Kenmore Elite 795.72043.316: Freezer Noise, Refrigerant Leak and Compressor Failure in Richmond, TX
📞 Call (346) 512-3688🔧 Performed by Serhii T.
The Problem
- •Loud grinding and rattling noise coming from the freezer compartment during normal operation
- •Freezer compartment temperature rising above safe levels despite the compressor running
- •Visible and excessive snow and frost packed around the evaporator coil in the freezer section
- •Fresh food section warming up, putting stored groceries at risk
🔍 Diagnosis
When I arrived at the customer's home in Richmond, the Kenmore Elite 795.72043.316 was over 10 years old. The owner reported a loud noise coming from the freezer section. I opened the freezer panel and found a thick wall of snow and ice completely encasing the evaporator coil. The evaporator fan blades were striking the ice buildup on every rotation, producing the grinding noise the customer heard. I performed a manual defrost to clear the ice, then connected my manifold gauges to the sealed system. The low-side pressure read near 0 psi, which told me immediately that refrigerant charge was critically low. The system spec calls for 4.76 oz of R-134a, and I was reading pressures consistent with near-total loss. I used an electronic refrigerant leak detector and traced the leak to the fresh food section evaporator coil. On this LG-platform Kenmore Elite French door model, the fresh food evaporator is positioned behind the rear wall of the fresh food compartment. Corrosion pitting on the aluminum evaporator tubing caused the leak. This is a documented failure pattern on these LG-sourced Kenmore Elite units after 8 to 12 years. The compressor showed abnormally high amp draw at 6.8 amps against a rated 4.2 amps, indicating it had been running under low-refrigerant stress long enough to sustain internal wear. Both the evaporator and the compressor required replacement.
🔧 The Repair
- ✓Step 1: Recovered the remaining R-134a refrigerant from the sealed system using a Fieldpiece MR45 recovery machine per EPA 608 protocol. Recovered approximately 1.1 oz, confirming severe refrigerant loss from the specified 4.76 oz charge.
- ✓Step 2: Removed the fresh food section rear panel, disconnected the leaking fresh food evaporator coil, and removed all associated tubing connections. Documented the corrosion pitting location on the aluminum coil tubing for the repair record.
- ✓Step 3: Removed the freezer rear panel and disconnected the freezer evaporator assembly, including the fan motor, fan blade, and associated wiring harness.
- ✓Step 4: Accessed the compressor compartment at the rear base of the unit. Disconnected the start relay, overload protector, and electrical connections. Cut the suction and discharge line connections and removed the failed compressor.
- ✓Step 5: Installed the replacement compressor, brazing the suction and discharge lines with nitrogen flowing through the system to prevent oxidation scale inside the copper tubing.
- ✓Step 6: Installed the replacement fresh food evaporator coil and reconnected all refrigerant line fittings. Pressure-tested the sealed system with dry nitrogen at 150 psi and held for 30 minutes to confirm zero leaks at all new brazed joints.
- ✓Step 7: Pulled a deep vacuum on the sealed system using a two-stage vacuum pump, achieving a vacuum below 300 microns. Held the vacuum for 20 minutes to confirm system integrity before charging.
- ✓Step 8: Charged the sealed system with 4.76 oz of R-134a per the label specification using a digital refrigerant scale. Reassembled both evaporator panels, restored power, and monitored system performance for two hours. Final confirmed temperatures: fresh food section 37°F, freezer section 1°F.
✓ Result
After a two-hour runtime following the repair, the fresh food section settled at 37°F and the freezer reached 1°F. The unit was completely silent. The customer in Richmond, zip 77406, had been dealing with the noise for several weeks before calling. Once temperatures stabilized, he confirmed that the food stored in the fresh food section had stayed cool enough throughout the process to be safe. He was relieved to avoid replacing a refrigerator that otherwise had a clean cabinet and intact door seals. A 90-day labor warranty was provided on the sealed system work.
💡 Technician Notes
Kenmore Elite French door refrigerators built on the LG platform, including the 795.72043.316, are prone to evaporator coil corrosion after the 8-year mark, particularly in Houston's humid climate. The first sign is usually a faint hissing or gurgling sound from the fresh food section, not the freezer. Most owners miss this early because the noise is subtle. By the time the freezer fan starts hitting ice and the grinding noise begins, the refrigerant loss is already severe and compressor stress has likely begun. The one maintenance step that slows this failure pattern is keeping the defrost drain clear. A clogged drain causes pooled water to refreeze against the evaporator tubing and accelerate corrosion pitting. Check and flush the drain line once a year. If you hear any faint hissing from the fresh food rear wall on this model, call immediately rather than waiting. A refrigerant leak caught early means only an evaporator replacement. Waiting until the compressor fails doubles the repair cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my Kenmore Elite French door refrigerator making a loud grinding noise in the freezer?
On the Kenmore Elite 795.72043.316 and similar LG-platform models, that grinding noise almost always means the evaporator fan blade is hitting a wall of ice packed around the evaporator coil. The ice builds up when a refrigerant leak causes the system to run inefficiently. The fan noise is a symptom of a deeper sealed system problem, not just a frosting issue.
How much does it cost to replace a compressor and evaporator on a Kenmore Elite refrigerator in Richmond TX?
A sealed system overhaul on a Kenmore Elite French door unit, including evaporator coil replacement and compressor replacement with a full R-134a recharge, typically runs between $600 and $950 in the Houston area depending on parts availability. Labor for brazing, evacuation, and charging is the largest portion of the cost. Get a firm diagnosis before committing, since sealed system work is only worth it on units in otherwise good condition.
What happens if I ignore a refrigerant leak on my Kenmore Elite and keep running it?
Running a Kenmore Elite with a refrigerant leak forces the compressor to work harder to compensate for the low charge. The compressor draws excess amperage, overheats, and eventually seizes. What starts as a fixable evaporator leak becomes a full sealed system replacement. On the 795.72043.316, I confirmed compressor amp draw at 6.8 amps against a rated 4.2 amps after the owner waited too long. The delay added significant cost to the repair.
Is it worth repairing a 10-year-old Kenmore Elite refrigerator or should I just replace it?
It depends on the cabinet condition. If the door seals, hinges, and liner are intact, a 10-year-old Kenmore Elite French door unit has realistic service life remaining after a sealed system repair. These units were built on a solid LG platform. If the compressor alone failed and the evaporator is clean, repair makes clear sense. When both components fail together, weigh repair cost against a new unit. In this Richmond case, the cabinet was clean and repair was the right call.
Why did my Kenmore Elite lose refrigerant if nothing physically damaged the refrigerator?
On aluminum evaporator coils used in the Kenmore Elite 795.72043.316, slow corrosion pitting develops over years from exposure to moisture and food acids inside the fresh food compartment. Houston's humidity accelerates this process. The pitting creates micro-leaks in the tubing walls. There is no impact or external damage involved. The coil simply corrodes from the inside of the compartment over time, which is why these leaks often go undetected until refrigerant loss becomes severe.
Repair Summary
- Brand
- Kenmore Elite
- Model
- 795.72043.316
- Repair Type
- Sealed System Overhaul: Evaporator Coil Replacement and Compressor Replacement
- Refrigerant
- R-134a
- Root Cause
- Evaporator leak causing refrigerant loss and compressor failure
- Parts Replaced
- ✓Fresh food section evaporator coil assembly (replacement unit compatible with Kenmore Elite 795.72043.316, LG-platform French door)
- ✓Compressor (replacement unit matched to sealed system specs for R-134a, 4.76 oz charge capacity)
- ✓Compressor start relay and overload protector (replaced as standard practice during any compressor swap on this platform)
- ✓R-134a refrigerant, 4.76 oz per label specification
- Location
- Richmond, TX 77406
- Status
- ✓ Completed
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