Could a power outage kill my refrigerator?

Question

Two months ago I had to replace the relay switch in my 2003 fridge after a power outage. The power went out again and now my fridge isn't cold. Could it be the electrical circuit (added 4 months ago)? Should I get a repairman or an electrician?

Answer 1

While these other folks may be correct with their answers, they really didn't answer yours.  Yes, it is entirely possible for a power outage, or rather the surge when the system is restored, to kill your refrigerator's electronic circuits.  In this day and age, these things are so touchy as to not be able to stand a slight overload before frying.  My son has had to replace his control board in his 90% efficient gas furnace, several times over the past few years, always right after a power restoration.  

Answer 2

It's just a short cycle of the compressor.Sometimes when these things happen the compressor will keep cycling on the external overload because it is unable to start against the UNEQUALIZED PRESSURES.

All you have do to fix it, is unplug the refrigerator for an hour and allow the compressor to cool down.

When you plug it back in,it will work fine.

Answer 3

What most people don't realize is that a refrigerator should be plugged into a dedicated outlet, meaning an outlet that has no other outlets in line. The reason for this is simple. If the refrigerator compressor is running and some other appliance is turned on, or comes on, the compressor is not getting enough wattage to function properly. You need to get an electrician to come and trace the circuit and block off any other outlets in that circuit, or to run you a dedicated line to the refrigerator. Electricians are expensive, but a lot cheaper than a new refrigerator!

I think what happened is that your refrigerator is on a circuit with other appliances. When the power outage occurred and then came back on, there were other electrical devices starting up at the same time and starving the refrigerator supply.