The short answer
Owners of this refrigerator land here for one reason, and click, silence, click is the overload protector cutting a compressor that tried to start and could not. Recognising the pattern is the owner contribution; testing the relay and the windings needs a meter on a live machine.
What you actually see
- The interior light works but nothing runs — A live lamp proves power is arriving and moves the fault past the cord.
- The display lights but the compressor never starts — A live control with a dead load separates the panel from the machine behind it.
- It trips the breaker or the outlet protection when plugged in — A trip on plug-in is an electrical fault and ends owner diagnosis immediately.
Causes, ranked for this refrigerator
- Start relay failed — Check this first: when it fails, everything else on the machine behaves normally, which is why the fault looks so total from the front. It is worth being sure about this one rather than half-sure, since everything after it assumes a verdict.
- Compressor overload cut out on heat — Check this second: a compressor that has been running against a blocked coil cuts out on its overload and refuses to restart until it cools, which owners read as failure. This is the entry most often blamed correctly and diagnosed carelessly, so take the extra minute.
- No power at the outlet — Third in order: a compact unit is more often on an extension lead or a switched socket than a built-in appliance is, which raises this cause here specifically. Confirm it before moving on, because the entries below read differently once it is ruled out.
What to check, in order
- First — the relay at the compressor — Listen at the back. A click every few minutes with no run is the classic pattern for a relay or overload failing to start the compressor.
- Second — whether the unit restarts after standing — Feel the back of the cabinet. A very hot compressor body on a unit that will not start is the overload doing its job.
Checks an owner can do safely
- Step 1. Set the temperature control to its coldest — Turn the dial through its travel, listening for a click, then leave it at the coldest setting for several minutes before judging.
Tools: noneAbout 10 min
- Step 2. Rest the unit and try again — Unplug it for a few hours. A machine that starts after a long rest cut out on its overload, which points at the coil and the airflow rather than the compressor.
Tools: noneAbout 20 min
- Step 3. Check how it was last moved — If the cabinet travelled on its side or back, stand it upright and leave it for several hours before plugging it in again.
Tools: noneAbout 5 min
Before you open anything
Safety
Kill the supply at the plug or the breaker, then check nothing can be switched back on by somebody else. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. If a step only makes sense with the machine running, it is a technician step and not one of these.
When this becomes a service call
The line is not about confidence, it is about what the next step needs. Call when the outlet is live, the cord is sound, the control is set cold and the compressor still never attempts to start — the next step is a meter on the relay and the windings.
Sources
General guidance- The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) — OSHA 1910.147 and manufacturer service manuals, fetched
- Article 210 — Branch Circuits — NFPA 70 (National Electrical Code), fetched
Nearest pages
What this page does not cover
Scope, stated plainly: this covers Black+Decker refrigerators as a class. It does not cover the differences between families, production years or control revisions, and a model-specific page will beat it on any of those. Use Related pages to get down to the page written for your exact unit.
Related pages
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
