Things that Go Squeal in the Night Could Be the Circulating Fan in Your Freezer!

One of the problems I encounter when helping people with problems around their homes is that sometimes their interpretation of the problem is not always quite right. Then it becomes an issue between us when I find the real cause, yet they want to cling to the notion that someone at work or the bar had relayed to them. All I can say about that is "where are these mystery people now," and if they know so much why are they not here helping you instead of me?

So once I diagnose a problem it is not without due consideration, as I do not jump to conclusions, and I am very thorough in my troubleshooting. Having been in the field working on many different processes and problems, it becomes sort of second nature to go through a checklist before striking any conclusions. In some ways I am kind of like a detective, asking what I know to be pertinent questions. First thing I like to know is if there is an owners manual for the machine or device that is not working correctly. Many times the answer is hidden in those pages and all you have to do is read the thing to find what is wrong.

So I was called over to my friends house, the one where he really is not handy, and the complaint was that his new - used freezer was making an alarm sound and the temperature would not stay below 10 degrees! He had just bought this used freezer and had no manual. No worries, as that is what the Internet was created for right?
I had him search for a manual while I took a look at the freezer itself. The first thing I noticed was that the "alarming noise" was actually not really an alarm since this model does not have any alarm devices built into it. The second thing I noticed was that he did not have anything in the freezer, and he was expecting the temperature to stay at ten degrees even when he was holding the door open to check on things.

I explained to him how the mass of having things in the freezer would be the most economical way to use this thing. If it is only filled with air, then all your cold air will rush out when you open the door. However if there is some frozen food in there it will store the cold and then freezer will not warm up instantly whenever you open the door.

Next the mystery alarming noise. I checked the temperatures of his refrigerant system and it was hot where it is supposed to be and it was cold where it was supposed to be. The freezer could get down to below zero with no food inside. The only thing I noticed was a vibration inside on the back panel. then it happened, there was this loud squeal for about 45 seconds, then nothing, then the squeal, then nothing. this went on for ten minutes and finally with the door opened I figured out the source of the noise.

There is an air circulation fan under the back wall panel inside the freezer which passes the freezer air over the cold refrigerant coils again and again thus cooling down the freezer air and it's contents. This fan was squealing and also randomly stopping. This would set off a chain of events which causes the compressor to cut off once in a while to prevent an overheating condition. The fan has a single rear bearing which is wearing out. This wobbling fan would then seize up and quit randomly. a new fan is about $25 on E-Bay, and $65 at a local appliance shop. I lubricated the old one with a clear silicone spray until he can afford a new fan.

Access to this fan is through the inside wall, where you have to remove the shelves and then unscrew the back panel from the inside walls of the freezer. This exposes the fan and with two small screws you can remove this motor. The electrical connector is a plug that snaps out and back in easily.

If you are going to try and order parts like this fan all you need are the serial numbers and model numbers off the nameplate of the appliance. The appliance store I deal with has a cross reference system and can get you the exact part for almost any make or model appliance. So do not be too afraid to check out the basic inside workings of your freezer if yo suspect a problem, as it may save you a lot of money on a service call if you can troubleshoot it yourself.

Please let me know if you have any questions about testing or checking out your appliances.

Thanks for reading my articles here on AC-Yahoo!