Help! Kegorator stopped cooling

I didn't know where to post this so I stuck it in the DIY 'cause its always a good bet...

My kegorator stopped being/getting cold. It worked up until a few days ago and I figured it was the thermostat, so I turned it "up" to cooler. On my lunch break today I noticed that the fan that circulates air into the tower was running but the compressor wasn't on, so like any man, I smacked the f@#k'n thing to see if it would take off and nothing...I'm guessing the compressor is shot because the dang kegorator was my Grandpa's and I figure it is at least 15 to 20 years old. Could it be something easier than that?

Normally this wouldn't be a huge issue, but the wife is having a dinner party tonight and she promised my beer to the masses. I need a short term solution (which I think involves my swamp cooler bucket and some ice) and a possible fix. Obviously if it is too expensive/complex to fix I will invest in a keezer ala craigslist.com

Any experience, advice or anecdotes are appreciated!

It sounds like your compressor is shot, you could replace it but finding the part on short notice and installing it might be tough with less than 24 hours...

For a temporary solution, go with your instinct. Trash can + ice + picnic taps and you're good to go. Make sure you give the kegs plenty of time to cool down and also give yourself some time to play with serving pressure as it will most likely be different than what you had your kegorator set to.

Do you happen to have ice/frost buildup near the fan or on the cold plates inside the kegerator?? Most kegerators don't have the automatic defrost that we all take for granted in modern fridges/freezers, so they have to be manually defrosted from time to time. Once you get a certain amount of ice buildup, the kegerator won't go much lower than 60-65 or so, which it might even do without the compressor kicking in. It is counterintuative, and I don't know the technical reason behind it, but I've experienced it on two different kegerators, so double check to see if that's not your issue!!

If it is, unplug it, let it sit for 24 hours, wipe the whole inside down with warm water, and it'll be magically fixed when you plug it back in!!

Appliance repair shop will have a 3 n1, basically a starter, overload and relay in one, (most not all) compressors fail from the overload disc breaking. Worth a try for under $20.

The control could have failed in a way that turning it colder still wouldn't help. I wouldn't rule out a frozen evaporator, or a bad starting component(s) (as previously suggested), also make sure the condenser coil is clean. I would look into it a little further before condemning the compressor.

Any Grandpa who had a Kegerator must have been ok. Mine had a spittoon.....

Did you get it fixed? Mine stopped working this weekend I cleaned it out and defrosted the 2 inch thick Ice and plugged it back in and the compressor turned back on and all is well now. I was worried though!

There is no ice build-up on mine I think the compressor is shot. I haven't had time to pull it apart yet.

I've read that you can use dry ice and that should do the trick for a temporary solution in the fridge. I put a bowl with regular ice and it sucked out a lot of the heat from my keg. The only downside is that it might get too cold but all you have to do is open the door periodically.

I finally made the time to pull the kegorator back off last night and I definitely need some help! I generally follow the "leave it alone for a while and it may fix itself" rule and this helped me find the problem, but didn't solve it.


That is a view of the compressor compartment. Besides how filthy everything is, it seems to be in good order with no obvious damage. When I plugged the unit in, the fan for the coils kicked on, then the compressor started chugging away! My excitement was quickly destroyed by the sound of buzzing/arching coming from the compressor motor.


The noise seemed to be coming from the small "box" on the side of the compressor. After a moment of buzzing, no noise at all. I shut the sucker off, banged on it lightly (how i fix most things, ask my wife ) then plugged it back in. It briefly buzzed again, but the compressor didn't make any noise. Lacking any knowledge of the components of a refrigeration system, I do not know what the component is that seems to be faulty, nor do I know how to fix it. Please help!!!

An appliance repair should have a 3 N 1. The small box is a cover, it covers the starter relay and the overload, the 3 and 1 plugs onto the 3 pins of the compressor splice into the wires going to the relay there is a diagram showing this on the 3 and 1 pack. If that doesn't start the compressor it's toast.

Thank you! You attempted to point this out to me in an earlier post, but I wanted to be absolutely sure!

I keep a couple of them they're cheap and a quick fix. I have 2 chest freezers, and 3 fridges so ready if I need one. Good luck

Ok, so i need more help...

My father and I spent several hours on Saturday repairing the keggorator but it is still having issues. When i first plug it in, the compressor will turn on and run. When it reaches temp, the compressor shuts off. At this point everything is good, but now for the bad part.

When the thermostat turns the compressor back on, the airflow fan for the coil turns on, but the compressor does nothing. I can get the compressor to turn back on by unplugging the unit for a bit, then plugging it back in. I bought a 3in1 for 1/12 to 1/5 hp compressor and they sell a larger unit.

Did I get the wrong one? Could I have wired it incorrectly? I'm at a loss, but I don't want to give up on the project when I know the sucker still works!

Does the fan next to the compressor work? Sounds like a heat/Thermal overload problem. If it runs after it has sat, it probably has cooled down and reset to thermal overload switch.

The fan works fine. I thought it might be a thermal overload. Could it be overheating because the starter is too small?

No the overload trips out for excess amp draw, my guess is your compressor is a 1/4hp which is why it will start but can't when there is a higher head pressure.

Beaks, thanks! You just re-affirmed what I was thinking! I owe you a beer

If you have any questions you can pm me, use to do that for a living. Good Luck