The water filter is the part on your refrigerator that removes impurities from the water used in the refrigerator's water dispenser or icemaker. There are two basic types of refrigerator water filters:
- fiber water filter
- carbon/charcoal water filter
Fiber water filters are less effective than carbon/charcoal water filters at filtering out chemicals. Fiber water filters use a tightly wrapped paper/fiber media to trap particles. Charcoal is made mostly of pure carbon and is naturally very porous. This creates a large, absorbent surface area that can efficiently remove substances such as chlorine from water.
A refrigerator water filter will eventually become saturated with contaminants. For that reason, you should change your refrigerator's water filter every six months or so. If you've installed a new refrigerator carbon water filter, flush two or three gallons of water through the filter before use to eliminate any carbon residue.
The condenser is a part of your refrigerator's cooling system. The condenser is typically a black, radiator-like grid of zig-zag shaped coils. The condenser coils are often found on the back of the refrigerator or beneath the refrigerator, though sometimes they're near the compressor or in the refrigerator liner.
The refrigerator condenser is named for its job, which is to condense the high-pressure refrigerant gas coming from the compressor into a liquid through a process of heat transference with the surrounding air. The heat given off by the condensed refrigerant is dissipated into the outside air with the assistance of a condenser fan.
Refrigerator condensers tend to pick up a lot of dust, which inhibits their efficiency. To keep your refrigerator condenser running properly, you should clean it every six months or so with a cleaning brush or vacuum brush attachment. Place cardboard on the floor before moving the refrigerator, and unplug it before cleaning.
Refrigerator water inlet valves are electro-mechanical parts that allow water to flow into a refrigerator. A water inlet valve is also known as a fill valve or water valve, and is referred to as a single water valve or dual water valve depending on whether it supplies the refrigerator's water dispenser, icemaker, or both.
When a person uses a refrigerator's water dispenser, an electric current creates a magnetic field in the solenoid coil, which causes a metallic plunger to open the water inlet valve. Water passes from a supply line through the water valve and an attached tube and into a container in the refrigerator, where it is chilled. New water displaces stored water so that a drink from a refrigerator's water dispenser will always be chilled.
Door gaskets are the refrigerator parts that keep the cold air in and the warm air out. The door gasket, also known as a door seal, is a long strip of flexibly, rubbery tubing attached to the inside edge of the refrigerator door. Door gaskets contain magnets that hold the door closed and maintain a tight air seal. Screws hold the refrigerator door gasket and door lining in place and keep the door square.
The door gasket is one of the simplest refrigerator parts, but is also very important. A damaged door gasket or refrigerator door out of square can cause a refrigerator to work much harder to maintain its set temperature. If your refrigerator door gasket is damaged, replace it quickly.
To check if your refrigerator door gasket is sealing properly, close the refrigerator door on a single piece of paper. When you pull the paper from the door, you should feel a slight resistance from the door gasket.
Defrost thermostats are the refrigerator parts that regulate the activity of the automatic defrost system's heater. They're sometimes referred to as defrost terminators or defrost limit switches. The defrost thermostat is a bi-metal switch that opens and closes the electrical circuit to the defrost heater during defrost mode. When the defrost timer indicates defrost mode, the electrical circuit opens, permitting the defrost heater to start. The metal in the defrost thermostat curls as it heats, until eventually it closes, breaking the electrical circuit and preventing the defrost heater from overheating.
If you need to locate your refrigerator's defrost thermostat, look for a round object about 3/4-inch thick with two protruding wires. If your refrigerator is a top freezer model, the defrost thermostat may be under the freezer floor. On a side-by-side refrigerator/freezer, the defrost thermostat is usually in the back of the freezer.
Defrost timers are the refrigerator parts that control the length and regularity of your refrigerator's defrost cycle. Like an electro-mechanical clock, the defrost timer is advancing 24/7. Every six to eight hours or so, the defrost timer shuts off the refrigerator's cooling system and starts the defrost heater. The defrost cycle typically lasts 20 to 30 minutes, ending when either the specified time on the defrost timer has elapsed or the defrost thermostat gets hot enough to shut down the defrost heater.
A defrost timer can be found in four places in a refrigerator:
- behind the freezer's front grill
- behind a cover plate inside the freezer
- in the temperature control console
- behind the freezer near the compressor
If a defrost timer goes bad, the refrigerator will be unable to switch from cooling to defrost mode or vice versa. To test a refrigerator defrost timer, turn the timer switch clockwise until it clicks.
Cold controls are the refrigerator parts that help maintain a preset temperature in your refrigerator. The cold control of a refrigerator is often referred to as its thermostat. A cold control could be a manual slide or electronic touchpad. In some refrigerators, the cold control is simply a numbered rotary dial that opens or closes vents between the refrigerator and freezer.
A true refrigerator thermostat controls the flow of electricity to the compressor. When the cold control senses that cooling is necessary and the refrigerator is not in defrost mode, it triggers the compressor. The compressor changes refrigerant from a low-pressure state to a high-pressure state, which transfers heat from the refrigerator to the outside air. The cold control cycles the compressor off when the refrigerator's internal temperature is sufficiently cold.
If for any reason you need to test your refrigerator's cold control, unplug the refrigerator before doing so.
Evaporator fans are the refrigerator parts sometimes used in defrost systems to eliminate water. A refrigerator's evaporator fan is located at the back of the freezer. When a refrigerator's freezer goes into defrost mode, the defrost heater melts any frost or ice that has accumulated on the cooling coils. The resulting water collects in a drain pan and evaporates as the evaporator fan blows warm air created by the compressor motor's operation. In some defrost systems the drain pan is located directly on top of the compressor.
There are two common problems associated with evaporator fans. If the evaporator fan motor stops running, excessive amounts of frost will build up in the freezer. A noisy refrigerator often means that the evaporator fan/evaporator fan motor needs to be replaced. This manifests as a chirping or whistling sound that gets louder when you open the refrigerator freezer door.
Augers are the refrigerator parts that push ice toward the ice dispenser. Augers are the reason an ice dispenser makes noise when you operate it. An auger is a rotating device with screw threads. The power to make crushed ice is provided by the auger motor as it pushes ice forward. So when you operate a refrigerator's ice dispenser, you'll hear the auger turning and the ice being crushed (provided you didn't want uncrushed ice cubes).