Samsung RFG297ACRS no longer cooling due to power failure

[Samsung-hater]

Model Number: RFG297ACRS
Brand: Samsung
Age: 1-5 years

Hello,

I purchased the Samsung RFG297ACRS in February 2011. It ran perfectly until July of 2014. We had a power failure, and the freezer stopped working. The fridge worked fine, but the freezer began working intermittently. We called a Samsung service company and they informed me that there was no fault code registered, and that the compressor was running. They ordered a main PCB, and installed it a week later. The only difference it made was that the freezer no longer worked intermittently, it didn't work at all. They came back and replaced the Freezer Temperature Sensor, and again no difference. They came back one last time to put back all of the old boards and sensors, told me that it was suspected to be a leak in the system, that there was nothing they could do, and refunded me for the parts. But then it gets interesting.

Since the fridge still worked, and we had a freezer in the basement, we took our time deciding on a new fridge. Then we had a power failure, a quick on/off, and the freezer came back on and worked perfectly. It worked just fine until last week when we had another power failure.

Now neither the fridge or freezer work. All electronic components seem to work fine (Lights, sensors, fans) just not the cooling system. It is difficult to find someone to work on Samsung, and the local company won't come back.

I have tried the following with no success:

Reset fridge using the energy saver and lighting buttons (pressed together) No fault code-never has been.
Unplugged fridge for 3 days in case it was frozen. No pool of water discovered.
Checked board on back, red line stays on, no obvious blown connections.
Checked back of fridge, vacuumed out any dust, wasn't much. Fan was running.
On startup everything sounds normal for a couple of seconds, but then the compressor sounds like it is powering down. After 20 minutes or so the compressor and surrounding pipes don't feel any cooler.

I don't have the equipment or knowledge to test voltage etc, but if anyone can suggest an idea I would certainly be interested in how to fix this.

Thanks,

Samsung-Hater

[Doc Ryan]

It sounds like the last power failure must have caused a more serious failure this time. You will need to have a tech look at the refrigerator to diagnose the problem since the next things that will need to be checked will require some electrical tests.