# Our LG fridge died and not sure if it can be repaired



## timbo59 (Mar 16, 2010)

Not sure what we’re supposed to do with our current refrigerator situation.

Our LG (Model LMX25964ST), which was only five years old or thereabouts, stopped working last week in terms of keeping the refrigerator cold. We first noticed it as ice-cream in the freezer started going soft and eventually we had to take everything out and stash it all in a number of coolers filled with ice. 

Our regular repair guy couldn’t make it out but recommended his brother, who seemed a nice enough guy and said straight up over the phone that it was probably a Freon issue resulting from a leak and that LG’s are really bad for the problem. In fact he was really down on LG (and Samsung) over the poor quality of their white goods. Eventually he came out, took a look at the back, and pointed out how one of the metal pipes visible at the bottom should have been hot as per normal operation but was in fact cool to the touch, which he said confirmed that it was out of Freon. Cut a long story short, he said it was pointless trying to fix it because it would be near impossible to try and trace the leak within the fridge, while also saying that while he could reload the gas (for about $200) he couldn’t guarantee whether it would last for a week, a month, or a year. So basically he said our still reasonably new (I think five years for white goods is in the realm of being still fairly new!) was now a throwaway, which left us gobsmacked – the idea that it couldn’t be repaired never even occurred to us. I thought any appliance could be repaired within reason.

If it really can’t be fixed I have to say that I’m very disappointed with LG in spending so much money on something that barely lasted five years. Funny enough we had also called a couple of other appliance people while waiting for this guy to get back to us and both of them said they wouldn’t work on LG refrigerators. 

Any thoughts on whether we should get a second opinion to see if it can be repaired, or does it sound like it is dead?


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## stick\shift (Mar 23, 2015)

We don't buy expensive units like that but our process is to clean the coils and if it works, great. If not, we replace.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Anything can be fixed with enough money but should it.
At best when fixed you still have used fridge. So check the used prices and see what you fridge would be worth after it is fixed.

I went thru the same thing with a dishwasher I bought a used one half the age of mine for half the price of the part to repair mine.


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## timbo59 (Mar 16, 2010)

Okay, let me rephrase. For those with the appropriate expertise in appliance repair, does it sound like the repair guy was on the money in his assessment, or should we get another opinion before we throw away a $2000 fridge that might only need a few hundred dollars worth of repairs? He did say something about the option of replacing the compressor etc and recharging the fridge with Freon for $800, bit it seemed at odds with his earlier point that he couldn't be sure where the leak was coming from. He didn't seem that keen on doing it.


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## KHouse75 (May 14, 2008)

Unless you somehow physically damaged the refrigeration lines, it's most likely not a refrigerant leak.

I've seen refrigerators stop working abruptly for a number for reason...Paper fell behind the fridge and got caught in the cooling fan, compressor capacitor went bad, temperature sensor bad or damaged, bad inverter board, etc.

Have you looked at the back of the fridge to see if the it's blocked by dust or anything else? You may have to remove the cover at the bottom to look.

Can you hear the compressor trying to start over and over or can you hear the compressor running?

I'm not familiar with your model but I'll see I can pull up a diagram.

I've also seen quick power outages to cause them to turn off cooling. Usually unplugging for a few seconds and plugging back in clears the issue.


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## KHouse75 (May 14, 2008)

I did some research and I'm seeing a lot of people referencing a bad condenser fan motor. This is in the back of the fridge behind the lower cover on the right side. Upon visual diagnosis, you should see fan spinning if the compressor is running. You might be able to see if through the cover without removing it.

There's also the evaporator fan which is what circulated the air inside the fridge. You can tell it's working is you feel air blowing through the vents inside.

This site may help: LG Refrigerator not cooling LMX25964ST


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## timbo59 (Mar 16, 2010)

Thanks KHouse - I'll take a look and get back to you. Appreciate you going to the trouble of checking the diagram. 

Another point - we do get outage all the time here, usually for just a few seconds, sometimes longer. I'm always telling my wife how third world it feels having clocks, computers etc, constantly knocked out by the temporary outages.


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## BayouRunner (Feb 5, 2016)

Get a different servicer. Your guy is off the mark. A lot of people say something like it's crap when they don't know what to do. Your refrigerator is still under warranty! You will need a copy of your receipt. He could have put a tap on there and charged you up to hold you over until your parts came in. Your labor is not covered or refrigerant. It only takes 5 ounces so your not talking about much. I can't say how much your labor would be. LG has either a 7 year or 10 year sealed system parts warranty. Depending on your model. You can google it by typing your model number and add the word warranty and click on the Lg link that pops up


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## timbo59 (Mar 16, 2010)

Oh really? We thought it was five years, and as we're now into our 6th year of ownership we thought we were dead in the water. 

I'll definitely chase them up about it, even though I'm about to take a look at the system anyway based on what I was told by the other poster. 

Thanks for the heads up. Appreciated.


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## ktkelly (Apr 7, 2007)

10 year warranty on the compressor.

Family member just went through this with LG. You will need to pay the labor, but the parts ARE covered under warranty.


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## timbo59 (Mar 16, 2010)

Problem may be the receipts. We typically keep everything for about 5 years for IRS audit purposes, then throw them out. I may try and swing round to Home Depot (where we bought it) and see if they have some kind of record of the transaction. We also paid by credit card, so maybe that will help.


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

Two most common problems are dirty coils or not working evap fan.

Sometimes the fan is dead and other times it is frozen in a block of ice where the defrost cycle failed to melt it all.

Modern fridges are computer driven. The first thing I would do is reboot it by unplugging it for at least 30 minutes. A fast reboot does not always clear any error codes.

An electric leaf blower makes a mess but cleans the hard to get at coils on modern units.

As mentioned above you verify compressor running and condenser fan working. Modern evap fans (inside the unit) are virtually silent, only run when the compressor is running, and may not run at all unless the door switch is in the closed position.


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## timbo59 (Mar 16, 2010)

Thanks guys. I've been too busy today to get to work on the fridge but I will get to it tomorrow - it's sitting in the middle of our foyer at the moment where I stashed it after buying the new unit. So as far as the point about resetting it is concerned it's fine - it's been unplugged for a few days now. 

One piece of good news. I went to HD and they were able to provide receipts. We bought the fridge in late 2011, so it does get in as far as those 7 year and 10 year warranties are concerned for those specific parts mentioned - if that's the problem.


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## Druidia (Oct 9, 2011)

A freezer not cooling could also be a defrost system problem. 

Symptoms:
1. Stops cooling. Everything thaws/melts. 
2. When you unplug for a day then plug back in, the freezer starts cooling again. This lasts for a day or two. 
3. Repeat 1 and 2. 

In step 1 - When you take a look at the evaporator coils, they're completely covered in ice blocking airflow (hence why freezer stops cooling). 

In step 2 - When you unplug and let a day pass, the ice on the coils melt allowing air flow again. When you power up, freezer will cool again. 

Fix is replacing any or all of these - defrost timer, heater, thermostat.


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## timbo59 (Mar 16, 2010)

As far as that last point is concerned I've been down that route before with another fridge and actually took out the back to get rid of the ice myself. I was going to give that a try but the repair guy claimed that he could tell straight away that it wasn't the issue - though I'm really questioning the guy's judgement altogether now! 

I'm going to plug the fridge in before I go to bed so that it should be nice and cold in the morning if a reset is all that was needed.


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## Druidia (Oct 9, 2011)

When my fridge died, I spent a week or two observing the symptoms so I had an idea what's wrong with it. 

So, when I called the repair guy, I had a detailed report of what's happening with it. 

Replacing all 3 defrost problem parts + labor ($312) was certainly a lot cheaper than replacing the power module ($2000+) or the whole fridge ($7000+, no we didn't buy it. It came with the condo.). 

My sister-in-law went all panicky when her fridge died, immediately called a repair guy and ended up buying a new $7000+ fridge. To be fair though, she had guests coming in a few days - so a lot of pressure makes you spend immediately.


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