I think we over-rely on those fancy multimeter tests for compressor starts

Been repairing fridges for about 8 years now, and I keep seeing guys online swear by checking start winding resistance to the hundredth of an ohm. In my experience, that method has let me down more often than not. I had a Whirlpool side-by-side last month where the meter said the compressor was fine, but the damn thing wouldn't kick on no matter what. I ended up swapping in a 3-in-1 start kit on a hunch, and it fired right up. That same thing happened maybe 5 times in the last 2 years where the numbers looked perfect but the compressor was still bad. I think we spend too much time chasing exact readings when a simple amperage draw test or seeing if it hums tells you more. Has anyone else had better luck just trusting the old-school methods over the digital stuff?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_mary21d ago

Old school humming test tells you way more than a meter ever will.

waderamirez21d ago

Heard a tech say once he trusts the hum test way more than any meter reading.

garcia.wren21d ago

Trust your ears over a meter every time.