Thanks Steve. I had one very poorly worded response. A more detailed process would be:
See if refer cools on either gas or electric. If so the cooling unit is likely good. If it doesn't cool on either then there are a couple of options. One is a faulty control board/thermostat. If the gas or electric element are actually running for extended periods without the refer cooling, the control board and thermostat are likely not the problem and the cooling unit is the likely suspect. The electric element is the best test since if it gets hot and stays hot you can virtually eliminate everything but the cooling unit where a gas flame could be present and still not providing much heat if the ventilation is not good.
Certainly the smell of ammonia is typically associated with the loss of ammonia. Also check for a yellowish green powder on the back side of the refer. That would also indicate a hole in the cooling unit.
A loud gurgling sound may also be present when the cooling unit has a leak although when most of the ammonia has escaped that will stop. A plugged coil can stop the circulation of the ammonia and result in loss of cooling.
|