Thanks to this video I was able to fix my 12 yr old Whirlpool ED5FVGXVS00 which had suddenly quit working one day. One observation though... When I connected the two black wires on the 3 in 1 for power I didn't think the hot and neutral sides mattered. It is not marked or mentioned in the instructions. Unknowingly I had crossed them. This had the side effect of making the condenser fan upstream to stop working. When I swapped the power connections to 3 in 1 everything worked fine.

This item saved me hundreds of dollars. It is very easy to install. After installation the compressor fired right up. Thanks a bunch!

While this video is 7 years old, it’s still timely. My fridge stopped running so this 3 n’ 1 got it running in no time. I paid $12 on Amazon because Prime would have it delivered the next day. Thank you!!!!

Informative video. It's remarkable what I've been able to fix watching instructional videos on KZfaq. So, for all the people you've educated to solve their own problem, I'd like to say thank you. My hope is that you truly understand how valuable your guidance is and feel awesome knowing how many people you've help. Oh, and you're single handedly keeping refrigerators out of landfills... Thanks, Rockstar. Now, my case. I installed a Supco RCO210 3 in 1 Hard Start Capacitor on a 20 year old Kenmore top freezer model. New part was > $50 so I wanted to try the cheapest fix possible. After bumbling around to figure out if the compressor was still electrically sound, I ordered the Supco relay. There was another question below about how to size the Supco relay. Simple: I called Supco. These compressors are rated for a certain amperage; I found it on my compressor. After checking with Supco, they told me I needed the 210, not the 410 I had purchased. I was also concerned about lifespan. Supco told me I could leave it as a permanent replacement. Nine months after installing the Supco 210 relay, this fridge failed again. Same symptoms so simply bought another Supco 210 relay. (As an aside, after the first failure I put a temp sensor from my Acurite weather station package in the fridge. An alert fires when it goes above 40F. Excellent way to prevent food/$$$ loss. I can monitor on my phone.) Installed new relay but it did not solve the problem. Maybe it's the thermostat. Going there next. Update #1: used a multimeter to test compressor and thermostat. Both returned expected values. I also jumped the leads which went to the thermostat. No joy (compressor and condenser fan did not start). I then checked power to the compressor and condenser fan. Nothing. So now the question is, "why not?" Control board? And thoughts/guidance would be appreciated. Thanks. Update #2: so working back up to the thermostat, I found it was not getting power either. The issue was a "cooked" Refrigerator Adaptive Defrost Control Board (model #2304099). I unscrewed it from its mounting, flipped it over and saw a burn mark on board. Apparently cooked by a recent power outage. Found it on Amazon for $40. Super psyched that 1) there will be one less fridge in the landfill, 2) to learn how a fridge actually works (not much to it, really, even understanding basic power wiring was pretty straightforward, 3) it only cost me my time and $40 (all service teams -- if they even agreed to work on a 19 year old unit -- wanted ~$120 just to show up...). and 4) I fixed it. Hopefully this helps someone else. And, once again, thanks Bill. You started me on a success repair. Very appreciative. Have an excellent day. Best, Mike

Bought one from Grainger today for under $15, installed in less that 15 minutes to fix my Hisense Chest Freezer. Worked like a charm. Thanks for the video.

As a complete idiot who's never done an electrical thing in his life, this video helped me fix my fridge.

that was absolutely a fantastic video I'm going to try this tomorrow morning because I have fallen into a situation where I need a refrigerator fix for an apartment unit and that's what I'm looking at as I feel it's probably the starter cap is gone bad but to know how to check the compressor and to get aI'm going to fall this man's instructions and that was so freaking helpful I can't believe it I don't know how to thank you thank you so much

I had never seen, heard about or used this until today. To replace the original was going to cost over $100 from an appliance parts store locally. The original relay was burned to a crisp and I could not trust the capacitor! The rep there showed me the 3 in 1 but the price was $30. Still more than I wanted to pay. I bought it on Amazon for $10! Watched this video and viola, the refrigerator works again! I'm told this is what many techs use to repair fridges and that it may work 2 months or over a year! There's no way to really tell. I'm going to sell the fridge at a huge profit now, since I got it for free and thanks to the part and your video I don't have to scrap it for much less cash!

Saved my refrigerator today, installed a similar universal start relay/capacitor/overload I'd purchased in 2015. Back then, I purchased factory replacement locally (about $80) and used that, only lasted 6 years. Of course, Amazon has for under $15 for factory ones, but next day delivery, so I installed the universal ERP810 one I had at the house.

thank you for sharing, very good, practical, easy to follow, good teacher.

great job Bill, 3n'1 not bad for emergency, I learned some today. Kep on!

I have used them for over 30 years there great just match the right 3&1 to the compressor size 1/5 to 1/4 and so on good video

Thanks Bill for another helpful video. I like the way you explain things.

Good job demonstrated with simplicity

Awesome! Another good video. You made the smoke come out!

I loved the video I am a 36year Refrigeration mechanic I have used these and only these solid state relay capacitors for more than 15 years, I have great success they work great, I went to a commercial fridge about 2 weeks ago it had had these electrics on it for 12 years the compressor was 19 years old, the original electrics lasted 7years, 2 weeks ago the solid state electrics did fail, the windings added up perfectly I put another solid state relay capacitor on it and away it went again. A company who I have fixed there rental commercial fridges say they have saved thousands every year since I started using these. Also I always have something in my van to get a compressor going . I have one set that does from 1/12 hp to 1/2hp and another set that does from 1/2hp to 5hp so I never get stuck.

Use em all the time at work matter of fact have one on my freezer. Great item. Never had a problem leaving them on a unit

Thank so much for testing compressor and save money .

You are great. Thx for the advice. My garage fridge is working great again. I tried the single parts, capacitor, etc.... They don't work. This 3 in 1 is amazing

RIP for this KZfaqr Hero🙏 God Bless him whenever he is now…

When i worked hvac we put these on and kept them on older outdoor a/c condenser units. (Units that were aged worn down tired but these seemed to get some customers through the hot summe season or 2) also better for compressor lug start ups.

I love these 3 in 1 and leave them in place. They are a permanent fix. Never heard ever that they weren't a permanent fix. Go with it my man! Thx

I'm an appliance tech and I use these all the time. it's just a regular standard starter replacement. works like a charm

Thanks Bill just ordered one for my soda Machine, hope it works.

Bill, Thanks for your easy to follow video on installing a Supco 3 n 1 Starter. My refrigerator is working like new. You are the greatest!

great video! thank you very very much. I have a compressor that's tripping the breaker, I'll try just what you showed. again, great video, thank yoou!!!!

My Whirlpool Side-by-Side refrigerator compressor stopped working after 7 years of operation. The relay on the compressor blew-out and I replaced it with a $7 hard start 3 in 1 capacitor rather than the $75 OEM compressor relay. That was 13 years ago and the hard start capacitor finally failed after refrigerator encountered some restricted airflow. It's now 20 years old and I'm hoping for another 10 years. Thanks for the video.

You were absolutely amazing! Worked for me

hey bill, i'm from guyana, i normally use a solid state relay..." icg-2 series phase failure relay protector " and trust me, it works year goes, year come.....its a very strong relay, the 3 in 1 is also very good and strong

nice demonstration!!!

Thank you I was able to fix my Frigidaire.

Thank you for your video, I was able to repair my appliance for $25 instead of replacing it!

Good stuff! Thank you!

Supco is $22. My fridge relay (warranty recall) was $60. My freezer is $50. The supco replaces either, lasts longer, and yes can be left in place forever. Make sure to check the three compressor terminals with an ohm meter to identify them if they are not labeled or on very old units.

Those Supco 3in1 are pretty strong. Its a bigger capacitor than OEM on most refrigerators. Some OEM replacement won't start a sluggish tired compressor ...but these will a lot of the times. You can leave on they're stronger than OEM

Great video bro! Thx

great job guys.

Good to know, i enjoyed the video. and i was told that you can use the 3 in 1 as perminant.

that stainless steel maytag behind you is the same unit that im having problem with now. the compressor would get real hot even with a new relay in place (parts store tested the cap good). i was going to install a hard start but changed my mind after watching your video. i'll save up instead and replace the compressor later. its a very nice fridge, i hate to just throw it away- im using the garage's fridge for now.

the 3 in 1 will work perfect

Just installed a 3 in 1. Took a chance, in that watching these videos on KZfaq makes you a little more adventurous in getting into a fix. Did make an assumption that the refer needed a start relay capacitor. Freezer was working but the other side appeared to be warmer than it should be. Opened the back plate and the fan wasn't working and the compressor was very hot. Got the original part out but the plastic parts of both items fused. Went to a local dealer and bought the 3 in 1 at his suggestion. $38.00. More costly than you said but if it works it is worth it. The part installed just as your video directed. It was easy. The only direction lacking was that one power wire is wire nutted to two orange wires and the other power wire is wired to one wire and it doesn't matter which power wire connects to either. The refer is making good sounds now and appears to be working properly. The operating sounds were not evident before the fix. Compressor fan was working now. You mentioned that this fix is temporary. To me it is permanent. The next failure is a new refrigerator. I wish I discovered this video before the fix just for confidence sake. Glad I found it...thanks.

hey Bill, nice video! I happened to leave one on for about 2 days on a refrigerator 1/3 hp and I had the correct 3 in 1 but for some reason it got hot and failed to keep compressor running. I believe something was wrong with compressor.

Thanks for sharing 👍🏽

Great test. Thanks

I sold tons of these at appliance parts. They fit most compressors especially the older ones where sometimes you cannot get the OEM part for it. These are great but they come in 2 sizes. 1.5th to 1/12th hp or a 1/4th to 1/3 rd hp. to keep em in stock we just kept mostly the 1/4th to 1/3rd because the price was no different. Nice video shows how tough these thangs are. It is good to have one in your tool kit. I keep a lamp cord on mine so i can tell if the compressor is shot and if it is maybe in defrost or has a short in the wiring to the compressor.

Different refrigerator models use different oem components which can be hard to find or figure out which you need. The 3 in 1 rco is universal. Just match the hp and voltage rating.

If anyone is unsure of their compressor's HP rating (which is not always easy to track down), the Supco RCO210 (which may not have been available when this video was made) will work with all compressors from 1/12hp thru 1/2hp.

We have been using the 3 in 1's on vending machines for many years. I also have one on my deep freeze. They have been running for years. Seems like a perm. fix to me.

I've had one of these 3 in 1 overload relays on my ages old chest freezer (early 80s) after the original part finally gave out and no OEM replacement could be found. It worked for over 10 years until yesterday morning when a thunderstorm kicked the power off twice. I know it's the relay that went because the compressor tries to run and the unit kicks on and then immediately clicks off again. I just ordered another 3 in 1 to replace the bad one. I've also had one of these 3 in 1 units on an upright freezer for about 5 years until the compressor itself died. I don't know why you would say the 3 in 1 relays are only meant to be temporary, they have served me well for many years.

Thank you for your video igloo freezer FRF 520 FM i just replace working now😆😆😆

Hi bill. does the 3 in 1 save the compressor from regulations in the voltage as the relay does?

Hello, I'm in HVAC school right now and my electrical instructor told the class that I can't remember if it was him or a co worker but anyway someone installed a 3 n 1 and 10 years later when they where at that job again it was still working and unit was running just fine. So I guess they can last a while.

GOOD VID BILL

Hello Bill, can a fridge relay be bad if there is no rattle to it ? Or do all relays rattle when they're bad as I 'm aware they have ceramic in them that seems to break into pieces. Thanx

Bill, I have watched all your compressor-related videos and they are extremely helpful - I think/hope you have saved me $800!! My repair guy didn't test the ohms, amps, or voltage of anything... he simply called LG to ask what he should replace, thats it - useless. Your the best, keep up the great videos! Thanks!

Based on Horsepower specs, the 3 'N 1 I got should work (the Supco RCO810, I calculate my fridge compressor is is 1/10 HP). However, maximum continuous amps for the 810 is listed as 4.05A. My compressor draws a little above 6 Amps starting, but 1.21 running. Is this why the compressor only turns on for 2 seconds or so before the 3 'N 1 shuts it off?

Thanks for the videos you share. I had learn a lot out it . I have a frozen suction line right by the compressor. Any advice will be welcome and thank you in advance.

so jeff kreiger do not try to look for right or left, just for common start and run just know that black always goes on c and red always goes on r and white always goes on s on the terminals. they represent the windings inside the compressors

great vid

Hey Bill, The URC0410 is the most common fridge Hard Start? My OEM relay was clicking. Bought an OEM replacement relay/capacitor. That started clicking immediately. Compressor wouldn't run. I measured the compressor pins and got 5, 3.9, 8.7-8.9. I also scratched the housing and tested each pin. No beep. So, am I to assume the compressor is still good and that the replacement relay I bought was bad? I'd like to try a Hard Start and see how that goes. Just want to confirm the 0410 is the correct Hard Start model.

Thanks for this video . My fridge when I plug in the wire the fridge light inside the fridge working but the fridge compressor and the little cooling fan the one next to the copmressoer not running ?

Hey there great tutorial, I installed it and it works well , I was not able to mount it upright so I laid it on its side , is there any issue with that?

Thanks for sharing!

So its only for test? I never know that you can check like that,thanks for the video

3 in 1 is good just for testing, just like you said, according to my tech they only last 90 days. very good video. very helpful.

Silly me. There is a plethora of sources on line for the 3 in 1s. Question now is which model number is most appropriate or does it make a difference. I was looking for the RCO410 that showed up in a video. Your preference?

worked fine.........thanx

U right bill 3 and 1 start relays I used two of those on two different refrigerator nice ones by the way and they both customers call me after 3 months t saying that the motor was gone find out that the motor is burn or out so u think u can start using those spp6 hard start relay?

nice vid where would you buy 1 of those 3in 1 would lows have that or home depot ??

Hey Bill, can you say something about what the freezer sounds like with no start relay? Does the compressor still "hum" and can you tell the difference between humming and actually running?

Hey mr bill your video is amazing that only thing I didn’t get after we hooked the three wires to compressor the other two wire what did you wire them to?

I have a small Igloo RCA and I left the door ajar all night -about 8-9 hours. Compressor was hot but inside ice had not melted completely. Beer stiil relatively cool. Compressor came on briefly and stopped. When I turned up the thermostat up it came on for about 10-15 minutes and stopped. Now with even thermosat on high it does not come on anymore. Do you think the compressor is done? Compressor is barely warm and walls are not warm anymore. Should I disconnect completely? Restart later. Thanks for any ideas or opinions!

Hi. Bill I was wondering if you can tell me how to figure out which 3 in 1 I need for my Frigidaire GLRS64ZEQ0 thanks in advance

5 yrs and still running ... these 3 in 1's have proven their place as a cheaper alternative in appliances repair. As with anything else, manufacturers will always recommend genuine o.e. parts even tho aftermarket can work just as good or even better than original.

Oh geez , I thought I was watching a video about a car compressor. I thought what a great idea . .. no worries won’t try it on my car . Lol

jeff kreiger black is always common red is always run and white is always start on refrigerator compressors.

been using these for 27 years

I just installed one of these and it did bring back my old freezer to life! We are July 2022, I wonder if any of you installed one of these years ago and how long it did last. The OEM relay is around 80$ and I don't think it's worth it for my very very old Kenmore chest freewer.

Would a bad compressor show a ground condition on a ground detecting outlet or could that also be relay/capacitor?

Thanks for the Video. My freezer stopped working, compressor would not start. I replaced the relay switch and tested the run capacitor all tested good the freezer still would not start. installed the 3 in 1 and the freezer started up.

Question for you guys. I put a 3 n 1Start Relay on my refrigerator about 5 years ago. Compressor fired up no problem worked great. I heard it clicking on and off the other day refrigerator was warm, so I bought another one to fix the problem. The new 3 n 1 Start Relay is doing the same clicking on and off as the old one. Could the new 3 n 1 be bad from the manufacturer? I checked the compressor for Ohm readings and I'm getting 2.5 Ohms across the black to white, 2.5 Ohms across black to red, and 5.0 Ohms across white to red. My Whirlpool side by side is in great shape, bought it in 2001. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. I truly don't think the compressor is bad.

Hey bill just put a 3 in 1 on my whirlpool wasnt sure if the compressor was good so didnt want to spend alot but the parts dealer told me that the servive techs were using these instead of the original parts. Do you have any idea how long they last?

I have a 115v compressor and I ordered a 115v 3n1 start but they sent me a 120v one. Would it work with a 120v or should I return it?

Hi guys, I have a faulty wine fridge with a very different looking relay at the back. (you can see what it looks like Googling "starter ptc 8100zem"). How to know which universal relay to get? (diff HP) and how do i wire it? (there are more wires than a + and - running into the relay...) Thanks a bunch !

Have an Embraco FGS 55 A compressor and have been unsuccessful in determining the horsepower rating. the 3 n1 comes in two flavors, one that is for horsepower under 1/5 and the other for 1/3 to 1/4 horsepower. Which one should I get? Thanks. Great video BTW! :)

Since they make these kits in three different HP ratings the RCO 210 - RCO 410 & RCO 810 you have to watch what the HP rating on the compressor your working on is, to make sure you are using the right kit...The RCO410 is for a 1/4hp to 1/3 hp...I have used these multiple times and have never had a problem...They'll do fine, if applied right...Still, a good video.

on my boat i have a 220 fridge supplier with power from an inverter pulling from a bank of 12v batteries. IT is not quite strong enough to kick in the compressor and so i thought i would install a capacito. do i need a three in one or would a Supco app-6 boost work? Spec is 130-156uf size, 1/2-10hp, 90-277Vac? Also do i wire it directly to the compressor like you showed in your video-I only see 2 wires exiting the Booster starts capacitor.

Quick question... I have one blue wire as well as two black wires attached to my relay. the two black wires attach to a box in the back of the mini fridge and one is on either side of the relay. I also have a red wire attached to the overload. When attaching the black wires from the start kit i am unsure on how to connect as there are more than just the two wires that are called for in most diagrams. Because of this, I just decided to attach everything that was attached to the relay to one black wire (3 wires total) and then attach the red wire that was attached to the overload to the other black wire. It starts up and runs for about 2 mins before shutting off. I then tried just attaching the blue wire from the relay to black and then the red that was attached to the overload to black. Leaving the other 2 black wires that were attached to the relay capped off. This also didn't work. I am at a loss. Any help would be appreciated. This is my last resort as I have already replaced the relay and overload which were probably not the issue this whole time. Thanks in advance for your help!

Would this work on a mini fridge compressor? it doesn't have a start capacitor normally.

thank you

thank you very much

Hello Bill, I am working on a freezer and thermostat is set to -- 8 (minus eight degrees) and when the temperature reach the -8 degree, the compressor will stop and will not run anymore. Relay is bad ? thermostat is bad ? any suggestion? thanks

What do you do if the compressor has a start capacitor on it? Just wondering how to wire it, do I just remove it since the 3n1 includes a start capacitor?

universal relay 3 n 1 starter can be use for any refrigerator or freezer compressor???

Thank you, this video was very helpful and fixed my compressor problem ! .. for about a weeks time. I bought a 2nd capacitor, but now the compressor only clicks once when initially plugged in and no sort of effort to turn on. I used a volt meter to test the compressor and it seems to be reading fine. Any other suggestions?

i am going to install one of these. on the two black power wires does it matter how you connect them to the power cord? any combination ok?

I'm confused so how do know know if this compressor vs the start relay is the issue. You can test it with the 3 and 1, but how to do connect the multimeter to the 3 and 1 and what amps are you looking for to confirm the compressor is faulty.

My freezer was not working and a service man replaced it with a hard starter like the one shown in the video. It worked for a couple hours and the temperature dropped to 0F. Then the temperature came up and the compressor did not running any more. He told me to turn off the power and unplugged the the outlet and wait for 5 minutes. It worked again, but like before when the temperature dropped 0F, it came up again and the compressor didn't run more more. Is the issue because the hard starter doesn't have enough power? Can I use a higer HP (1/4-1/3) one?

My fridge flooded thanks to Harvey here in Houston. The water rose 13in inside my house. FEMA, as some of you know, is being tight so I am trying to salvage my major appliances. I fixed my washer and dryer and luckily my stove wasn't damaged. My microwave is an over the range so the water went no where near it. As far as my dishwasher goes, everyone is telling me that is irreparable so now I'm trying to fix the the most important major appliance left, the fridge. It is a whirlpool side x side. I replaced the condenser fan motor (it was rusted and had mold from the flood) along with the the starter relay and capacitor connected to the compressor. The evaporator fan on the freezer side seems to work and thermostat switch is working too. ( I tested all with the multi-meter). The compressor, however, does not turn on, doesn't hum, or vibrate or get warm, nothing, nada, zilch. I'm getting continuity on the pins of the compressor like the videos say it should. However, when I used an amp meter tool that I bought, the cheapest I could find, I put it around one of the white wires that connects to the relay, and it is drawing 0.05Amps, that is it! When I disconnect these wires from the relay, and connect the power cord to the wall again, I get the same thing. This implies that no current is being drawn by the compressor. The other white wire and the red wire do not give any readings. I keep reading and watching videos to make sure that doesn't draw too many amps, but haven't heard anything about not drawing enough or none at all. My guess is that it isn't good either. So, now I came across this 3in1 kit which I should've tried first to save money. So folks, question is, iIs there anything you think I missed or is my compressor toast? If it is, I won't bother replacing it, might else well live on an office fridge and eat out some more until I can save for a replacement...but I'd rather not go there if there is still a chance to save it. Any help is appreciated.

What is the correct way to reattach the wires(3blacks, 1red, 1white) to the 4 terminals on the 3n1? The person who started working on it before me removed the wires from the terminals on the 3n1.