KitchenShows up, but not every week
Refrigerator
Also called fridge, freezer.
A sealed refrigerant system you do not cut, plus a few honest parts: fans, a door switch, a lamp, a start relay. The compressor is not a vacuum pump you can liberate.
A donor is the dead machine. The parts below are what is still worth removing from it. “Leave it” is a part that is physically in there and should stay in there: too dangerous, too worn, or only useful as part of a repair you are not doing.
A scrapped machine is a box of parts that failed at different times. The reason it was thrown out is often one bad piece. The motor, the cord, the supply, and the screws are frequently still good. This index says which is which.
Why it is in the trash while the parts are not
A dead compressor or a leak. The fans and the door switch did not cause that.
Before you open it
Do this while it is still unplugged, cool, and not leaking. Unplug. Do not cut tubing. The start relay unplugs from the compressor pins without opening the system.
Where the dead machine usually is
- Kitchen — In the house
- Bulk trash day — Curb
- Remodel and construction dumpster — Curb
Many places require certified recovery before the carcass is scrap. Do not cut the lines to make it easier to move.
How it comes apart
Rear lower cover for the relay and the condenser fan. Interior lamp and door switch are obvious.
Tools: Nut driver, Meter.
What to take
The table is the short version. The notes under it describe that part inside this machine, not only the general description.
| Part | Call | How many | How often | Where to look |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaded-pole motor | Worth pulling | 1–2 | usually | Evaporator and condenser fans. |
| Safety interlock | Worth pulling | 1 | always | Door. |
| Indicator LED | Bonus | 1 | usually | The lamp. |
| Signal relay | Bonus | 1 | usually | Start relay on the compressor. |
| NTC thermistor | Bonus | 1 | sometimes | Electronic control models. |
| Enclosure | Leave it | 1 | always | The cabinet. |
Worth pulling
Small mains or DC fans, model depending.
Evaporator and condenser fans.
The evaporator fan is behind the inside panel.
Good.
Turns the lamp off. Sometimes a reed.
Door.
Take the magnet too if it is a reed.
Good.
Bonus
Or a mains incandescent appliance bulb, which is not a general LED.
The lamp.
Read the base.
Good.
A PTC or a current relay. Useful only if you understand compressor starts. It is not a general relay.
Start relay on the compressor.
Unplug it. Do not unseat the compressor pipes.
PTCs fail open and are a common fridge fault.
A thermistor on the evaporator.
Electronic control models.
Calibrate.
Good.
Leave it
Insulation and a refrigerant loop.
The cabinet.
Recycle properly.
Not an enclosure.