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Fridge & Freezer Repairs in Shellharbour

A $125 fixed assessment, authorised for 16 major brands, and a same-day visit is often possible when food is at risk and you ring early.

02 4229 3777Book a repair

What the $125 covers

A technician comes to the house, tests the fridge and tells you what has failed, what the repair costs and whether it is worth doing. The fee is the same anywhere in Shellharbour City and it is payable whether you go ahead or not. Nothing else is charged until you have the repair price and have said yes.

For a sense of scale before you ring: a small fridge job is generally the assessment and a part in the region of $60, and a larger repair usually totals about $500 to $600. A compressor failure or a refrigerant leak costs more than that, and on most household fridges that is where we would point you towards a replacement.

Salt air and the condenser

Living close to the water is hard on a fridge. The condenser coil sheds the heat the fridge pulls out of the food, and in houses near the beaches at Warilla, Barrack Point and Shellharbour village, salt settles on it and slowly eats the fins. A corroded, dusty coil cannot get rid of heat, so the fridge runs longer and longer and still feels warm.

Pull the fridge out once a year, switch it off and vacuum the coil and the grille at the base. If the coil looks crusty or green, mention it when you book, because it changes what the technician packs. Our guide to a fridge running constantly covers the checks in more detail.

Faults we see most around the lake

  • Warm fridge, cold freezer. Usually a fan or a defrost fault, covered in the questions below.
  • Ice on the back wall. A failed defrost heater, sensor or blocked drain on frost-free models. The fridge is still cooling and the repair is routine.
  • Freezing the salad. A thermostat setting, food packed against the vent, or a damper stuck open. See why a fridge freezes food.
  • Door alarm beeping. A perished seal, a door out of line, or a faulty switch.
  • Garage fridges. Second fridges in hot garages and on back verandahs work much harder through summer than the one in the kitchen.

When the fridge stops with food in it

Keep the doors shut. A full freezer left shut stays frozen for a day or more, and the fridge section stays cold for a few hours. If you have an esky and ice, move the milk, meat and medicines first. Then ring early, tell us the brand and model number from the label inside the door, and say there is food at risk.

Brands

We are an authorised repairer for all 16 brands listed on this page, so a fridge still under the maker's warranty can be booked with us too. Bring the proof of purchase. LG, Samsung, Haier, Westinghouse and Fisher & Paykel make up most of the fridges we open in this area.

Fridge & freezer repair questions

Is it worth repairing a fridge or should I replace it?

Repair, in most cases. The usual culprits are fans, defrost heaters and timers, sensors, door seals and control boards, all of which cost a fraction of a new fridge. The exception is a leak of refrigerant or a dead compressor, where buying new normally makes more sense. The assessment sorts out which kind of fault yours is before you spend anything more.

How much does it cost to fix a fridge?

The assessment is $125, fixed. A small job is usually that fee and a part costing in the region of $60. A larger repair usually totals about $500 to $600. Either way you get the price before any work starts.

What is the average cost of a fridge repair?

Most fridge jobs sit at one of two ends. Either a small part is fitted on the spot, which means the $125 assessment and a part in the region of $60, or it is a larger job totalling about $500 to $600.

What is the most expensive fridge repair?

Anything involving the compressor or a refrigerant leak. On most household fridges that bill gets close to what a new fridge costs, so it is usually where we suggest replacing it instead.

Why would the freezer work but not the fridge?

On most frost-free fridges the cold air is made in the freezer and blown into the fridge section. When the fridge goes warm and the freezer stays cold, the usual causes are a stopped fan, frost choking the coil because a defrost part has failed, or a stuck air damper. All three are repairable.

Do fridges need regassing?

Not as routine maintenance. The refrigerant circulates in a closed loop and is never consumed, which means any fridge short of gas has a leak somewhere. That is the expensive end of fridge faults, and it is worth having the cheaper causes ruled out first.

Why is my fridge so loud all of a sudden?

A new buzz, rattle or chirp usually comes from a fan motor on its way out, a fan blade catching on ice, or the fridge sitting unevenly after it was moved. A fridge that clicks on and off every few minutes is a different fault, often the start relay on the compressor.

Can you come the same day?

Often, yes. Ring early in the day and tell us it is a fridge with food in it. If a technician is already working this end of the lake, same-day is usually realistic, though we will not promise it before we have checked the run.

Do you repair commercial fridges?

Household fridges and freezers are our work, including a household-style fridge that happens to sit in a shop or an office. Purpose-built commercial refrigeration such as cool rooms and display cabinets is outside what we do.

Book a fridge & freezer repair

The assessment is $125, fixed, anywhere in Shellharbour City. You get the repair price before any work starts.

02 4229 3777Book a repair