Research the model no. and if you find that it is a troublesome unit, kick it to the curb. However, in that same search you will find fixes — there are always fixes. Some better than others. 2015 ought to have some kind of control board and these get parted out and/or refurbished by the eBay types.

Good idea. I’ll have to pay the $100 diagnostic fee and hope for the best. If a $2k refrigerator craps out after 3.5 years, I won’t be parting it out, I will be leaving it at the doorstep of my local Sears...

Feel your pain but....


Are there still Sears retail locations open? I thought they were done

Yep, my 30 cu ft Kenmore Elite is 4 years old and has died 3 times.
I paid for the extended warranty. Last month it got a new compressor.

Every time it is about a week before they can send a tech out, then they have to order parts and that is usually another week,

The last 2 times it went out I go to Craigslist and buy a temporary fridge for under $100 then re-sell it when they fix it. Such a pain in the ass.

Most all Sears in So Cal are still here.

Not the main stores - but the hardware, appliance centers all are...

If I was King I'd force all manufacturers to recycle their appliances that are more expensive to repair than to replace.

Is the compressor cycling at all? If so I'd guess it's tripping on a pressure switch. Could be stuck in a defrost cycle if the unit has defrost for the freezer??

THe compressor runs constantly.

Its not stuck on defrost (my first thought) because the defrost heater is room temp. The evaporator coils are also room temp.

Any oily residue around the compressor or solder joints.

Nope. No evidence of leaking at all.

Does it run on 134a?

We got a commercial pepsi cooler a few weeks back on craigslist. Was cold when we got it, wasn't when we got it home....

Replaced all the electrics for $20 off Amazon, nada....

Got a $4 bullet piercing valve, tapped into the copper fill line on the compressor, added 3-4 oz of 134a, and bingo, runs icy cold.

Look it up on youtube, for $20 or so, you could fix it.

Good luck

Really strange! If it's low on gas the compressor should cycle off of the pressure switch.

(note: Out of habit I was mistakenly calling R134A "freon" which is actually R12. My mistake.)

AFAIK almost all the consumer goods and autos have been switched from R12(w/chlorine) to R134A by the year 2010 or so.
https://refrigeranthq.com/r-134a-refrigerant-history/

R134A is made of smaller molecules and will leak out of R12 systems.
R134A is not as efficient and needs higher pressures to produce the same results.

sometime if you flip it upside down
that will clear an oil clog and or get the gas/liquid back where it needs to be
the drill is flip it for an hour then back rightside up DONOT TURN IT ON right a way

let it sit for another hour or longer so it gets back to normal then plug in and see if it will cool
maybe voodoo but I have seen it work esp if the unit was moved or laid down

I have heard of this for an RV fridge (absorption refrigerator) but never for a normal vapour compression cycle refrigerator. For an RV refrigerator, that can help get the absorbent, refrigerant and assist gas back where they belong. You still need to know where to start.

As a side note. the compressor is mounted on springs inside the "can". Transporting a fridge on the side or back might result in a compressor that clunks on startup and shutdown. I wouldn't advise flipping your refrigerator upside down.

THe whole thing is weird.

I didn't find any electronically actuated valves.. ...and all the mecanical bits appear to be doing what they are supposed to. ...and the only moving part you can't see is the compressor because its sealed.

So my guess is the compressor is running, but its not functioning somehow. Bad "piston" or some such.

A pressure test would eliminate that factor.
Low refrigerant will freeze up the expansion valve, but it has to start working first.

Liquid oil can clog but it's supposed to drain back after a few hours.

My guess now is that the delivery guys transported it on its side, liquid oil instead of oil vapor got into the compressor, it hydro-locked somewhat when they dumped it into place it and immediately plugged it in, and so the compressor pump eventually broke internally as you mentioned.

That or there is a leak somewhere.

Its been working for 3.5 years though?

A compressor is basically a pump, so it can still run but not actually compress the Freon. I suspect that’s what is going on here, and unfortunately it requires you to cut out and re-solder in a new compressor.