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Post by etheb217 on Dec 15, 2021 14:43:18 GMT
Hello, I bought this late '40s(?) Coldspot fridge a couple of months ago, at which point I believe it was working fine (I didn't have the seller run it for 24h ahead of time - rookie mistake - but he plugged it in when I was there and it seemed to get cold quickly). I transported it home, cleaned it up, replaced the door insulation and gasket, and put some rustoleum primer/paint on the bottom of the frame, which was a bit rusty. When all of that was done (and it had been standing upright for several weeks at that point), I plugged it in, but now it doesn't work! The compressor runs, but the fridge doesn't get cold, even after leaving it on overnight. I am not technically inclined at all but I wanted to see a) if there are any easy solutions I could try and b) if you could give me a sense of what might be wrong so when I try to find a repair person I know what to tell them (I'm in Southeast Michigan if anyone knows someone nearby!). Happy to provide any other details or photos. Thanks so much in advance for your help!
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Post by etheb217 on Dec 15, 2021 14:45:09 GMT
Hm, looks like some of the photos didn't post. I'll try again:
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Post by turbokinetic on Dec 15, 2021 15:44:54 GMT
Hello, I bought this late '40s(?) Coldspot fridge a couple of months ago, at which point I believe it was working fine (I didn't have the seller run it for 24h ahead of time - rookie mistake - but he plugged it in when I was there and it seemed to get cold quickly). I transported it home, cleaned it up, replaced the door insulation and gasket, and put some rustoleum primer/paint on the bottom of the frame, which was a bit rusty. When all of that was done (and it had been standing upright for several weeks at that point), I plugged it in, but now it doesn't work! The compressor runs, but the fridge doesn't get cold, even after leaving it on overnight. I am not technically inclined at all but I wanted to see a) if there are any easy solutions I could try and b) if you could give me a sense of what might be wrong so when I try to find a repair person I know what to tell them (I'm in Southeast Michigan if anyone knows someone nearby!). Happy to provide any other details or photos. Thanks so much in advance for your help!
Very nice Coldspot! That one is in such good condition. As for the non-cooling problem, that could be a touch tricky to diagnose without seeing the unit; but there are some things you can look at. You did say it worked when powered on at the seller's place, which is good. When you try to run it now, the compressor does run; but there is no cooling at all. I have repaired two similar Coldspot models recently but they were apparently larger models, with a larger freezer compartment. On both of them, the freezer compartment had leaks in the evaporator coil. There were visible signs of bulging in the evaporator where moisture had become trapped between the tubing and the freezer compartment shell, and pushed the wall inward. Yours may be constructed differently. Could you provide detailed pictures of the inside surfaces of the freezer area? I don't see any obvious signs of damaged lines around the compressor; but the pictures are pretty dark. Ironically, one of the two I repaired recently was from Holland, Michigan. The other one was from Florida. The other owner was unable to find anyone local to fix it. He had shipped it to Georgia once and received it back in unsatisfactory condition; then shipped it to my shop in Alabama for follow-up work. Share the pictures of the inside of the evaporator, if you will. Sincerely, David
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Post by etheb217 on Dec 15, 2021 17:36:26 GMT
Hi David, thank you for the help!!! Here are some photos of the freezer. The little sensor with the red tip on the right side popped out of its collar when I was cleaning (one of the screws was loose), but I think/hope I put it back the way it was. And here are some photos of the compressor/lines with flash. Let me know if you need any other angles! I should also mention that the compressor sounds pretty loud - everything I've read said that these vintage fridges are very quiet, but this is basically as loud as my modern fridge. There are also some intense vibrations happening, so much so that when I open the door one of the metal shelves buzzes. The red-topped bolts on either side of the compressor were loose and I tightened them as much as I could, but maybe they're not tight enough?
Thanks again! Erin
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Post by turbokinetic on Dec 15, 2021 18:35:59 GMT
Hi David, thank you for the help!!! Here are some photos of the freezer. The little sensor with the red tip on the right side popped out of its collar when I was cleaning (one of the screws was loose), but I think/hope I put it back the way it was. And here are some photos of the compressor/lines with flash.
Let me know if you need any other angles! I should also mention that the compressor sounds pretty loud - everything I've read said that these vintage fridges are very quiet, but this is basically as loud as my modern fridge. There are also some intense vibrations happening, so much so that when I open the door one of the metal shelves buzzes. The red-topped bolts on either side of the compressor were loose and I tightened them as much as I could, but maybe they're not tight enough?
Thanks again! Erin
Thanks for the detailed pictures! The evaporator in the freezer is made of stainless steel, as opposed to aluminum. The aluminum ones are the ones which fail all the time. You should be good on that. The red nuts beside the compressor are transport lock nuts. They hold the compressor rigidly during transportation, to prevent it from bobbling around on the mounting springs and breaking lines. Under normal operation, the nuts are to be backed off, so that the compressor sits on the springs and is suspended, so that vibration does not transfer to the cabinet. If they are tightened all the way, vibration noise will be the result. However, apparently, during transportation, they were loose. There might be a broken line near the compressor. It's hard to tell, but is this capillary tube connection cracked here? I have highlighted it here: Check all the lines near the compressor for any oily residue where they could be cracked. If this is the case, you'll need to repair the broken line, change the filter-drier, and recharge it.
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Post by etheb217 on Dec 15, 2021 21:41:21 GMT
Hah, so basically I used the nuts in the exact opposite way as intended! I just backed them off (had to go almost to the ends of the bolts) and it fixed the vibration issue, so thanks for that! I took two close-ups of the spot you circled, and nothing looks cracked to me, just a little discoloration. I also didn't find any obvious oily residue anywhere. Despite that, is my understanding correct that a leak somewhere is the most likely culprit? That gives me something to go on when I call a repair person. Thanks again for your help!!!
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Post by turbokinetic on Dec 15, 2021 22:53:34 GMT
Hah, so basically I used the nuts in the exact opposite way as intended! I just backed them off (had to go almost to the ends of the bolts) and it fixed the vibration issue, so thanks for that! I took two close-ups of the spot you circled, and nothing looks cracked to me, just a little discoloration. I also didn't find any obvious oily residue anywhere. Despite that, is my understanding correct that a leak somewhere is the most likely culprit? That gives me something to go on when I call a repair person. Thanks again for your help!!!
That's good that the vibration was solved! These are rotary compressors, which have a high-side housing design. That means that the high pressure part of the system passes through the compressor housing before it goes to the condenser. This is important because it allows refrigerant to collect and become trapped there. That causes the system to require a long time to start cooling, if the compressor is cold, from not running in several days. If this happens, normally after 30 minutes or so; the unit starts cooling. You did say it ran overnight and never cooled, so that would not be the problem, unfortunately. In the cabinet near the evaporator (freezer box) there are two lines which go into the evaporator. Look closely at those and be sure there isn't any oily residue around them. Pay close attention to the solder joint where they attach to the evaporator. That can be a problem spot. Whoever looks at it will need to use an electronic leak detector, and / or nitrogen charge and soapy water solution. That will allow them to pinpoint the leak. Unfortunately, it will probably be very difficult to get anyone to work on it. That seems to be a repeating theme these days. Hopefully I am wrong, but you never know.
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Post by honestcharlie56 on Dec 16, 2021 2:05:23 GMT
You can also buy a cheap "sniffer" on amazon. Mine has helped me find many small leaks with having to burn through my cal blue. Turbokinetic, if you transport one of these older fridges on its side or back can oil from the compressor clog a capillary line? If so, could letting it sit upright for any amount of time "fix" the problem?
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Post by turbokinetic on Dec 16, 2021 11:03:33 GMT
You can also buy a cheap "sniffer" on amazon. Mine has helped me find many small leaks with having to burn through my cal blue. Turbokinetic, if you transport one of these older fridges on its side or back can oil from the compressor clog a capillary line? If so, could letting it sit upright for any amount of time "fix" the problem? Yes, this is a high-side dome system. It is possible that the high-side could fill with oil and result in a restriction. However, she allowed the machine to run overnight, which should have allowed the oil to pass through the cap tube and things to return to normal. Agreed that the sniffer is a good investment. Especially if you plan to repair even two or more antique fridges.
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Post by etheb217 on Dec 16, 2021 11:28:30 GMT
Thank you both! I would like to try to locate the leak myself, with the idea that it'll be easier to get someone to come work on it if I can say I know exactly where the issue is and what they need to do. I can definitely invest in a sniffer if that will help.
I've been reading about freon leaks on other threads/sites. Forgive me if this is a silly question, but does the fact that my fridge doesn't cool at all (i.e. the inside is the same temperature as the room even after running all night) mean that it's completely out of freon? And if so, will a sniffer still work? Thanks!
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Post by turbokinetic on Dec 16, 2021 11:50:50 GMT
Thank you both! I would like to try to locate the leak myself, with the idea that it'll be easier to get someone to come work on it if I can say I know exactly where the issue is and what they need to do. I can definitely invest in a sniffer if that will help.
I've been reading about freon leaks on other threads/sites. Forgive me if this is a silly question, but does the fact that my fridge doesn't cool at all (i.e. the inside is the same temperature as the room even after running all night) mean that it's completely out of freon? And if so, will a sniffer still work? Thanks!
That is a very good point; and yes it's probably out of Freon completely. The "sniffer" detectors are incredibly sensitive. They can pick up trace amounts. If there is a leak point large enough to leak the whole charge out in a day or so, there should still be enough residue around the leak to trigger the detector.
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Post by etheb217 on Dec 16, 2021 23:56:15 GMT
Alright, I got a sniffer, turned the sensitivity all the way up, and ran it over all the lines and the freezer box - nothing. So either the freon is long gone or I just bought a crappy sniffer! I'll start making calls tomorrow to see if I can get someone in to look at it. Thanks again for all your help - I'll come back to update you!
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Post by turbokinetic on Dec 17, 2021 0:08:32 GMT
Alright, I got a sniffer, turned the sensitivity all the way up, and ran it over all the lines and the freezer box - nothing. So either the freon is long gone or I just bought a crappy sniffer! I'll start making calls tomorrow to see if I can get someone in to look at it. Thanks again for all your help - I'll come back to update you! That's good you were able to get a sniffer so quickly! Harbor freight? Hopefully the people in the area will be able to assist you in getting it going!
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Post by don on Dec 17, 2021 0:27:39 GMT
A blocked capillary tube can cause this exact problem. A capillary tube that is blocked with oil or wax can sometimes be loosened by applying heat applied to the first few inches. Turbokinetic has encircled the general capillary tube entrance with red. I have used a propane torch very carefully to momentarily heat the first inches of the tubing but a heat gun or hot rag is also recommended. I have never been successful trying this technique but it is an easy thing to try. The firstfew inches is actually closer to the filter drier.
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Post by turbokinetic on Dec 17, 2021 0:50:36 GMT
A blocked capillary tube can cause this exact problem. A capillary tube that is blocked with oil or wax can sometimes be loosened by applying heat applied to the first few inches. Turbokinetic has encircled the general capillary tube entrance with red. I have used a propane torch very carefully to momentarily heat the first inches of the tubing but a heat gun or hot rag is also recommended. I have never been successful trying this technique but it is an easy thing to try. The firstfew inches is actually closer to the filter drier. Good point! Always worth trying non-invasive fixes first.
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