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I see in another question that the compressor in a fridge has oil in it, and that it has the ability to get dirty over time. Based on the knocking sounds of my fridge, I wonder if it's due for an oil change.

Is it possible for the average person to change the oil in a fridge?

Community
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dangowans
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    Just a FYI, a lot of modern fridges make all sorts of weird sounds including hissing, knocking, etc. These are "normal". If your fridge just started doing this it could indicate an issue. – Steven Aug 15 '12 at 20:55
  • I think there's a bigger issue too. Just trying to figure out my options. – dangowans Aug 16 '12 at 01:12

1 Answers1

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The oil is part of the coolant. Changing the coolant isn't a common task for home owners because of the specialized equipment required.

BMitch
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    Modern refrigerators are considered to be a sealed system. If something went wrong and the oil has gotten dirty, it means that a part in the compressor has disintegrated and contaminated that system. On a 5-ton milk cooling system, you would pump out the freon, replace the parts, flush and draw the system down for replenishment of freon and oil. Nobody does that with modern house refrigerators anymore, they're just throw away units. Do make sure you send them to a freon recycler at end of life. – Fiasco Labs Aug 16 '12 at 01:40