--- title: "Freezer Compressor and Start Relay Repair" description: "Getting a freezer's compressor running again, from the small start relay and overload that fail most often to the compressor itself when it will not pump." url: "https://freezerrepair.center/services/compressor-and-start-relay-repair/" --- # Freezer Compressor and Start Relay Repair Getting a freezer's compressor running again, from the small start relay and overload that fail most often to the compressor itself when it will not pump. ## What the freezer compressor and start relay repair involves. The compressor is the black dome near the floor at the back of an upright, a chest or a column, and it is what actually moves the heat out of the freezer. It rarely fails on its own. Much more often the small start relay and overload clipped to its side wear out: the compressor tries to start, the overload trips with a click, and the cycle repeats every few minutes while the food slowly thaws. That is a modest repair made from behind the lower grille. When the relay tests good, the technician measures the compressor windings, checks the capacitor where there is one, and on a variable-speed model reads the inverter board that drives it. A compressor that is shorted, stuck or no longer pumping is replaced only after the sealed system around it has been judged worth saving. Either way you hear which part failed, what it costs and whether the freezer's age makes it a sound investment. How the visit goes ### What it usually costs Moderate to highest · Start relay, overload or compressor A relay or an overload clipped to the compressor is a small part and a quick fix from behind the lower grille. A compressor that has truly failed brings sealed-system work with it and sits near the top of the scale. ### Answers 6 problems Standalone Freezer Not Freezing Freezer Warming Up With Food Inside · Loud or New Noise From the Freezer · Freezer Keeps Tripping the Breaker · Freezer Runs All the Time · Freezer in the Garage Stopped Working ### Comes up most on Upright freezer Chest freezer · Freezer column · Undercounter freezer ### Codes that lead here EC40 Sub-Zero EC40 with Service flashing: the freezer compressor has run far too long. ## Freezer compressor and start relay repair, step by step. Watch the compressor start and pull the cabinet down in temperature, and tell you which part failed and why. 01 Listen for the start attempt and the click of the overload, and feel whether the condenser warms at all. 02 Test the start relay, the overload and any start or run capacitor, and the inverter board on a variable-speed model. 03 Measure the compressor windings and the current it draws, with the voltage at the outlet checked alongside. 04 Replace the relay, overload or board, or confirm that the compressor itself has failed and weigh the sealed-system work. 05 Watch the compressor start and pull the cabinet down in temperature, and tell you which part failed and why. ## The problems it answers. 6 of them, from standalone freezer not freezing to freezer in the garage stopped working. [All problems](https://freezerrepair.center/problems/) Food at risk now ### Standalone Freezer Not Freezing 6 causes, cheapest first Before you call ### Tell us this when you book 1. Whether you hear a click every few minutes, a steady hum, or nothing at all from the back of the freezer 2. Whether the light and display still work while the freezer warms 3. If the freezer is on an extension cord, a shared garage circuit, or a GFCI outlet that has tripped before 4. About how old the freezer is, from the purchase date or the serial tag It also answers - [**Freezer Warming Up With Food Inside** 5 causes · food at risk now](https://freezerrepair.center/problems/freezer-thawing-food-at-risk/) - [**Loud or New Noise From the Freezer** 5 causes](https://freezerrepair.center/problems/freezer-loud-noise/) - [**Freezer Keeps Tripping the Breaker** 5 causes · food at risk now](https://freezerrepair.center/problems/freezer-tripping-breaker/) - [**Freezer Runs All the Time** 6 causes](https://freezerrepair.center/problems/freezer-running-constantly/) - [**Freezer in the Garage Stopped Working** 6 causes](https://freezerrepair.center/problems/freezer-in-garage-not-working/) ## Moderate to highest, on the site's scale. A relay or an overload clipped to the compressor is a small part and a quick fix from behind the lower grille. A compressor that has truly failed brings sealed-system work with it and sits near the top of the scale. [Read the full cost guide](https://freezerrepair.center/cost/) | Repair | Relative cost | | --- | --- | | **Start relay, overload or compressor** | moderate to highest | | [Refrigerant leak, restriction and recharge](https://freezerrepair.center/services/sealed-system-and-refrigerant-leak-repair/) | | | [Defrost heater, defrost thermostat or timer](https://freezerrepair.center/services/defrost-system-repair/) | | | [Evaporator or condenser fan motor](https://freezerrepair.center/services/evaporator-and-condenser-fan-repair/) | | | [Thermostat, temperature sensor or garage kit](https://freezerrepair.center/services/thermostat-and-temperature-control-repair/) | | | [Door, lid or drawer gasket](https://freezerrepair.center/services/door-and-lid-gasket-replacement/) | | | [Drain tube, drain pan or drain plug](https://freezerrepair.center/services/freezer-drain-and-defrost-water-repair/) | | | [Control board, display, door switch or alarm](https://freezerrepair.center/services/control-board-and-alarm-repair/) | | | [Hinge, lid springs, latch or drawer rails](https://freezerrepair.center/services/freezer-hinge-lid-and-latch-repair/) | | ## Where it comes up most. Most bookings: Upright freezer, Chest freezer, Freezer column, Undercounter freezer. [All freezer types](https://freezerrepair.center/types/) Codes that lead here - [`EC40` Sub-Zero · Compressor and sealed system](https://freezerrepair.center/error-codes/sub-zero-ec40/) Often the same visit - [**Freezer evaporator and condenser fan repair** 5 problems in common · low to moderate](https://freezerrepair.center/services/evaporator-and-condenser-fan-repair/) - [**Freezer diagnostic visit** 4 problems in common](https://freezerrepair.center/services/diagnostic-visit/) - [**Freezer thermostat and temperature control repair** 4 problems in common · low to moderate](https://freezerrepair.center/services/thermostat-and-temperature-control-repair/) ### Upright freezer ### Chest freezer ### Freezer column ## The makes we see it on. 28 makes on this site, and the freezer compressor and start relay repair on any of them. Each mark opens that make's own page. [All 28 brands](https://freezerrepair.center/brands/) ## Freezer compressor and start relay repair, where we come out. The home, the climate and the building all change how the freezer compressor and start relay repair goes. These notes are about that, metro by metro. [All service areas](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/) [Tampa Bay](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/tampa-bay/) FL · 31 areas Tampa Bay's summer lightning sends surges down the line that can burn a freezer's start relay or overload protector, and the repair tests those small parts first, since a compressor that clicks and stops is often waiting on a relay rather than worn out itself. - [Hyde Park](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/tampa-bay/hyde-park/) - [Davis Islands](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/tampa-bay/davis-islands/) - [Palma Ceia](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/tampa-bay/palma-ceia/) - [Westchase](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/tampa-bay/westchase/) - [Carrollwood](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/tampa-bay/carrollwood/) - [Belleair](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/tampa-bay/belleair/) - [St. Pete Beach](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/tampa-bay/st-pete-beach/) - [Palm Harbor](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/tampa-bay/palm-harbor/) [Orlando](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/orlando/) FL · 30 areas Orlando's afternoon thunderstorms can flicker the power several times in an hour, and a freezer compressor asked to restart against full pressure trips its overload each time, so the repair checks the relay and overload and notes where a rental's outlet lacks surge protection. - [Winter Park](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/orlando/winter-park/) - [Windermere](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/orlando/windermere/) - [Dr. Phillips](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/orlando/dr-phillips/) - [Bay Hill](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/orlando/bay-hill/) - [Lake Nona](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/orlando/lake-nona/) - [Heathrow](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/orlando/heathrow/) - [Celebration](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/orlando/celebration/) [Miami / South Florida](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/south-florida/) FL · 47 areas In a South Florida garage the freezer compressor runs almost without rest through a summer that never cools at night, and the repair looks at the start parts and the condenser together, because a relay that overheated once will overheat again if the coil stays matted. - [Brickell](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/south-florida/brickell/) - [Coconut Grove](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/south-florida/coconut-grove/) - [Coral Gables](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/south-florida/coral-gables/) - [Pinecrest](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/south-florida/pinecrest/) - [Key Biscayne](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/south-florida/key-biscayne/) - [Aventura](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/south-florida/aventura/) - [Sunny Isles Beach](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/south-florida/sunny-isles-beach/) - [Bal Harbour](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/south-florida/bal-harbour/) - [Miami Beach](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/south-florida/miami-beach/) - [Golden Beach](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/south-florida/golden-beach/) - [Weston](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/south-florida/weston/) - [Boca Raton](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/south-florida/boca-raton/) - [Palm Beach](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/south-florida/palm-beach/) [New York Metro](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/new-york/) NY · 75 areas Older New York buildings share circuits and sag in voltage during summer heat waves, and a freezer compressor starting on a weak line strains its relay and overload, so the repair measures the voltage at the outlet before a new relay goes in. - [Upper East Side](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/new-york/upper-east-side/) - [Upper West Side](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/new-york/upper-west-side/) - [Tribeca](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/new-york/tribeca/) - [SoHo](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/new-york/soho/) - [Greenwich Village](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/new-york/greenwich-village/) - [Battery Park City](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/new-york/battery-park-city/) - [Brooklyn Heights](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/new-york/brooklyn-heights/) - [Park Slope](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/new-york/park-slope/) - [DUMBO](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/new-york/dumbo/) - [Forest Hills](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/new-york/forest-hills/) - [Great Neck](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/new-york/great-neck/) - [Southampton](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/new-york/southampton/) - [Scarsdale](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/new-york/scarsdale/) [Houston](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/houston/) TX · 36 areas When the power came back after Houston's 2024 hurricane outages, many freezers hummed but would not start, a start relay or capacitor that gave out under the surge, and replacing that one part put most of them back to work while the food was still cold. - [River Oaks](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/houston/river-oaks/) - [Memorial](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/houston/memorial/) - [Tanglewood](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/houston/tanglewood/) - [Greater Heights](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/houston/greater-heights/) - [Kingwood](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/houston/kingwood/) - [Bellaire](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/houston/bellaire/) - [Bunker Hill Village](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/houston/bunker-hill-village/) - [Piney Point Village](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/houston/piney-point-village/) - [Hunters Creek Village](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/houston/hunters-creek-village/) - [Sugar Land](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/houston/sugar-land/) - [Cinco Ranch](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/houston/cinco-ranch/) - [The Woodlands](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/houston/the-woodlands/) - [West University](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/houston/west-university/) [Chicago](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/) IL · 50 areas A chest freezer in an unheated Chicagoland garage can refuse to start in a January cold snap because the compressor oil thickens, so the repair compares the room with the unit's rated minimum before a relay or compressor is condemned. - [Lincoln Park](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/lincoln-park/) - [Near North Side](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/near-north-side/) - [West Loop / Near West Side](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/west-loop-near-west-side/) - [Wilmette](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/wilmette/) - [Winnetka](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/winnetka/) - [Glencoe](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/glencoe/) - [River Forest](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/river-forest/) - [Oak Park](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/oak-park/) - [Hinsdale](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/hinsdale/) - [Lake Forest](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/lake-forest/) - [Highland Park](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/highland-park/) - [Gold Coast](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/gold-coast/) - [Lakeview](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/lakeview/) [Los Angeles](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/) CA · 95 areas A Los Angeles freezer pushed into a tight garage alcove runs its compressor hot through long summers, and the repair replaces a cooked start relay and then opens up the space around the cabinet so the replacement does not cook in the same heat. - [Beverly Hills](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/beverly-hills/) - [Bel Air](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/bel-air/) - [Holmby Hills](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/holmby-hills/) - [Brentwood](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/brentwood/) - [Pacific Palisades](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/pacific-palisades/) - [Santa Monica](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/santa-monica/) - [Hancock Park](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/hancock-park/) - [Studio City](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/studio-city/) - [Calabasas](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/calabasas/) - [Manhattan Beach](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/manhattan-beach/) - [Palos Verdes Estates](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/palos-verdes-estates/) - [Pasadena](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/pasadena/) - [San Marino](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/san-marino/) - [Malibu](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/malibu/) [San Diego](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/san-diego/) CA · 31 areas A freezer moved between San Diego rentals by a military family is often plugged in minutes after riding on its side in the truck, and a compressor started before its oil drains back into place is the first thing this repair asks about. - [La Jolla](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/san-diego/la-jolla/) - [Carmel Valley](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/san-diego/carmel-valley/) - [Point Loma](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/san-diego/point-loma/) - [Del Mar](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/san-diego/del-mar/) - [Rancho Santa Fe](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/san-diego/rancho-santa-fe/) - [Coronado](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/san-diego/coronado/) - [Encinitas](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/san-diego/encinitas/) - [Solana Beach](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/san-diego/solana-beach/) [San Francisco Bay Area](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/bay-area/) CA · 74 areas Bay Area freezers in cool garages and basements seldom overheat, so when a compressor clicks on and off without cooling the repair looks for a relay worn out by years of short cycles or by restarts after power shutoffs, not for heat. - [Pacific Heights](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/bay-area/pacific-heights/) - [Presidio Heights](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/bay-area/presidio-heights/) - [Russian Hill](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/bay-area/russian-hill/) - [Noe Valley](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/bay-area/noe-valley/) - [Sea Cliff](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/bay-area/sea-cliff/) - [Hillsborough](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/bay-area/hillsborough/) - [Atherton](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/bay-area/atherton/) - [Woodside](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/bay-area/woodside/) - [Palo Alto](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/bay-area/palo-alto/) - [Los Altos Hills](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/bay-area/los-altos-hills/) - [Tiburon](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/bay-area/tiburon/) - [Piedmont](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/bay-area/piedmont/) - [Marina](https://freezerrepair.center/locations/bay-area/marina/) For the heart of your home. ## Questions about the freezer compressor and start relay repair. ### My freezer clicks every few minutes but never really starts. What is that? That rhythm is typical of an overload cutting the compressor off because it cannot get going, most often due to a worn start relay. It is one of the more affordable freezer repairs. Keep the door shut and the food cold, and book soon, because each failed start leaves the cabinet a little warmer. ### Is it worth replacing the compressor in a freezer? On a built-in column or a newer undercounter unit, usually yes. On an upright or chest freezer more than about twelve years old, a new compressor and the sealed-system work around it can come close to a new cabinet, and the technician will lay both out before anything is ordered. ### Can an extension cord cause compressor trouble? It can. A long or light cord drops the voltage when the compressor starts, and the overload trips over and over. Makers ask for the freezer to be plugged directly into its own grounded outlet, and that is the first thing to fix. --- **[Read on the site: Freezer Compressor and Start Relay Repair](https://freezerrepair.center/services/compressor-and-start-relay-repair/)** **[Book a visit with FreezerRepair.center](https://freezerrepair.center/schedule/)**