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Post by pseudonym on Apr 6, 2020 18:49:27 GMT
While buying some stuff from a guy, I noticed this old fridge in his storage unit. He didn't really have any information on it, saying that it had been in his unit for many years and had belonged to a family member who passed away.. He didn't know if it would run and never tried to turn it on because the cord is in terrible condition. I thought that it looked AWESOME and had to have it, so I bought it for $80. I've been reading articles online and watching YouTube videos, but it seems like the members on this forum are the most knowledgeable and helpful. I would like to restore this unit to working condition (if possible) first, then attempt to repair cosmetic issues; however, I have never attempted a project like this before, so I would appreciate any and all help that you are willing to give me. I found the resources on this forum, including the service manual and have begun reading it. So I guess my question is this: What all needs to be done, and in what order should I attempt the repairs (How do I prioritize them)?I think that the first step is to replace all of the wiring, so that I can plug it in and see if it works. I plan on using the wiring diagram from the manual as a guide. Then I'd begin to troubleshoot from there if it doesn't function. I also think that replacing the relay (type R according to the manual), and cold control would be good ideas just to update those parts (regardless of whether or not they are still functional). Once the fridge is working [Which I believe will be the majority of the work on this project], I plan on replacing the door seal. I was also flirting with the idea of removing the old insulation and replacing it with expanding foam (like I saw in one YouTube video) or possibly rockwool to improve its insulation. From there, I think it needs a fresh coat of paint.
Am I on the right track? Or am I missing some critical step and/or information?
For reference, I have uploaded pictures of my new acquisition to which can be accessed HERE
Thank you in advance. |
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Post by ckfan on Apr 6, 2020 23:00:02 GMT
Hi there and welcome to the forum. You will find lots of good info in that service manual. To answer your questions, yes I would replace the wiring first. No, I would not worry about replacing the cold control or relay. Most likely they are fine. If they have issues, we can address them later. I also wouldn’t be too concerned about the insulation unless it looks like it has water damage. The insulation used wasn’t too bad actually. I would advise not to use spray foam as that is a pretty permanent thing and would make some future repairs almost impossible. So I would start with the wiring and see if it runs first. Most likely it does.
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Post by cablehack on Apr 7, 2020 0:16:36 GMT
That is a beautiful CF! Even has the door sticker. It's in very good original cosmetic condition too - I'd be inclined to polish the existing finish and see how it comes up before re-painting it.
As ckfan says, just a rewire is all it should need. The original GE relay and control are more durable than any modern replacement, and the CF was produced at a time when GE had perfected domestic refrigeration. The original Thermocraft insulation is actually very good, but it's a good idea to check for water damage - as may happen if the fridge had been run with bad cabinet/door seals. Polystyrene(as used for under floor insulation) is a good option if you have to replace it - expanding foam will prevent the inner cabinet ever being able to be lifted out easily.
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Post by coldspaces on Apr 9, 2020 2:32:27 GMT
Nice project, looks like my 38 model. I have plugged in a few cords that looked about like that. Just long enough to see if the frig works. No sparks yet lol
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Post by pseudonym on Apr 10, 2020 18:42:25 GMT
So I FINALLY got a chance to rewire this thing.
I replaced all of the wire runs with new 16 gauge wire and connected everything in the same exact same configuration as I found it (which matched the service manual).
When I plug it in, the breaker pops. How do I find the fault?
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Post by CCL2F2 on Apr 10, 2020 20:03:16 GMT
Looks like there are 3 wires going to the thermostat? Can you post pictures of the new wiring?
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Post by pseudonym on Apr 10, 2020 20:32:50 GMT
There are 3 wires going to the thermostat. My Fridge has no light circuit so so I attached both the white and black directly to the cold control. Pictures of my new wiring have been added HERE |
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Post by CCL2F2 on Apr 10, 2020 21:48:20 GMT
That’s the problem, you have a direct short circuit between live and neutral, disconnect the white wire from the thermostat and try again. Also double check the compressor connections and check the power draw when you get it running because a few people have burned these out by getting that mixed up.
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Post by pseudonym on Apr 10, 2020 22:04:06 GMT
Well alright then. Disconnected the white and no short. Like magic 🤯.
Started it up and it's pulling about 2.5 amps.
There's a running water noise coming from the evaporator. And a nice electric humming form the compressor. Neither is loud. Is that normal?
The evaporator is getting cold as well.
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Post by CCL2F2 on Apr 10, 2020 23:01:20 GMT
That sounds about right.
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Post by pseudonym on Apr 13, 2020 2:28:15 GMT
Now it appears as though the fridge is working too well. After the electrical issue was repaired, I set the thermostat to 8 (of 12) and placed a can of soda and bottle of water inside as a means of checking the interior temperature. This was a mistake. I left it in the fridge overnight and when I came back the soda had exploded all over the inside of the cabinet. I turned the temperature setting down to 4 and ordered a thermometer from amazon. When the thermometer arrived, i placed it inside the fridge, but the water and soda were still frozen. I lowered the setting to 2 and it thermometer is reading 22.3 degrees F. The machine does not appear to be running constantly, in fact, I almost never hear it on. But I'm honestly not paying that close of attention. Right now it sitting outside in about 70 degree ambient temp and about 30% humidity. And I am hardly ever opening the door. Any thoughts on what my problem might be and suggestions on how to go about correcting them? Thanks Pictures of the frost conditions and temp reading can be viewed HERE |
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Post by cablehack on Apr 14, 2020 1:47:05 GMT
First thing to check is the end of thermostat sensing tube is securely clamped to the evaporator. In your pics it appears this might not be so - I notice what looks like a red plastic tip on the end of the sensing tube. I would have thought the plastic part should be removed, and the end of the tube relocated under the clamp so it has thermal contact with the evaporator. What I'm assuming is happening is the thermostat is sensing the temperature of the cabinet air, rather than the evaporator. Since the cabinet air is always warmer than the evaporator, the thermostat thinks the fridge is running too warm.
If that doesn't help, you can try recalibrating the thermostat - but make sure it is actually cycling first. As a rough guide, expect 3 to 4 mins run time and about 15 mins off time when it's working normally.
The manual describes the method whereby the control knob is removed, turned a few graduations, and then screwed back on. This allows the thermostat operating point to be shifted.
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Post by jake on Apr 14, 2020 10:06:24 GMT
The little red plastic capped gizmo looks like the Telefrost indicator. When the frost builds up on the freezer to the point where the little red cap is, it's time to defrost. The thermostat feeler tube should be clamped behind it, securely touching the freezer box wall. Definitely sounds like the feeler tube isn't securely clamped down to the freezer wall or the thermostat (cold control) is out of adjustment. The contacts inside may just need to be cleaned up and lubricated. Hope that helps!
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Post by ckfan on Apr 14, 2020 11:06:46 GMT
Yes, that is the “telefrost” indicator. Don’t you love marketing slang?
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Post by pseudonym on Apr 14, 2020 13:55:10 GMT
Thanks for all the replys. I am gonna try to troubleshoot it today. Last night I was reading through the manual and I think I might have discovered what happened.
When I was searching for my electrical fault, I disassembled the cold controller. In doing this I removed the bellows and it fully expanded. Then I read this:
"The bellows must
never be left free to expand except when making the transfer with the bellows tube properly cooled... If these instructions are carefully followed a bellows can be changed without affecting the original temperature limits very much. If a bellows is allowed to expand over 1/8 s in., it will take a
permanent set which will lower the temperature limits."
I managed to squeeze it back into the controller, but now I'm thinking that I ruined it. Is there anyway to repair that or do I need to by a new cold controller now?
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