How Much Does a Refrigerator Fan Motor Cost?

The refrigerator is one of the most important inventions of modern times. Until its appearance, people had to use various food preservation solutions, such as smoking, salting, drying, or pickling. A lot of the nutrients were lost because of these procedures, and in the hot season, the perishable food that remained at the end of the day became food for animals or was thrown in the garbage.

The fridge allows us to keep food fresh, cool drinks, and, if it also includes a freezer, significantly extend the shelf life of various products. Its breaking is an unpleasant event, especially when you have a full freezer or many foods and perishable ingredients in the refrigerator.

Insufficient cooling is a common problem that can cause spoilage of food. Check the back wall of the refrigerator and, if it is cold, listen to the evaporation fan. If you do not hear that it is working, it means that it is the problem. Fortunately, there are solutions for this situation.

How Much Does a Refrigerator Fan Motor Cost?

Depending on the make and model of your refrigerator and the extent of the damage, you will have to pay anywhere between $130 and $210 for repairing a refrigerator fan motor.

On the other hand, the cost of replacing the fan altogether would be anywhere between $125 and $160. So, it would be more cost-effective to install a new fan instead of trying to repair the existing one. Also, it would save you the hassle and cost of fixing a worn-out unit many times.

You should ask a repair technician which is the best, to replace or repair your fridge evaporator fan.

How to replace a fridge evaporator fan?

Here are the steps to replace the evaporator fan of a fridge:

Step 1

Unplug the fridge from the electrical outlet. If you can’t reach the wall outlet, flip the circuit breaker switch. Empty the freezer compartment by removing food and shelves, racks, and baskets. Store perishable foods in a well-insulated cooler or another refrigerator.

Step 2

Remove the screws securing the back panel of the freezer section. Carefully lift the panel to see the evaporator fan attached to it via wire harnesses. Disconnect the wiring and separate the fan from the panel.

Step 3

Pull the fan blades off the motor shaft. Set them aside, turn the fan over, and separate the motor from the fan housing.

You might also like our articles about the cost of a refrigerator, appliance repair, or washing machine replacement.

Step 4

Put a new fan motor in place of the old one, turn it over, and put a new fan on the shaft in place of the old one. Discard the old fan and motor. Now place the new fan in place on the panel and reconnect the wiring.

Step 5

Sometimes you may find that the wire connectors from the old fan don’t match the new one. In this situation, remove the fan and case. Remove the motor and cut the harnesses from the ends of the wires. Also, cut the wiring from the wires in the freezer.

Step 6

Remove one-third of an inch of insulation from the cut fan wires and the cut freezer wires. Next, make a connection between the two sets of wires, making sure the colors match. You will find a crimp connector with the new fan; put it over the connected sets of wires. Next, crimp the connectors attached to the wires.

Step 7

Reposition the fan and casing inside the freezer. Put the back panel back and install the screws to secure it. Finally, put back the shelves, racks, baskets, and food in the freezer and reconnect the fridge to the power. If you turned off the circuit breaker instead of unplugging it, turn it back on.

It is worth replacing a refrigerator evaporator fan?

In general, the price of a high-quality refrigerator with basic features is around $1,100 or even less. Though, you could end up getting out of your pocket around $3,100 for a refrigerator that comes with integrated smart technology and other advanced characteristics. As you can see, it would be cheaper to replace or repair a refrigerator fan instead of purchasing a whole new unit.

Though, it all depends on the situation. For instance, if you have an eight years old refrigerator it would be better to buy a new one than replace or repair the evaporator fan. However, depending on the brand a refrigerator can last ten to twenty years with proper maintenance. But the cost for the parts of an older model is usually higher than for the recent models of fridges.

However, if the fridge keeps breaking down you should buy a new one that is also more energy-efficient. This way you will save on energy costs in the long run.