rp2813
New Member
Vintage Refrigerators Rule!
Posts: 8 
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Post by rp2813 on Jan 25, 2023 5:47:17 GMT
Hello all, I haven't posted much here over the years, but this week I came a across the subject refrigerator in an on line classified listing. It seems these are quite rare and were outfitted with Seeger sealed systems that tend to run forever. I did a search in this forum and got no hits, but thought I'd share some pix with you in case anyone can provide additional information. I haven't yet seen the fridge in person, but will later this week. It's missing some interior parts, which I don't expect to find due to how unusual these particular Coldspots seem to be. I think a year or two after this fridge was made, Whirlpool was making their own refrigerators and was badging them as Coldspots for Sears, so these models were short lived. I'd welcome any information from the membership about these Coldspot Supermart models. The '57 GE Combination in my avatar burned out a winding a few years ago and I found a '52 Kelvinator for temporary use, but it has issues and the freezer is kind of useless. I like a two-door fridge with zero degree freezer, and this Supermart is the first one that has come along within striking distance since the Combo gave out.
Thanks, Ralph
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Post by ckfan on Jan 26, 2023 15:08:31 GMT
I’ve never seen one quite like that before. A very interesting cycle defrost model for sure.
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rp2813
New Member
Vintage Refrigerators Rule!
Posts: 8
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Post by rp2813 on Jan 26, 2023 20:43:24 GMT
Thanks! Since I was in my late teens I've always had a vintage refrigerator of some kind in every place I've lived that had room for one ('28 MT, '39 WH, '57 GE), sometimes as my daily driver, but usually for drinks and overflow space. A true zero degree freezer is a plus for me now that I've had a GE Combo experience, and the fact that these Coldspots are both super rare and reliable, along with my preference for eye-level fresh food contents makes this a no-brainer as long as it works.
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Post by jake on Jan 26, 2023 21:25:26 GMT
That's a really nice Coldspot! I especially like the sliding doors on the butter and cheese compartments! It actually looks fairly complete and don't be surprised if you can find some of the missing pieces on Ebay! I found a good used door handle, accessory bins, and original ice trays for my 1950 Frigidaires there. You just have to be patient and keep looking every now and then. Your Coldspot was an upper level, if not Sears' top of the line, model. You can also search Ebay for advertisements for your Coldspot. I like having advertisements that show both the inside and outside of the refrigerator. That way I know what to look for. When you get it check to see if the condenser is cooled by a fan. If so, make sure everything is nice and clean so the fridge can run at top efficiency and last for many years to come! Good luck with your new vintage refrigerator and thanks for sharing the pictures!!
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rp2813
New Member
Vintage Refrigerators Rule!
Posts: 8
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Post by rp2813 on Jan 27, 2023 8:23:08 GMT
Thanks Jake!
I spent about an hour checking the fridge today and took some pictures of my own. It was dark in the basement where the fridge is located so I couldn't see as well as I'd like. Just a halogen torchiere floor lamp was available. Immediately I spotted the missing full width shelf on top of the fridge, so put it back where it belongs. What appears to be a warped bottom plastic shelf is actually caused by the bent metal trim piece across the front of it. Should be easy to straighten out. At this point there are only three items missing in the fresh food section: One door shelf, the odd little suspended shelf that belongs at top right, under the serpentine coil (an annoyance that was likely removed intentionally, and the meat drawer. These are things I can live without, but the door shelf would be handy. In the freezer, the metal easy-release ice trays and the pink ice bin are gone. I won't use this fridge to make ice, so more storage for other items is fine with me. It wasn't until I was reviewing the shots I took that I noticed what appears to be a drain cap or plug in the middle of the freezer floor for easy defrosting. That is a big convenience feature. The condenser is mounted on the back, so there's no fan. Both doors are push-button activated, but the elliptical rose colored Lucite buttons are kind of gummed up and you have to pull on the tips of their chrome surrounds with your finger. Gaskets seem smashed, but I know of at least one on-line source for gasket material.
There was no power in the basement so I went back to my truck for a long extension cord to run from upstairs. When I plugged the fridge in, the top door was already open and the interior light came on. So far so good. Then I moved the cold control pointer from the "off" position to mid range and the compressor fired up with a nice rhythmic humming sound. I let the system run for 25-30 minutes and then got my aim-and-shoot infrared thermometer gun out. The evaporator coil on the ceiling of the freezer registered at minus 21 degrees! The coil in the fresh food section was lagging. It was more or less unchanged from ambient basement temperature of 56.
I asked if it was OK to let the fridge run for at least 24 hours and got the OK for that. David (turbokinetic) has advised that these rotary compressors can be really slow to cool down the fresh food section, so time will tell. I won't get access again until Saturday afternoon. That should allow plenty of time to for the fresh food section to cool down if it's going to. I'm definitely going to get this fridge if the fresh food section cools properly. I don't have the skills or the tools to try and diagnose or repair problems in the sealed system, so fingers are crossed!
I think there was one Supermart model above this one. It had a vertical pull-out rack on the left side of the fresh food section. That's nothing I need since this will be a drinks/overflow fridge, so this slightly lesser model is fine for me. The one thing I would really like is a butter conditioner, but I don't think even the TOL Supermart from this model year offered that. One thing is for sure, there's not much information about this short-lived Coldspot series on line. I'll definitely be checking eBay for parts and literature if I end up with this one.
Here are the pix I took today. My phone was set for flash, but it didn't deploy the flash for the freezer shots, so they're pretty dark.
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Post by turbokinetic on Jan 27, 2023 13:48:11 GMT
Thanks Jake!
I spent about an hour checking the fridge today and took some pictures of my own. It was dark in the basement where the fridge is located so I couldn't see as well as I'd like. Just a halogen torchiere floor lamp was available. Immediately I spotted the missing full width shelf on top of the fridge, so put it back where it belongs. What appears to be a warped bottom plastic shelf is actually caused by the bent metal trim piece across the front of it. Should be easy to straighten out. At this point there are only three items missing in the fresh food section: One door shelf, the odd little suspended shelf that belongs at top right, under the serpentine coil (an annoyance that was likely removed intentionally, and the meat drawer. These are things I can live without, but the door shelf would be handy. In the freezer, the metal easy-release ice trays and the pink ice bin are gone. I won't use this fridge to make ice, so more storage for other items is fine with me. It wasn't until I was reviewing the shots I took that I noticed what appears to be a drain cap or plug in the middle of the freezer floor for easy defrosting. That is a big convenience feature. The condenser is mounted on the back, so there's no fan. Both doors are push-button activated, but the elliptical rose colored Lucite buttons are kind of gummed up and you have to pull on the tips of their chrome surrounds with your finger. Gaskets seem smashed, but I know of at least one on-line source for gasket material.
There was no power in the basement so I went back to my truck for a long extension cord to run from upstairs. When I plugged the fridge in, the top door was already open and the interior light came on. So far so good. Then I moved the cold control pointer from the "off" position to mid range and the compressor fired up with a nice rhythmic humming sound. I let the system run for 25-30 minutes and then got my aim-and-shoot infrared thermometer gun out. The evaporator coil on the ceiling of the freezer registered at minus 21 degrees! The coil in the fresh food section was lagging. I was more or less unchanged from ambient basement temperature of 56.
I asked if it was OK to let the fridge run for at least 24 hours and got the OK for that. David (turbokinetic) has advised that these rotary compressors can be really slow to cool down the fresh food section, so time will tell. I won't get access again until Saturday afternoon. That should allow plenty of time to for the fresh food section to cool down if it's going to. I'm definitely going to get this fridge if the fresh food section cools properly. I don't have the skills or the tools to try and diagnose or repair problems in the sealed system, so fingers are crossed!
I think there was one Supermart model above this one. It had a vertical pull-out rack on the left side of the fresh food section. That's nothing I need since this will be a drinks/overflow fridge, so this slightly lesser model is fine for me. The one thing I would really like is a butter conditioner, but I don't think even the TOL Supermart from this model year offered that. One thing is for sure, there's not much information about this short-lived Coldspot series on line. I'll definitely be checking eBay for parts and literature if I end up with this one.
Here are the pix I took today. My phone was set for flash, but it didn't deploy the flash for the freezer shots, so they're pretty dark.
Hoping to hear great news about the cooling after it's run over the weekend! |
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Post by jake on Jan 27, 2023 22:01:29 GMT
Glad to hear the compressor fired right up and you began to see some cooling! Assuming the fridge has been sitting, especially in a cooler environment, it may take a bit to see full cooling. When a refrigerator sits the refrigerant is absorbed into the compressor oil. Once the compressor is running it needs to get fully warmed up so the refrigerant can boil out of the oil and start circulating through the refrigeration system and full cooling will begin. When I got both of my Frigidaires they had each been sitting a number of years. It took about 45 minutes of the compressor running before I started seeing any cooling. So it's good that you'll be able to evaluate the cooling over the weekend. Since this Coldspot is a cycle defrost model run times and off times will be longer than a conventional refrigerator. Each time the compressor shuts off it will stay off until the cooling coils in the fresh food compartment are defrosted. When you adjust the temperature dial on a cycle defrost model you are only changing the shut off temperature. The turn on temperature always stays the same, usually between 38°F and 40°F so that cooling coil will defrost. There should be a pan at the bottom of the refrigerator, either on top of the compressor or near it, to collect the defrost water. The heat from the compressor will evaporate the water so you never have to empty it. Just a periodic cleaning is all that's needed. I'm also looking forward to hearing about the test run and thanks for sharing the additional pictures!
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rp2813
New Member
Vintage Refrigerators Rule!
Posts: 8
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Post by rp2813 on Jan 29, 2023 4:18:45 GMT
Well, when I went back to check on the fridge today, it had been unplugged. Annoying, but I anticipated that, since there is an estate liquidator and staff involved.
I plugged the fridge in again, noting with my aim and shoot thermometer that the fresh food section was sitting at +46 when I restored power. I hung around for a while to give the system time to hit its stride. After about 15 minutes, the evaporator in the freezer section was down to -26, but the fridge coil was still reading +46. Half an hour later, I checked again. The freezer seemed fine, but the coil in the fridge remained at +46.
I decided that the fridge would need professional attention, which is something I don't have the skills to address, and through past experience I know there isn't a local source for repairs on a fridge this old. Additionally, I checked the back of the fridge and noticed that it requires a lot more clearance than the average fridge with a passively cooled condenser. Even if it worked properly, it would stick out too far into a traffic area from the spot where it would need to go. So I passed on it.
I'm impressed with how solid and well made these Seeger units were. This just wasn't one I could save.
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Post by turbokinetic on Jan 29, 2023 13:40:06 GMT
Well, when I went back to check on the fridge today, it had been unplugged. -------- I'm impressed with how solid and well made these Seeger units were. This just wasn't one I could save. That's frustrating about their unplugging it; as well as about the lack of cooling in the fridge compartment. Hopefully someone else will be able to acquire it and make it work correctly again. |
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