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Post by turbokinetic on Aug 15, 2018 2:46:37 GMT
A friend sent me a link to this. It was local, and very inexpensive. When I got to the seller's place, it was plugged in and running. But all was not well.
Wait a minute - that's a Frigidaire relay on there! Blasphemy!
Now for the ugly......
Condenser
Compressor
Going to preserve it for a future project!
Sincerely, David
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Post by elec573 on Aug 15, 2018 3:08:54 GMT
So does that Westinghouse have the infamious motor seals that seem to short out ? Noticed it doesn’t have so2 .
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Post by turbokinetic on Aug 15, 2018 3:13:48 GMT
So does that Westinghouse have the infamious motor seals that seem to short out ? Noticed it doesn’t have so2 .
Well, I have a feeling it has the same seals, however the use of SO2 seems to be what reacted with the seals so I am confident my R12 unit is fine.
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Post by ckfan on Aug 15, 2018 12:39:49 GMT
I’m so glad you were able to save this one! I’m sure it was close to deaths deep freeze! That is the worst condenser I’ve ever seen. Just shows how tough these little units are. I bet that it will run fine once you put some love into it. Btw, I think that is a “Golden Jubilee” model from 1936. I’ve seen one that a friend of Travis has. Oddly enough it uses SO2. And just for fun here is a video showing westy models for that year. youtu.be/D89bbzmlgDYYou will notice that it is not from the 50s as the title suggests. Also, it cuts off before the video finishes but you get the idea.
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Post by turbokinetic on Aug 15, 2018 13:43:38 GMT
I’m so glad you were able to save this one! I’m sure it was close to deaths deep freeze! That is the worst condenser I’ve ever seen. Just shows how tough these little units are. I bet that it will run fine once you put some love into it. Btw, I think that is a “Golden Jubilee” model from 1936. I’ve seen one that a friend of Travis has. Oddly enough it uses SO2. And just for fun here is a video showing westy models for that year. youtu.be/D89bbzmlgDYYou will notice that it is not from the 50s as the title suggests. Also, it cuts off before the video finishes but you get the idea.
Thanks for sharing the video link! However, it highlights the fact that mine is not operating properly. No matter where I set the control or which buttons I press - the food won't automatically climb into the cabinet as shown in the video! I want my money back. False advertising.
LOL! Seriously, it does look like what they showed in the video. Makes me realize that there are many missing shelves! Not sure what the significance is, but they showed all ED-xx model names, and mine is an FS-60 model. According to the video, the light socket is on the opposite side as well.
Travis was telling me about the SO2 version of it. It does seem they had a mixture of SO2 and R12 models back then. It also seems that the ones which have been discussed here, as failing at the motor terminals, have been SO2 models. This may be why they are not found much anymore. Those have all died off and people have let them go by the wayside since they are very hard to sell on-running.
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Post by solarmike on Aug 15, 2018 14:31:11 GMT
Could the SO2 and R12 mixture be the F12 refrigerant as they call it on the tag??
Cool box for sure...
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Post by Travis on Aug 15, 2018 16:21:51 GMT
Could the SO2 and R12 mixture be the F12 refrigerant as they call it on the tag?? F12 was the original name for R12 as Frigidaire created it. Westinghouse units either used so2 or F12(R12). The one that we have like this is a 36 and had used so2. It later got R12 instead and now doesn't cool. That looks like a 1936 model, but it also could be just a lower end model for 36-38. I've never gotten a good understanding of the variations for Westinghouse. There were lots of variations of interior parts. The top shelf had a cylindrical thermometer. Some had a wire basket at the bottom, some had drawers, likely others had nothing. The condition of that one is very typical. Clean the condenser, rewire it and it will be fine
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Post by birkie on Aug 15, 2018 16:29:52 GMT
the food won't automatically climb into the cabinet as shown in the video! I want my money back. False advertising. That's hilarious - I need to show that to my 5-year-old! Good eye on the road for the loose compressor! Is there a high-side float in that little bump with the service port, on the back?
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Post by ckfan on Aug 15, 2018 19:37:19 GMT
Yep, that is the high side float. I loved that video too. So cute!
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Post by turbokinetic on Aug 15, 2018 19:49:43 GMT
Could the SO2 and R12 mixture be the F12 refrigerant as they call it on the tag?? Cool box for sure...
Mike, I am sorry that my wording was confusing. I meant that Westinghouse sold a mixture of units for SO2 and units for R12, side by side. It wasn't meaning the two gases were mixed together in any one unit. As Travis said, the brand name Freon-12 was the original and that' where the F12 nomenclature came from.
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Post by solarmike on Aug 15, 2018 21:35:18 GMT
Mike, I am sorry that my wording was confusing. I meant that Westinghouse sold a mixture of units for SO2 and units for R12, side by side. It wasn't meaning the two gases were mixed together in any one unit. As Travis said, the brand name Freon-12 was the original and that' where the F12 nomenclature came from.
Ain't no problem, I'm still learning this stuff and it's a blast.... But thanks for clarifying it and your a wealth of knowledge.....
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Post by turbokinetic on Aug 15, 2018 22:29:28 GMT
Well, I have some bad news. Apparently the rough roads were too much for her. It seems she's slipped into a coma overnight.
I worked on the wiring and tried to run it today. The compressor ran but no cooling. Found almost no pressure in the system.
On the bright side, it will be easier to work on it with the compressor removed.
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Post by turbokinetic on Aug 16, 2018 2:58:47 GMT
So, I was able to remove the compressor and wash it with the pressure wash. It looks a lot better, although I forgot to take pictures of it! Will have them tomorrow.
When I found the system was not cooling, I knew it was time to check the pressure. The charging port was a total rusted mess. It defied every effort I made to open it, including using the torch to heat the plug up. This was admittedly dangerous with the system charged, but I was conservative with the heat. In the end, the screw slot broke away.
After that happened, I used a Supco 'Bullet' self-tapping valve on one of the lines to hook up the gauges. The room was very hot and the pressure should have been in the 90 - 100 PSI range. There was about 50 PSI. Charge is gone.
Now, I have to say - I heard this running and saw the evaporator cold when I picked it up. There was no hallucination involved, I promise!
So after finding this, I took the compressor out and pressure washed it. Then, took the evaporator out and found out that the hardware holding it to the cabinet was loose and broken. That undoubtedly allowed it to bounce around more than it should have.
The charging port was a mangled mess. I had to drill it out and make a new plug. That was an awful job, but in the end I now have a plug which uses an allen key instead of the screwdriver that strips out so easily.
Here is the port, after it was drilled almost all the way out.
After carefully picking out the shell of the screw. Thankfully it looks like I didn't gouge the seat.
The old screw (left) and the new one I fabricated.
Installed.
And, here's a video where you can hear me lament and bellyache about the charging port design!
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Post by birkie on Aug 16, 2018 13:06:59 GMT
Now how the heck does one casually make a replacement plug, especially one that fits the right kind of allen key? I'm actually really curious about that plug - did you start from a lowly steel rod and machine all the features, or did you start from something you found in your parts bin that got you halfway there? I'm also wondering about that weird ball bearing in the float seat of your other westy (unless I'm confusing machines). It seems like this machine doesn't have that odd/frustrating little setup?
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Post by turbokinetic on Aug 16, 2018 13:34:44 GMT
Now how the heck does one casually make a replacement plug, especially one that fits the right kind of allen key? I'm actually really curious about that plug - did you start from a lowly steel rod and machine all the features, or did you start from something you found in your parts bin that got you halfway there? I'm also wondering about that weird ball bearing in the float seat of your other westy (unless I'm confusing machines). It seems like this machine doesn't have that odd/frustrating little setup?
LOL! I apologize for skipping over things like this. I was in a bad hurry yesterday and still am today. Have two Frigidaires going to a new owner who may not pick them up until after I leave for work out of state. Got to make sure this arrangement is setup for them. Just too many irons in the fire and somebody stole the cord off one of them to fix an old fridge LOL! I figure it would be good to show what happened during the day even if I can't show the whole process.
As for making the plug, it was not difficult. The thread is a common 3/8-24" thread. I purchased a package of two 3/8-24" Allen set screws last month when I made the new plug for the other Westinghouse (with the ball seat in the port). Therefore, I had a setscrew already here. It just so happens that the usual hex size for the 3/8 setscrews is what the Imperial kit has.
I put the setscrew on an Allen key bit (for use with ratchet) and then chucked the bit in a drill. With the setscrew spinning in the drill, it was brought against a fine grit grinding wheel, until the tapered tip was formed. After that, it was sanded with sandpaper while spinning in the drill, to remove any imperfections. Then, finally, it was pressed hard into a pad of red Scotch-Brite to polish and smooth the tapered tip.
After that, the slot was cut in the side for the refrigerant flow path. I used a common hacksaw for this. The whole process took about 15 minutes. I used what I learned from the first Westinghouse, with the steel ball you mention. This one didn't have that.
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