How to Replace Whirlpool Refrigerator Start Relay

What the relay does#

The compressor is a single-phase motor that needs a shove to start turning. The start relay briefly connects the start winding when cooling is called for, then drops out once the motor is up to speed; the overload beside it cuts power if current or temperature runs too high. When the relay fails you hear the classic pattern — a start attempt, then the overload clicking off, repeating every three to five minutes while the box warms. This fits Whirlpool WRF, WRS and WRT models, since the relay system is shared across the line.

Safety warning: Unplug the refrigerator. The compressor has a start capacitor that may hold a small charge — discharge it before touching terminals by shorting across the relay terminals with an insulated screwdriver.

What you need#

Step by step#

1 - Pull it out and unplug. Ease the fridge far enough from the wall to reach the back, unplug it, and lay a towel down for dust.

2 - Open the lower rear panel. Remove the four to six screws on the bottom-rear panel. Behind it are the compressor dome, the condenser coils and the fan; the relay plugs onto the compressor terminal pins on the side.

3 - Remove the relay. Note the wire positions, pull the spade connectors with needle-nose pliers, then work the relay straight off the terminal pins with gentle wiggling.

4 - Test the old relay. Shake it — an internal rattle means the contacts have broken loose, the most common failure. To be sure, read resistance between common and start terminals: near zero one way and open when inverted is healthy, since it closes by gravity. Open both ways means it is done. Check the overload separately: it should read closed at room temperature.

5 - Fit the new relay. Push it onto the pins the same way round — they are keyed so it only seats one way — until it is flush, then reconnect each wire to its original terminal per the tech sheet behind the grille.

6 - Test operation. With the panel still off, plug in and watch: the compressor should start within thirty to sixty seconds and settle into a steady low hum with no clicking. If it kicks off within a few seconds, suspect the compressor motor or a bad new relay.

7 - Close up and let it recover. Once it runs steady, unplug briefly, refit the panel, push the fridge back, plug in, and give it a full day to reach setpoint.

8 - Clear the code. Enter diagnostic mode per the tech sheet and clear any stored F0E0 compressor-circuit fault. If F0E0 returns after the swap, the compressor motor itself is likely failing.

If it still will not cool#

• Kicks off within seconds with the correct new relay: a failed compressor start winding — a sealed-system repair.
• Compressor runs but no cooling: the sealed system has its own fault, such as a leak or restriction.
• Runs non-stop without cycling: the thermostat or board is not sending the off signal.
• Condenser fan dead while the compressor runs: a stopped fan overheats the compressor and trips the overload, mimicking a relay fault.

When this fix will not work#

Call a professional if testing shows a failed compressor winding (infinity across a pin pair), if the compressor is seized, if you smell burnt insulation from the compressor, or if you hear refrigerant hissing from the sealed system — all of these need certified sealed-system work.

Need professional help?#

• refrigerator repair service
• whirlpool appliance repair
• refrigerator repair cost guide