How to Identify if an LG Refrigerator Linear Compressor is Faulty – Quick Guide

Here are some common signs of a bad compressor of an LG fridge:

Sound

A properly working compressor makes a buzzing sound and clicks on/off during its running. Listen carefully to hear these sounds, if you do not hear them, the compressor may be faulty.
Also, if these on & off clicking becomes too frequent, the compressor may be faulty too.

Operation

The compressor workflow can tell you if it’s bad or not. If your LG compressor is running non-stop, it certainly means that it is broken. Similarly, it’s pretty clear if it’s not running at all, this indicates that the compressor is faulty.
Additionally, if the fridge is not cooling properly, it can also be caused by other components, since other faulty parts can cause the same problem as the compressor.

Temperature

The compressor is hot while running, but it should not overheat. You can touch it with your hand if it is hotter than usual, this is a sign of a malfunction, but be careful to not burn your hand.

How To Fix LG Linear Compressor Fridge When It’s Not Cooling

Check the following to fix an LG linear compressor fridge:

Condenser Coils

Unplug the fridge, disconnect the water supply line, and move the fridge away from the wall. Then, open the bottom rear access panel, where the condenser coils are located.
Use a soft brush to clean them with warm soapy water. Before testing the fridge, make sure the condenser coils are dry.
Dirty condenser coils prevent the dissipation of heat from the refrigerant and reduce its cooling capacity.

Condenser Fan

The condenser fan is located next to the condenser coils and is used to cool down the condenser coils. Turn the fan blades to see if they are moving freely. If they are turning heavily, it means that the fan is faulty and needs to be replaced.
If the blades spin freely, then check the fan motor. Use a multimeter to check for continuity of the fan motor. If it doesn’t have one, then you should replace it.

Evaporator Fan

The evaporator fan is located in the freezer behind a panel. To check its condition unscrew this panel at the rear wall in the freezer.
If there is a frost on this fan, unplug the fridge for some hours to melt that frost. Or you may also use a hairdryer.
However, the fan motor may also be faulty, use a multimeter to check it. It can only be replaced if it’s faulty.
Most of the time it is the frost that prevents the evaporator fan from working, and eventually, the refrigerator will stop cooling.

Start Relay

The start relay is a little box attached to the compressor. The compressor itself located the back panel at the bottom of the refrigerator.
Disconnect this box and shake it to see if it rattles. If it makes a rattling sound, it is most likely faulty.
Also, use a multimeter to check it for continuity.
If the start relay is faulty, it cannot start the compressor to work and leads to the refrigerator warming up.

Temperature Control Thermostat

Firstly, use a multimeter to check the temperature control thermostat for continuity. Notice that the continuity or resistance should change when you are changing the thermostat to different temperature settings. If it remains the same, it means that the thermostat is faulty, and needs to be replaced.
The purpose of the thermostat is to send voltage to the cooling system: to the compressor, evaporator, and condenser fans.
So if the thermostat is faulty, none of these parts will receive voltages to start up. And it leads to the fact that the refrigerator stops cooling.

Thermistor

Just like the other components check the thermistor with a multimeter for continuity.
The purpose of the thermistor is to transmit the results of measuring the temperature inside the refrigerator to the control board. Due to these results, the control panel will regulate the temperature inside the refrigerator.
When the thermistor cannot send signals to the control board, the control board will stop the operation of other components, and as a result, the refrigerator will completely stop cooling.

Compressor

The compressor is located behind the bottom back access panel of your fridge. To get to it, you need to unscrew some screws. Before doing this, don’t forget to unplug your fridge.
Check its electrical pins for continuity. If the test results in an open circuit, it means the compressor is faulty and needs to be replaced.
The compressor is one of the most important parts of the refrigerator and its cooling system. Its main purpose is to compress the refrigerant and circulate it inside the coils. If it doesn’t work, the refrigerator starts to heat up.
However, it’s not the only cause of a non-cooling refrigerator, but we should not overlook it.
Other components that prevent the proper work of the cooling system are temperature control and main control boards, but they are less like to be the culprits.
We recommend leaving these tasks to the discretion of a qualified specialist, as this can be dangerous if you do not have the proper knowledge.
A good technician should quickly handle this problem.