Appliance Spares
Quick answer: If your Westinghouse or Kelvinator fridge is warm, clicking without starting, icing up or flashing an F-code, the culprit is usually one of four parts: the PTC start relay or overload protector, a run capacitor, the defrost heater or defrost termination thermostat, or the thermostat itself. Oz Appliance Spares stocks them in Australia and dispatches from Sydney the day you order (12pm Sydney cut-off). What matters is the model number and PNC on the sticker inside the fridge. Match those and the part follows.
Last updated September 2026
Which Westinghouse fridge is in your kitchen
Westinghouse is the fridge most Australian kitchens have owned, and Kelvinator comes off the same Electrolux line under a different badge. The families on the sticker: WTB top-mounts (the classic rental fridge), WBE bottom-mounts, WSE side-by-sides, WHE French doors, and the older WTM, BJ-series and RS-series fridges. The parts that fail are few, cheap and mostly reachable with a screwdriver. Below: the symptom, the part it usually is, and the live product from the Westinghouse parts range. For the brand across washers, dryers and ovens, start at Westinghouse spare parts Australia.
Westinghouse fridge faults and the part behind them
Unplug before you touch anything at the compressor.
| What you’re seeing | What it usually is | The part |
|---|---|---|
 Both compartments warm; a click every few minutes, compressor never runs. | PTC start relay, the classic Westinghouse fault. | ELECTROLUX WESTINGHOUSE FRIDGE PTC STARTER RELAY |
 Same click-and-silence on a WSE side-by-side. | PTC starter for the WSE family. | Westinghouse Fridge PTC Starter WSE6100 WSE6070 |
 Compressor starts, runs a minute, cuts out hot, tries again all day. | Overload protector tripping. | ELECTROLUX WESTINGHOUSE FRIDGE SWITCH OVERLOAD PROTECTOR |
 Compressor hums hard on start-up, lights flicker, safety switch may trip. | Run capacitor swollen or open. | Electrolux Westinghouse Kelvinator Fridge Run Capacitor 4Uf with Clip |
 WTB top-mount running warm; the capacitor at the compressor looks bulged. | Run capacitor for the WTB family. | Westinghouse Fridge Run Capacitor 3UF WTB2300 WTB3400 WTB3700 |
 Freezer back wall iced solid, fridge section warming, freezer still freezes. | Defrost heater open-circuit. | Westinghouse Fridge Defrost Heater Element 500W Double Pass Large Size |
 Ice building week by week; heater tests fine but defrost never runs. | Defrost termination thermostat stuck open. | WESTINGHOUSE FRIDGE THERMOSTAT DEFROST TERMINAL BJ503T BJ504T BJ505T BJ506T |
 Dial fridge runs non-stop and freezes the crisper, or never starts. | Cyclic thermostat (the dial). | Westinghouse Cyclic Fridge Thermostat |
| Display shows F1, F2 or another F-code. | A temperature sensor or its wiring. | Westinghouse fridge error codes guide |
| Grinding or chirping in the freezer that stops when the door opens. | Evaporator fan motor; listed by model. | Find your model |
The start kit: relay, overload and capacitor
Three small parts sit under a plastic cover on the side of every Westinghouse compressor: a PTC start relay, an overload protector and a run capacitor. When the relay fails the compressor tries to start, can’t, overheats, and the overload clicks it off. A few minutes later it tries again. That click is the sound of a fridge failing to start, not thinking about it.
The test: pull the plug, take the cover off, unclip the relay and shake it. A rattle means it is done. Swap the overload too if it has been cycling hot for days. The capacitor is a two-minute job; the Westinghouse Fridge Freezer Compressor Capacitor 4UF suits many Electrolux-built compressors if the microfarad rating matches.
Two safety notes. A run capacitor can hold a charge after unplugging, so discharge it across the terminals with an insulated tool or leave it to a repairer. And never bridge out an overload protector; it is there to stop the compressor cooking itself.
Icing up and not defrosting: heater, termination thermostat, thermal fuse
A frost-free Westinghouse defrosts itself a few times a day: a heater under the evaporator coil melts the frost and a termination thermostat clipped to the coil switches it off. When either fails, frost builds until it blocks the airflow to the fridge section.
The heater goes open-circuit most often; the double-pass element in the table is the common one across the WBE, WTB and WSE families. The termination thermostat is next: the BJ-series version is in the table and the WESTINGHOUSE FRIDGE THERMOSTAT DEFROST TERMINAL RS643T RS645T RS662T RS663 covers the older side-by-sides, with the swap in our defrost termination thermostat guide. Some models add a thermal fuse in the same circuit that blows once and stops defrost for good; it is listed by model. Timer and control board come last, after those three test good. Step-by-step: Westinghouse fridge icing up or not defrosting. Freezer fine but fridge warm: fridge not cooling but freezer works.
Thermostats: the dial, the sensor and the F-code
Older Westinghouse fridges use a cyclic thermostat: the numbered dial with a capillary tube running to the evaporator. Failed closed, the compressor never stops and the crisper freezes; failed open, the fridge never starts. The cyclic thermostat in the table and the WESTINGHOUSE KELVINATOR ELECTROLUX FRIDGE THERMOSTAT cover most of the manual range; the Westinghouse Fridge Thermostat WTM2000WC is the fit for that top-mount. Photograph the capillary routing before you pull the old one.
Electronic models (most WBE, WSE and WHE fridges) use temperature sensors and a control board instead. A drifting sensor shows as an F-code: F1 points at the fridge-compartment sensor, F2 at the freezer sensor. Fit a board only after the sensor and wiring test good; a new board with an old fault fixes nothing at board prices. Display quiet but fridge warm: Westinghouse fridge not cooling .
Fan motors, sensors, and the parts we don’t stock
Evaporator fan motors (behind the freezer back panel), condenser fan motors, temperature sensors, thermal fuses and door switches are model-specific, so they are listed by model. Start at the Westinghouse model pages or search your model across the fridge and freezer parts store; if nothing shows, send the model and PNC for a straight yes or no. Across every brand, fridge spare parts in Australia is the wider read.
Two honest notes. We don’t stock Westinghouse or Kelvinator fridge door seals; if yours is torn, send the model for an honest answer, but don’t expect one on the shelf. And the sealed system (compressor, refrigerant, coils, any leak) is licensed work only in Australia.
Where the model sticker is on a Westinghouse fridge, and why the PNC matters
Open the door and look at the left-hand wall of the fresh-food compartment, usually near the top or beside the crisper. That is the model sticker; older top-mounts sometimes carry it on the door rim, and Kelvinator uses the same spots.
Copy two things. The model number in full, including the letters after the digits (the WC on a WTM2000WC matters). And the PNC, the product number code on the same sticker: Electrolux built several versions of most model names, and the PNC is how the factory tells them apart. Search the model number on the site first; if two parts come up, the PNC breaks the tie. Unsure, send both through the contact page and we’ll check before you order. Full walkthrough: Westinghouse model number and PNC: where to find them.
DIY or repairer?
The start kit is the cheapest fix going: relay, overload and capacitor each sit in the $15–30 band and the swap is ten minutes. Thermostats run $20–45 and a defrost heater $35–65; the heater is an hour’s job with the freezer emptied. A repairer’s call-out and diagnosis is typically $100–165 before parts, so the maths favours a go at the start kit, heater and dial thermostat if you are handy.
Stop and call a repairer when the fridge trips the safety switch the moment it is plugged in, when there is oil at the compressor or any sign of a refrigerant leak, when the compressor runs and the coil never frosts, or when a display model’s sensor tests fine. Know the right part, then decide who fits it. Repairers can open a trade account.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Why does my Westinghouse fridge click every few minutes and stay warm?
A: The compressor is trying to start and failing, and the overload protector is clicking it off. Most often the PTC start relay has gone. Unplug, unclip the relay and shake it; a rattle means it has failed. Replace it, and the overload if it has been cycling.
Q: The freezer works but the fridge is warm. Which part?
A: The defrost system: frost has built on the evaporator coil until it blocks the air path to the fridge. Check the defrost heater first, then the termination thermostat, then a thermal fuse if fitted. Thaw the freezer fully before fitting the part.
Q: What is the PNC on a Westinghouse fridge and do I need it?
A: The product number code on the model sticker, next to the model number. Electrolux made several versions of most model names, and the PNC identifies yours. Search the model first; if more than one part comes up, the PNC decides.
Q: Do you stock Westinghouse fridge door seals?
A: No. Door seals for Westinghouse and Kelvinator fridges are not part of our range. Send the model number for a straight answer, but plan on sourcing the seal elsewhere.
Q: Do Kelvinator fridges use the same parts as Westinghouse?
A: Often, yes. Both are built by Electrolux and share start relays, capacitors, thermostats and defrost parts. They are matched by model number and PNC, not badge, so search your Kelvinator model the same way.
Photograph the sticker on the left wall and search the model number on the site. If two parts come up, or none does, send the model and PNC through the contact page and we’ll match it before you order. Everything in stock is dispatched from Sydney’s Northern Beaches the day you order when it’s in by 12pm Sydney time.
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.
