Compressor Start Relay

On the compressor are two components. The first is the start relay which allows voltage to pass through to the compressor when it's called to run by the thermostat. The second is the thermal override which protects the compressor by shutting it down when over heated. Both are plugged into the three compressor power prongs. Thermal is plug ... Read more ged into the top prong, starter relay to the two lower prongs. To start the repair, pull the two wire leads off of the components. Take a pair of needle nose pliers and gently pull out the starter relay. Next pull out the thermal override. Make sure the compressor windings aren't bad by testing the leads with an ohm meter. There are how to's on the web but basically place the ohm meter in its lowest setting and take a reading between the two bottom prongs. Write this number down. It should have a resistance of about 10.5 ohms. Next, take a reading between the top and bottom left prongs and then do the same on the right side. Add the left and right reading together and they should equal the initial reading that you took across the bottom prongs (10.5ohms) or so. If not, your compressor is the issue. If all tests out OK, replace the start relay in the reverse order of disassembly. The switchout takes all of 15 minutes to perform. Made my freezer like new.