I am an appliance repair professional

When your fridge won’t cool down at home, you might think it’s time to call a technician for a repair.

Before you’re ready to spend thousands of dollars to get your fridge repaired or replaced, try this simple hack that won’t cost you more than $10.

2

A TikToker named Derrick, aka @derrickwith2rs_official, has posted a super helpful video for his followers on how to fix most fridges cheaply.

The caption for his video reads: “Not [let] The few shady technicians take advantage of what you don’t know. We’re all in the same boat.”

In the clip, he begins by using an electronic screwdriver to unscrew the bottom rear floor panel from the refrigerator.

He explains that a simple screwdriver would work just fine in such a case.

He shows his followers which part is the fridge’s compressor with the overload capacitor next to it.

According to Derrick, all you have to do is wiggle out the overload capacitor and test it by shaking it near your ear.

He says, “You can usually hear them rattling when they’re bad.”

Next you need to look up the model and serial number of the overload capacitor.

You can order a replacement from Amazon, eBay, or another similar site.

He says, “You can get two for like $10 or so. Super cheap.”

Lastly, Derrick puts the overload capacitor back in place to get the fridge working again.

Someone in Derrick’s comments section posted: “You are an angel. Many Thanks.”

Another wrote: “Thank you for caring for others as a good neighbor.”

2

A third person added: “I wish I had seen this a year ago. It would definitely have been worth a try before buying a brand new fridge! Thank you for the information.”

According to Derrick, shady repair techs will claim your fridge’s compressor has “broken” — even though it typically lasts 40 years.

According to Bob Vila’s official website, refrigerator compressor replacements cost between $250 and $650, including labor.

Even worse? Purchasing a completely new refrigerator can cost as much as $2,000, according to Home Advisor.

Unfortunately, there are shady repair techs out there who take advantage of ignorant customers who lack such insider knowledge.