Do Refrigerators Have Fuses? (Which Ones Have It & Which Don’t?)

Image of a man trying to find the refrigerator fuse

A fuse protects an electrical appliance from getting damaged during power surges. When too much current flows through appliances like refrigerators, they can get damaged. However, if there is a fuse in the circuit, it melts when the current passes through it and prevents it from affecting the device. So, do refrigerators have fuses?

Most modern-day refrigerators don’t have in-built electrical fuses to protect them. However, refrigerators have thermal fuses to protect them from overheating. The thermal fuse is basically a safety device that disconnects the heating element from the electric power if the refrigerator overheats.

Let’s talk about this in detail now.

How Do Fuses Work In Refrigerators?

The power supply to your house is prone to electrical power surges.

When a power surge occurs, a high current flows through the line.

This causes electrical appliances like refrigerators to overheat and get damaged.

When devices like refrigerators overheat, it can also trigger a fire.

To minimize such risks and prevent appliances from getting damaged, appliances have fuses.

A fuse melts and breaks the circuit when something goes wrong.

By cutting off the supply to the important components of the device during a power surge, these devices protect the appliance.

Your refrigerator may have blown a fuse when its light goes off, and it stops cooling.

When this occurs, you will have to troubleshoot the source of the problem and fix it to get your refrigerator to operate again.

Most refrigerators have thermal fuses but no electric fuses.

If a refrigerator has an electrical fuse, it will be indicated in the power schematics of the appliance.

The thermal fuse is usually located in the control board.

Now, depending on the make and model of the refrigerator, this board may be placed in different parts of the fridge.

However, you should also know that there will be a fuse in the power cord or breaker box that your refrigerator is connected to.

Your refrigerator will stop working if the electric fuse in the breaker box blows.

Problems at the breaker box are easy to identify and fix.

You may just have to reset the tripped circuit breaker to restore power to your refrigerator or replace the broken fuse.

If the problem is at the electric outlet that supplies power to the refrigerator, you may have to replace the connector.

However, if your refrigerator has blown its internal thermal fuse, it’s more complicated.

This fuse is typically soldered into the control board. Hence, fixing it requires technical expertise.

You may have to contact technical service personnel to rectify the problem.

They will usually replace the fuse to get the device running again.

Let’s now look at the most popular types of refrigerators in the market and how their fuses work.

Recommended Further Reading:

Do Frigidaire Refrigerators Have Fuses?

The power schematics of Frigidaire refrigerators don’t indicate the presence of an electrical fuse.

If the refrigerator stops working and there is no power supply to it, the mainboard may have got damaged.

This mainboard is located in the cabinet in the front of the refrigerator, and it has complicated circuity.

If any issue exists, it’s best to get an authorized technician to attend to the problem.

To protect Frigidaire refrigerators from unexpected current spikes from the power supply, you can install a surge protector at the plug.

Although it will not help control internal spikes, it will prevent power surges in the power supply line from reaching the device.

Do Kenmore Refrigerators Have Fuses?

Most Kenmore refrigerators don’t have electric fuses.

You can check the schematics of the specific make and model or get in touch with a company representative to confirm.

However, Kenmore refrigerators have a thermal fuse in their control board.

If your Kenmore refrigerator stops working and there is no power supply problem, it may have blown its thermal fuse.

Since this is a part of the main control board, it’s not easy to fix.

Your best bet is to get in touch with authorized service personnel to replace the thermal fuse and restore power to the refrigerator.

Do GE Refrigerators Have Fuses?

Some GE refrigerators don’t have fuses.

You would have to check the schematics of the appliance or know the make and model to decide if the appliance has a fuse.

In GE refrigerators with fuses, the fuse will be located on the motherboard.

This is the main internal control board which contains all the complex electronic circuitry.

You can get a replacement fuse from the manufacturer for most GE refrigerators.

If you are not a technical expert, it is best to hire the services of a technician to replace the fuse in case of any problem.

Related Further Reading:

Do RV Refrigerators Have A Fuse?

RV refrigerators are different from household refrigerators because they operate on propane and electricity.

Hence, they are prone to more issues than regular refrigerators. Fortunately, most issues are easy to fix.

The fuse of an RV refrigerator is located outside the RV.

There will be a black box with a vent cover outside the RV to access the rear end of the refrigerator.

If you remove the vent cover, you can find the fuse.

When you open the black box, you will see two fuses.

Locate the one that is connected to the refrigerator system.

You can remove this fuse to check if it is damaged.

You can easily replace it with a new one if there is an issue and restore power to your refrigerator.

Do Samsung Refrigerators Have Fuses?

Samsung refrigerators have thermal fuses in the control panel.

Depending on the make and model, the location of the control panel may vary.

In most models, the fuse is located inside the back panel in the refrigerator.

You will have to remove the back panel cover to gain access to the fuse.

The fuse will be attached to the connector assembly on the top.

The thermal fuse is usually behind the coil, and you can pull it out.

Slide off the fuse by pulling the connector tabs.

If it is damaged, you can replace the unit with a new fuse, put it back into place, and power up the refrigerator.

Do Small Refrigerators Have Fuses?

Small refrigerators may or may not have fuses, depending on the brand and the model.

You would have to consult the power schematics of the device or its user manual to know for sure.

However, almost all mini-refrigerators will have an internal thermal fuse to protect the device from overheating.

If a small refrigerator blows its fuse, the problem may be with the internal circuitry or the fuse on the main power control.

Interesting Further Reading:

Do LG Refrigerators Have Fuses?

Most LG refrigerator models have fuses in their main control board. This fuse is usually soldered to the board.

It protects the refrigerator from overheating and damage in the event of a power surge.

You can find the fuse on the main control board after removing the board cover.

LG refrigerator fuses are usually replaceable. However, soldering the fuse on is not easy.

It takes some expertise to carefully take the broken fuse out and solder the new one into place without affecting the rest of the circuit.

If you are not good at soldering, avoid attempting this yourself.

Hire an authorized service technician to perform the task and restore power to your LG refrigerator.

References

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