I have a ~6 year old chest freezer (Magic Chef HMCF7W2) that has stopped freezing. I read online that a common reason for this was the PTC Starter going bad, and replacing it will fix the problem. I was unable to find an exact replacement, but read that using a RCO410 3-in-1 would work, at least enough to verify if the start is actually the problem or not. I ordered the RCO410 and installed it, but it seems to still not be working, although differently.
When the unit first stopped working, it just sat there doing nothing. No noticeable noise. When I first installed the RCO410, I bypassed the thermostat as I did not have a good way to connect it. The freezer ran for a couple of minutes before shutting off, but the compressor was very loud compared to before. After it shut off, I noticed the compressor was also extremely hot.
After letting things cool down, I re-installed the RCO410 with the thermostat and now it will click on loudly for a second, hum for another 10 seconds or so, then click off.
Does this indicate that the compressor itself has gone bad or lost it's refrigerant, and thus not worth trying to fix?