KitchenAid side-by-side refrigerator parts

How to fix common cooling problems in your KitchenAid refrigerator

• If you can’t hear your refrigerator running, the first thing you need to do is check for power. Open the refrigerator door and see if the light turns on. If the light doesn’t turn on, check the power cord and the outlet. Obviously, you’ll want to make sure that the refrigerator is plugged in and that the power cord isn’t damaged. Then make sure that the electrical outlet is working by plugging in a lamp or some other appliance. If your outlet isn't working, you’ll need to have it repaired by a qualified electrician.
• If the refrigerator is running, check whether containers are blocking air flow at the vents; the owner's manual usually shows where the vents are.
• The next thing you will want to check for is excessive frost built up on the evaporator, which can inhibit cooling. You may need to troubleshoot issues with the automatic defrost system if the evaporator is caked with frost. Replacing the defrost heater or the defrost bi-metal thermostat may fix the cooling problem.

Common repair parts for KitchenAid side-by-side refrigerators

• Compressor. The compressor is a positive displacement pump rotated by an electric motor. The compressor receives low-pressure refrigerant gas from the evaporator and rotates to compress that refrigerant to a high-pressure gas that moves through the condenser. The refrigerant gets hot when compressed by the compressor pump. The condenser is a heat exchanger that removes heat from the refrigerant gas and condenses it into a high-pressure liquid refrigerant. The high-pressure liquid refrigerant flows through the expansion device and into the evaporator that's at low pressure. The high-pressure refrigerant expands and evaporates. It absorbs the latent heat of vaporization as it changes from a liquid to a gas, which causes the cooling action in the evaporator. The refrigerant flows through the evaporator and back to the compressor where the cycles starts over.
• Compressor start relay. The compressor start relay starts the compressor and shuts off the compressor if the motor overheats. Replace the start relay if it's defective.
• Condenser fan. The condenser fan is in the machine compartment of your refrigerator next to the compressor. It moves air across the condenser coils to help cool the hot refrigerant coming out of the compressor. The refrigerant is cooled before it moves through the expansion device and into the evaporator.
• Defrost heater. The refrigerator defrost heater melts frost from the freezer’s evaporator fins. Replace the defrost heater if it doesn't heat when activated.
• Defrost timer. The defrost timer is an electro-mechanical timer that controls the intervals between automatic defrost cycles in your refrigerator. The defrost timer motor runs and moves the components in the device. When the contacts for the defrost cycle are engaged, the compressor stops and the defrost heater turns on briefly to melt frost from the evaporator fins. Removing the frost promotes a more efficient exchange of heat across that component. When the fins are defrosted, the contacts disengage, allowing normal cooling in the refrigerator.