Appliance Spares
Quick answer: In hot weather a fridge runs longer, and inverter fridges can run almost all the time. That is normal if a glass of water on the middle shelf reads 3–5°C and the freezer sits near −18°C. If it runs non-stop and still feels warm inside, check the space behind it, the condenser coils and fan, the door seal and the thermostat, in that order. Only the last two are parts.
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
- LG Fridge Condenser Fan Motor EAU65058501 GF-B530BL GF-B590BLE GF-LN500PL GF-V570MBLC GF-V570PNL GF-V570PNL GS-B599MBL GS-B599PLB GS-B655MBL GS-B655PL GS-B655WL GS-D635MBLC GS-D635PLC GS-L635MBL GS-L635PL GS-L635PLF GS-N599PL GS-N635PL GS-V635MBLC GS-V635PLC GS-VB655MBL GS-VB655PLIn stock · Sydney warehouseView part
- Fisher Paykel Fridge Condenser Fan Motor H0064000945 RX611DUX1 RX628DX1 0548In stock · Sydney warehouseView part
- Haier Fridge Condenser Fan Motor p/n H0064000945 HSBS6101S, HSBS628AS 0548In stock · Sydney warehouseView part
- Samsung Fridge Thermostat DA47-10107Z SR281MW SR368NTS SR367NW SR393NTS SR395NTSIn stock · Sydney warehouseView part
- Westinghouse Fridge Thermostat 9140700217 RJ182T, RJ182T*01, RJ242T, RJ202T,In stock · Sydney warehouseView part
- LG FRIDGE THERMOSTAT p/n 6930JB1003D GR-332SF,GR-372SF,GR-432SF,GR482SFA 3572In stock · Sydney warehouseView part
- ELECTROLUX WESTINGHOUSE FRIDGE PTC STARTER RELAY p/n 1441033, 0851In 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
Is it a fault, or just a hot day?
A fridge moves heat from inside the cabinet to the room, and the hotter the room, the harder that job gets. Electrolux’s Australian support pages put normal run time at about 40 to 80 per cent of the time in a normal room, with more in warm conditions. Inverter fridges, which is most new fridges sold here, run slowly for long stretches instead of starting and stopping, so near-constant running is how they are meant to work. With the Bureau of Meteorology’s outlook of 1 October 2026 giving most of Australia a 60 to more than 80 per cent chance of above-average daytime temperatures to December (BOM climate outlooks), expect long run times. The question is whether the fridge holds temperature while it runs.
The glass-of-water test. Put a glass of water with a thermometer in it on the middle shelf, leave it overnight, and read it before the door is opened for anything else. 3–5°C means the fridge is coping. Above 5°C means work down the check order below, with the meat and dairy in an esky while you do.
Check in this order (cheapest first)
Unplug before any panel, coil or fan work. Steps 1 to 5 cost nothing.
| # | Check | How | What it means | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Holding temperature? | Glass of water and thermometer, middle shelf, overnight | 3–5°C: long running in heat is normal | Stop here |
| 2 | Settings and boost modes | Fridge about 3°C, freezer about −18°C; quick chill and fast freeze off | Too cold a setting keeps it running | Reset, recheck in 24 hours |
| 3 | Where it sits | Out of sun, away from the oven, clearance at the back, sides and top | Trapped heat makes it run longer | Move it or clear the space |
| 4 | Room heat vs climate class | Read the class on the model sticker; check the room temperature | Hotter than its class: it cannot keep up | Somewhere cooler for the hot spell |
| 5 | Dusty condenser coils | Unplug, vacuum the coils at the back or underneath | Dust stops heat escaping | Clean, recheck in 24 hours |
| 6 | Condenser fan | Unplug, lower rear cover off, spin the blade | Stiff or stopped: heat cannot escape | Condenser fan motor (below) |
| 7 | Door seal | A4 paper test round the door | No grip: warm air leaking in | Seal by model sticker |
| 8 | Frost behind the freezer panel | Thick ice sheet on the back wall | Defrost fault choking the airflow | Defrost parts (hub guide) |
| 9 | Runs non-stop and freezes food | Drinks or vegetables freezing in the fridge section | Thermostat or sensor not switching off | Thermostat (below) or sensor |
| 10 | Still running hot and warm | All of the above pass | Sealed-system or compressor fault | Licensed repairer |
Read your model sticker: two things it tells you
The model sticker is inside the fridge, usually on a side wall, the ceiling or just inside the door frame. It gives the model number, which is how you match a part, and on most fridges a climate class: the room temperature range the fridge was designed for.
| Climate class | Room temperature range | Where it copes |
|---|---|---|
| SN (extended temperate) | 10–32°C | Cool rooms; struggles in a hot garage |
| N (temperate) | 16–32°C | Most Australian kitchens with cooling |
| ST (subtropical) | 16–38°C | Hot kitchens, enclosed laundries |
| T (tropical) | 16–43°C | Garages and sheds in a heatwave |
An uninsulated garage can pass 40°C on a heatwave afternoon, so an N-class fridge out there runs flat out and still drifts warm. That is not a part. Move it or shade it for the hot spell.
The condenser fan: the hot-weather part
On most frost-free fridges a small fan sits at the bottom back beside the compressor and pulls room air over the condenser coils so the collected heat can leave. In a hot room it does the heavy lifting. If it has stopped, the cabinet sides and back run hot, the compressor gets very hot and may click off and on, and the whole fridge warms up, fridge and freezer alike.
To check it, unplug the fridge, take off the lower rear cover and spin the blade by hand. A stiff, gritty or wobbly blade means a worn motor. Plug back in: when the compressor runs, the fan should run with it. Some fridges have no condenser fan; their condenser is a loop inside the side walls, so warm sides are normal on those models. Our guide on evaporator fan or condenser fan: which one your fridge has walks through both.
Condenser fan motors we list by model. Match the full code on your sticker against the listing title.
| Model on your sticker | Brand | Part listed for it |
|---|---|---|
 RS592V, RS612V, RS825S, NE820F, SS570A | Westinghouse | Westinghouse fridge condenser fan motor |
 GR-B197DVCA, GR-B207EC, GR-L247EQ | LG | LG fridge condenser fan motor |
 GF-B530BL, GF-B590BLE, GF-LN500PL, GF-V570MBLC, GF-V570PNL, GS-B599MBL, GS-B655MBL and more on the listing | LG | LG fridge condenser fan motor (DC type) |
 RX611DUX1, RX628DX1 | Fisher & Paykel | Fisher & Paykel fridge condenser fan motor |
 HSBS6101S, HSBS628AS | Haier | Haier fridge condenser fan motor |
 GS2126PADW, MZ2727EEGW | Maytag | Maytag refrigerator condenser fan motor |
 Side-by-side Whirlpool, GE and Westinghouse models: send us your model code first | Various | Condenser fan motor for side-by-side fridges |
Not in the table? Browse the fridge and freezer fan motors or send us your model code and we check it first.
Thermostat or sensor: runs non-stop and freezes the food
If the fridge runs constantly and food in the fridge section is freezing, the thermostat or temperature sensor is not telling the compressor to stop. The fridge warm or freezing food thermostat guide covers the test, the thermostat replacement how-to the swap, and fridge temperature sensor and erratic temperatures the sensor type.
| Model on your sticker | Brand | Part listed for it |
|---|---|---|
 SR281MW, SR368NTS, SR367NW, SR393NTS, SR395NTS | Samsung | Samsung fridge thermostat (SR models) |
 RT41MBSW1, RT41MBSW2, RT45MBIS1 | Samsung | Samsung fridge thermostat (RT models) |
 GR-332SF, GR-372SF, GR-432SF, GR482SFA | LG | LG fridge thermostat |
 RJ182T, RJ242T, RJ202T | Westinghouse | Westinghouse fridge thermostat (RJ models) |
 RP241T | Westinghouse | Westinghouse fridge thermostat listed for RP241T |
 WTM2000WC | Westinghouse | Westinghouse fridge thermostat listed for WTM2000WC |
 HR6AF243 | Hisense | Hisense fridge thermostat listed for HR6AF243 |
 HRAF242 | Hisense | Hisense fridge thermostat listed for HRAF242 |
 HR6CF146, HR6CF206 | Hisense | Hisense fridge thermostat (HR6CF models) |
More in the fridge and freezer thermostats category. Chest and upright freezer thermostats are in the sibling guide, freezer not freezing in hot weather.
Door seal: the paper test
Close the door on a sheet of A4 paper and pull, at several points around the door. No grip means warm humid air is getting in and the fridge runs to make up for it; condensation round the door frame is the other sign. Fridge seals are model-specific and not on our shelf, so send us your model code for a quote. The fridge door seal replacement guide shows the job.
Ice on the freezer back wall
A thick sheet of frost on the freezer’s back wall with a warm fridge section means the defrost system has failed and frost is choking the airflow, so the compressor runs with little to show for it. That case has its own page: fridge not cooling but freezer works, with the defrost heater replacement steps alongside it.
Compressor hot, clicking, then stopping
A compressor too hot to touch that clicks, runs a few seconds and clicks off is cutting out on its overload. In hot weather that is usually the condenser fan or dirty coils. If both are fine, the plug-in start relay on the compressor is next. Read fridge clicking noise and compressor not starting before you buy anything. Westinghouse, Electrolux and Kelvinator owners can match the Electrolux and Westinghouse fridge PTC start relay against the listing.
When to stop and call a licensed repairer
Call a repairer when the fans run, the coils are clean, the seal grips, there is no frost sheet and the fridge still runs non-stop and warm, or when the compressor stays very hot and keeps clicking off with the relay already replaced. The fault is then likely 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 an older fridge that quote is the moment to weigh repair against replacement.
Before the next hot spell: five minutes of prevention
- Clear the vents and keep the clearance your manual asks for.
- Vacuum the condenser coils before summer and again in January.
- Paper-test the door seal.
- Leave a thermometer in a glass of water on the middle shelf.
- Do not pack it solid or load warm shopping right before a hot day.
Frequently asked questions
Is it normal for my fridge to run constantly in hot weather?
Often, yes. On hot days a fridge works harder to get rid of heat, and inverter fridges are designed to run for long stretches at low speed. It is working if a glass of water on the middle shelf reads 3–5°C. Warmer than that, work through the check order above.
How long should a fridge run before it switches off?
There is no single number. Electrolux says about 40 to 80 per cent of the time in a normal room, more on warm days, and inverter models may barely stop. Judge it by temperature, not by how often you hear it.
Should I turn my fridge colder in a heatwave?
Only if the thermometer shows it is above 5°C. Colder than it needs makes it run even more and can freeze food in the fridge section. Set about 3°C and −18°C, and fix airflow first.
Why are the sides of my fridge hot?
Many fridges shed heat through a condenser loop inside the side walls, so warm sides are normal, more so in hot weather. If the sides are very hot and the fridge is warm inside, check the clearance and that the condenser fan, if your model has one, is spinning.
My fridge runs non-stop but is not cold. What is wrong?
Start with the free checks: clearance, dusty coils and the door seal paper test. Then the condenser fan and the ice check behind the freezer panel. If all pass, a sealed-system fault is possible, which is a licensed repairer’s job.
Can I keep a fridge in the garage over summer?
Check the climate class on the model sticker. Many household fridges are rated to a 32°C or 38°C room, and an uninsulated garage gets hotter than that in a heatwave. If it cannot keep up, move it somewhere cooler for the hot spell.
The power went off on a hot day. Is the food safe?
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 or be used, 2 to 4 hours means use it now, over 4 hours means throw it out.
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.
