Dead fridge checklist
Fridge not working at all? Check these before you panic
No light, no hum, no cold. It feels final, but a surprising number of "dead" fridges are victims of a tripped plug, a failed relay or a post-load-shedding sulk. Here's how to tell the difference. We repair every major brand, including Hisense, Defy, KIC, Samsung and Electrolux, with same-day call-outs across Roodepoort, Kempton Park, Bedfordview and the wider Gauteng metro.
Five-minute safe checks
Do this before calling anyone
- Test the socket. Plug a kettle or lamp into the same wall socket. If it's dead too, the problem is your plug point or DB board, not the fridge.
- Check the plug and cord. Look for a loose plug, a tripped multiplug, or a cord pinched behind the fridge. Replace any plug that smells burnt, that's a real fire warning sign.
- Wait after load-shedding. Compressors have built-in restart delays and surge events can trip internal protectors. Give the fridge 10–15 minutes on stable power.
- Check the thermostat dial. A dial bumped to "0" or "off" while cleaning is a classic. Yes, really, we attend these call-outs.
- Listen closely. Light on but silent? Clicking every few minutes? Humming but not cooling? Note exactly what you hear, it shortcuts the diagnosis dramatically.
If the socket works, the dial is right and the fridge is still lifeless after a quiet quarter-hour, the fault is internal. From here, it's technician territory, but the news is often better than you fear.
Inside the cabinet
What actually fails when a fridge goes silent
A fridge has a short electrical chain: mains power → thermostat or control board → start relay and overload protector → compressor. A total shutdown means the chain is broken at one of those links. The start relay is the most common culprit, a matchbox-sized part that gives the compressor its kick-start, and the single most frequent casualty of power surges. A failed thermostat or a fried control board (common on electronic models like Samsung, LG and Bosch after surges) simply never switches the compressor on.
Only at the end of that list sits genuine compressor failure, and even a fridge with a dead compressor often still has its light working, because the light circuit is separate. Light on, total silence, no clicking: suspect controls. Clicking with no start: suspect the relay before the compressor.
The clock is running
How long does your food have?
A closed fridge holds safe temperatures for roughly 4 hours; a full, closed freezer for 24–48 hours. Every door-opening shortens that. Move milk, meat and medicines to a cooler box with ice, keep the doors shut, and don't refreeze anything that has fully thawed. Beyond the food, repeatedly plugging a faulty fridge in and out "to see if it comes back" can stress the compressor windings and turn a cheap electrical repair into an expensive mechanical one.
What happens when we arrive
A dead-fridge diagnosis, in order
1. Confirm power
We verify supply at the socket and through the cord, and check for surge damage at the plug before opening anything.
2. Test the controls
Thermostat or control board is tested for continuity and output. Electronic boards are checked for visible surge damage.
3. Test relay & overload
The start relay and overload protector come off and get bench-tested. This is where many "dead" fridges come back to life.
4. Test the compressor
Winding resistance tells us whether the compressor itself is healthy. Only then do we talk replacement, with a written quote first.
Honest by design
Why people call us for the "it's dead" call
Because a total shutdown is where misdiagnosis costs the most. We test the cheap parts before condemning the expensive ones, we quote in writing before working, and if the fridge genuinely isn't worth saving we'll tell you that too. Our vans carry relays, thermostats and common control boards for Samsung, Defy, Hisense, KIC, LG, Bosch and Whirlpool models, so most resurrections happen on the first visit.
Worth knowing: surge-related board failures are disproportionately common on feature-rich electronic fridges, while older mechanical KIC and Defy units usually fail at the thermostat or relay, simpler, and cheaper, to fix. Either way, a surge protector after the repair is the best money you'll spend on the fridge's future.
Keep reading, narrow down the fault
Silent fridge? Make one call before you make a decision
Don't write off the fridge, or buy a new one, on a guess. A proper electrical test takes a technician minutes and frequently ends with a small part and a working fridge. Book online, call 081 234 5678, or message us on WhatsApp with what you're seeing and hearing.
Brands, faults & areas
Fridge Not Working: the brands we repair and the Gauteng areas we cover
Fridge brands we repair
We service all the major makes sold in South Africa, from everyday models to premium, electronically controlled units: Samsung, LG, Defy, Bosch, Whirlpool, Hisense, Kelvinator, KIC, AEG, Smeg and Electrolux.
Common fridge & freezer faults we fix
Whatever the symptom, we diagnose it with proper instruments before we quote. The faults below are the ones we are called out for most.
Areas we serve across Gauteng
Same-day call-outs across Johannesburg, Pretoria and the wider metro, from Sandton and Midrand to the East Rand. Find your area below.