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Broken mini-fridge?

DeathPrawnDeathPrawn Registered User regular
edited April 2008 in Help / Advice Forum
In my dorm, I've got a standard-issue mini-fridge, like you're likely to find in any college dorm room. It's a Chefmate, and is roughly a cubic yard. It's been working like a charm for nearly a year, but two days ago it started growling at me. I took out all the food, and it turns out that the fan on the back inside wall is making a rumbling noise when it's on, like the blades are hitting something. I unplugged the fridge, poked around the fan with a screwdriver, and turned it on again. It was fine. A day later, it started making the same noise again. Repeat the same procedure.

There doesn't look like there's anything the fan blades could be hitting - there's a plastic square that encapsulates the fan (looks like a PC fan). On the back side of the fan (towards the back of the fridge) there's an ice-like substance and in the front there's a metal grating that's screwed in. The fan still makes the noise when the grating has been removed.

Anyone have any ideas how to fix it?

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Posts

  • RuckusRuckus Registered User regular
    edited April 2008
    It's most likely the fan motor dying, bearings probably. You may be able to talk to somebody at an appliance repair company about replacement parts, just get the model number of the fridge and the fan motor if possible.

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  • CrashtardCrashtard Registered User regular
    edited April 2008
    It could be that there is ice built up inside the fan and the blades are hitting the ice. This happens with the fridge where I work from time to time.

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  • AtomBombAtomBomb Registered User regular
    edited April 2008
    Probably what Crashtard said. I've also seen things where the fan develops a wobble at certain speeds so that the banging into stuff can be intermittent.

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  • amateurhouramateurhour One day I'll be professionalhour The woods somewhere in TennesseeRegistered User regular
    edited April 2008
    When a store in the mall closed they sold off all their stuff, including the mini fridge in the back and I bought it for $10. I took it home, cleaned it out with clorox wipes, and then used hot water and scraper to clear out all the ice that had built up, you have to do that with a mini fridge every year or so or it builds up a huge layer of ice. (usually just on the cheaper models)

    I'd clear out all the ice and gunk and then see if it still doesn't work.

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Penny Arcade Forums› Help / Advice Forum