So my refrigerator evaporator fan has become too weak to turn. Well, it turns, but very slowly maybe 1 RPM when the normal speed is 3000 or so.
I have a new one on the way but, before my food spoils, is there any way
to perhaps resurrect this existing fan, just to keep it going for 2-3
days until the new one arrives? I wiggled it once or twice which
initiated full speed, but it didn't last. I also tried lightly oiling
it but no difference. Thanks in advance.
So my refrigerator evaporator fan has become too weak to turn. Well, it >turns, but very slowly maybe 1 RPM when the normal speed is 3000 or so.
I have a new one on the way but, before my food spoils, is there any way
to perhaps resurrect this existing fan, just to keep it going for 2-3
days until the new one arrives? I wiggled it once or twice which
initiated full speed, but it didn't last. I also tried lightly oiling
it but no difference.
In sci.electronics.repair, on Sat, 21 Jun 2025 15:58:01 -0400, Bill
Abers <none@anywherenet.com> wrote:
So my refrigerator evaporator fan has become too weak to turn. Well, it
turns, but very slowly maybe 1 RPM when the normal speed is 3000 or so.
How old is the refrigerator? I had a similar problem about 10 years ago
when my Sears Kenmore (Whirlpool?) was 37 years old. The fan wasn't
turning at all, for 2, probably 3 months, because I didn't have time to
fix it. I figured it would overheat and ruin the fridge.
Since I fixed the fan, it's been 10 years, and everything still works
fine. It never stopped being cold even when the fan was stopped.
I did have to defrost the frost-free refrigerator last week, first time
in 42 years (plus 4 years before I bought the house.), There was about
4 softballs worth of frost. The freezer is a trifle colder now I think,
for the same setting.
I have a new one on the way but, before my food spoils, is there any way
to perhaps resurrect this existing fan, just to keep it going for 2-3
days until the new one arrives? I wiggled it once or twice which
initiated full speed, but it didn't last. I also tried lightly oiling
it but no difference.
I'm surprised that didn't help. maybe you need an even lighter oil.
Does WD-40 have some sort of solvent effect, that might dissolve
"sludge" on the shaft?
Thanks in advance.
So my refrigerator evaporator fan has become too weak to turn. Well, it turns, but very slowly maybe 1 RPM when the normal speed is 3000 or so.
I have a new one on the way but, before my food spoils, is there any way
to perhaps resurrect this existing fan, just to keep it going for 2-3
days until the new one arrives? I wiggled it once or twice which
initiated full speed, but it didn't last. I also tried lightly oiling
it but no difference. Thanks in advance.
On 2025-06-21 3:12 p.m., micky wrote:
In sci.electronics.repair, on Sat, 21 Jun 2025 15:58:01 -0400, Bill
Abers <none@anywherenet.com> wrote:
So my refrigerator evaporator fan has become too weak to turn. Well, it >> turns, but very slowly maybe 1 RPM when the normal speed is 3000 or so.
How old is the refrigerator? I had a similar problem about 10 years ago when my Sears Kenmore (Whirlpool?) was 37 years old. The fan wasn't turning at all, for 2, probably 3 months, because I didn't have time to
fix it. I figured it would overheat and ruin the fridge.
Since I fixed the fan, it's been 10 years, and everything still works
fine. It never stopped being cold even when the fan was stopped.
I did have to defrost the frost-free refrigerator last week, first time
in 42 years (plus 4 years before I bought the house.), There was about
4 softballs worth of frost. The freezer is a trifle colder now I think, for the same setting.
I have a new one on the way but, before my food spoils, is there any way >> to perhaps resurrect this existing fan, just to keep it going for 2-3
days until the new one arrives? I wiggled it once or twice which
initiated full speed, but it didn't last. I also tried lightly oiling
it but no difference.
I'm surprised that didn't help. maybe you need an even lighter oil.
Does WD-40 have some sort of solvent effect, that might dissolve
"sludge" on the shaft?
Thanks in advance.
WD-40 is terrible to use on anything you want to be still working in a
year or so's time. It reacts with the oils and turns to goo...
The stuff is a good Rust Preventative! Everything other claim is
marketing hype.
On 2025-06-21 3:12 p.m., micky wrote:
In sci.electronics.repair, on Sat, 21 Jun 2025 15:58:01 -0400, Bill
Abers <none@anywherenet.com> wrote:
So my refrigerator evaporator fan has become too weak to turn. Well, it >>> turns, but very slowly maybe 1 RPM when the normal speed is 3000 or so.
How old is the refrigerator? I had a similar problem about 10 years ago
when my Sears Kenmore (Whirlpool?) was 37 years old. The fan wasn't
turning at all, for 2, probably 3 months, because I didn't have time to
fix it. I figured it would overheat and ruin the fridge.
Since I fixed the fan, it's been 10 years, and everything still works
fine. It never stopped being cold even when the fan was stopped.
I did have to defrost the frost-free refrigerator last week, first time
in 42 years (plus 4 years before I bought the house.), There was about
4 softballs worth of frost. The freezer is a trifle colder now I think,
for the same setting.
I have a new one on the way but, before my food spoils, is there any way >>> to perhaps resurrect this existing fan, just to keep it going for 2-3
days until the new one arrives? I wiggled it once or twice which
initiated full speed, but it didn't last. I also tried lightly oiling
it but no difference.
I'm surprised that didn't help. maybe you need an even lighter oil.
Does WD-40 have some sort of solvent effect, that might dissolve
"sludge" on the shaft?
Thanks in advance.
WD-40 is terrible to use on anything you want to be still working in a
year or so's time. It reacts with the oils and turns to goo...
The stuff is a good Rust Preventative! Everything other claim is
marketing hype.
John :-#(#
Will an external desk fan blowing over the heat exchanger do the job
until the new fan arrives? That's if you can get it in the right
position, of course.
Any possibility the connections are bad; does wiggling the wires to the
Will an external desk fan blowing over the heat exchanger do the job
until the new fan arrives? That's if you can get it in the right
position, of course.
That's exactly what I did when my fan motor failed. It only
requires moving the refrigerator a little farther from the wall.
On 6/21/25 4:21 PM, Carlos E.R. wrote:
On 2025-06-21 21:58, Bill Abers wrote:
So my refrigerator evaporator fan has become too weak to turn. Well,
it turns, but very slowly maybe 1 RPM when the normal speed is 3000
or so. I have a new one on the way but, before my food spoils, is
there any way to perhaps resurrect this existing fan, just to keep it
going for 2-3 days until the new one arrives? I wiggled it once or
twice which initiated full speed, but it didn't last. I also tried
lightly oiling it but no difference. Thanks in advance.
You did not say if it turns smoothly when you move it with your finger.
(I do not know what is a weak fan, though)
Sorry, yes it does turn easily with finger.
I'm surprised that didn't help. maybe you need an even lighter oil.
Does WD-40 have some sort of solvent effect, that might dissolve
"sludge" on the shaft?
Thanks in advance.
WD-40 is terrible to use on anything you want to be still working in a
year or so's time. It reacts with the oils and turns to goo...
The stuff is a good Rust Preventative! Everything other claim is
marketing hype.
Seconded!
On 2025-06-21 23:02, Bill Abers wrote:
On 6/21/25 4:21 PM, Carlos E.R. wrote:
On 2025-06-21 21:58, Bill Abers wrote:
So my refrigerator evaporator fan has become too weak to turn. Well, >>> it turns, but very slowly maybe 1 RPM when the normal speed is 3000
or so. I have a new one on the way but, before my food spoils, is
there any way to perhaps resurrect this existing fan, just to keep it
going for 2-3 days until the new one arrives? I wiggled it once or
twice which initiated full speed, but it didn't last. I also tried
lightly oiling it but no difference. Thanks in advance.
You did not say if it turns smoothly when you move it with your finger.
(I do not know what is a weak fan, though)
Sorry, yes it does turn easily with finger.
I have trouble understanding what is a weak fan. I have seen fan fails
for two reasons: either they don't turn easily: possibly lack of oil,
maybe a combination of oil/grease and dust/hairs making the axis stuck.
The other reason, on big fans, is that the condenser fails. Wire
breakage seems rare.
If a small fan doesn't have strength to turn, it turns easily, and there
is no capacitor, I don't know what it is. On DC type of fans, with a permanent magnet, that magnet may have lost the force.
On 6/21/25 4:21 PM, Carlos E.R. wrote:
On 2025-06-21 21:58, Bill Abers wrote:
So my refrigerator evaporator fan has become too weak to turn. Well,
it turns, but very slowly maybe 1 RPM when the normal speed is 3000 or
so. I have a new one on the way but, before my food spoils, is there
any way to perhaps resurrect this existing fan, just to keep it going
for 2-3 days until the new one arrives? I wiggled it once or twice
which initiated full speed, but it didn't last. I also tried lightly
oiling it but no difference. Thanks in advance.
You did not say if it turns smoothly when you move it with your finger.
(I do not know what is a weak fan, though)
Sorry, yes it does turn easily with finger.
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