Condenser Fan

Your refrigerator draws heat from the freezer section's evaporator coils and dumps it out into the ambient air from the condenser coils.The evaporator coils, the compressor and the condenser coils arefilled with refrigerant (R-12) gas. The compressor is the "heat pump". Itdraws the expanded gas from the evaporator coils and compresses itinto a saturated liquid and gas which is pumped into the condenser coils. The saturated gas entering the condenser coils is hot (over120 deg F) and under pressure. As the gas moves through the coils itgives up its heat by radiating it to the cooler ambient air outsidethe coils. The condenser fan speeds up the radiation of heat byblowing ambient air over the condenser coils. In fact, if thecondenser fan doesn't help move the warm air away from the coilsunderneath the refrigerator, the freezer section won't get much belowfreezing. The following diagram shows the condensor coils along withthe compressor and the condenser fan on the bottom of a refrigerator.

The condenser fan motor bearings frequently seize up. Put yourhand down at either end of the kick plate down under the refrigeratordoor and feel for moving air when the compressor is running. If thecondenser fan is not moving air, pull the rifrigerator out away fromthe wall and remove the rear access cover. Check to make sure nopaper or insulation has captured the fan blade. If the fan blade isnot moving, turn it over with your finger to see it will turn again.Even though you can get the fan to turn again, you will need to get anew fan motor because the next time it stops it will just stickagain.

I stock a Whirlpool part no. 833697 condenser fan motor because it has a 1 foot long power cord that be spliced into just about any fridge wiring and a GE part no. WR60X177 motor because it has a set of male spade lugs that will accept female spade terminals. All of the motors turn clockwise and have 3 mounting holes separated by 120 degrees around the motor housing base to attach to a mounting bracket as shown in the diagram to the right:

Unplug the refrigerator. Disconnect or cut the condenser fan wires. Remove the three brackets with the motor. It is easier to reattach the brackets to the new motor when they are out of the refrigerator. Remove the brackets from the old motor and mount them on the new motor. Move the fan blade to the new motor. Remount the condenser fan assembly back in the refrigerator and reconnect the wiring. Plug the refrigerator back in and verify that the fan works properly.

Reinstall the rear access panel as it is necessary for proper air circulation through the condenser coil!