Kenmore Refrigerator Burning Smell: Causes & Fix

Quick Answer: What's Causing the Burning Smell#

Most likely: it depends on who built your Kenmore, but an electrical component is overheating and will fail if ignored. On a Whirlpool-platform 106-series, the usual source is the compressor start relay arcing as its contacts degrade, producing a hot-plastic smell at the bottom-rear. On an LG-platform 795-series, it is more often a failing Linear Compressor or a main-board relay, with the smell up at the top-rear. First identify the smell — hot plastic or wire points to a motor or relay, while a sharp, sweet chemical odor could be a refrigerant leak near a hot surface. If you see smoke or sparks, unplug the refrigerator immediately and stop there.

Likely Causes at a Glance#

Walking Through the Diagnosis#

Handle this as a safety issue before a repair. If the smell is faint and there is no smoke, you may leave the fridge running briefly — fifteen to twenty minutes — to locate the heat source, but unplug before opening any panel or touching a component, and unplug at once if the odor strengthens or you see smoke or sparks. Where the smell concentrates is the biggest clue, because the two platforms fail in different places.

On a Whirlpool 106-series, the smell usually sits at the bottom-rear. Pull the fridge out, remove the lower access panel, and look at the compressor start relay (W10613606) plugged onto the compressor terminals; if it is discolored, melted, or rattles when shaken, its arcing contacts are the source and the compressor can no longer start. Right beside it, a condenser fan motor (W10124096) with seized bearings keeps drawing power while stalled and cooks its own windings — if the blade is stationary while the compressor hums, that hot-enamel smell is the motor. A brief burning smell only during defrost, once or twice a day for under half an hour, points instead at a cracked defrost heater (WR51X10055) arcing inside the freezer, and an acrid smell at a connector means an oxidized, high-resistance wiring joint overheating.

On an LG 795-series, the smell rides high at the top-rear. A Linear Compressor drawing excess current trips and resets its overload repeatedly, thermal-cycling until it smells hot — usually alongside the telltale knocking of a failing compressor, which may fall under LG's compressor settlement for 2014-2020 units. A main-board relay (EBR78940602) arcing at its contacts carbonizes them and worsens over time, sometimes throwing an Er CO. Rule out non-faults too: fresh-plastic off-gassing on a new unit, or dust burning off the coils after cleaning, both pass on their own.

Repair or Replace? The Short Version#

On a Whirlpool 106-series, the common culprits — a start relay, a condenser fan motor, a defrost heater — are inexpensive parts clearly worth fixing on a fridge that otherwise cools. On an LG 795-series the calculus is different: a board relay is a modest fix, but a failing Linear Compressor is the real decision, so check settlement or warranty coverage before paying out of pocket. Either way, a burning smell is a component actively degrading, so unplug and have it traced quickly rather than waiting for it to fail outright — book a repair.

Frequently Asked Questions#

Should I unplug my Kenmore the moment I smell burning?#

If you see smoke or sparks, or the smell is strong and worsening, yes — unplug it immediately and leave the outlet alone until it is checked. If the odor is faint and steady, you may leave it running for fifteen to twenty minutes to find the source, but always unplug before opening panels or touching parts.

Where the smell is coming from — does location matter?#

Very much. On a Whirlpool-platform 106-series the smell is usually at the bottom-rear, near the compressor start relay and condenser fan. On an LG-platform 795-series it rides at the top-rear, near the Linear Compressor and the main control board. That difference alone narrows the likely cause.

The burning smell comes and goes — is it still serious?#

Yes. An intermittent smell means a part is failing progressively, appearing when it operates — a start relay during startup, a defrost heater during defrost — and fading when it stops. It will eventually fail completely, so trace and repair it rather than waiting.

Burning smell plus knocking on my Kenmore — what's the priority?#

That combination on a 795-series strongly suggests Linear Compressor failure. Check your warranty and whether the unit falls under LG's compressor settlement, since a covered repair resolves both the smell and the noise. If it is out of coverage, weigh the compressor replacement against the fridge's age.