James Conley answers:

Medical, Dental, and Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians- Dept of Labor website
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos238.htm ( Go to this website to view full descriptions of these professions) Employment change. Overall employment for these occupations is expected to grow 14 percent from 2008 to 2018, which is faster than the average for all occupations.

Around 58 percent of jobs were in medical equipment and supplies manufacturing, usually in small, privately owned businesses.Most technicians learn their craft on the job, but many employers prefer to hire those with formal training.Faster than average employment growth is expected for dental and ophthalmic laboratory technicians, while average employment growth is expected for medical appliance technicians. Job opportunities should be favorable because few people seek these positions.

When patients require a medical device to help them see clearly, chew and speak well, or walk, their healthcare providers send requests to medical, dental, and ophthalmic laboratory technicians. These technicians produce a variety of implements to help patients.

Medical appliance technicians construct, fit, maintain, and repair braces, artificial limbs, joints, arch supports, and other surgical and medical appliances. They follow prescriptions or detailed instructions from podiatrists, orthotists, prosthetists or other healthcare professionals for patients who need them because of a birth defect, disease, accident, or amputation.

For O&P technicians, creating orthoses and prostheses takes several steps. First, technicians construct or receive a plaster cast of the patient’s limb or foot to use as a pattern. Increasingly, technicians are using digital files sent by the prescribing practitioner who uses a scanner and uploads the images using computer software.

Dental laboratory technicians fill prescriptions from dentists for crowns, bridges, dentures, and other dental prosthetics. First, dentists send a prescription or work authorization for each item to be manufactured, along with an impression or mold of the patient’s mouth or teeth. With new technology, a technician may receive a digital impression rather than a physical mold. Then dental laboratory technicians, also called dental technicians, create a model of the patient’s mouth by pouring plaster into the impression and allowing it to set.

Ophthalmic laboratory technicians—also known as manufacturing opticians, optical mechanics, or optical goods workers—make prescription eyeglass or contact lenses. Ophthalmic laboratory technicians cut, grind, edge, polish, and finish lenses according to specifications provided by dispensing opticians, optometrists, or ophthalmologists.

Work environment. Medical, dental, and ophthalmic laboratory technicians generally work in clean, well-lighted, and well-ventilated laboratories. They have limited contact with the public. Most salaried laboratory technicians work 40 hours a week, but a few work part time.

James Conley answers:

Some heating and air-conditioning technicians learn skills informally on the job, but employers increasingly prefer to hire technicians who have completed an apprenticeship program or formal technical training in high school, a post secondary technical school, community college, or the armed services. Formal apprenticeship programs normally last 3 or 4 years and combine on-the job training with classroom instruction. Many community colleges also offer two-year associate degrees in heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration. Students study theory, design and equipment construction as well as electronics. They also learn the basics of installation, maintenance and repair.

In Virginia technicians who buy or work with refrigerants must pass a written exam and be certified in their proper handling by the Department of Professional & Occupational Regulation Board for Contractors Tradesman Li censure.

HV AC Excellence offers several certificate programs for heating and air-conditioning technicians. In addition, certification in EPA regulations can be obtained from the Environmental Protection Agency. The National Center for Construction Education & Research (NICER) also offers HV AC certification.
Heating and air-conditioning technicians often specialize in either installation, maintenance, repair or sales. Some specialize in one type of equipment.

Sales and marketing specialists sell and market heating and air-conditioning systems to small and large businesses and homeowners
CAD designers design heating and air-conditioning systems for today’s “smart” office buildings and homes
Quality control engineers ensure that HV AC products work to specification. As products come off the production line, they test, locate and correct defects before the appliance reaches the consumer

James Conley answers:

What you need to do is, as has already been suggested, unplug it. You gotta get closer in the back and into the compressor. There is a very high probability of whats called the starter pack laying down and dying. Is it just you and mom around? -or do you have a handyman available?
You need someone that knows how to use a VOM (volt-ohm meter). To test whats left of the existing starter pack and go ahead and ohm out the compressor.
The starter pack is just about all that can go bad under there. Compressors do fail and let the smoke out but not very often. You just about have to get the thing in a train wreck to damage it that bad……

OK,… The handyman should ohm out the compressor. -the compressor terminals should read:
com to start, highest
com to run, mid-level
run to start, lowest

Its important to note that the lowest and the middle when added should equal the highest.
If the compressor checks out good, then the starter pack repair part can be purchased from Sears for around $65. The Supco is around $18.
I prefer to use a Supco RCO 410 or 810, depending on the horsepower of the compressor. Those small compressors are fractional anyway….
I have done dozens of these and the Supco is the way to go. My dad’s Kenmore has one of these kits on it.

The wiring directions are: red wire to the run terminal, black wire to the common terminal, white wire to the start terminal.
The two black wires that are together go to the power to the compressor. Polarity does not matter.
That should get your fridge up and running again.