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Refrigerator Parts and What They Do
How each part of a refrigerator works, the signs it is failing, which error codes point to it, and whether you can replace it yourself.
20 refrigerator parts
- CompressorTechnician job
The black, dome-shaped pump in the machine compartment at the bottom back of the fridge.
6 related codes
- Evaporator and condenser coilsTechnician job
Two heat exchangers.
1 related codes
- Condenser fan motorHandy homeowners can replace it
A small fan in the machine compartment at the bottom back of most modern fridges.
1 related codes
- Evaporator fan motorHandy homeowners can replace it
The fan behind the back panel of the freezer (and in the fresh food section on dual-evaporator models) that blows air across the cold evaporator coil and pushes it into the compartments.
6 related codes
- Ice room fan motorTechnician job
On many French-door models that make ice up in the fresh food section, a small fan sends freezer air through a duct to the ice compartment.
2 related codes
- Defrost heaterHandy homeowners can replace it
A heating element under or wrapped through the freezer evaporator coil, behind the back panel or under the freezer floor.
6 related codes
- Defrost thermostat and thermal fuseHandy homeowners can replace it
A small disc-shaped switch clipped to the evaporator tubing, often with a thermal fuse nearby.
3 related codes
- Temperature sensor (thermistor)Handy homeowners can replace it
Small capsule-shaped sensors on a pair of wires, tucked behind a panel or clipped to the evaporator coil.
13 related codes
- Room temperature and humidity sensorTechnician job
A sensor that measures the kitchen around the fridge rather than the inside.
2 related codes
- Air damperHandy homeowners can replace it
A flap in the duct between the freezer and the fresh food section on fridges that cool the fresh food side with freezer air.
1 related codes
- Door gasketEasy to replace yourself
The flexible magnetic seal around each door and drawer.
13 related codes
- Door switch and hingeHandy homeowners can replace it
A small switch in the cabinet frame or hinge that tells the board whether each door is open.
6 related codes
- Ice maker assemblyHandy homeowners can replace it
The module in the freezer or fridge door that fills a tray, freezes the water and dumps the cubes into the bin.
9 related codes
- Ice bin, auger and chuteEasy to replace yourself
The bucket that holds the ice and the corkscrew auger inside it that pushes cubes to the chute when you press the dispenser.
3 related codes
- Water inlet valveHandy homeowners can replace it
An electric valve at the bottom back of the fridge where the household water line connects.
3 related codes
- Water filter and housingEasy to replace yourself
The cartridge that filters water for the dispenser and ice maker, plus the housing it twists into.
3 related codes
- Water supply lineEasy to replace yourself
The thin copper, plastic or braided line that brings cold water from a shutoff valve to the inlet valve at the back of the fridge..
2 related codes
- Main control boardTechnician job
The board that runs the compressor, fans, defrost heater, damper and ice maker, usually in a control box on top of the fridge, at the back or in the machine compartment.
22 related codes
- Display and control panel boardHandy homeowners can replace it
The control panel and display on the door or inside the fridge.
7 related codes
- Wiring harnessTechnician job
The bundles of wire and plug-in connectors that link the main board to the display, fans, sensors, valves and heaters.
2 related codes