kcoen
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Posts: 10
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Post by kcoen on Aug 15, 2021 12:43:52 GMT
Hello, I just purchased a beautiful case for a 1931 or 32 Fridgidaire WM-5 from what my research shows. Found locally on Craigslist from a lady that took it out of an old house that was being torn down many years ago. She said she took the evaporator and compressor section out and trashed it to make it lighter when she was moving, still very heavy. So sadly I do not have those parts and instead of having a non refrigerated cabinet, I would like to make it work again. I am a HVAC/R technician by trade and this is going to be a project for me. I already have a 1950 Fridgidaire that I saved from the dump. It would be awesome if someone had an evaporator as it came with ice trays and cover with original hardware. I don't know how to post photos of what I am working with in case my research is wrong on year/model. Thanks!
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Post by turbokinetic on Aug 15, 2021 13:32:44 GMT
Hello, I just purchased a beautiful case for a 1931 or 32 Fridgidaire WM-5 from what my research shows. Found locally on Craigslist from a lady that took it out of an old house that was being torn down many years ago. She said she took the evaporator and compressor section out and trashed it to make it lighter when she was moving, still very heavy. So sadly I do not have those parts and instead of having a non refrigerated cabinet, I would like to make it work again. I am a HVAC/R technician by trade and this is going to be a project for me. I already have a 1950 Fridgidaire that I saved from the dump. It would be awesome if someone had an evaporator as it came with ice trays and cover with original hardware. I don't know how to post photos of what I am working with in case my research is wrong on year/model. Thanks! Hi, I've had a few W-series repairs come through my shop. Sharing some pictures would help us to identify it. The evaporator for these is complex and includes a float-operated metering device. The evaporator and the condensing unit have to be compatible for this to be a successful build. The evaporator traps a massive amount (several pounds) of refrigerant and a lot of oil. Using this evaporator with a modern compressor is going to end in oil return and flooded-start failures unless a whole lot of engineering is done to mitigate that from happening. Sincerely, David |
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kcoen
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Posts: 10
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Post by kcoen on Aug 15, 2021 14:24:19 GMT
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Post by turbokinetic on Aug 15, 2021 14:44:45 GMT
Wow that is in amazing shape and you have the evaporator surround as well.
Definitely don't use R12 because it will cause a big issue. You need a refrigerant which is not going to blend with the oil. You need the two to separate in the evaporator. The oil layer floats on top of the refrigerant and is siphoned off by the oil return orifice.
Later I will try to share some more videos on these! Got to get to work at the moment.
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kcoen
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Posts: 10
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Post by kcoen on Aug 15, 2021 15:08:48 GMT
Thanks! Any information is helpful. I have watched all your videos on YouTube and am subscribed for anything new. Been watching since I got my 1950 Fridgidaire. If I can't find an original evap, and make something work I will sadly put something modern in it. All three ice trays are there and a ziplock bag with the original hardware even which would be nice to utilize. Looking at it again this AM I found the cabinet serial number tag that I will share if it gives more information. photos.app.goo.gl/dWW1JwRR4niznzVC7Thanks! -Kevin |
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Post by turbokinetic on Aug 15, 2021 17:23:54 GMT
Thanks! Any information is helpful. I have watched all your videos on YouTube and am subscribed for anything new. Been watching since I got my 1950 Fridgidaire. If I can't find an original evap, and make something work I will sadly put something modern in it. All three ice trays are there and a ziplock bag with the original hardware even which would be nice to utilize. Looking at it again this AM I found the cabinet serial number tag that I will share if it gives more information. photos.app.goo.gl/dWW1JwRR4niznzVC7Thanks! -Kevin Glad my videos have been helpful! I hope that you are able to get a workable evaporator setup. Seeing how you have the evaporator cover, you would be pretty easily able to fabricate an evaporator to go behind it. You could make it out of copper sheet metal, with copper tubing soldered to it for the evaporator coil. That could be designed to fit behind the original cover and support the ice trays nicely. With that design you could use any compressor with a cap tube system. It would be easy to make it work. |
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earlg
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Post by earlg on Aug 15, 2021 19:28:25 GMT
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kcoen
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Posts: 10
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Post by kcoen on Aug 15, 2021 21:10:04 GMT
That's 7 hours away from me one way. Would be cool to have a complete one though. |
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Post by turbokinetic on Aug 15, 2021 21:20:04 GMT
That's 7 hours away from me one way. Would be cool to have a complete one though. I've gone much further than 7 hours one-way for many!  |
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earlg
New Member
Posts: 48
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Post by earlg on Aug 15, 2021 21:44:12 GMT
I haven't done that much driving for a refrigerator, but I've gone that far and further for other stuff I "needed". If you get up early, you can be back home that night. My Dad was worse, he would get me up at three o'clock in the morning and drive 6-8 hours or more after something he saw while driving semi and then decide the guy was nuts because he wanted $20 for it than Dad wanted to part with. My Dad could be funny like that at times. It's about that far from me here in Iowa, so I'm not much help on that one either.
Get him to post some pictures with the bottom cover off. If it looks like new under there, you might feel a lot more inclined to make the trip. Of course the thing might be a scary mess down there as well...
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kcoen
New Member
Posts: 10
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Post by kcoen on Aug 15, 2021 22:03:41 GMT
I found my cabinet two towns over from me 30-45min drive, it was in a garage where could back truck up to almost. Was in work truck so ladder racks prevented us from getting in garage. Moving the unit the length of the garage was a bear, these things are HEAVY. That one looks like it's in a basement. I just got this one for something to tinker with and was in such good shape minus the missing mechanicals. I'll figure out something to cool it with, would just be nice to have the original evaporator.
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kcoen
New Member
Posts: 10
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Post by kcoen on Aug 15, 2021 22:20:13 GMT
This may be the route I take on this unit(see link below). I am still going to try and find some copper sheet metal to try and create my own to hide behind the original cover and utilize the ice trays. What do you all think, any suggestions? www.heatcraftrpd.com/products/c/BOHN.UK0090/ |
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Post by turbokinetic on Aug 16, 2021 12:57:24 GMT
This may be the route I take on this unit(see link below). I am still going to try and find some copper sheet metal to try and create my own to hide behind the original cover and utilize the ice trays. What do you all think, any suggestions? www.heatcraftrpd.com/products/c/BOHN.UK0090/That's interesting, however I would consider that it will have much too high a capacity for this small cabinet. Fan forced evaporators generally aren't necessary for a unit like this - but it's an option of course! I think, in my opinion; your idea to make an evaporator is going to be the most optimal. |
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kcoen
New Member
Posts: 10
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Post by kcoen on Aug 16, 2021 17:16:47 GMT
This may be the route I take on this unit(see link below). I am still going to try and find some copper sheet metal to try and create my own to hide behind the original cover and utilize the ice trays. What do you all think, any suggestions? www.heatcraftrpd.com/products/c/BOHN.UK0090/That's interesting, however I would consider that it will have much too high a capacity for this small cabinet. Fan forced evaporators generally aren't necessary for a unit like this - but it's an option of course! I think, in my opinion; your idea to make an evaporator is going to be the most optimal. I wouldn't hook up a 900btu compressor (900btu was smallest coil) to it the plan would be to use a roughly a 700btu compressor that I salvaged out of a drinking fountain and to put a TXV at the coil. My next thought plan on this project is to hopefully find an old 50s vintage Frigidaire on Craigslist for cheap thats beat up and take the refrigeration bits out of it and retrofit it in this. Just another thought I had, of course there aren't any in my area right now, always see them and skip over them. |
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Post by turbokinetic on Aug 16, 2021 17:30:30 GMT
That's interesting, however I would consider that it will have much too high a capacity for this small cabinet. Fan forced evaporators generally aren't necessary for a unit like this - but it's an option of course! I think, in my opinion; your idea to make an evaporator is going to be the most optimal. I wouldn't hook up a 900btu compressor (900btu was smallest coil) to it the plan would be to use a roughly a 700btu compressor that I salvaged out of a drinking fountain and to put a TXV at the coil. My next thought plan on this project is to hopefully find an old 50s vintage Frigidaire on Craigslist for cheap thats beat up and take the refrigeration bits out of it and retrofit it in this. Just another thought I had, of course there aren't any in my area right now, always see them and skip over them. I'm more familiar with HP ratings as opposed to BTU so it's hard for me to relate without going to charts. I would expect a drinking water fountain compressor would be around a 1/8HP which is perfect for a cabinet this size. Can you keep the capillary tube and condenser from the cold water fountain? You'll probably need to go with a more restrictive cap tube since you'll be working with a frosted evaporator as opposed to the water filled evaporator on the fountain. A 50's Frigidiare meter-miser unit would be very ideal, though! |
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