labor would cost? Is it more cost effective to buy the service plan??

Thanks, Rainy

[wednesday2004]

My fridge was that way most of the summer until the landlord finally got someone to look at it. He claims it was the seal that wasn't tight enough and leaked air. There were gaps in it though so maybe he was right. I took all the food out and put in a cooler and shut off the fridge overnight to defrost(he also claimed there was frost buildup in something in the back). After that I got a toddler refridgerator lock to hold it shut tight because it still leaked air after the repair guy 'fixed' the seal, he didn't get the ok from landlord to replace it. It's actually been working pretty good now.

[rainy32]

thanks for the reply!

its not the seal, its not the cooling element - its either the fan or the compressor. BUT it seems to be working today -- its : in there

[UptownZoo]

If the freezer is cold, it's probably not the compressor. If you can take the covers off, you could try cleaning the fan and vents. Sometimes something catches in the fan, or a little ice gets in there and clogs up the works.

[oneKnight]

If it's cold, it's NOT the compressor.
It's most likely freezing up in the back, like a pp mentioned, and being warm yesterday allowed it to thaw out. My sister's BF used to work on appliances and that sounds exactly like a situation he described about a frozen up freezer. Hopefully it's thawed enough to solve the problem. Good luck!