Haier kegerator stopped working.

[Scotch021]

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Hey guys,

Have a haier kegerator for about 10yrs and when day after I finally got it pouring perfect it decided to die. Unit is warm and can't hear any clicking or noise at all. I checked already that the outlet was working.

What are the most common problems for these units to just die and can it be fixed? Or just buy another one?

Is the next step to get a wand volt reader and see what is not getting power?

[psychodad]

If there is a wiring diagram on the back or inside one of the panels, I'd get a volt meter, not a wand and check for voltage at the appropriate places. The wands are ok to just get an idea if there is a voltage present, but they are not useful for troubleshooting IMHO. Unless you are just terribly worried about working with and around electricity, there are resources on the web that will show you how to safely check voltage with a meter.

Also, if there is a wiring diagram, take a picture and post it. We'll take a look.

[Scotch021]

Is the second pic not the wiring diagram? I'll look again if it's not when I get home

[psychodad]

Sorry. I was on my phone. I'll look at it tonight.

[Scotch021]

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Not sure if I checked it correctly or if my volt meter is just to cheap($5 at lowes)

I made sure the outlet was working with it and it lit up. Then I plugged it in and tried to test the wires that plugs into the thermostat. (See pic). It didn't light up at all so either I did it wrong,volt meter is to cheap for this, or the thing is totally dead? Should I try and touch the two wires together and see if it starts working?

Any help is appreciated.

Joe

[psychodad]

It is hard to tell from your picture, but it looks like that is your thermostat. If so, the contacts in the thermostat will close when the temperature rises. Connecting the wires on the thermostat together should make the compressor run if the thermostat is failing.

[Scotch021]

So I unplugged the black and white wires that were plugged into the thermostat housing and connected them but the compressor did not turn on.

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Would this be a sign it's dead? I am assuming the green is the ground and doesn't need to be unscrewed or anything. Anything else to try?

Thanks,

Joe

[Scotch021]

While I took the overload protector off and tried to see if a couple wires had power. And when I connect the thermostat wires together and try two wires that were connected into the overload they are getting power but the other toe that were connected into the overload are not.

Also I get a volt reading when trying the white wire that was plugged into the thermostat and one of the wires that was plugged into the overload.

Could this mean I have a bad overload?

If you look at the first pic above u can see the top left rusted out and also one of the wires end is burnt and wasn't connected. Could this be a bad overload protector?

[psychodad]

On your diagram, you will see that if you measure between C and M you should have voltage to make the compressor run. If you have power there, your thermostat and overload are passing voltage.

The rust and corrosion in one of the first pictures doesn't look good either, but I can't see enough to tell what is going on with it.

[KillianBoy]

Scotch021,
I'm not sure what wire you have hooked up and tested, when and how, that's why I like to use a wand and a voltage tester in concert, I think your tester just tests voltage (via contact) and how high the voltage is. With tester you have I'd put everything back, put one lead of tester to black wire connector to thermostat and the other lead to white wire connector, you should have a light on your tester, take lead at white wire and follow down to overload and check before, then after, if light before but not after most likely it when bad.
Again I'm not sure how your tester works, If it were me I'd use a non-contact wand to check which wires do and don't have power, when you do have a problem item, unplug and use a voltage tester WITH continuity function (normally tester with this function is battery powered with a symbol that looks something like a > with line through). Take one lead to one side in, other lead to side out, good should have continuity, bad don't.
You should be able to find your problem with tester you have but my way less contact with hot 110 wires.
KB

[Scotch021]

Scotch021,
I'm not sure what wire you have hooked up and tested, when and how, that's why I like to use a wand and a voltage tester in concert, I think your tester just tests voltage (via contact) and how high the voltage is. With tester you have I'd put everything back, put one lead of tester to black wire connector to thermostat and the other lead to white wire connector, you should have a light on your tester, take lead at white wire and follow down to overload and check before, then after, if light before but not after most likely it when bad.

Is the white wire connector the one that was connected to the thermostat or the wire that was connected to the overload? If the second one then I do have a connection.

It looks like the overload relay is bad as its burnt and one of the wires that I believe should be connected to it was all burnt. I cannot find this overload relay part anywhere online or in any store that I called. I read about installing a 3 in 1 relay with the starter/overload/relay SUPCO Hard Start Kit, Ref & Freezers - Cooling Equipment Relays - 4E238|RCO410 - Grainger Industrial Supply this is the one I picked up.

Will this one work as a replacement to the starter/overload relay? I see the three plugs that connect into the compressor but which ones do I connect the other two plugs too? When I disconnected the original overload protector there were 4 wires that were connected to it. It seems only two of those 4 are currently getting power so would I connect those two wires to the 3 in1? What do the other two wires do?

thanks for all the help and if anyone has installed one of this 3 in 1 relays any tips would be appreicated.

Joe

[KillianBoy]

Scotch021,
I hate to say, you can describe all you want, I probably will never understand what you are trying to describe, with live wires I really need to see or experience myself to make any type of guess.
When you say:
"Is the white wire connector the one that was connected to the thermostat or the wire that was connected to the overload? If the second one then I do have a connection."
I don't understand and really don't want to guess what you are saying especially with hot wires. By my understanding of wire coloring, the black wire is the "hot" from the outlet, the white is the load which goes to overload and compressor. If you are getting a light when you touch one lead to tab connected white one and the other lead to the tab connected to black wire, thermostat should be fine, if you move lead touching black to overload, keeping lead touching white and you get a light, wires should be fine and move on down the line. Every time you don't get a light, then you know you have a problem area. With the tester you have you will have a lot of hit and miss and risk touching something you shouldn't. Get a non-contact tester, follow wires, once it stops beeping/lighting, then you know power is not getting to that point, then use a voltage tester WITH continuity function to find out what can and can't carry current WHEN UNIT IS UNPLUGGED.
If you are 100% certain the overload is blown and wires seem burnt on both sides of the overload, the compressor also might be burnt. With the tester you have the only way to test the compressor is find a way to power one side directly and test.
Honestly I wouldn't buy any parts until you figure out what is and isn't burnt, I would use a voltage tester WITH continuity function to find out.
KB

[Scotch021]

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I connected the wire coming from thermostat to the new relay and and the wire from power cable to relay (2 orange caps). But I still have the two wires in the picture that aren't connected. They lead to that small black box on the bottom left and I am not sure what that is? Any guesses?

The compressor is getting power because it is getting extremely hot but doesn't seem to turn on. Could that mean its shot or I bought the wrong relay for it?

I followed the different wires and they are getting power, but I those two wires I mentioned above that come from the little black box don't get power

[KillianBoy]

Scotch021,
You should wait for one of the electrical pros to chime in but I really think your compressor is shot, something can get power and not work, especially a compressor, which is basically a pump (sorry to the pros if too simplistic or wrong but I have always thought of it that way), like any other pump it can get power but if the mechanism that does the pumping is broke then it won't have load and power won't have anywhere to go.
Again I would use a voltage tester WITH continuity function to find out if the compressor is burnt out or not, if you don't have continuity, something is wrong with it.
I would stop feeding power till a pro chimes in.
KB

[Scotch021]

Thanks for the help, forgot to mention I am going to test for that this weekend when I get my hands on one.