Appliance Repair by Jeff Rapier
 

Our Whirlpool refrigerator, 13 years old, starting acting up. We have been lucky, never a malfunction in all the years (not even the dreaded icemaker) until now. Fan in freezer goes on and off every few seconds. Ice builds up in one spot on back wall of freezer.

I called Mrs. Beck (Beck Appliiance Repair which is excellent) but she said their technician could not come due to a grave illness in the family. So I did a search on TOTV, from which I have gotten many good tips in the past.

After a call to one or two appliance repairmen who couldn't come, I found a couple of recommendations for Jeff Rapier and made an appt. He concluded the evaporator fan motor was the likely culprit. We okayed ordering a new one. He called on a Saturday afternoon and said the part was in and offered to install it then. We agreed, he came and the repair was done quickly. So we wrote him a check for $255 to cover the cost of his visit and the part and he left.

However, within a few minutes of putting the food back the freezer started doing the same thing it was doing before the repair. My husband immediately called and informed him that the repair had not worked. Jeff indicated he would get back to us. That is the last time we had any contact. He has not responded to phone calls since. His business card only has a name and phone number and states "Certified Appliance Technician," no address, email, or any other identification on it. He did not provide an invoice.

The check was written on a Saturday afternoon and he managed to cash it quickly. His silence since has cost us $255, an unrepaired refrigerator, and the need to write this warning.

It could be that your drain tube is clogged. Search YouTube for videos. It's an easy DIY fix.

Try 1963 Eldridge Loop, The Villages, FL 32162. That's the address that he used on NextDoor. I think it's his parents' house.

Try a 3-in-1
 

If it's not cooling then either the refrigerant is low or the compressor won't kick on. Many refrigerators can be fixed by getting a 3-in-1 off Amazon for less than $20. They're really easy to install and worth a shot before you throw a bunch of money at a repair man. If you're unsure there are lots of youtube videos that can help you decide if you want to try to tackle it.

I'm happy to report our Whirlpool is now fixed and running perfectly. The defective part was the Main Control Board. We had a diagnosis of this from an appliance repair person whose solution was to remove it, send it off to be repaired and replace it two weeks later after having no refrigeration, which was unacceptable. That's when we called Jeff R, who obviously didn't know what was wrong.

So, I called Whirlpool and asked for help. They said that motherboard was no longer available but suggested contacting Circuitboardmedics.com. That company said they would overnight a refurbished board in exchange for our defective one.

Husband decided he could do the work. He's not into appliance repair at all but is a retired electrician and skilled mechanic, so when it arrived he went to work. Had a bit of trouble locating the board and had to move other components out of the way to get to it. I didn't find a YouTube video on that particular repair until well into the process but when I did, it confirmed that he was doing it
right.

Interestingly, Whirlpool Corp. couldn't provide a replacement for that board, although it was used in dozens of models including KitchenAid. One rumor is that the Japanese factory was destroyed in the tsunami.

I use Chuck Parker for appliance repair. Quick knowledgeable service and reasonable.

352-978-6058