PSA: Stop using those generic fridge compressor start relays

I had to pick between a $12 generic start relay and a $40 OEM one for a Whirlpool last month. Saved $28 upfront but the compressor kicked into thermal overload after three days and I had to go back and swap it anyway. Has anyone else had a generic relay fail like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

matthewgonzalez5d ago

Man honestly I think youre giving the generic ones too much credit. That $12 part isnt even a real start relay its just a cheap PTC thermistor slapped inside a plastic housing. OEM ones have proper current ratings and thermal protection built in. Half the time the generics are actually for a different compressor model entirely and they just stamp "universal" on the box. Ive seen them ship with the wrong resistance values too. Youre better off just getting the OEM part from the start even if it hurts the wallet a bit. That $28 savings aint worth cooking a compressor over.

bell.emma5d ago

Hold up, they really just throw a PTC thermistor in a plastic shell and call it a start relay? Thats insane. I figured the generics were just lower quality versions of the same design, not a completely different thing slapped together. No wonder people end up with dead compressors after trying to save twenty bucks. It honestly sounds like a fire hazard waiting to happen if the current ratings are wrong too. How is that even legal to sell as a replacement part?