How to Fix a Shorted Freezer

Short Circuit

• 1

  Check your home's circuit breakers. Flip the switch connected to the freezer to turn it off, then on again. If you're lucky, this will fix the problem.

• 2

  Check the freezer's wires to make sure they're not worn, exposed or wet. If they're wet, check the freezer to make sure there are no leaks that can wear out wires and cause short circuits.

• 3

  Unplug the freezer and plug it into a different outlet. If it works, the original outlet is dead and needs a new fuse.

• 4

  Disconnect all appliances that were running on the blown circuit before it blew.

• 5

  In the fuse box, flip the switch for that circuit to "off."

• 6

  Remove the fuse; you can pull out cartridge types or unscrew -- by turning an inserted screwdriver counterclockwise -- the screw types.

• 7

  Take this blown fuse to the store and purchase the exact same kind, then slide or screw it into the correct position, just like the old one fit.

• 8

  Flip the switch to "on," and the outlet should run again.

• 9

  Plug the freezer into its former outlet and listen for its characteristic humming. Check the interior temperature in a few hours to make sure it's cooling properly. If the freezer is still not functioning, a broken part may be causing the electrical system to short-circuit.

Broken Compressor

• 10

  Check the compressor -- the black domed box on the back of the freezer or refrigerator -- to make sure it's running. If it's not, it may have shorted the freezer.

• 11

  Set a multimeter to ohms. After unplugging the freezer, place one of the leads on the meter and touch the top pin of the compressor with it. Take the other lead and touch it to another pin, then the third. The reading should be close to zero ohms, meaning the circuit is closed and able to conduct electricity. An open circuit reading of infinity means the circuit cannot conduct electricity. You'll need to replace the compressor.

• 12

  Scrape away some of the compressor's paint to expose a coin-sized bit of metal.

• 13

  Set one lead of the multimeter on a pin and the other on the exposed metal spot on the compressor. This reading should be infinity, meaning the circuit is open; otherwise, the compressor's windings are shorted out, and you will have to replace the compressor motor.