refridgerator won't cool after storing for two years

[redi]

Probably not the ideal place to ask, but after having stored a nearly new full-sized sxs refrigerator for a couple years (during house construction) in climate controlled storage, moving it into our finished garage and letting it settle, it won't cool.

Anyone have any tips on determining the a fix? The think had almost no use on it before storage.

Thanks.

 

[Bucko]

I would take the back panel off and check for any rodent damaged wires or possibly a loose connection from the moving.
Also did the doors need to be removed? Alot of new refrigerators have connections to the door panels and may not of been reconnected because the person that removed them before assumed it would need to be done to move it into the new home. My last house I had to pull the doors to get it out but the new house had double doors.

 

[Milton Shaw]

Check and make sure the fan underneath and inside are working. Check door connections and then see if compressor is running by checking for vibration and heat difference in inlet and outlet pipes. May need a refrigerant charge as two years even a bubble a month would loose enough to keep it from working.

 

[acer66]

I once found a mouse stuck in a fan which was the reason the fridge did not cool properly anymore.

 

[BillK]

Does it run at all ? Maybe the thermostat stuck from sitting ? You just need to get the wiring diagram out and do some basic troubleshooting.

 

[James-W]

The defrost timer may be stuck in the defrost mode. If it is, the refrigerator will not cool because the compressor will not turn on until the defrost timer takes the refrigerator out of the defrost cycle. If the compressor is running but still no cooling, it is likely you have a sealed system leak. If that is the case, the Freon has leaked out of the system and it will not cool. Adding more Freon is not the answer, the leak must be found and repaired. Once the leak is repaired the correct amount of Freon can be added and the repair job is complete.

 

[BukitCase]

Agree with James W - also, if it worked up til getting stored, odds are the leak is very small AND most likely on the LOW pressure side.
A very small leak would not get noticed during normal operation, because it's so small AND there's almost NO pressure differential between the low side and atmosphere... Steve

 

[Paco Pena]

Did you check for power at the outlet? I only ask because I have been there myself. I always check for power now on anything that doesnt run.

Paco

 

[James-W]

Did you check for power at the outlet? I only ask because I have been there myself. I always check for power now on anything that doesn't run.

Paco

That's not a bad idea, it is always best to be sure there is power available at the outlet. But in this case if the outlet were dead the refrigerator inside light bulb wouldn't be working and because there is no light he would know right away there was no power at the outlet. Also, he didn't say the refrigerator wouldn't run, he said it wouldn't cool. Apparently it is running, just not cooling.

 

[bigdav160]

Refrigerant leaked out. Specifically at the connection of the (aluminum) evaporator and the (copper) lines.