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Introduction |
The motor in a freezer compressors need a little more power to start up thenthan they do to keep running. They get that extra power through a second coil that is energized when the freezer is first turned on, and then power is cut to that second coil. Once spinning, the motor can keep going with only the first coil. | | | The second coil is controlled by a starter relay. It works with a thermistor - a resistor whose resistance increases once it reaches a certain temperature, thereby cutting current to the starting coil. | | If the starting coil burns out, you might notice your freezer not getting cold while compressor gets warm. Often the thermistor will shatter, and you can hear it rattling around in the relay, but not always. You can check the relay with an ohmmeter. The BQP2-4.7 should read about 4.7 ohms at room temperature. Any other reading means it's probably failed. | | | For whatever reason, it's relatively impossible to get your hands on a BQP2-4.7, so we're going to repair one using parts from an easy to find and inexpensive similar relay - the QP2-4R7. |
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