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Post by ChrisJ on Mar 16, 2014 1:56:33 GMT
A place down the road from me has an antique refrigerator out for sale but I can't figure out what it is. Can't snap a picture easily for a few reasons but I will if I can in the future. It's very clean and square looking like a lot of the 1920s Frigidaire machines. It's maybe 4 feet tall and the two things that stood out to me is the logo looks like an upside triangle shape on the top of the door and on the bottom edge of the door there is a right side up triangle like molded into the door and is fairly large. Any ideas? I know that is very little to go on but the triangle shapes for some reason seem familiar to me. This kind of looks like it but not exactly and no triangles. www.antiquehelper.com/auctionimages/37431t.jpg |
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Post by allan on Mar 16, 2014 2:15:23 GMT
A place down the road from me has an antique refrigerator out for sale but I can't figure out what it is. Can't snap a picture easily for a few reasons but I will if I can in the future. It's very clean and square looking like a lot of the 1920s Frigidaire machines. It's maybe 4 feet tall and the two things that stood out to me is the logo looks like an upside triangle shape on the top of the door and on the bottom edge of the door there is a right side up triangle like molded into the door and is fairly large. Any ideas? I know that is very little to go on but the triangle shapes for some reason seem familiar to me. This kind of looks like it but not exactly and no triangles. www.antiquehelper.com/auctionimages/37431t.jpgLooks a lot taller than 4 feet! Maybe a belt drive? |
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Post by Travis on Mar 17, 2014 7:02:53 GMT
It sounds like a belt drive Frigidaire 1933-34.
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Post by cablehack on Mar 18, 2014 1:42:29 GMT
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Post by jhigdon2 on Mar 18, 2014 2:22:15 GMT
The triangle thing sounds familiar. Leonard? Westinghouse?. I posted a pic of my 33 frigidaire on an earlier thread but I'm pretty sure that's not it.
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Post by Travis on Mar 18, 2014 4:10:03 GMT
This is what I thought it might be. Attachments:
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Post by jhigdon2 on Mar 18, 2014 4:13:18 GMT
That looks like a belt drive frigidaire.
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Post by cablehack on Mar 18, 2014 4:17:41 GMT
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Post by ChrisJ on Mar 18, 2014 10:20:50 GMT
That's it travis!
I drove by last night and it was either under a tarp or gone.
Is it worth anything?
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Post by Travis on Mar 18, 2014 18:34:31 GMT
Belt drives have generally failed. The shaft seal dries out from lack of use, the so2 leaks and forms rust when it finds moisture. They're very cool, just be aware that the shaft seal is likely bad.
I have a 2 dr Frigidaire that may be viable. I also found a new seal on ebay the other week for it. The new part has some corrosion, but at least I know what it looks like new.
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Post by ChrisJ on Mar 18, 2014 18:53:42 GMT
Belt drives have generally failed. The shaft seal dries out from lack of use, the so2 leaks and forms rust when it finds moisture. They're very cool, just be aware that the shaft seal is likely bad. I have a 2 dr Frigidaire that may be viable. I also found a new seal on ebay the other week for it. The new part has some corrosion, but at least I know what it looks like new. It appears the unit already sold, though it's still out there. I had assumed a 1934 Frigidaire would be R-12? |
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Post by Travis on Mar 18, 2014 22:10:05 GMT
Chris,
Most were SO2 which is why they died. The major problem with SO2 is the corrosive reaction when it leaks. I could tolerate the smell if it didn't corrode everything in the room while it leaks.
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Post by ChrisJ on Mar 18, 2014 22:53:47 GMT
Chris, Most were SO2 which is why they died. The major problem with SO2 is the corrosive reaction when it leaks. I could tolerate the smell if it didn't corrode everything in the room while it leaks. So, In the early 1930s I could either buy a monitor top which was SO2 or MF and 99.9% of the time didn't fail and had a few hiccups. Or I could buy a Frigidaire which had a 100% chance of failure? Interesting. |
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Post by Travis on Mar 18, 2014 23:51:04 GMT
Chris, yes to a point. Belt drive units do require more maintenance.
What happened is the belt drive fridges got moved to a basement or storage. They began to get used less often. Then I come along and want it. The lack of use has caused the seal to dry out and the SO2 to leak slowly. At this point, they not only need a charge of refrigerant, but a new shaft seal.
I think by 1936, Frigidaire had a hermetic compressor. I believe they used R112. This was used for 1936, 37 and 38.
Some R12 was used in belt drive units. It's also likely that some R12 was used in the early Frigidaire hermetics, but I have seen many of those years running R112.
The collection of shaft seals I recently got were made in 1950. I assume most of the belt drive units were out of service shortly after.
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Post by cablehack on Mar 19, 2014 0:38:06 GMT
Just looking at the prices of GE hermetic vs. non hermetic, I suspect it was the non hermetic designs being half the price that kept them in the market. Also, at the time, it must be remembered that frequent maintenance of mechanical things wasn't seen as unusual.
On the subject of shaft seals, my modern car has an R12 air con which last had refrigerant added back in 2002. I think what's kept the shaft seal in good order is just lots of use.
It would be very interesting to know just what the leakage of a non hermetic domestic fridge was really like. Are any still in operation on their original charge?
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