For those who would like to know ... the linear compressor works the same way as loud speaker does... or sub woofer driver ...a low frequency unit. The inverter schematic would be the same as your sub amp ... single phase variable frequency driver. If they did not fit all those springs .... your fridge would go for "walk about " in your kitchen.
Thanks for the video. I’m an LG tech and always wondered what they look like inside and what the valve that fails look like. Yes. LG has a lot of compressor failures. Most of them due to defective valve. Which you show in the video. I replace at least 3 a week.
@@mdhfinsc then why, when I bought an log and did a video, he said you’d be working at higher pressures. I ended up putting 10 lb. to get it to cool properly. A friend was befuddled the same way, having to add more recently, than an embraco conversion.
Lg servicecenter owner here. The heat kills them. You MUST keep these cool! 1. Unplug unit before moving it. Or throw breaker. 2. Remove lower rear metal cover. 3. Vacuum dust off the condenser and back metal cover. 4. Repeat every 6 months or more if you have hairy pets. If you do a lot of frying (looking at you folks from india, Bangladesh, Mexico etc.) You may need to use a degreaser on the condenser) 5. Leave or make space on all sides according to the manual. If that is not possible, put a hole in the upper cabinet and a fan. They must stay cool! Almost all failures i see have a dirty condenser and or install in a tight cabinet with no ventilation. You can put a temperature logger on or near the compressor that will send the data to your cell phone for under $20 on Amazon. Set an over temperature alarm. If you keep it happy it might last 20 years or more!
Thanks for your tear down video. I'm an appliance tech and unfortunately, have also experienced a high failure rate on LG compressors, particularly the linear compressors.
We bought a $2500 LG french door "linear compressor" fridge in July 2015. 2 1/2 years later, compressor fails and is replaced. 2 1/2 years later again, same thing, 3 weeks outside the 5 year warranty. LG thankfully agreed to cover it so we only had to pay the diagnostic repair but we had to live out of a mini fridge for a month. The repairman said he replaced it with an updated unit which is supposed to be better and also updated the firmware so fingers crossed.
Pay attention at 2:45 and you will notice the broken piece of the valve that you pointed out. I was sitting toward the O.D. of the piston. Watched another teardown of this model compressor with the exact same failure and similar tear out shape on valve cover. An obvious design flaw within the this LG compressor model.
One of the other I've seen on YT has one of the rubber seal torn apart. I think the piston just happen to get way too much amplitude of its vibrations so it starts to collide with the rubber end assembly. Probably way too much more often than engineers anticipated, so it get destroyed...
Thanks for making this video. It was great. I had a Lg fridge with a Linear Compressor go bad in less than a year and a half too. I wonder if the valve material may be too brittle for the stress in a lot of Lg Compressors. Keep in mind there is no warranty for second owners. So consider a $600 bill as a possibility when looking at a good deal.
The newer version of the linear compressor has some slight changes to fix the problems. My parents have a Kenmore with a linear compressor in it that is still going strong since 2013.
I have a 2019 LG french door fridge with linear compressor that has just failed 3.8 years old ( 2 months shy of 4 years) is all it lasted. One week later Tech was here and diagnosed -- unit has a bad compressor, we are on schedule to get replaced next week. So I guess they improved them from lasting 1.3 years to 3.8 years if that is an improvement I guess?? Currently living out of a cooler for next 2 weeks-- bare necessities, milk , eggs, etc.. threw a lot of perfectly good food out that would not fit into cooler.
Just had mine changed. Bad compressor, had good system seal and pressure! Thank God for the warranty! Was like 800$ job! Total junk.... If you have a Kenmore frig, it's not covered unless you grabbed the warranty from Sears... I see lots of Kenmore refrigerators for sale bad compressor! Thanks for sharing
The diaphragm which works like a speaker woofer to move the linear piston to compress move refrigerant. It’s just cheap and gets hot. So keep your coils clean hope you get 5 years. I’ve had some customers that are now at 10 years. So I wonder why exactly some fail so fast. Particals in system not sure. That’s for tearing it down for us techs to see.
Thanks for your very informative video. I think the white pvc part is a bypass valve for xcess gas to escape during the compression stroke. The brittleness/metal breakdown indicates an inferior grade of aluminum - steel alloy used in the top of the cylinder head; a greater low carbon mix could have been used during the smelting process.
Them valves are made outta steel, I'm betting the steel reed valve wasn't really able to handle the difference in pressure and was bending around the corners of the hole. Then returning to it's shape after. This happening over a few hundred thousands strokes will cause metal fatigue, and that ends in exactly that kind of brittle failure, the steel being broken around the lip of that hole is the smoking gun. Steel has an infinite fatigue life, but only if the forces applied are kept within it's limit.
Great video! My 3 year old LG fridge compressor failed as well. Worst part is that in Washington State, LG had nobody "certified" to repair it. Wasted lots of time on the phone with LG scheduling repairs only to find that every appliance repair shop LG worked with refused to do this repair. I found a compressor on eBay and shipped it to myself and scheduled my own appliance repair guy to install it, invalidating my warranty, which turns out is useless anyway. He said LG has not changed the design so I should expect it to fail again in 1-3 years. Wish consumer reports and/or the wirecutter would acknowledge this catastrophic failure of the compressor... a component which has been engineered to last 20+ years from other brands (except LG & Samsung).
They should have shipped you the compressor for no charge since it's under the 10 year part warranty. They are all going to garbage compressors it looks like. EPA stuff is just out of hand so even if they wanted to make one that was good energy star requirements get in the way. Eventually freezers will be back to manual defrost if it keeps up.
@@theappliancetechnician They told me they could ship one but it was going to take 2-3 weeks and with a 4 year old at home I couldn't wait that long to get a refrigerator back up and running, since it had already been a week of back and forth trying to schedule a repair. I don't know much about compressor design, but I could definitely understand how even more strict and unproven energy star requirements could lead to more unreliability. Not sure if this LG "linear design" was to get better energy ratings. If it was, pretty sure all of the worn out compressors and additional energy to create new compressors totally cancel out cost benefits as well as any reduction in "greenhouse gasses". What a waste.
Trying to figure out what would cause that valve to fail, metal reed valves have been around since forever and are used in pretty much every air compressor and two stroke on the planet. Looking at the way that hole is shaped it appears to me that the pressure is causing it to bend into the shape of the hole in the piston likely fatiguing the part. If I had one of these I'd get a new valve laser cut outta some thicker spring steel and reassemble, last thing I'd do is replace the compressor as the valve is clearly not able to handle the high pressure side of the compressor.
But the compressor is in a sealed (welded) housing (which is already cut off in this video) so you can't access the compressor bit shown without opening the compressor shell with a cut off wheel or saw... This is pretty much an un serviceable part, unless you put in extreme care, time, and cleanliness to open and re weld that shell on.
@@volvo09 Does the housing actually hold any pressure? If not it would be like a 30 minute job to clean and weld. Not an HVAC guy so I don't know, just seems pretty stupid to keep replacing the same expensive part every two years considering how much of a pain it would be to pull out, put a new one in, and re-charge the system.
Yes, the compressor is part of the sealed system and holds refrigerant. It might be possible to do that but it would be an incredible feat to accomplish. The compressor is pretty much a dome holding a motor supported by springs and connected with steel tubing to the outside of the dome. The reed valve is inside of the motor. @@linuxguy1199
@@theappliancetechnician Yeah it seems like it would be a feat, but personally I'd give it a try if I had one of these, I do most of my own work and can't stand having to replace something over and over with the same crappy part.
I have another video where I use a regular compressor instead of the linear. That one is still working in a friends garage where it hits 100+ degrees June through Sept here. @@linuxguy1199
Thanks for making the video! I've done the same thing. Bought their best inverter-linear. Major repair every year and condemned in just 5 years. Microfractured the whole high circuit. The parts are on warranty but LG makes it almost impossible to get to their own techs to authorize replacements. It's garbage straight from the drawing board. "Sucks gas" is right. Don't buy this junk! The design doesn't favor durability. It's also much louder than similar time tested rotaries.
The best thing you can do to keep this compressor alive is it needs to be kept as cool as possible. I see these refrigerators installed with cabinets tightly against the sides and top. It's critical that the top has at least 2 inches of clearance from the cabinet above. Also, every French Door LG I've seen had vent slots in the base of the cabinet by the condenser and compressor. Hard to see but they are there. Those slots allow air to be drawn in from floor level into and through the condenser, then exhausted back out at floor level once passing over the compressor. I see these slots completely blocked with dust all the time. People just don't know they are there, and the owners manual makes no mention of keeping them clean. Of course it goes without saying , keep the condenser clean. Blow it out, don't just vacuum it. Do it twice a year. If you have furry companions , do it more often. LG needs to put a high compressor temperature warning into their refrigerators. That will get the attention of owners and hopefully they will jump into action. And what's up with that cheap Reed valve design? Every linear compressor I've replaced had high suction pressure due to that valve failing. "New designs" ( not sure what is new) are still failing the same way. I have customers with 75 year old refrigerators that are still humming. What are those Reed valves made of that LG can't duplicate.
In automotive air con we call the Balck goo Black death, mixture of PAG oil moisture and metal shavings usually caused by a compressor eating itself alive
Ahh reed valves! Well, one reed basically. No wonder these things die so quickly. I used to replace reed valves in reciprocating air compressors all the time. Usual cause of failure was low oil levels in the compressor sumps, which lead to overheating of the heads, which in turn made the reed valves brittle. So, it seems like LG could fix this issue easily with a better cooling system for the compressor.
Personally I don't think those reed valves are nearly thick enough for the kind of pressures that refrigerants use, my 150PSI shop air compressor has thicker ones, refrigerants usually have a 500-800PSI high side and a 10-50PSI low side. That led to metal fatigue and inevitable failure.
For many years Yamaha used reed valves in the induction system of two-stroke motorcycle engines. I have worked on many of these engines and have never seen a broken reed. The reeds close onto a rubber coated seat. Where I have seen a broken reed is in a factory air compressor in which the reeds close onto a bare metal seat.
@@cedriclynch Reed valves shouldn't be used for high pressure applications because small amounts of plastic deformation over time cause them to fail to fatigue, this can lead to catastrophic failures especially if used in a high pressure system. The intake on a two stroke is very low pressure, always less then 20PSI depending on altitude and throttle position, and the reed valve doesn't really see any serious load, heck even plastic or rubber reed valves can suffice because they just aren't under any serious stress. You can't really compare it to this. For the linear compressor it usually has a pressure differential of 600-800 PSI, with a 0.2in^2 area that's a force of over 100lbs every cycle on that extremely small valve, which is a lot for a tiny bit of thin sheet metal, especially considering it's braced against a sharp corner that will worsen the bending force accelerating metal fatigue. For the air compressor it usually has a pressure differential of 200PSI, my air compressor has reed valves about 1/16in thick at about 1in^2 of area, that's 200lbs but it's distributed over a wide, thick piece of steel, plus the seats for the reed valves in my compressor have slanted reliefs cut into them for the valves to sit in and no abrupt sharp corners that the metal slams into like the ones used in the LG compressor. Finally, Reed valve design, unlike many other types of valve designs is a particularly complex form of valve design because due to the cyclic nature of the device. Metal fatigue is always a concern, especially for this style of valve.
The grand daddy of linear compressor is the Japanese company Sawafuji that makes Engel portable DC/AC refrigerator. They call it swing compressor. The compressor is driven by very simple circuit that take advantage of the sprung mass natural frequency. I believe they started this compressor technology as far back as the 60s. Even till this day, it is as energy efficient as the much more complex and modern smart electronic driven DC rotary compressors started by Danfoss.
Thanks for the FYI. I've seen this design in other things that was a good design like air pumps and there was a pretty heavy and simple steel one that used the same mechanics. I guess they skimped on the material this go around. The ones I've torn down have had broken reed valves and complete burn outs for lack of better terms.
@@theappliancetechnician I appreciate the reply. I infer from the class action lawsuit this LG linear compressor for their fridges had been an utter failure, due to these design and manufacturing flaws. I infer LG has since switched to more conventional inverter rotary compressor like those by Embraco that supplies the bulk of the usual suspect brands. LG now only touts "smart inverter compressor" and provide no useful information. I would not be surprised it too are now using Embraco compressors. I am not a LG hater. In fact I prefer LG over Samsung and all the US flag flying brands.
That black sludge looks like Teflon. Some automotive A/C compressors have Teflon in them, it disintegrates and causes similar sludgy stuff throughout the A/C System..
I recently purchased a new lg French door fridge with the linear compressor . Of course I hear about the failures after the fact . I’m hoping they’ve got this resolved in 2023 ? Maybe wishful thinking
They're still dying out there. There's been 101 excuses as to why and "fixes" that no one can explain except in unprovable theories. Time will tell, but I don't believe them. Somehow they are here to stay and still failing a lot.
@@MajorTendonitis They've "addressed" it for sure, with fairy dust and excuses and board updates that they never can fully explain. Like the samsung icemakers, 50+ fixes and no real solutions. Muddy the waters enough and you'll never get a straight answer on how to fix it. Sad part is that no one knows how to get to the bottom of a problem anymore, and this was the point of this video. Techs will even say "It's fixed" and walk away as the new standard is to walk away from it working now. Nevermind 6 months from now. I do everything I can to find the source and solution to the problem.
excellent video. I just purchased a new lg fridge. its jan 2019. I'm concerned about this. I'm just wondering if LG has fixed the compressor problem. Or can I expect a bad compressor in about a year or so? I did buy the extended warranty(thank god) but surely LG has found a way of strengthening that valve, and keep it from breaking.
I don't know the answer to that but my thoughts is that they made most of them all at the same time so I kinda doubt it but don't know for sure. To make up for it they pretty much gave everyone a 5 year parts and labor warranty on the sealed system. Sears is doing them.
Correct me if I'm wrong but the Linar comp is just two electro magnets, and the "stator"your referring to is just an electro magnet like a solenoid valve looks like your Reed valve is hamburger cowboy
That kind of a butterfly in the upper chamber is the one that breaks over time, cause is moving up and down, and then the succion and or the pressure diminish or stops, and on end no cooling. maybe the system or the metal alloy or quality has to be fixed, if they haven't. (the main motor almost never fails)
I've heard that these compressors can't tolerate any sealed system leaks due to flimsy valve design compared to conventional compressors. So replacing a compressor without checking for leaks is doomed idea. Also it's hard to find a leak because of negative low side pressure but I've heard that most of the time it's evaporator connections. Yamaha makes motorcycle engines with reed valves and they run fine so there must be something to make them break.
There are successful builds with this design but this isn't one of them. These are mostly 134 so they don't run at 600 negative pressures. I'm sure there are 600 systems out there but most of the ones we see haven't been.
I just might try to find or keep with the original compressors and skip the Linear compressors, I have a Electrolux side by side it's still running but makes noises frequently it's a 2009, been through two floods.
Does this type of compressor have a oil sump like that of a piston compressor i.e. is there oil circulation on the moving parts and if so how it is done ? Is there a oil pump or a splash type method I am asking since I can see black grease like residue on the rods that indicates less oil or no oil
The literature indicates that linear compressors DON'T require lubrication - which is hard for me to believe. They claim that the POE oil in the system is just to circulate and aid in tracking down any leaks.
I know it's probably not very interesting, but could you please tell me what the inside of the charging line looks like as it passes through the case? I am pretty sure I have an oil problem and I have the idea of tilting the fridge on its back to position the charging line outlet as the low spot on the compressor to drain as much oil as I can.
What are you referring to as the charging line? If you want to get oil back in the compressor then stand it up and let it sit for a few days then turn it on. If it will get back it will. If not, then it's screwed.
@@theappliancetechnician I meant the line stub from which it was charged from the factory. I had too much oil,, not too little. But it turned out the vapor line on the back was where I was able to remove the oil. There was about 3oz too much! It was getting forced through the system at startup and intermittently causing severe restrictions that would move around from evaporator to evaporator. It was starving the compressor. On another note, I read somewhere that the linear compressors don't need oil, that the only real use for it in them is for the dye to locate leaks. I'm not sure if that's true, what do you think about it?
@@PrintEngineering I think you're chasing dragons. First off that stub off the compressor is called a process tube. It's the same as the low side. It's a line that goes to the compressor and ends there. How did you determine it had too much oil in it? Did you get the starving compressor problem fixed? I remember this compressor having oil in it.
HI,I have a cuestión,do you recommend buy a LG refrigerator with inverter linear compressor? It's true the compresor It's not good,and what brand of refrigerator you recommend, thank you for you help.
It depends on your situation, there is no one size fits all. If LG could fix their compressors they would be a pretty solid refrigerator. Other than that they have few issues that can't be resolved.
I believe the problem is the diaphragm in the center where the 3 holes is broked and for that reason there is no compression. The part I don't get is how to find out that problem without open the compressor. If there is no compression, the PSI in the low and hight side, what it could be. I understand the compressor must be change. But I would like to know before take the compressor out.
If the compressor is running and you get 40+ psi on the low and high side the compressor is not working. I tap the low side. If it's drawing a suction then low charge, if it's 40+ then bad compressor.
I'm not good on sounds but this one kinda just hums (don't know if that's good/bad). Can I mount a clamp on service port on the lower tube, suction side I'm assuming and get a reading? I assuming if there is a hole in the valve there would be just ambeient temp/pressure reading?
Depends on the area. If they have a good servicer in the area then you won't have too much of a problem usually. There are exceptions to everything though. If not you'll get the run around, or they don't have any one so call around and see if you can find one. I found that it depends on who answers the phone at LG. Some of them are great but most of them aren't. You have to check your warranty too because some were 1 year parts and labor, some were 5 years parts and labor, some were 7 years parts and labor. BUT if you got a good agent they might agree to cover everything, IF they agree to cover everything they might really send the parts to the servicer like they said they would, and IF you have a good servicer that does the back and forth and gets the parts they might get to you in a somewhat timely fashion, or they might put higher priority jobs ahead of you. So the simple answer is sometimes, but it depends on a lot of stuff.
I like what you are doing, I wish I could tear one too. I'm a technician w/ 3 decades of experience and right now I'm working on side by side (2-1/2 y/o) with the same motor, the issue being evap leak and condenser leak, the tubing that goes inside the body. I serviced 2 sidexside and a stack r600 ref (similar brand) with condenser leak last months, a total of 6 with same problem. My client wants to convert his LG ref from R600a to R134a, this is my 1st LG conversion, got 2 last month. My 1st concern is, can this kind of compressor handle R134a? Ref is running right now, -30deg in 4.5hrs, -20 in 2.5hrs (data next). Knowing the density of R134a is higher, the original setup will not work, thus pressure plays a very vital role. I need to tweak the condenser side and low side to attain the required stabilized pressure, at room temperature, or else the motor won't start. Plug the ref with freezer at ambient temp (26C - S/1 storm here). After self check, current reading starts at 0.10A, low side pressure goes down to negative, 227volts. An hour after, 0.0C, 0.86A, and -15psi. 2nd hour, -20C, 0.67A, and -18psi. 2.75hrs mark, -24C, 0.61A, -20psi. I'm using SUPCO CR4, Infrared temp of compressor is 42C and filter 35C. After pressing express fzr, at 4.5mark temp is -30C, RH87%, 0.56A, -22psi, 226V, compressor 41C, and filter 33C. Looks almost perfect but my question is, as you have dissected a similar motor, in your opinion can this motor handle R134a? R134 is bad for the environment, but I have to accept the challenge for now. (hope you understand my English)
This is a 134a compressor. 600 runs at much different pressures so I don't know. I have been able to put a regular ptc relay compressor in an lg and not use the linear compressor though. I don't know much about the 600 compressors, they're not really here yet.
I think linear compressor and linear inverter have similar mechanism, they only differ in windings, the inverter being three phase. Have you noticed the amount of compressor oil? I only got 1/2 the amount compared w/ relay- start Matsushita.
No, I didn't notice but it didn't have too much oil in it come to think of it. This one you can plug directly into the wall and it will run so it's not a 3 winding that requires an inverter.
Walter: Would it be better to replace this with a different linear compressor so It could keep the variable speed efficiencies? How would I find a compatible replacement is the question I guess. Any ideas? Thanks.
Million dollar question. Whirlpool is making a linear but I don't know anything about it. I think the design is too new and they hadn't figured it out yet really.
@@theappliancetechnician According to this: www.frigochem.com/pdf/Refrigerator_Compressor_151207.pdf Page 28 - it seems like I should have a coil reading between any 2 contacts. The one I have is open P to S and open P to C I am getting a fluctuating resistance C to S. All connections off - only reading the compressor(still installed). Can you help with what a good linear reads in ohms between the terminals? By watching this Teardown video it looks like maybe only one winding operates these linears. The fridge I picked up for free, now a project nothing invested yet, is a Kenmore 795.72053.110 French Door bottom freezer( Nice fridge). The compressor is LG FC75LBNA(the infamous one I understand). No cooling. Six flashes on the control board LED. I pierced the service port line on the compressor. It has no suction when the condenser fan is running and it feels like the compressor is running. Total current draw of the fridge from the 110V outlet is like .5 Amps. Thanks for the discussion here. I have several used reciprocating compressors from scrapped refrigerators. Thinking about patching one in with the 12 volt relay as you discussed in your video th-cam.com/video/lZJ0EZE3tx8/w-d-xo.html. Thanks for that. I would not have thought to try that. But I am waiting for now to see if there really is an improved LG or Whirlpool linear compressor coming along. Looks like I can buy the same one on Ebay for $280. www.ebay.com/itm/TCA35271204-LG-TCA36511303-TCA35271204-TCA35533604-Refrigerator-Compressor-NEW/233263981723 Probably get a couple years out of it - maybe.
@@rogerschelling3162 Linear compressors have a single winding so that's 2 pins that will give a reading. BLDC have 2 windings so all 3 should give the same reading if you ohm them out. LG linears use 2 and one doesn't go to anything so if you get 2 ohms across 2 terminals and OL on the other one to either of those 2 then you're dealing with a linear. BLDC use the grey or black compressor boards to run them. It's usually a VCC3 controller that runs the compressor. I have another video about that controller and running it on an arduino.
@@rogerschelling3162 Typically when you pierce the system you'll have about 50 psi+ on the process tube or suction side and the same or close on the discharge. I have 0 faith in the new one to be improved and no one can even tell you what the new compressors or the control board reprogram does that's different. I think they disable the compressor overcurrent error on the inverter. I've had problems with that after replacing compressors on these. That's all I can think it does.
@@theappliancetechnician Yea I did have static pressure of 50+ when I pierced the process tube. I can't tell that it draws down at all when the compressor & condenser fan motor are running. Now then it looks like Embraco makes a linear compressor and that may be what Whirlpool is using. www.atmo.org/presentations/files/571d4d6ebe4561461538158Nv2qS.pdf Down to page 9 it shows an Embraco compressor # WMD7H for R134a 220-240V 50-60HZ. I don't know anything about the Yoycart website but they list some Embraco WMD7H as low as $60 + $8 shipping on a slow boat from China. www.yoycart.com/Product/548134004635/ I can't tell much about the compatibility of the LG linear driver signals being compatible with the Embraco linear driver signals. Although I have looked at the voltage and frequency on the LG that I have. The LG FC75LBNA.
@2:53 If you look above the "piston" you'll notice the broken part of what I would think may be called a reed valve or something similar. What a shame they couldn't build things better.
It's not uncommon to see that weird break in it either. I've seen it several times. You'd think they would break on the connecting parts and crack off but it hasn't been the case from what I've seen.
@@theappliancetechnicianI think there is some kind of high-frequency rippling occurring in the reed as it comes down on its seating, and this is causing a very local sharp bending that exceeds the fatigue limit of the material. I have seen a rather similar reed failure in a factory air compressor, in which it wasn't so serious because this can easily be taken apart and reassembled. For many years Yamaha used reed valves in the induction system of two-stroke motorcycle engines; I have worked on many of these and have never seen a broken reed. Yamaha's reeds close onto rubber-coated seats that probably have the effect of damping out any high-frequency rippling. They also have curved backing pieces that limit how much they can curve on opening.
here is a link to a linear animation th-cam.com/video/JXmpS8_ro1Q/w-d-xo.html The piece with the hole is the valve which is a piece of spring steel on the tip of the piston. No it is not supposed to have a hole in it. I'm curious of the model# on the side of the compressor.
Can you please weigh the reciprocating ( moving ) parts please. Piston, attached plate. Half the spring weight could be considered reciprocating. A conventional piston and conrod weighs about 60g
@1:38 looks like the piston. So did the piston pound a hole in the the valve? how did the hole get in the valve? I've a "Give To Me" LG French door "door in a door" with the "Linear Inverter" system. I Tried to find a job shop appliance repair business that would work on it. Yes, they would $600 and up with "No Warranty". The repair shop guy said they were way to busy anyhow for a actual repair job because his main income was from picking up the used refrigerators from the area appliance stores and properly scrapping them out $35 a pop and then whatever the scrap metal places give them as well. He does some times twenty a day (he has his own 2 ton box truck with a lift gate running loops from appliance store to appliance store). Apparently no one even blinks at dropping $2000 on a new refrigerator every few years. The appliance stores just can't get rid of the old units fast enough just from limited storage space. Is this a economic bubble about to break or what?
It needs to. They are making nothing but junk now days and selling it for $$$$. Some are not repairable. The hole is from substandard materials, cheap steel that wears out fast after vibrating a lot. It's just junk and that's unfortunate because other than that they make a pretty good refrigerator comparatively.
Walter Baumy do you think guys may be we could replace that valve? Welded a replacement ? Seems like they are improvising at owners expense to me .. replacing would be good however we gotta take into account that piston might also be busted
I had two LG refers fail, one under warranty, the other, one year out of warranty. Both were bad compressors. Fortunately, LG agreed to fix the second one no charge. Problem is, the repair was badly botched by the service company resulting in a second repair by a different service company. (Covered by LG.) Now, the dang thing makes a clunking noise when I move the refer. It does not make the noise when it’s running, only if I shift it back and forth just a little. Sounds like something is loose inside the compressor but after watching the video, I can’t see what it might be. It never made this noise before and the service company tried to convince me it was a normal sound, when it’s running, but his argument was flat when I told him it was not running. Anyone have any ideas? TIA.
Compressors will clunk if you shake them. The motor sits on 4 springs inside of the metal dome it's housed in so it moves a bit. Moving it will make a clunking noise. There are clips that hold the compressor down to the frame of the ref, if they're there then it may be normal when moving it back and forth. I'm not so sure I'd believe it was a botched install with the failure rate of these compressors and some techs need to make themselves feel better by talking S about another's work. I'd like to think that techs grow out of that when they get the tables turned on them. If it's in, and nothing is kinked and it worked for a year and they changed the filter I can't see how it's a botched job. If it's botched that bad it would have never worked. Especially with over and under amp errors on the inverter that runs it. Sloppy job, maybe but sealed system work is like sausage. You don't really want to see how it's made as it's not always pretty. I try to make mine pretty and usually do, but I'm not perfect either and have had some jobs that don't want to seal properly and end up with a quarter stick of brazing rod on it. Also it depends on if they used a torch or lok ring. Lok ring is supposed to be easier but the rings don't always seal and more experienced techs will braze the whole lock ring in extreme cases and that's ok too. It has to be sealed, and it has to flow. Anything more than that is lagniappe. I've seen ugly jobs that lasted 10+ years and think "That guy was having a bad day or a tough time with that braze but stuck with it and got the job done."
@@theappliancetechnician The first replacement compressor lasted 3 days. The tech used some kind of compression fittings, did not braze the lines. The second tech (different company) brazed all the lines. I’ve checked out a couple of other videos showing a tear down of an LG compressor and they do float and move inside the housing. Maybe it is normal but never heard it before on this refer or the other LG I have.
Lok Rings are the compression type fittings and yeah, that's why I don't use them and braze instead. To each his own. I haven't met a compressor that doesn't clunk when you shake it and have done quite a few of these replacements. In my experience there's about a 10% chance they will never work again when these go out. I've had some run ins with these.
My compressor have the same problem the small plate which is used as a Inlet Outlet valve it was broken and I'm really surprised that whole compressor is depend on this valve plates and LG reputation Goodwill is based on the small valve which is easily broken and the whole refrigerator is going to be bad
Generators are hard on everything typically speaking. You take a chance running any refrigeration on generator power. I don't usually see problems with whole house generators, it's the 10hp 5500 ones that I see cause problems.
False. Inverter generators will not harm anything. NON inverter generators can harm things badly if not tuned perfectly. In a perfect world a non inverter generator can power up anything you'd run on mains, but that's where the generator maintains exact RPM (and therefore hz and voltage) and never shuts down or otherwise changes speed while the device is powered. Inverter generators produce pure sine wave forms and never allow the voltage or frequency to go very far from spec, therefore they are safe for all electronics.
I am a Mech Eng, ( not refrigeration) just looking at that compressor it looks hideously complicated compared to a motor driven one. Reciprocating mass is what causes inefficiency. The linear has huge (10x?) times recip mass compared to piston. If my fridge died I would put in a universal piston compressor and temp control. I believe a conventional compressor with inverter drive would be good. I run my fridges with a Victron 12v /230v inverter 800 watt inverter and it runs two fridges happily. A smaller inverter will not start a compressor.
What an incredibly stupid design. IF they used say six smaller holes instead of three large ones the problem would be completely solved. The rest of the linear system looked alright, but nowhere near as good as the sawafuji swing motor. My parents bought a fridge with this compressor despite my warning them that it would fail. Thanks for the video, wanted to see what was in it.
That black stuff is black death. It gets pumped into the other components eventually causing a restriction in cap tube down the road. Tried on test fridge to flush it with no luck. Worst compressor ever. When they go unless the windings fail first they released that black sludge and it contaminates the whole system
There are other linear compressors on the market that have been very successful, so there is nothing wrong with the principle. The Sawafuji Swing Motor is a linear compressor. See here for more information: www.sawafuji.co.jp/en/technology/swing_motor/. The principle of the Sawafuji and LG products appear to be identical, but the designs are very different. The Sawafuji product has been in use for a very long time and is incredibly reliable. Its design appears to be much simpler than the LG product. There's another Japanese linear compressor that you can see in this video too: th-cam.com/video/eEF-owkyI-o/w-d-xo.html. The person who made the video says that "you can see why it would last so long". So maybe LG has made a poor version and pushed it out on the market with a few design and materials issues in it that the Japanese versions don't have?
The first one I don't know, lg drawings are or were just as sketchy. The second link shows a linear compressor that is a much better system of reed valves and looks very well built. Having a flap of metal that bends in the same place thousands of times to what looks like a well thought out system is like comparing apples to handgrenades. I think or thought the weak link in the LG is the reed valve. My experience has told me that moving something by bending in the same place over and over is going to break it eventually, with all the materials I am familiar with. Maybe they came up with a material that can handle it, but I still don't think this is it. I think that the reed will eventually break, even if the rest of it held up. HOWEVER! As time has passed, I have cut open some others and found that they have multiple failures, not only the reed valve breaking. Some just seize up. So I have come to think the problem is the material they use in manufacturing. I think it'ss either too light or too cheap, either way coming down to cost to manufacture in my mind.
LG always claims that non-conventional technologies are the best and every time trying to achieve so it fails big time as in direct-drive technology in washing machines
I don't see too many problems with their laundry products. Their rotors did strip out but other than that on the front loads I don't see problems with the washer rotor or stators.
Looks like compressor operates under the principle of just a metal slug think of a solenoid and re-inverting Polarity back-and-forth through the windings the metallic pole pieces are too concentrate the magnetic field. ? question was it low on refrigerant charge due to a leak and started overheating?. Second question with all that black stuff in the system I can almost guess if you’re lucky they change the filter dryer but usually just stick a compressor on and call it good 👍🤣. I’m guess there’s no flushing involved to clean out the lines or the evaporator or cap Tube.
Open the system and change the drier when making a repair. This one was clean from what I remember. Metal slug?? No, it operates as valve opens on the back stroke charging the cylinder with gas then the metal flap closes on the compression stroke compressing to liquid.
For those who would like to know ... the linear compressor works the same way as loud speaker does... or sub woofer driver ...a low frequency unit. The inverter schematic would be the same as your sub amp ... single phase variable frequency driver.
If they did not fit all those springs .... your fridge would go for "walk about " in your kitchen.
HA! Yeah, it pretty much does work like a sub except for the one way valve break-er off-er thing. Never thought of it like that.
so you could say you fridge is running?
Thanks for the video. I’m an LG tech and always wondered what they look like inside and what the valve that fails look like. Yes. LG has a lot of compressor failures. Most of them due to defective valve. Which you show in the video. I replace at least 3 a week.
Mdhfinsc what is the ideal low side reading for the charge?
I work for Sears a&e and I do 2 a day . 10a week for last 5 years
@@bluuedaniel somewhere between -5 and 5
@@mdhfinsc then why, when I bought an log and did a video, he said you’d be working at higher pressures. I ended up putting 10 lb. to get it to cool properly. A friend was befuddled the same way, having to add more recently, than an embraco conversion.
@@bluuedaniel LG refrigerator depending on model only use from 4.6OZ of R134A to some models 6.1Oz of Freon. You can use scale to charge.
LG says those compressors have a useful life of 20 years, watching your video I think for 12 months, thank you
12 years wtf, theres refrigerator from the 60s and 70s still running!
Mine lasted 5 years... Never buying an LG fridge again.
@@Eric2300jeep did you try to get lg to stand behind it? They changed their warranty to 5 years parts and labor
@@Eric2300jeep Samsung is even worse. In fact, all smart appliances are crap!
Junk
Lg servicecenter owner here. The heat kills them. You MUST keep these cool! 1. Unplug unit before moving it. Or throw breaker.
2. Remove lower rear metal cover.
3. Vacuum dust off the condenser and back metal cover.
4. Repeat every 6 months or more if you have hairy pets. If you do a lot of frying (looking at you folks from india, Bangladesh, Mexico etc.) You may need to use a degreaser on the condenser)
5. Leave or make space on all sides according to the manual. If that is not possible, put a hole in the upper cabinet and a fan. They must stay cool!
Almost all failures i see have a dirty condenser and or install in a tight cabinet with no ventilation.
You can put a temperature logger on or near the compressor that will send the data to your cell phone for under $20 on Amazon. Set an over temperature alarm. If you keep it happy it might last 20 years or more!
Thanks for your tear down video. I'm an appliance tech and unfortunately, have also experienced a high failure rate on LG compressors, particularly the linear compressors.
so what has LG done to improve the linear compressor design in new models? ZERO?
We bought a $2500 LG french door "linear compressor" fridge in July 2015. 2 1/2 years later, compressor fails and is replaced. 2 1/2 years later again, same thing, 3 weeks outside the 5 year warranty. LG thankfully agreed to cover it so we only had to pay the diagnostic repair but we had to live out of a mini fridge for a month. The repairman said he replaced it with an updated unit which is supposed to be better and also updated the firmware so fingers crossed.
Is it still alive now?
Pay attention at 2:45 and you will notice the broken piece of the valve that you pointed out. I was sitting toward the O.D. of the piston. Watched another teardown of this model compressor with the exact same failure and similar tear out shape on valve cover. An obvious design flaw within the this LG compressor model.
One of the other I've seen on YT has one of the rubber seal torn apart. I think the piston just happen to get way too much amplitude of its vibrations so it starts to collide with the rubber end assembly. Probably way too much more often than engineers anticipated, so it get destroyed...
Agree, I just saw video where he took it out and could see light through the hole. What a garbage design.
Thanks for making this video. It was great. I had a Lg fridge with a Linear Compressor go bad in less than a year and a half too. I wonder if the valve material may be too brittle for the stress in a lot of Lg Compressors. Keep in mind there is no warranty for second owners. So consider a $600 bill as a possibility when looking at a good deal.
The BEST video in this category. I seen it after (approx)50 videos
I second that!
Thanks. I was going to open one. ..but you just saved me the hassle and mess. 👍🏻
I was curious about opening too
The newer version of the linear compressor has some slight changes to fix the problems. My parents have a Kenmore with a linear compressor in it that is still going strong since 2013.
Some of them were ok. There is a notice out on the new ones too, so yeah.
I have a 2019 LG french door fridge with linear compressor that has just failed 3.8 years old ( 2 months shy of 4 years) is all it lasted. One week later Tech was here and diagnosed -- unit has a bad compressor, we are on schedule to get replaced next week. So I guess they improved them from lasting 1.3 years to 3.8 years if that is an improvement I guess??
Currently living out of a cooler for next 2 weeks-- bare necessities, milk , eggs, etc.. threw a lot of perfectly good food out that would not fit into cooler.
Just had mine changed. Bad compressor, had good system seal and pressure! Thank God for the warranty! Was like 800$ job! Total junk.... If you have a Kenmore frig, it's not covered unless you grabbed the warranty from Sears... I see lots of Kenmore refrigerators for sale bad compressor! Thanks for sharing
So that's the part that just ruined $200 worth of food. Thanks for the video. Waiting on the repair guy to get us back in business in a few days.
The diaphragm which works like a speaker woofer to move the linear piston to compress move refrigerant. It’s just cheap and gets hot. So keep your coils clean hope you get 5 years. I’ve had some customers that are now at 10 years. So I wonder why exactly some fail so fast. Particals in system not sure. That’s for tearing it down for us techs to see.
Thanks for your very informative video. I think the white pvc part is a bypass valve for xcess gas to escape during the compression stroke. The brittleness/metal breakdown indicates an inferior grade of aluminum - steel alloy used in the top of the cylinder head; a greater low carbon mix could have been used during the smelting process.
Them valves are made outta steel, I'm betting the steel reed valve wasn't really able to handle the difference in pressure and was bending around the corners of the hole. Then returning to it's shape after. This happening over a few hundred thousands strokes will cause metal fatigue, and that ends in exactly that kind of brittle failure, the steel being broken around the lip of that hole is the smoking gun. Steel has an infinite fatigue life, but only if the forces applied are kept within it's limit.
That exactly the information I was looking for. It’s what all the lawsuits are about
Great video! My 3 year old LG fridge compressor failed as well. Worst part is that in Washington State, LG had nobody "certified" to repair it. Wasted lots of time on the phone with LG scheduling repairs only to find that every appliance repair shop LG worked with refused to do this repair. I found a compressor on eBay and shipped it to myself and scheduled my own appliance repair guy to install it, invalidating my warranty, which turns out is useless anyway. He said LG has not changed the design so I should expect it to fail again in 1-3 years. Wish consumer reports and/or the wirecutter would acknowledge this catastrophic failure of the compressor... a component which has been engineered to last 20+ years from other brands (except LG & Samsung).
They should have shipped you the compressor for no charge since it's under the 10 year part warranty. They are all going to garbage compressors it looks like. EPA stuff is just out of hand so even if they wanted to make one that was good energy star requirements get in the way. Eventually freezers will be back to manual defrost if it keeps up.
@@theappliancetechnician They told me they could ship one but it was going to take 2-3 weeks and with a 4 year old at home I couldn't wait that long to get a refrigerator back up and running, since it had already been a week of back and forth trying to schedule a repair. I don't know much about compressor design, but I could definitely understand how even more strict and unproven energy star requirements could lead to more unreliability. Not sure if this LG "linear design" was to get better energy ratings. If it was, pretty sure all of the worn out compressors and additional energy to create new compressors totally cancel out cost benefits as well as any reduction in "greenhouse gasses". What a waste.
@@timmcdonald3702 I agree. And I'm not really sure I believe anything they say.
there's a class action lawsuit underway i just saw on the news.
Trying to figure out what would cause that valve to fail, metal reed valves have been around since forever and are used in pretty much every air compressor and two stroke on the planet. Looking at the way that hole is shaped it appears to me that the pressure is causing it to bend into the shape of the hole in the piston likely fatiguing the part. If I had one of these I'd get a new valve laser cut outta some thicker spring steel and reassemble, last thing I'd do is replace the compressor as the valve is clearly not able to handle the high pressure side of the compressor.
But the compressor is in a sealed (welded) housing (which is already cut off in this video) so you can't access the compressor bit shown without opening the compressor shell with a cut off wheel or saw...
This is pretty much an un serviceable part, unless you put in extreme care, time, and cleanliness to open and re weld that shell on.
@@volvo09 Does the housing actually hold any pressure? If not it would be like a 30 minute job to clean and weld. Not an HVAC guy so I don't know, just seems pretty stupid to keep replacing the same expensive part every two years considering how much of a pain it would be to pull out, put a new one in, and re-charge the system.
Yes, the compressor is part of the sealed system and holds refrigerant. It might be possible to do that but it would be an incredible feat to accomplish. The compressor is pretty much a dome holding a motor supported by springs and connected with steel tubing to the outside of the dome. The reed valve is inside of the motor.
@@linuxguy1199
@@theappliancetechnician Yeah it seems like it would be a feat, but personally I'd give it a try if I had one of these, I do most of my own work and can't stand having to replace something over and over with the same crappy part.
I have another video where I use a regular compressor instead of the linear. That one is still working in a friends garage where it hits 100+ degrees June through Sept here. @@linuxguy1199
Thanks for making the video! I've done the same thing. Bought their best inverter-linear. Major repair every year and condemned in just 5 years. Microfractured the whole high circuit. The parts are on warranty but LG makes it almost impossible to get to their own techs to authorize replacements.
It's garbage straight from the drawing board. "Sucks gas" is right.
Don't buy this junk!
The design doesn't favor durability.
It's also much louder than similar time tested rotaries.
The best thing you can do to keep this compressor alive is it needs to be kept as cool as possible. I see these refrigerators installed with cabinets tightly against the sides and top. It's critical that the top has at least 2 inches of clearance from the cabinet above.
Also, every French Door LG I've seen had vent slots in the base of the cabinet by the condenser and compressor. Hard to see but they are there. Those slots allow air to be drawn in from floor level into and through the condenser, then exhausted back out at floor level once passing over the compressor.
I see these slots completely blocked with dust all the time. People just don't know they are there, and the owners manual makes no mention of keeping them clean.
Of course it goes without saying , keep the condenser clean. Blow it out, don't just vacuum it. Do it twice a year. If you have furry companions , do it more often.
LG needs to put a high compressor temperature warning into their refrigerators. That will get the attention of owners and hopefully they will jump into action.
And what's up with that cheap Reed valve design? Every linear compressor I've replaced had high suction pressure due to that valve failing. "New designs" ( not sure what is new) are still failing the same way. I have customers with 75 year old refrigerators that are still humming. What are those Reed valves made of that LG can't duplicate.
In automotive air con we call the Balck goo Black death, mixture of PAG oil moisture and metal shavings usually caused by a compressor eating itself alive
Not what's happening here. I know what you're talking about though. We call it black death.
You can see the piece that broke off at the top of the screen at 2:39 . It looks like a reed valve attached to the piston.
Other teardowns that same reed valve is also broken.
The name on the refer should be ULG - Un-Lucky Goldstar 🙂
Ahh reed valves! Well, one reed basically. No wonder these things die so quickly. I used to replace reed valves in reciprocating air compressors all the time. Usual cause of failure was low oil levels in the compressor sumps, which lead to overheating of the heads, which in turn made the reed valves brittle. So, it seems like LG could fix this issue easily with a better cooling system for the compressor.
Personally I don't think those reed valves are nearly thick enough for the kind of pressures that refrigerants use, my 150PSI shop air compressor has thicker ones, refrigerants usually have a 500-800PSI high side and a 10-50PSI low side. That led to metal fatigue and inevitable failure.
For many years Yamaha used reed valves in the induction system of two-stroke motorcycle engines. I have worked on many of these engines and have never seen a broken reed. The reeds close onto a rubber coated seat. Where I have seen a broken reed is in a factory air compressor in which the reeds close onto a bare metal seat.
@@cedriclynch Reed valves shouldn't be used for high pressure applications because small amounts of plastic deformation over time cause them to fail to fatigue, this can lead to catastrophic failures especially if used in a high pressure system. The intake on a two stroke is very low pressure, always less then 20PSI depending on altitude and throttle position, and the reed valve doesn't really see any serious load, heck even plastic or rubber reed valves can suffice because they just aren't under any serious stress. You can't really compare it to this.
For the linear compressor it usually has a pressure differential of 600-800 PSI, with a 0.2in^2 area that's a force of over 100lbs every cycle on that extremely small valve, which is a lot for a tiny bit of thin sheet metal, especially considering it's braced against a sharp corner that will worsen the bending force accelerating metal fatigue.
For the air compressor it usually has a pressure differential of 200PSI, my air compressor has reed valves about 1/16in thick at about 1in^2 of area, that's 200lbs but it's distributed over a wide, thick piece of steel, plus the seats for the reed valves in my compressor have slanted reliefs cut into them for the valves to sit in and no abrupt sharp corners that the metal slams into like the ones used in the LG compressor.
Finally, Reed valve design, unlike many other types of valve designs is a particularly complex form of valve design because due to the cyclic nature of the device. Metal fatigue is always a concern, especially for this style of valve.
I didn't see an internal overload switch. Looks pretty direct to me.
The grand daddy of linear compressor is the Japanese company Sawafuji that makes Engel portable DC/AC refrigerator. They call it swing compressor. The compressor is driven by very simple circuit that take advantage of the sprung mass natural frequency. I believe they started this compressor technology as far back as the 60s. Even till this day, it is as energy efficient as the much more complex and modern smart electronic driven DC rotary compressors started by Danfoss.
Thanks for the FYI. I've seen this design in other things that was a good design like air pumps and there was a pretty heavy and simple steel one that used the same mechanics. I guess they skimped on the material this go around. The ones I've torn down have had broken reed valves and complete burn outs for lack of better terms.
@@theappliancetechnician I appreciate the reply. I infer from the class action lawsuit this LG linear compressor for their fridges had been an utter failure, due to these design and manufacturing flaws. I infer LG has since switched to more conventional inverter rotary compressor like those by Embraco that supplies the bulk of the usual suspect brands.
LG now only touts "smart inverter compressor" and provide no useful information. I would not be surprised it too are now using Embraco compressors. I am not a LG hater. In fact I prefer LG over Samsung and all the US flag flying brands.
@@maestrovso As of now I still see 2 year old compressor failures on a weekly basis on LG refrigerators, nothing has changed.
That black sludge looks like Teflon. Some automotive A/C compressors have Teflon in them, it disintegrates and causes similar sludgy stuff throughout the A/C System..
I can't say it's not, I don't know what it is.
Maybe graphite based lubricant?
I recently purchased a new lg French door fridge with the linear compressor . Of course I hear about the failures after the fact . I’m hoping they’ve got this resolved in 2023 ? Maybe wishful thinking
They're still dying out there. There's been 101 excuses as to why and "fixes" that no one can explain except in unprovable theories. Time will tell, but I don't believe them. Somehow they are here to stay and still failing a lot.
@@theappliancetechnician lol,go figure. You would think after infinite failures over the past years and law suits etc,that they’d address the issue
@@MajorTendonitis They've "addressed" it for sure, with fairy dust and excuses and board updates that they never can fully explain. Like the samsung icemakers, 50+ fixes and no real solutions. Muddy the waters enough and you'll never get a straight answer on how to fix it. Sad part is that no one knows how to get to the bottom of a problem anymore, and this was the point of this video. Techs will even say "It's fixed" and walk away as the new standard is to walk away from it working now. Nevermind 6 months from now. I do everything I can to find the source and solution to the problem.
excellent video. I just purchased a new lg fridge. its jan 2019. I'm concerned about this. I'm just wondering if LG has fixed the compressor problem. Or can I expect a bad compressor in about a year or so? I did buy the extended warranty(thank god) but surely LG has found a way of strengthening that valve, and keep it from breaking.
I don't know the answer to that but my thoughts is that they made most of them all at the same time so I kinda doubt it but don't know for sure. To make up for it they pretty much gave everyone a 5 year parts and labor warranty on the sealed system. Sears is doing them.
Correct me if I'm wrong but the Linar comp is just two electro magnets, and the "stator"your referring to is just an electro magnet like a solenoid valve looks like your Reed valve is hamburger cowboy
Very good summary. Thanks.
That kind of a butterfly in the upper chamber is the one that breaks over time, cause is moving up and down, and then the succion and or the pressure diminish or stops, and on end no cooling. maybe the system or the metal alloy or quality has to be fixed, if they haven't. (the main motor almost never fails)
I've heard that these compressors can't tolerate any sealed system leaks due to flimsy valve design compared to conventional compressors. So replacing a compressor without checking for leaks is doomed idea. Also it's hard to find a leak because of negative low side pressure but I've heard that most of the time it's evaporator connections.
Yamaha makes motorcycle engines with reed valves and they run fine so there must be something to make them break.
There are successful builds with this design but this isn't one of them. These are mostly 134 so they don't run at 600 negative pressures. I'm sure there are 600 systems out there but most of the ones we see haven't been.
I just might try to find or keep with the original compressors and skip the Linear compressors, I have a Electrolux side by side it's still running but makes noises frequently it's a 2009, been through two floods.
Does this type of compressor have a oil sump like that of a piston compressor i.e. is there oil circulation on the moving parts and if so how it is done ? Is there a oil pump or a splash type method
I am asking since I can see black grease like residue on the rods that indicates less oil or no oil
The literature indicates that linear compressors DON'T require lubrication - which is hard for me to believe. They claim that the POE oil in the system is just to circulate and aid in tracking down any leaks.
I know it's probably not very interesting, but could you please tell me what the inside of the charging line looks like as it passes through the case? I am pretty sure I have an oil problem and I have the idea of tilting the fridge on its back to position the charging line outlet as the low spot on the compressor to drain as much oil as I can.
What are you referring to as the charging line? If you want to get oil back in the compressor then stand it up and let it sit for a few days then turn it on. If it will get back it will. If not, then it's screwed.
@@theappliancetechnician I meant the line stub from which it was charged from the factory.
I had too much oil,, not too little. But it turned out the vapor line on the back was where I was able to remove the oil. There was about 3oz too much! It was getting forced through the system at startup and intermittently causing severe restrictions that would move around from evaporator to evaporator. It was starving the compressor.
On another note, I read somewhere that the linear compressors don't need oil, that the only real use for it in them is for the dye to locate leaks. I'm not sure if that's true, what do you think about it?
@@PrintEngineering I think you're chasing dragons. First off that stub off the compressor is called a process tube. It's the same as the low side. It's a line that goes to the compressor and ends there.
How did you determine it had too much oil in it? Did you get the starving compressor problem fixed?
I remember this compressor having oil in it.
Still I haven’t seen a liner compressor that last more than 5yrs they are like butter 🧈.
Mine lasted just over 5. Meanwhile, my Whirlpool fridge from 1999 is still going LOL
My linear invertor compressor is over 5 years, purchased in 2019.
HI,I have a cuestión,do you recommend buy a LG refrigerator with inverter linear compressor? It's true the compresor It's not good,and what brand of refrigerator you recommend, thank you for you help.
It depends on your situation, there is no one size fits all. If LG could fix their compressors they would be a pretty solid refrigerator. Other than that they have few issues that can't be resolved.
I believe the problem is the diaphragm in the center where the 3 holes is broked and for that reason there is no compression. The part I don't get is how to find out that problem without open the compressor. If there is no compression, the PSI in the low and hight side, what it could be. I understand the compressor must be change. But I would like to know before take the compressor out.
If the compressor is running and you get 40+ psi on the low and high side the compressor is not working. I tap the low side. If it's drawing a suction then low charge, if it's 40+ then bad compressor.
I wish I have that plastic dish valve . That thing is a heart of a compressor. Takes only a couple hours To rebuild.
I've cut open a few now and they wear pretty bad. Last one had a lot of debris in it from running like normal wear.
I'm not good on sounds but this one kinda just hums (don't know if that's good/bad). Can I mount a clamp on service port on the lower tube, suction side I'm assuming and get a reading? I assuming if there is a hole in the valve there would be just ambeient temp/pressure reading?
Yeah, a low side port will usually tell the story. 50 psi and the compressor is bad. Suction says it's low. Usually you can tell the story that way.
How's the warranty service on them? I bought one and it says it has a 10yr warranty on the compress, do they make trouble or they honor it?
Depends on the area. If they have a good servicer in the area then you won't have too much of a problem usually. There are exceptions to everything though. If not you'll get the run around, or they don't have any one so call around and see if you can find one. I found that it depends on who answers the phone at LG. Some of them are great but most of them aren't. You have to check your warranty too because some were 1 year parts and labor, some were 5 years parts and labor, some were 7 years parts and labor. BUT if you got a good agent they might agree to cover everything, IF they agree to cover everything they might really send the parts to the servicer like they said they would, and IF you have a good servicer that does the back and forth and gets the parts they might get to you in a somewhat timely fashion, or they might put higher priority jobs ahead of you.
So the simple answer is sometimes, but it depends on a lot of stuff.
I like what you are doing, I wish I could tear one too. I'm a technician w/ 3 decades of experience and right now I'm working on side by side (2-1/2 y/o) with the same motor, the issue being evap leak and condenser leak, the tubing that goes inside the body. I serviced 2 sidexside and a stack r600 ref (similar brand) with condenser leak last months, a total of 6 with same problem. My client wants to convert his LG ref from R600a to R134a, this is my 1st LG conversion, got 2 last month. My 1st concern is, can this kind of compressor handle R134a? Ref is running right now, -30deg in 4.5hrs, -20 in 2.5hrs (data next). Knowing the density of R134a is higher, the original setup will not work, thus pressure plays a very vital role. I need to tweak the condenser side and low side to attain the required stabilized pressure, at room temperature, or else the motor won't start. Plug the ref with freezer at ambient temp (26C - S/1 storm here). After self check, current reading starts at 0.10A, low side pressure goes down to negative, 227volts. An hour after, 0.0C, 0.86A, and -15psi. 2nd hour, -20C, 0.67A, and -18psi. 2.75hrs mark, -24C, 0.61A, -20psi. I'm using SUPCO CR4, Infrared temp of compressor is 42C and filter 35C. After pressing express fzr, at 4.5mark temp is -30C, RH87%, 0.56A, -22psi, 226V, compressor 41C, and filter 33C. Looks almost perfect but my question is, as you have dissected a similar motor, in your opinion can this motor handle R134a? R134 is bad for the environment, but I have to accept the challenge for now. (hope you understand my English)
This is a 134a compressor. 600 runs at much different pressures so I don't know. I have been able to put a regular ptc relay compressor in an lg and not use the linear compressor though. I don't know much about the 600 compressors, they're not really here yet.
Sorry, I thought that was a linear inverter compressor. Thanks for the kind reply.
It's an LG linear compressor, unique to LG.
I think linear compressor and linear inverter have similar mechanism, they only differ in windings, the inverter being three phase. Have you noticed the amount of compressor oil? I only got 1/2 the amount compared w/ relay- start Matsushita.
No, I didn't notice but it didn't have too much oil in it come to think of it. This one you can plug directly into the wall and it will run so it's not a 3 winding that requires an inverter.
Walter, what if we insert a sturdy one-way valve in the inlet inside the piston??
Although that is impossible practically, I think there would just a failure elsewhere, these are terrible in more than one way.
Are their new Instaview line like the LMXS30796S also have linear compressors like this? Whew thanks sir.
I don't know. Wish I could answer.
Yes is the same
Walter: Would it be better to replace this with a different linear compressor so It could keep the variable speed efficiencies? How would I find a compatible replacement is the question I guess. Any ideas? Thanks.
Million dollar question. Whirlpool is making a linear but I don't know anything about it. I think the design is too new and they hadn't figured it out yet really.
@@theappliancetechnician According to this: www.frigochem.com/pdf/Refrigerator_Compressor_151207.pdf Page 28 - it seems like I should have a coil reading between any 2 contacts. The one I have is open P to S and open P to C I am getting a fluctuating resistance C to S. All connections off - only reading the compressor(still installed). Can you help with what a good linear reads in ohms between the terminals? By watching this Teardown video it looks like maybe only one winding operates these linears. The fridge I picked up for free, now a project nothing invested yet, is a Kenmore 795.72053.110 French Door bottom freezer( Nice fridge). The compressor is LG FC75LBNA(the infamous one I understand). No cooling. Six flashes on the control board LED. I pierced the service port line on the compressor. It has no suction when the condenser fan is running and it feels like the compressor is running. Total current draw of the fridge from the 110V outlet is like .5 Amps. Thanks for the discussion here. I have several used reciprocating compressors from scrapped refrigerators. Thinking about patching one in with the 12 volt relay as you discussed in your video th-cam.com/video/lZJ0EZE3tx8/w-d-xo.html. Thanks for that. I would not have thought to try that. But I am waiting for now to see if there really is an improved LG or Whirlpool linear compressor coming along. Looks like I can buy the same one on Ebay for $280. www.ebay.com/itm/TCA35271204-LG-TCA36511303-TCA35271204-TCA35533604-Refrigerator-Compressor-NEW/233263981723 Probably get a couple years out of it - maybe.
@@rogerschelling3162 Linear compressors have a single winding so that's 2 pins that will give a reading. BLDC have 2 windings so all 3 should give the same reading if you ohm them out. LG linears use 2 and one doesn't go to anything so if you get 2 ohms across 2 terminals and OL on the other one to either of those 2 then you're dealing with a linear. BLDC use the grey or black compressor boards to run them. It's usually a VCC3 controller that runs the compressor. I have another video about that controller and running it on an arduino.
@@rogerschelling3162 Typically when you pierce the system you'll have about 50 psi+ on the process tube or suction side and the same or close on the discharge. I have 0 faith in the new one to be improved and no one can even tell you what the new compressors or the control board reprogram does that's different. I think they disable the compressor overcurrent error on the inverter. I've had problems with that after replacing compressors on these. That's all I can think it does.
@@theappliancetechnician Yea I did have static pressure of 50+ when I pierced the process tube. I can't tell that it draws down at all when the compressor & condenser fan motor are running. Now then it looks like Embraco makes a linear compressor and that may be what Whirlpool is using. www.atmo.org/presentations/files/571d4d6ebe4561461538158Nv2qS.pdf
Down to page 9 it shows an Embraco compressor # WMD7H for R134a 220-240V 50-60HZ.
I don't know anything about the Yoycart website but they list some Embraco WMD7H as low as $60 + $8 shipping on a slow boat from China. www.yoycart.com/Product/548134004635/
I can't tell much about the compatibility of the LG linear driver signals being compatible with the Embraco linear driver signals. Although I have looked at the voltage and frequency on the LG that I have. The LG FC75LBNA.
@2:53 If you look above the "piston" you'll notice the broken part of what I would think may be called a reed valve or something similar. What a shame they couldn't build things better.
It's not uncommon to see that weird break in it either. I've seen it several times. You'd think they would break on the connecting parts and crack off but it hasn't been the case from what I've seen.
@@theappliancetechnicianI think there is some kind of high-frequency rippling occurring in the reed as it comes down on its seating, and this is causing a very local sharp bending that exceeds the fatigue limit of the material. I have seen a rather similar reed failure in a factory air compressor, in which it wasn't so serious because this can easily be taken apart and reassembled. For many years Yamaha used reed valves in the induction system of two-stroke motorcycle engines; I have worked on many of these and have never seen a broken reed. Yamaha's reeds close onto rubber-coated seats that probably have the effect of damping out any high-frequency rippling. They also have curved backing pieces that limit how much they can curve on opening.
ok, I took mine apart and the top seal is broken ( the one with the spring) but the shiny flat is intact on top of the piston
here is a link to a linear animation th-cam.com/video/JXmpS8_ro1Q/w-d-xo.html
The piece with the hole is the valve which is a piece of spring steel on the tip of the piston. No it is not supposed to have a hole in it. I'm curious of the model# on the side of the compressor.
I have had two LG compressor failures. Can another compressor be used besides LG's. My refrig is under 4 years old.
th-cam.com/video/lZJ0EZE3tx8/w-d-xo.html
Bad design or just cheaply built?
Can you please weigh the reciprocating ( moving ) parts please. Piston, attached plate. Half the spring weight could be considered reciprocating. A conventional piston and conrod weighs about 60g
No, sorry. The spring tension is incredibly high though. I can tell you that.
Anyone know if these make a high-pitched whining noise like some fridge compressors do?
@1:38 looks like the piston. So did the piston pound a hole in the the valve? how did the hole get in the valve? I've a "Give To Me" LG French door "door in a door" with the "Linear Inverter" system. I Tried to find a job shop appliance repair business that would work on it. Yes, they would $600 and up with "No Warranty". The repair shop guy said they were way to busy anyhow for a actual repair job because his main income was from picking up the used refrigerators from the area appliance stores and properly scrapping them out $35 a pop and then whatever the scrap metal places give them as well. He does some times twenty a day (he has his own 2 ton box truck with a lift gate running loops from appliance store to appliance store). Apparently no one even blinks at dropping $2000 on a new refrigerator every few years. The appliance stores just can't get rid of the old units fast enough just from limited storage space. Is this a economic bubble about to break or what?
It needs to. They are making nothing but junk now days and selling it for $$$$. Some are not repairable. The hole is from substandard materials, cheap steel that wears out fast after vibrating a lot. It's just junk and that's unfortunate because other than that they make a pretty good refrigerator comparatively.
Walter Baumy do you think guys may be we could replace that valve? Welded a replacement ? Seems like they are improvising at owners expense to me .. replacing would be good however we gotta take into account that piston might also be busted
The thin reed valve mounted on the top of the piston has a hole it in. Bingo. No seal. No pumping.
I had two LG refers fail, one under warranty, the other, one year out of warranty. Both were bad compressors. Fortunately, LG agreed to fix the second one no charge. Problem is, the repair was badly botched by the service company resulting in a second repair by a different service company. (Covered by LG.) Now, the dang thing makes a clunking noise when I move the refer. It does not make the noise when it’s running, only if I shift it back and forth just a little. Sounds like something is loose inside the compressor but after watching the video, I can’t see what it might be. It never made this noise before and the service company tried to convince me it was a normal sound, when it’s running, but his argument was flat when I told him it was not running. Anyone have any ideas? TIA.
Compressors will clunk if you shake them. The motor sits on 4 springs inside of the metal dome it's housed in so it moves a bit. Moving it will make a clunking noise. There are clips that hold the compressor down to the frame of the ref, if they're there then it may be normal when moving it back and forth. I'm not so sure I'd believe it was a botched install with the failure rate of these compressors and some techs need to make themselves feel better by talking S about another's work. I'd like to think that techs grow out of that when they get the tables turned on them. If it's in, and nothing is kinked and it worked for a year and they changed the filter I can't see how it's a botched job. If it's botched that bad it would have never worked. Especially with over and under amp errors on the inverter that runs it. Sloppy job, maybe but sealed system work is like sausage. You don't really want to see how it's made as it's not always pretty. I try to make mine pretty and usually do, but I'm not perfect either and have had some jobs that don't want to seal properly and end up with a quarter stick of brazing rod on it. Also it depends on if they used a torch or lok ring. Lok ring is supposed to be easier but the rings don't always seal and more experienced techs will braze the whole lock ring in extreme cases and that's ok too. It has to be sealed, and it has to flow. Anything more than that is lagniappe. I've seen ugly jobs that lasted 10+ years and think "That guy was having a bad day or a tough time with that braze but stuck with it and got the job done."
@@theappliancetechnician The first replacement compressor lasted 3 days. The tech used some kind of compression fittings, did not braze the lines. The second tech (different company) brazed all the lines. I’ve checked out a couple of other videos showing a tear down of an LG compressor and they do float and move inside the housing. Maybe it is normal but never heard it before on this refer or the other LG I have.
Lok Rings are the compression type fittings and yeah, that's why I don't use them and braze instead. To each his own. I haven't met a compressor that doesn't clunk when you shake it and have done quite a few of these replacements. In my experience there's about a 10% chance they will never work again when these go out. I've had some run ins with these.
My compressor have the same problem the small plate which is used as a Inlet Outlet valve it was broken and I'm really surprised that whole compressor is depend on this valve plates and LG reputation Goodwill is based on the small valve which is easily broken and the whole refrigerator is going to be bad
Yep
@@theappliancetechnician What do u think about what LG could do to make this valve more sturdy?
@@SirtubalotTX this valve should be floppy stainless material
We’re you able to fix it?? Or what?? 😔
I am gonna try to replace that part with a one made on my own... any ideas?
I understand you can not use a back up generator on a linear compressor! True or false A inverter type will ruin the compressor!
Generators are hard on everything typically speaking. You take a chance running any refrigeration on generator power. I don't usually see problems with whole house generators, it's the 10hp 5500 ones that I see cause problems.
False. Inverter generators will not harm anything. NON inverter generators can harm things badly if not tuned perfectly. In a perfect world a non inverter generator can power up anything you'd run on mains, but that's where the generator maintains exact RPM (and therefore hz and voltage) and never shuts down or otherwise changes speed while the device is powered. Inverter generators produce pure sine wave forms and never allow the voltage or frequency to go very far from spec, therefore they are safe for all electronics.
Excellent, thank you!
Broken reed valve fail.
I am a Mech Eng, ( not refrigeration) just looking at that compressor it looks hideously complicated compared to a motor driven one. Reciprocating mass is what causes inefficiency. The linear has huge (10x?) times recip mass compared to piston. If my fridge died I would put in a universal piston compressor and temp control. I believe a conventional compressor with inverter drive would be good. I run my fridges with a Victron 12v /230v inverter 800 watt inverter and it runs two fridges happily. A smaller inverter will not start a compressor.
I think you're mixing topics here.
I am thinking the same thing! genius! What compressor would be suitable ? models??
@@marcc629 Any 1/3 hp split phase compressor. Or any bldc compressor with an inverter board to run it. A split phase is easier, check my other videos.
@@theappliancetechnician interesting and challenging that we can bring this units back to life at minimal cost when others gave up
@@marcc629 That's what it's all about to me. Find a way that is stable and reliable where other's can't
lg says new LG Compressor fixes this 2019
So linear compressor is inferior compare to piston one?
Yes
Not at all and you will see more of it once they're done experimenting on the poor consumer.
at the moment yes... that valve seems to flimsy..
@@hankelk4871 that's right
What an incredibly stupid design. IF they used say six smaller holes instead of three large ones the problem would be completely solved. The rest of the linear system looked alright, but nowhere near as good as the sawafuji swing motor. My parents bought a fridge with this compressor despite my warning them that it would fail. Thanks for the video, wanted to see what was in it.
I’m not certain you know how this compressor works. It goes back & forth instead of round & round, like a speaker, vs. an electric motor.
You should watch the video before you comment.
That black stuff is black death. It gets pumped into the other components eventually causing a restriction in cap tube down the road. Tried on test fridge to flush it with no luck. Worst compressor ever. When they go unless the windings fail first they released that black sludge and it contaminates the whole system
There are other linear compressors on the market that have been very successful, so there is nothing wrong with the principle. The Sawafuji Swing Motor is a linear compressor. See here for more information: www.sawafuji.co.jp/en/technology/swing_motor/. The principle of the Sawafuji and LG products appear to be identical, but the designs are very different. The Sawafuji product has been in use for a very long time and is incredibly reliable. Its design appears to be much simpler than the LG product. There's another Japanese linear compressor that you can see in this video too: th-cam.com/video/eEF-owkyI-o/w-d-xo.html. The person who made the video says that "you can see why it would last so long".
So maybe LG has made a poor version and pushed it out on the market with a few design and materials issues in it that the Japanese versions don't have?
The first one I don't know, lg drawings are or were just as sketchy. The second link shows a linear compressor that is a much better system of reed valves and looks very well built. Having a flap of metal that bends in the same place thousands of times to what looks like a well thought out system is like comparing apples to handgrenades.
I think or thought the weak link in the LG is the reed valve. My experience has told me that moving something by bending in the same place over and over is going to break it eventually, with all the materials I am familiar with. Maybe they came up with a material that can handle it, but I still don't think this is it. I think that the reed will eventually break, even if the rest of it held up. HOWEVER! As time has passed, I have cut open some others and found that they have multiple failures, not only the reed valve breaking. Some just seize up. So I have come to think the problem is the material they use in manufacturing. I think it'ss either too light or too cheap, either way coming down to cost to manufacture in my mind.
@@theappliancetechnician well said
thank you
Good video
Still just a piston, same as a hundred years ago.
Iam purchased lg product.
This product is very worst product and quality less.and door gasket broken new one gasket not available.
thank you for sharing...
What's so difficult about mounting the camera on a tripod and using both hands to do the work????/?
Feel free to make your own videos.
@@theappliancetechnician People are just ungrateful entitled dicks aren't they? Thanks for the video!
@@linuxguy1199 seriously, he's getting free info and complains that it doesn't look the way he wants it.
what junk looks like somebody's lego block project
LG always claims that non-conventional technologies are the best and every time trying to achieve so it fails big time as in direct-drive technology in washing machines
I don't see too many problems with their laundry products. Their rotors did strip out but other than that on the front loads I don't see problems with the washer rotor or stators.
dont ever buy any appliance with a linear compressor .
Pack of smokes on the side.😉
i think is over engineered and steered to fail.
Junk. Couldn’t give me an LG ref.
Thaks fo tha really guud emputt .
Looks like compressor operates under the principle of just a metal slug think of a solenoid and re-inverting Polarity back-and-forth through the windings the metallic pole pieces are too concentrate the magnetic field.
? question was it low on refrigerant charge due to a leak and started overheating?.
Second question with all that black stuff in the system I can almost guess if you’re lucky they change the filter dryer but usually just stick a compressor on and call it good 👍🤣.
I’m guess there’s no flushing involved to clean out the lines or the evaporator or cap Tube.
Open the system and change the drier when making a repair. This one was clean from what I remember. Metal slug?? No, it operates as valve opens on the back stroke charging the cylinder with gas then the metal flap closes on the compression stroke compressing to liquid.