Refrigerator Compressor Not Running

When a refrigerator is plugged in, the interior light works, but you cannot hear the compressor running at all (no hum from the back of the unit), the fastest and cheapest parts to check are not the compressor itself. Start relays and run capacitors are small, inexpensive components that fail far more often than the compressor motor they are wired to, and both are outside the sealed refrigerant system, so they are safe to inspect and replace yourself once the unit is unplugged.

Listen closely at the back of the unit near the compressor: a repeated clicking sound (the relay trying and failing to start the compressor) points to the start relay or run capacitor. Complete silence with no clicking at all points more toward the thermostat not calling for cooling, or a power/wiring issue upstream of the compressor circuit.

Safety first. A refrigerator runs on standard household current but also contains a pressurized, sealed refrigerant system.

Take a photo of any wiring or hose routing before you disconnect it, and set screws aside in the order you remove them -- it makes reassembly far less error-prone.

Most Likely Causes

  1. Start relay — mounted directly on the compressor's terminal block, this small relay delivers the extra current the compressor motor needs to start spinning. A failed relay is the most common reason a compressor clicks but never actually starts. It is not itemized with a specific code in this data set -- confirm the exact relay for your model with the lookup tool.
  2. Refrigerator Run Capacitor (part 2264017) — helps the compressor motor maintain torque once it is running, and a failing capacitor can prevent the motor from starting at all or cause it to start and immediately shut back off. Equivalents in this data set include Capacitor (part WR62X0079), Gibson Refrigerator Run Capacitor (part 297286803), Run Capacitor (part 1118576), and the upright-freezer variant Upright Freezer Run Capacitor (part 2169373) -- match your exact model.
  3. Temperature control thermostat not calling for cooling — if the thermostat is not sending a signal to run the compressor at all -- rather than the compressor failing to respond to a valid signal -- the fix is the thermostat or temperature sensor, not the compressor circuit. See "thermostat not working" for the specific parts involved.
  4. Compressor or sealed-system filter-drier — if the start relay, run capacitor, and thermostat all test normal and the compressor still will not run, the compressor motor itself or the sealed system's filter-drier (Refrigerator Filter Dryer (part WR86X96) or Drier Tube (part W10177049) in this data set) may be at fault. Both are inside the sealed refrigerant system -- this is where you call a licensed technician rather than continuing the repair yourself.

Diagnostic Order

  1. Confirm the outlet has power and the refrigerator's interior light works, ruling out a simple power problem before opening anything.
  2. Listen at the back of the unit for clicking -- repeated clicking points to the start relay or run capacitor; total silence points to the thermostat or a wiring issue.
  3. Unplug the unit, remove the start relay from the compressor terminal, and shake it gently -- a rattle usually means an internal contact has broken loose.
  4. If the relay and capacitor both test fine and the thermostat is confirmed to be calling for cooling, stop and call a licensed technician to evaluate the compressor itself.

DIY-Friendly or Call a Technician?

Most of the causes above -- switches, fans, valves, capacitors, sensors, and heaters -- are modular parts designed to be unplugged and swapped with basic hand tools once you have confirmed which one has failed, and none of them require opening the sealed refrigerant system. The one exception is anything inside that sealed system itself: the compressor, evaporator coil, condenser coil, or refrigerant lines. Servicing those legally requires EPA Section 608 certification and specialized recovery equipment, which is the point to stop diagnosing yourself and call a licensed appliance technician instead.

How to Confirm Before You Buy a Part

Before you order anything, take a minute to confirm fitment -- it is the difference between a repair that works the first time and a part that turns out to be the wrong revision.

  1. Find the model/serial plate. On most refrigerators it is inside the fresh-food compartment on a side wall or the ceiling, inside the crisper drawer area, or behind the bottom grille near the floor (remove the kick panel to see it). See how to find your model number if you cannot locate it.
  2. Read the full model number exactly as printed, including every letter and dash -- refrigerator makers frequently reuse near-identical model numbers across different production runs that take different parts.
  3. Verify the part fits that exact model using the model and part lookup tool before ordering, rather than assuming a part that looks the same will fit.

The full model number matters more than the brand and appliance type alone: manufacturers commonly keep one cabinet design across several model numbers spanning multiple years, while quietly changing the exact fan motor, water valve, or control board partway through that run. Two refrigerators that look identical side by side can still take different parts if their model numbers differ by even a single trailing letter.

Check Your Exact Model

The causes above apply across most refrigerator brands, but the exact part number always depends on your specific model. Use the model and part lookup tool to search by your model number directly, or start from one of these confirmed refrigerator model pages:

Related Refrigerator Symptoms

If refrigerator compressor not running is not quite what you are seeing, these related diagnostic guides may match your problem more closely, or browse the full list of 87 repair symptoms:

Still not sure? Use the model and part lookup tool to search by your refrigerator's model number directly.

Preventing This Problem

Vacuum the condenser coils and keep clearance around the compressor compartment -- a compressor that constantly runs hot from restricted airflow puts more wear on the start relay and run capacitor than one that runs in a clean, ventilated space.