Appliance Spares
Quick answer: Fridges fail in a short list of predictable ways, and most of them are one cheap electrical part rather than a dead compressor. A fridge that is warm while the freezer is fine is nearly always the defrost system or the evaporator fan. A fridge that clicks every few minutes and never runs is usually the compressor start relay. Both are commonly $11 to $45 parts, against $250 to $600 for a fridge repair done for you.
Last updated August 2026
Start with the symptom, not the part
Fridges are unusual among appliances in that the symptom tells you a great deal. Work down this table to the row that matches yours.
| What the fridge is doing | Usual cause | The part that fixes it |
|---|---|---|
 Fridge warm, freezer still cold | Evaporator fan not moving cold air forward, or the evaporator is iced up | Universal reversible fridge fan motor Haier HRF422TW1 fan motor Hisense K1960962 fan motor |
 Clicks every few minutes, never runs | Compressor start relay failing to start the motor | Electrolux and Westinghouse PTC starter relay Compressor start relay 1420853 |
 Ice building up at the back wall | Defrost heater or defrost thermostat has failed | Universal RF151 defrost thermostat LG defrost heater 5300JB1090B |
 Runs constantly, never reaches temperature | Thermostat not cutting out, or the condenser fan has stopped | Westinghouse condenser fan motor Westinghouse and Kelvinator thermostat 1409938 |
 Completely dead, no light, no hum | Thermal fuse open, or power supply | Universal fridge thermal fuse |
 Temperature wanders, display disagrees with reality | Temperature or defrost sensor drifting | Samsung sensor DA32-10104N Haier sensor H0060401766 LG sensor 6500JB2001B |
 Older fridge, defrost cycle never starts | Mechanical defrost timer stuck | 10-hour defrost timer, A201229 |
The two faults that account for most of it
Fridge warm, freezer cold. This is the most misdiagnosed fault in the category, and the one people most often replace a whole fridge over. In a frost-free fridge there is one cooling coil, in the freezer, and a small fan blows that cold air forward into the fridge compartment. If the fan stops, or the coil ices over so the air can’t get through, the freezer stays fine and the fridge slowly warms up.
The tell: open the freezer and listen. You should hear a small fan running. Silence, or a buzzing and clicking rather than a steady whirr, points at the fan motor. Ice packed solid across the back wall of the freezer points at the defrost system instead — the heater, the thermostat, or the timer.
Our full diagnosis, with the checks in order, is here: fridge not cooling but freezer works, and the fan-specific version is here.
Clicking every few minutes. A fridge that clicks, pauses, clicks again and never actually starts is usually not a dead compressor. It is the start relay — a small component clipped to the side of the compressor that gives the motor the kick it needs to start. When it fails, the overload protector trips, waits, and tries again. That is the clicking.
It is one of the cheapest parts on the machine and one of the most satisfying fixes. The detail is in our guide to a fridge that clicks every few minutes but won’t run, and the broader list of causes is in fridge making a clicking noise.
Thermostats: mechanical or electronic
Older fridges use a mechanical thermostat — a dial connected to a capillary tube with a bulb clipped to the evaporator. Newer ones use a sensor and a control board. They are not interchangeable, and the fix is completely different.
If your fridge has a numbered dial you turn, it is mechanical, and the thermostat is a replaceable part: the universal Ranco VC1 for single-door fridges, the Ranco VF3 for chest and upright freezers, or a brand-matched one such as the Fisher & Paykel two-door thermostat or the Kelvinator side-by-side thermostat.
If your fridge has a digital display and buttons, it is a sensor and board arrangement, and the part you want is a temperature sensor rather than a thermostat.
One part, several badges
Fridges follow the same rebadging pattern as the rest of the laundry and kitchen. The A201229 defrost timer is listed for Whirlpool, Maytag, Amana and Fisher & Paykel. The universal thermal fuse covers Haier, Hisense, Turboline, Conia and HEQS. And one large fan motor covers GE, Whirlpool, Amana and Maytag.
So if your badge draws a blank, search the part number stamped on the old component instead. The full range is on the refrigerator and freezer parts page.
What we stock, and what we don’t
Worth being straight with you about this. Our fridge range is deep in the electrical and mechanical parts — thermostats, fan motors, defrost heaters, sensors, relays, timers and fuses. That is where fridge faults actually live, and it is why the table above is mostly those parts.
Fridge door seals we source to order rather than hold on the shelf. They are moulded to a specific cabinet, so there is no universal version and no shortcut. If yours has perished, send the model number and a photo of the seal profile through the contact page and we’ll tell you what’s available for it. Our fridge door seal replacement guide covers the fitting either way — and note that a seal that merely looks tired is often fine. The paper test settles it: shut a sheet of paper in the door, and if it pulls out with no resistance at that point, the seal has lost its grip there.
The safety line on fridge work
Two clear rules, and they matter more here than on most appliances.
Anything electrical: unplug the fridge at the wall first. Not the dial, not the door switch — the plug. Fan motors, thermostats, sensors, relays, defrost heaters and fuses are all reachable jobs once the power is off, and all of them are on mains until it is.
Anything in the sealed refrigerant system is not a DIY job at all. The compressor, the gas lines, the condenser and the evaporator coil are legally restricted work in Australia and require a licensed person with the right ticket. If the diagnosis lands there, stop. The good news is that the sealed system fails far less often than the parts around it.
What the two paths cost
The fridge parts in the table above are typically $11 to $45, with fan motors and larger defrost heaters running higher. A repairer commonly charges $100 to $165 just to attend and diagnose before parts and labour, and fridge repairs are the most expensive category in the house, usually landing between $250 and $600. On a relay or a thermostat that gap is stark — which is exactly why it’s worth diagnosing carefully before you decide the fridge is finished.
Brand-specific diagnosis guides, if yours is here: LG, Samsung, Hisense, Westinghouse, and the Westinghouse and Kelvinator defrost termination thermostat. If yours is leaking water rather than warming up, start with fridge leaking water.
Frequently asked questions
Q: My fridge is warm but the freezer is still cold. What’s wrong?
A: Almost always the evaporator fan or the defrost system. One coil in the freezer cools both compartments, and a fan pushes that air forward. If the fan stops or the coil ices over, the freezer stays cold while the fridge warms up. Listen for the fan with the freezer door open.
Q: My fridge clicks every few minutes but never starts. Is the compressor dead?
A: Usually not. That pattern is the classic sign of a failed start relay — the overload trips, waits, and tries again. It’s one of the cheapest parts on the fridge and a common fix. Have it checked before writing the fridge off.
Q: Can I replace a fridge thermostat myself?
A: On a mechanical thermostat with a dial and a capillary tube, yes, provided you unplug the fridge at the wall first and route the new capillary the same way as the old one. Anything in the sealed refrigerant system is legally restricted work and needs a licensed person.
Q: Do you stock fridge door seals?
A: We source them to order rather than stock them, because they’re moulded to a specific cabinet and there’s no universal version. Send us the model number and a photo of the seal profile and we’ll tell you what’s available for your fridge.
Q: Where is the model number on a fridge?
A: Inside the fridge compartment — most often on a side wall near the top, on the ceiling of the compartment, or above or below the crisper drawer. A few brands put it behind the kick plate at the bottom front.
Bottom line: the symptom points at the part, and on a fridge that part is usually cheap and electrical rather than the compressor everyone fears. Match your model number here and we’ll tell you what fits.
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.
