Continental Electric Refrigerator: Will Not Start or No Power

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I run a refrigerator on an extension cord?

It is a poor idea and a common cause of this exact fault.

The light works but nothing runs — is the refrigerator broken?

Not necessarily.

Should I unplug and replug a refrigerator that will not start?

Once, and then wait at least fifteen minutes.

What do I do with the food while I work through this?

Move anything perishable to a cooler with ice as soon as the cabinet stops cooling.

My refrigerator is completely dead — what do I check first?

The outlet, with a lamp.

Is this fault ranked differently on a Continental Electric refrigerator?

Yes — this page puts outlet dead, on a switch, on a GFCI or on a tripped breaker first because a budget compact is the appliance most likely to be on an extension lead, a power strip or a switched outlet, and that explains more dead cabinets than any component does. Continental Electric is a budget housewares label whose refrigeration is compact: cube and under-counter refrigerators, small two-door compacts and counter-top coolers sold at a price point where the cabinet, the gasket and the cold control are the only serviceable parts. No measured failure rate is claimed for this brand here; the ordering is a service ordering.