Appliance Spares
Quick answer: Work through a fridge checklist in this order: temperature with a thermometer, settings, door seal, clearance and coils, then listen for the fans and the compressor, then look for frost behind the freezer panel. Most faults show up in the first six checks, which cost nothing. The parts that follow are the condenser fan, the evaporator fan, the thermostat or sensor, the defrost heater and the start relay, each matched by the model number on your sticker.
Westinghouse Fridge Condenser Fan Motor RS592V RS612V RS825S NE820F SS570AIn stock · Sydney warehouseView part- LG Fridge Condenser Fan Motor 4680JB1026B GR-B197DVCA,GR-B207EC,GR-L247EQIn stock · Sydney warehouseView part
- Samsung Fridge Thermostat DA47-10107Z SR281MW SR368NTS SR367NW SR393NTS SR395NTSIn stock · Sydney warehouseView part
- LG FRIDGE THERMOSTAT p/n 6930JB1003D GR-332SF,GR-372SF,GR-432SF,GR482SFA 3572In stock · Sydney warehouseView part
- Westinghouse Fridge Thermostat 9140700217 RJ182T, RJ182T*01, RJ242T, RJ202T,In stock · Sydney warehouseView part
- WESTINGHOUSE FRIDGE DEFROST HEATER ELEMENT 500W LARGE 600mm WIDE p/n5130601 0922In stock · Sydney warehouseView part
- Samsung Fridge Defrost Heater DA47-00247C SRS582HDW,SRS583HDP, SRS585HDSS 0624In stock · Sydney warehouseView part
- ELECTROLUX WESTINGHOUSE FRIDGE PTC STARTER RELAY p/n 1441033, 0851In stock · Sydney warehouseView part
- Samsung DA31-00043F Fridge Damper Motor SRL458ELS, SRL457MW, SRL448DLS SR466KLSIn stock · Sydney warehouseView part
Fit check: the model number on your sticker must appear in the listing title — the badge on the front is not enough. All fridge and freezer parts · Not listed? Send us the model number and we match it before you pay.
Last updated October 2026
Before you start: two numbers and a sticker
A fridge checklist only works if you measure instead of guess. Put a glass of water with a thermometer in it on the middle shelf and a second thermometer between the packets in the freezer, leave both overnight and read them before the door is opened for anything else. The fridge should read 3–5°C and the freezer about −18°C. Food Standards Australia New Zealand works to 5°C as the line for chilled food, and its 2-hour/4-hour rule is the one to use if the fridge has been warm for a while.
Then find the model sticker. It is inside the fridge, usually on a side wall, the ceiling or just inside the door frame. Write the full model number down now, because every part on this page is matched by it, and the badge on the door is not enough.
The 15-point fridge checklist
Unplug the fridge before any panel, coil or fan work. Checks 1 to 6 cost nothing and settle most calls.
| # | Check | How | What it means | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fridge temperature | Glass of water and thermometer, middle shelf, overnight | 3–5°C is working; above 5°C, keep going | Esky for the meat and dairy while you work |
| 2 | Freezer temperature | Thermometer between the packets, overnight | About −18°C is working; soft ice cream means it is not | Checks 6, 9 and 11 |
| 3 | Settings and modes | Dial at the middle; quick chill and fast freeze off | Boost modes left on run the fridge flat out | Reset, recheck in 24 hours |
| 4 | Door seal | Close the door on an A4 sheet and pull, at six points | No grip or condensation round the frame: warm air leaking in | Clean the seal; seal by model if torn |
| 5 | Door closing | Fridge level or tilted slightly back; door bins not jammed | A door that drifts open warms the whole cabinet | Adjust the feet, clear the bins |
| 6 | Clearance and coils | Gap at the back, sides and top; vacuum the coils underneath or behind | Dust and trapped heat make it run longer and warmer | Clean, recheck in 24 hours |
| 7 | Power and light | Light on? Try another appliance in the same socket | No light and no hum: the socket or the lead, not the fridge | Another socket, then an electrician |
| 8 | Compressor sound | Listen at the back for a steady hum | A click every few minutes and no hum: the start relay | Start relay (table below) |
| 9 | Condenser fan | Unplug, lower rear cover off, spin the blade | Stiff or stopped blade, hot sides: heat cannot escape | Condenser fan motor (table below) |
| 10 | Evaporator fan | Hold the freezer door switch in and listen for the fan; feel for air at the fridge vents | No fan noise or no air: cold is not being moved | Evaporator fan motor (table below) |
| 11 | Frost behind the freezer panel | Thick ice sheet on the back wall | The defrost system has failed and ice is choking the airflow | Defrost heater or defrost thermostat (table below) |
| 12 | Fridge warm, freezer fine | Freezer at −18°C, fridge above 5°C | Air is not reaching the fridge section | Damper, evaporator fan or defrost |
| 13 | Fridge freezing food | Lettuce and drinks freezing on the top shelf | The thermostat or sensor is not switching the compressor off | Thermostat or sensor (table below) |
| 14 | Water inside or underneath | Puddle under the crisper, water on the floor | Blocked drain hole or a full drip tray | Clear the drain with warm water |
| 15 | Noise | Rattle, buzz or scraping that changes when you open a door | Fan blade touching ice, or a loose compressor mount | Check 11, then the fan motors |
Where the free checks end and the parts begin
Checks 7 to 15 point at a part. On a frost-free fridge the parts that fail in the first ten years are, in rough order, the evaporator fan motor, the defrost heater and its thermostat, the thermostat or temperature sensor, the condenser fan motor and the compressor start relay. All of them are plug-in or two-screw jobs on most models and all are listed by model number. The fridge section going warm while the freezer stays cold has its own page, fridge not cooling but freezer works, and a fridge that runs all day in the heat is covered in fridge running constantly in hot weather.
Match the part to your model sticker
Each row names the checklist item, the part, and the models on the sticker that the listing covers. Match the full code, letters and numbers, against the listing title before you order.
| Check | Part | Models on your sticker | Part listed for it |
|---|---|---|---|
 9 | Condenser fan motor | Westinghouse RS592V, RS612V, RS825S, NE820F, SS570A | Westinghouse fridge condenser fan motor |
 9 | Condenser fan motor | LG GR-B197DVCA, GR-B207EC, GR-L247EQ | LG fridge condenser fan motor |
 10 | Evaporator fan motor | Westinghouse RJ275M, RJ300M, RJ340M, RJ390M | Westinghouse fridge evaporator fan motor |
 10 | Evaporator fan motor | LG GF-V570MBL, GF-V570MBLC, GF-V570PNL, GF-VN500PL | LG fridge evaporator fan motor |
 10 | Fan motor | Hisense HR6TFF459, HR6CDFF670S, HR6CDFF670B | Hisense fridge fan motor |
 13 | Thermostat | Samsung SR281MW, SR368NTS, SR367NW, SR393NTS, SR395NTS | Samsung fridge thermostat |
 13 | Thermostat | LG GR-332SF, GR-372SF, GR-432SF, GR482SFA | LG fridge thermostat |
 13 | Thermostat | Westinghouse RJ182T, RJ242T, RJ202T | Westinghouse fridge thermostat |
 13 | Thermostat | Hisense HR6AF243 | Hisense fridge thermostat |
 12, 13 | Temperature sensor | Samsung electronic models (check the listing) | Samsung fridge temperature sensor |
 12, 13 | Temperature sensor | Hisense fridge freezers (check the listing) | Hisense fridge and freezer temperature sensor |
 11 | Defrost heater | Westinghouse large frost-free models (check the listing) | Westinghouse fridge defrost heater |
 11 | Defrost heater | Samsung SRS582HDW, SRS583HDP, SRS585HDSS | Samsung fridge defrost heater |
 11 | Defrost thermostat | Westinghouse RS623S, RS625S, RS642S, RS643S | Westinghouse fridge defrost thermostat |
 8 | Start relay | Electrolux, Westinghouse and Kelvinator (check the listing) | Electrolux and Westinghouse fridge start relay |
 8 | Compressor start relay | Westinghouse, Electrolux and Kelvinator (check the listing) | Westinghouse fridge compressor start relay |
 12 | Air damper | Samsung SRL458ELS, SRL457MW, SRL448DLS, SR466KLS | Samsung fridge damper motor |
 12 | Air damper | Hisense HRFD560BW, HR6BMFF514SW | Hisense fridge damper |
Not in the table? Browse the fridge and freezer fan motors and thermostats, or the brand pages for Westinghouse, Samsung, LG, Hisense and Fisher & Paykel and Haier. Or send us your model code and we check it first.
How each part is tested before you buy
Fan motors. With the fridge unplugged, spin the blade. A stiff, gritty or wobbly blade is a worn motor. Evaporator or condenser fan: which one your fridge has shows where each one lives.
Thermostat and sensor. A dial thermostat that no longer clicks when turned from off to cold, or a fridge that freezes food at the lowest setting, is a thermostat. An electronic fridge that swings warm and cold is usually a sensor. The thermostat guide and the temperature sensor guide cover the test; the thermostat replacement how-to covers the swap.
Defrost. A sheet of ice on the freezer back wall every few weeks, cleared by a manual defrost and back again, is the defrost heater, its thermostat or the sensor. The defrost heater replacement guide walks through all three.
Start relay. A click every few minutes with no hum, on a compressor that is warm, is almost always the plug-in relay on the side of the compressor. Read fridge clicking and compressor not starting before you buy.
Door seals, shelves and bins
Door seals, crisper bins, shelves and door handles are model-specific and not on our shelf. The fridge door seal replacement guide shows the job and the paper test; for a quote, send us your model code. Water under the crisper has its own page: fridge leaking water.
When to stop and call a licensed repairer
Stop when the fans run, the coils are clean, the seal grips, there is no ice sheet and the fridge is still warm with the compressor running, or when the compressor is too hot to touch and keeps clicking off with the relay already replaced. The fault is then in the sealed refrigerant system or the compressor. Refrigerant work needs a licensed person in Australia; do not open the gas circuit. A call-out typically runs $100–165 before parts, and on a fridge past ten years that quote is the moment to weigh repair against replacement.
Twice a year: the five-minute version
- Thermometer in a glass of water on the middle shelf: 3–5°C.
- Paper test round the door, wipe the seal with warm soapy water.
- Vacuum the condenser coils, before summer and again in January.
- Clear the drain hole at the back of the fridge section with warm water.
- Check the gap behind and above the fridge is still clear.
Frequently asked questions
What temperature should a fridge be in Australia?
3–5°C in the fridge section and about −18°C in the freezer. Measure it with a thermometer in a glass of water on the middle shelf, not by the dial setting, which is a number on a knob and not a temperature.
Why is my fridge running but not cold?
Start with the free checks: settings, door seal, clearance and dusty coils. Then the condenser fan, the evaporator fan and the ice sheet behind the freezer panel. If all of those pass, a sealed-system fault is possible, which is a repairer’s job.
My fridge is warm but the freezer is fine. What do I check first?
Hold the freezer door switch in and listen for the evaporator fan, then look for a sheet of ice on the freezer back wall. No fan means the fan motor; ice means the defrost system; both fine means the air damper between the two sections.
Should I unplug the fridge before checking it?
Yes, for anything behind a cover, near the coils or near a fan. Temperature, seal and clearance checks are done with it running. Food keeps for a couple of hours with the doors shut.
How often should I run through a fridge checklist?
The five-minute version twice a year, before summer and in the new year. The full list whenever the thermometer reads above 5°C, the fridge sounds different, or food starts spoiling early.
How long is food safe if the fridge stops?
Keep the doors shut. Under the Food Standards Australia New Zealand 2-hour/4-hour rule, chilled food above 5°C for under 2 hours can go back in, 2 to 4 hours means use it now, over 4 hours means throw it out.
Which fridge faults are not worth fixing?
A compressor or a refrigerant leak on a fridge past ten years. Everything else on this checklist is a part in the tens of dollars to low hundreds, which is well under a new fridge.
Get the right part first time
Search your model number on the site, or send it through the contact page and we match it first. In-stock parts are dispatched from Sydney the day you order when it’s in by 12pm Sydney time. Oz Appliance Spares, Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Australian-owned since 2009.
Disclaimer: this article is general information only and is provided without warranty of any kind. Appliance designs vary between models and production runs — always follow the manufacturer’s instructions, switch off and unplug the appliance before starting any work, and confirm parts against the model number on your appliance’s model sticker. Any repair is undertaken at your own risk and Oz Appliance Spares accepts no liability for injury, loss or damage arising from work performed after reading this guide, to the maximum extent permitted by law. If in doubt, use a qualified technician.
