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Post by 1940sjosh on Jul 25, 2019 18:50:50 GMT
Travus, Looks like they paid $450. Looked on CL saw a later, CK maybe going for $600. About a year back I saw a similar one with a home paint job (bright yellow) go for $350.
Things are strange out here. I dont understand how anyone would pay $450 for something only to take up space and look nice.
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Post by 1940sjosh on Aug 10, 2019 12:35:37 GMT
UPDATE Finnaly picked up the unit. Getting the cabinet up the stairs was killer. Puck to follow later today.
Few questions tho.
1. How do the slider racks go together? Does the fixed rack go in a particular spot?
2. I'm missing the housing over the electrical cord inlet, noticed when I crank her on theres a spark. Is this normal?
3. What watt and size bulb does this unit take? Is there a seal I should replace / install around the socket?
4. Start Up So it seems, from what I've read here it's best to let her settle 12 or so hrs after moving; then plug in and let the heater do its thing for another 12 hrs. Sound about tight?
How long after turning on the whole system should I expect cold? What should I watchout for in this process?
Thank you all.
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Post by turbokinetic on Aug 10, 2019 14:14:38 GMT
UPDATE Finnaly picked up the unit. Getting the cabinet up the stairs was killer. Puck to follow later today. Few questions tho. 1. How do the slider racks go together? Does the fixed rack go in a particular spot? 2. I'm missing the housing over the electrical cord inlet, noticed when I crank her on theres a spark. Is this normal? 3. What watt and size bulb does this unit take? Is there a seal I should replace / install around the socket? 4. Start Up So it seems, from what I've read here it's best to let her settle 12 or so hrs after moving; then plug in and let the heater do its thing for another 12 hrs. Sound about tight? How long after turning on the whole system should I expect cold? What should I watchout for in this process? Thank you all.
Hi Josh! Glad you got it in your possession! As for the questions, I can answer some of them.
1 - Not sure as I don't have an original CA cabinet. 2 - Yes the start-relay will spark when the contact open / close. 3 - I believe the original bulb was 15W. The socket had a rubber sleeve which sealed around the bulb. If that is still present but hardened; you can apply silicone grease on the bulb base and in the light socket to prevent moisture from attacking the contacts. 4 - No need to wait to power on the heater. Just plug it in with the control OFF as soon as you get it in position. After 12 hours with the heater on, power on the control. The compressor should start and run immediately. The evaporator will probably start cooling right away (less than a minute) but could take 10 or 15 minutes if for some reason the refrigerant has all migrated to the compressor sump.
The most important thing to watch for is the motor current draw. If the compressor starts drawing significantly more than its rated power, without starting to come back down as the evaporator cools off - you may need to do some more checks on the system.
If after running for 20 or 30 minutes, it cools but hasn't frosted; or there's a constant blowing sound from the evaporator, you probably have a bad float valve seat.
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Post by cablehack on Aug 10, 2019 23:12:33 GMT
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Post by 1940sjosh on Aug 11, 2019 17:16:11 GMT
All right, we up and running! The levoraportor is frosty, should the frost go all the way up the walls? Little side note I accidentally had it on defrost for 30min.
The compressor dome seems rather warm. How worm should the compressor and coil be?
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Post by cablehack on Aug 12, 2019 0:56:27 GMT
On the initial temperature pull down, the frost should reach at least three quarters up the sides of the header tanks. Any higher is good too, some times it will go right to the top. Once the cabinet temperature has stabilised, and when the fridge is running on a light load, the frost will drop lower towards the bottom of the header tanks. www.flickr.com/photos/13469158@N05/8381213725/in/album-72157633054818403/www.flickr.com/photos/13469158@N05/8382312398/in/album-72157633054818403/The right side header tank tends to frost at a slightly lower level than the left side tank once it has stabilised. Important thing is the frost should always be at least a quarter the way up the right side tank for a fridge in normal use. This is to ensure proper oil circulation. The dome can run quite warm with a CA because it's a high side dome. That means the inside of the dome is at the highest pressure in the system; the same as the condenser pressure. It will run at about the same temperature as the condenser or slightly warmer. In a cool room, it will run barely above ambient temperature. Incidentally, when the fridge is under a high load, the condenser should have a fairly even warmth from top to bottom, and if everything is in really good order (i.e. no NCG's), the float chamber will run slightly warm; about the same, or a few degrees less than the bottom of the condenser.
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Post by 1940sjosh on Aug 12, 2019 4:06:27 GMT
I stepped out for a bit today and I shut the unit down while I was gone. Came home, started it up - cycled for about 1hr with the dile on 4. It was off for maybe 10min then I set the dile up to 8. Didnt check the actual temp, left my thermo at work. It's been cycling for 45-50 and hasent shut off yet. Float chamber is a little warm, cooler than the condenser.
I haven't purged NCG's yet. Also I'm useing some window seal currently on the door.
Thanks guys for all the help so far. You'll all been a huge help so far.
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Post by 1940sjosh on Aug 13, 2019 6:01:08 GMT
photos.app.goo.gl/UzVJYg3HE2Uf5Ts3ACondenser is cooler than yesterday. Float chamber is slightly above room temp. Cycles are 7 on 11 off. No strange wisteling. Sometime I hear a slight knock in the first few min of starting back up. Still got to work on the seals.
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Post by turbokinetic on Aug 13, 2019 12:51:00 GMT
photos.app.goo.gl/UzVJYg3HE2Uf5Ts3ACondenser is cooler than yesterday. Float chamber is slightly above room temp. Cycles are 7 on 11 off. No strange wisteling. Sometime I hear a slight knock in the first few min of starting back up. Still got to work on the seals. Glad it's working well for you!
As for the noise, these often have a slight metallic rattle at certain times. It shouldn't be loud and shouldn't be continuous - but some noise at certain times is normal.
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Post by cablehack on Aug 14, 2019 0:36:25 GMT
photos.app.goo.gl/UzVJYg3HE2Uf5Ts3ACondenser is cooler than yesterday. Float chamber is slightly above room temp. Cycles are 7 on 11 off. No strange wisteling. Sometime I hear a slight knock in the first few min of starting back up. Still got to work on the seals. It may be an illusion, but it looks as though the right side of the evaporator is not frosted up to the header tank. Certainly not as well frosted as the left side tank. First point of call would be to purge the NCG's. The cycling time isn't the best, but wait until the door seal is made good, and the purging is done. If it doesn't improve, it would indicate a worn needle and seat in the float valve.
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Post by 1940sjosh on Aug 19, 2019 7:14:28 GMT
You're correct, right side is lower. Ordered the spline wrench from Max Factor on friday. Will let you all know what happens after that.
Cabinet temp has been steady on 7 at around 34-36 under load. I'm useing my butter as my sort of standard. Its stayed at 34-35 for the whole time it's been in there. Walk-ins at work dont even keep our butter that cold.
Milk has been stable too. Only really issue seems things in plastic jugs.
Got some veggies in there now, want to see how they last. Hope is to phase out the modern fridge by Friday.
Any good tips to keeping food at it's best in a MT?
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Post by turbokinetic on Aug 19, 2019 12:44:14 GMT
You're correct, right side is lower. Ordered the spline wrench from Max Factor on friday. Will let you all know what happens after that. Cabinet temp has been steady on 7 at around 34-36 under load. I'm useing my butter as my sort of standard. Its stayed at 34-35 for the whole time it's been in there. Walk-ins at work dont even keep our butter that cold. Milk has been stable too. Only really issue seems things in plastic jugs. Got some veggies in there now, want to see how they last. Hope is to phase out the modern fridge by Friday. Any good tips to keeping food at it's best in a MT? Glad this fridge is working well for you so far! I bet it'll continue.
As for keeping foods fresh the longest, it's always more difficult in a fridge with an exposed evaporator. The evaporator collects all the moisture in the form of frost, leaving the food in a dry-air environment. To preserve perishable fresh foods, they need to be in a container with only a small amount of ventilation. If I remember, there are several good instruction pages in the GE manuals, as to how to distribute the foods in the cabinet for best results.
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Post by 1940sjosh on Aug 20, 2019 6:34:40 GMT
Removed the service port cover and found this: photos.app.goo.gl/VAFGmxwVJJcW4j4x7Spline wrench came in tonight, got to grab some tubeing. I've read on here some people keep the unit running during a purge. Others dont. Some put a tray of hot water in the evap, others dont. What's best?
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Post by cablehack on Aug 20, 2019 10:40:34 GMT
I've read on here some people keep the unit running during a purge. Others dont. Not sure how one could purge it without it running. With the fridge switched off, everything in the refrigeration circuit is in a vacuum. If the charge valve is then opened, air enters the system until it equalises to atmospheric pressure (a very convenient feature by the way, because it allows one to work on it without removing or losing refrigerant). When the fridge is in normal use, the low side (evaporator) is always in a vacuum, but depending on the room temperature and the loading of the fridge, the high side (dome/condenser/float chamber) may or may not be in a vacuum. In a cool room, it will usually be in a vacuum; and in a warm room it may be a few PSI above atmospheric pressure. The high side must be above atmospheric pressure, to force the NCG out of the charge valve. The methyl formate vapour inside the dome must also be warm to cause its pressure to increase sufficiently. So that only the NCG (gas) leaves the charge valve, the methyl formate needs to be in liquid form, hence the compressor must be running. The float chamber is the ideal location to separate the gas from the liquid. The liquid methyl formate collects at the bottom of the float chamber, and the NCG collects in the space between the liquid and the charge valve. It can be seen therefore, that once the all NCG has been released, liquid would then come out of the charge valve. I play safe and never purge to the point where liquid actually emerges; a bit before is sufficient. Note that the instructions state that the purging must be done in stages; i.e. valve open for 3 mins and closed for 1 min. This is because the NCG build up may be more than just in the float chamber. Once the float chamber has been emptied of its load of NCG, one has to allow time for more NCG to enter it from other places (e.g. dome and condenser). Also, the charge valve must only just be opened ('cracked'), otherwise the presure will blow out methyl formate vapour as well. You can actually track the purging process while you're doing it. Feeling along the tubing embossed into the condenser from the inlet (dome connection) and following this to the outlet (where it enters the cabinet top), it will be noted that up to a certain point the tubing will be warm, and then part way along it will be noticeably cooler. As the purge takes place, the warmer point will move towards the outlet of the condenser. The cold part of the tubing is where the NCG's are trapped. Typically, with my two CA's, it takes about 30 mins to do a purge, but this will vary depending on the amount of NCG's present. However, as both no longer the use the float valve, the NCG build up can be somewhat more than float valve equipped machines, before it becomes problematic. In the summer (typical room temp above 25C) I don't need to heat the evaporator when purging, but in winter it is essential. Put simply, unless the compressor dome is running warm, the high side won't be under enough pressure. The purging must be done as per GE's instruction. (There was one incident a few years ago where a previous forum member lost all the refrigerant from a CA by incorrect purging).
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Post by turbokinetic on Aug 20, 2019 12:31:23 GMT
Removed the service port cover and found this: photos.app.goo.gl/VAFGmxwVJJcW4j4x7Spline wrench came in tonight, got to grab some tubeing. I've read on here some people keep the unit running during a purge. Others dont. Some put a tray of hot water in the evap, others dont. What's best? Hi Josh. There is only one instance where purging could be attempted without the unit running. This would be a diagnostic step on a completely nonfunctional / stuck machine. Since yours is still operating, it would be wise to follow the procedure in the manual very carefully. Cablehack has done it many times and has it down to a "tee" as we say. You can follow his steps in the GE manual if you wish. The manuals are located here: monitortop.freeforums.net/thread/81/ca-service-manual in the second link to app.box.com. It's on the manual page 25 (page 27 of the PDF file).The only thing I have found to help, which is not in the manual, is addition of a short segment of clear tubing to the port. This helps me to detect the speed at which the gases are flowing. My hearing is poor so this limitation may not apply to you. To purge the system properly, it has to be done in stages as indicated in the manual. It seems as if the noncondensable gases circulate much slower than the refrigerant. You can over-purge and lose refrigerant while still leaving behind NCG's in the system. It's important to pause the purging and wait for the unit to operate for a few minutes, then resume. I also prefer to wait about 15 minutes after it seems OK; then make a few more 1 minute / 3 minute cycles. That note on the bottom of the service port cap is neat! Love finding these. My only concern would be the possibility they might not have got the process exactly right, and therefore you might be a little low on refrigerant. Did you verify with a meter that the heater is working? That can also cause low frost line. You may have mentioned it already but I may have overlooked that part of your post. Sincerely, David
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