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Post by quesogrande on Mar 15, 2023 17:29:33 GMT
Hello everyone! A local theater group gave us a working CF fridge that's in pretty decent shape. It has original wiring, so I plan to start replacing it using the guide on the forum. I may end up replacing the coolant with R12 if it doesn't cool properly (I was told it runs/cools). Luckily our family has owned an HVAC business, so we have a few tanks of R12 kicking around. The main question I have right now is would this be a proper replacement door gasket for the CF model? Or is there a better replacement? The original owner (prior to the theater) put in weather stripping which does not seal properly. I'm surprised he never replaced it with a proper one since he used this fridge for decades. I'm sure it didn't help his electric bill. Haha www.coldsupply.com/P10338-PF-Custom-Gasket-Sold-By-Foot--_p_2034.html
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Post by ckfan on Mar 15, 2023 19:30:34 GMT
monitortop.freeforums.net/thread/45/suppliersLook in this post in the suppliers thread for information on gaskets. I bet it runs and cools fine. However, R12 would not be an appropriate replacement for SO2 if it needs more refrigerant. R152a, also sold as air duster for most air duster brands, is a much more appropriate replacement refrigerant. It probably won’t need any though. Also there should be a guide in this CF section which goes over how to do a rewire. It is pretty straightforward, there are a few things to be aware of though. Getting the wire terminal cover off of the compressor can be a pain. You will need a soldering iron with good heat to be able to solder new wires onto the compressor terminals. You are in the right place.
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Post by turbokinetic on Mar 15, 2023 21:02:38 GMT
Hello everyone! A local theater group gave us a working CF fridge that's in pretty decent shape. It has original wiring, so I plan to start replacing it using the guide on the forum. I may end up replacing the coolant with R12 if it doesn't cool properly (I was told it runs/cools). Luckily our family has owned an HVAC business, so we have a few tanks of R12 kicking around. The main question I have right now is would this be a proper replacement door gasket for the CF model? Or is there a better replacement? The original owner (prior to the theater) put in weather stripping which does not seal properly. I'm surprised he never replaced it with a proper one since he used this fridge for decades. I'm sure it didn't help his electric bill. Haha www.coldsupply.com/P10338-PF-Custom-Gasket-Sold-By-Foot--_p_2034.htmlHi and welcome! Most CF cabinets and in reality, most Monitor Top cabinets as well, can be re-gasketed with self adhesive window gaskets from the hardware store. Lowe's sells a M-D brand double-bead gasket which can be cut and mitered at the corners, and does very well. It is much more flexible than the original and seals better with less pressure on the latches and hinges. They have it in several colors and sizes, so you can look at it and make a choice. I prefer the brown. www.lowes.com/pd/M-D-17-ft-x-3-8-in-White-Window-Seal-Rubber-Window-Weatherstrip/1038903 The pictures below are of the brown variety. As for refrigerant, please don't add R12 to this unit. It is an SO2 unit. These are engineered for a refrigerant / oil combination that doesn't mix together fully. If you put R12 in it, it will blend into the oil and cause problems for the compressor's positive displacement oil pump and unloader. GE actually tried to go to R12 in these for one year, but they had noise complaints and went back to SO2 until they had a new compressor design. Now, we use R152A to replace the SO2 because it has a similar oil solubility characteristic to SO2. There are several out there running R152A for years now. There isn't any outward change in how it operates. Sincerely, David
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Post by quesogrande on Mar 16, 2023 18:29:43 GMT
Hello everyone! A local theater group gave us a working CF fridge that's in pretty decent shape. It has original wiring, so I plan to start replacing it using the guide on the forum. I may end up replacing the coolant with R12 if it doesn't cool properly (I was told it runs/cools). Luckily our family has owned an HVAC business, so we have a few tanks of R12 kicking around. The main question I have right now is would this be a proper replacement door gasket for the CF model? Or is there a better replacement? The original owner (prior to the theater) put in weather stripping which does not seal properly. I'm surprised he never replaced it with a proper one since he used this fridge for decades. I'm sure it didn't help his electric bill. Haha www.coldsupply.com/P10338-PF-Custom-Gasket-Sold-By-Foot--_p_2034.htmlHi and welcome! Most CF cabinets and in reality, most Monitor Top cabinets as well, can be re-gasketed with self adhesive window gaskets from the hardware store. Lowe's sells a M-D brand double-bead gasket which can be cut and mitered at the corners, and does very well. It is much more flexible than the original and seals better with less pressure on the latches and hinges. They have it in several colors and sizes, so you can look at it and make a choice. I prefer the brown. www.lowes.com/pd/M-D-17-ft-x-3-8-in-White-Window-Seal-Rubber-Window-Weatherstrip/1038903 The pictures below are of the brown variety. As for refrigerant, please don't add R12 to this unit. It is an SO2 unit. These are engineered for a refrigerant / oil combination that doesn't mix together fully. If you put R12 in it, it will blend into the oil and cause problems for the compressor's positive displacement oil pump and unloader. GE actually tried to go to R12 in these for one year, but they had noise complaints and went back to SO2 until they had a new compressor design. Now, we use R152A to replace the SO2 because it has a similar oil solubility characteristic to SO2. There are several out there running R152A for years now. There isn't any outward change in how it operates. Sincerely, David View AttachmentView Attachment View AttachmentI appreciate the local gasket replacement! I was going to check out of McMaster with the 16/3 wire, 16/2 wire, and door gasket until I saw the price. I did find that Lowes has the wire for substantially less, but wasn't sure on the gasket. I may go for the white variety if my local Lowes has it in stock. I noticed in your pictures that you also used it on the top. Did you use the full width, or did you cut it in half? Also did you end up stuffing the door and top with fiberglass insulation? I did run the fridge last night for a couple hours and it was extremely quiet compared to the newer "apartment" sized fridge the previous lent us. The only issue was most of the cool air was leaking out of the fridge. But that was expected since some of the seals are completely missing.
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Post by turbokinetic on Mar 16, 2023 18:49:04 GMT
I appreciate the local gasket replacement! I was going to check out of McMaster with the 16/3 wire, 16/2 wire, and door gasket until I saw the price. I did find that Lowes has the wire for substantially less, but wasn't sure on the gasket. I may go for the white variety if my local Lowes has it in stock. I noticed in your pictures that you also used it on the top. Did you use the full width, or did you cut it in half? Also did you end up stuffing the door and top with fiberglass insulation? I did run the fridge last night for a couple hours and it was extremely quiet compared to the newer "apartment" sized fridge the previous lent us. The only issue was most of the cool air was leaking out of the fridge. But that was expected since some of the seals are completely missing. Glad you found it helpful! I always buy wire from a local electrical supply house here in town. Much better prices by the foot. For the top cover, I peeled the "double "D"" apart into a single "D" and used that for the top gasket. It was the "medium" size material, as well. The main door was large size or Ex Large size. The door I didn't take apart so it still has its Thermo Kraft insulation in place. The top, also was in perfect condition so I left the Themo Kraft and the other cellulose fluff in place that GE used. These are incredibly quiet! They also have a low duty-cycle and don't run all that often once the gaskets are renewed.
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Post by quesogrande on Mar 16, 2023 19:32:01 GMT
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Post by turbokinetic on Mar 16, 2023 20:02:06 GMT
That is the correct gasket for the top! Yes, they all come with that cardboard. It's actually called Thermo Kraft insulation and is made of Kraft process paper. That's what is in the sides and door as well. Notice how thin and light-weight it is?
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Post by quesogrande on Mar 16, 2023 21:44:17 GMT
That is the correct gasket for the top! Yes, they all come with that cardboard. It's actually called Thermo Kraft insulation and is made of Kraft process paper. That's what is in the sides and door as well. Notice how thin and light-weight it is? Interesting, I did not know it was called that. The fridge was definitely not light when going down a flight of stairs. At this point we aren't moving because I'm not lifting it out of the house! Haha I read somewhere that the Kraft insulation is a pretty poor insulator, and it's definitely worthwhile to replace it with insulation board or fiberglass. Is this actually true?
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Post by cablehack on Mar 17, 2023 5:32:12 GMT
I read somewhere that the Kraft insulation is a pretty poor insulator, and it's definitely worthwhile to replace it with insulation board or fiberglass. Is this actually true? I have one fridge with original Thermocraft insulation, and one in which I had to replace it with foam board, due to moisture damage caused by an incorrect door seal installation. My experience is the foam board is slightly better, but not so much as to warrant replacing the original if it’s in good condition.
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Post by turbokinetic on Mar 17, 2023 13:05:44 GMT
I read somewhere that the Kraft insulation is a pretty poor insulator, and it's definitely worthwhile to replace it with insulation board or fiberglass. Is this actually true? I have one fridge with original Thermocraft insulation, and one in which I had to replace it with foam board, due to moisture damage caused by an incorrect door seal installation. My experience is the foam board is slightly better, but not so much as to warrant replacing the original if it’s in good condition. I can agree, this has been my experience as well!
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Post by quesogrande on Mar 17, 2023 19:38:46 GMT
That is the correct gasket for the top! Yes, they all come with that cardboard. It's actually called Thermo Kraft insulation and is made of Kraft process paper. That's what is in the sides and door as well. Notice how thin and light-weight it is? I ended up purchasing the 3/8" seal and it was too short to make a complete seal. I'll have to see if they sell a similar seal in 1/2 or 5/8". The smaller seal worked out great for the top!
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Post by turbokinetic on Mar 18, 2023 1:33:14 GMT
That is the correct gasket for the top! Yes, they all come with that cardboard. It's actually called Thermo Kraft insulation and is made of Kraft process paper. That's what is in the sides and door as well. Notice how thin and light-weight it is? I ended up purchasing the 3/8" seal and it was too short to make a complete seal. I'll have to see if they sell a similar seal in 1/2 or 5/8". The smaller seal worked out great for the top! Wow, it's hard to understand how that didn't work. Is there something wrong with the hinges or door latch? The door gap shouldn't be that much.
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Post by quesogrande on Mar 19, 2023 3:34:08 GMT
I ended up purchasing the 3/8" seal and it was too short to make a complete seal. I'll have to see if they sell a similar seal in 1/2 or 5/8". The smaller seal worked out great for the top! Wow, it's hard to understand how that didn't work. Is there something wrong with the hinges or door latch? The door gap shouldn't be that much. There could be something wrong with the latch mechanism. Maybe it's worn? Here's a video I took of the door latching as well as the seal. www.flickr.com/gp/197915731@N07/r6N61x3288I started rewiring the fridge today. The original owner rewired the top of the fridge and bypassed the old "connector hub". I'll have to crawl underneath to solder on the new wire to the compressor. Overall these old fridges are pretty easy to rewire.
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Post by turbokinetic on Mar 19, 2023 3:38:52 GMT
Wow, it's hard to understand how that didn't work. Is there something wrong with the hinges or door latch? The door gap shouldn't be that much. There could be something wrong with the latch mechanism. Maybe it's worn? Here's a video I took of the door latching as well as the seal. www.flickr.com/gp/197915731@N07/r6N61x3288I started rewiring the fridge today. The original owner rewired the top of the fridge and bypassed the old "connector hub". I'll have to crawl underneath to solder on the new wire to the compressor. Overall these old fridges are pretty easy to rewire. There is definitely something wrong. Is a part missing from the cabinet frame where the latch pin fits? Way too much clearance.
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Post by quesogrande on Mar 19, 2023 15:26:20 GMT
There could be something wrong with the latch mechanism. Maybe it's worn? Here's a video I took of the door latching as well as the seal. www.flickr.com/gp/197915731@N07/r6N61x3288I started rewiring the fridge today. The original owner rewired the top of the fridge and bypassed the old "connector hub". I'll have to crawl underneath to solder on the new wire to the compressor. Overall these old fridges are pretty easy to rewire. There is definitely something wrong. Is a part missing from the cabinet frame where the latch pin fits? Way too much clearance. I just noticed the screw holding the latch to the inner door panel is missing, allowing the latch mechanism to move and creating the larger gap. Is it the same screw as the others holding the inner door panel, or is it a special machine screw? If it's the former I'll just use one of the door panel screws. If not I'll have to look at what Ace Hardware has. flic.kr/p/2onVV7MEdit: I went ahead and moved one of the screws and felt the screw as it went into the mechanism. Same thread size/pitch. I tightened it up and the door now seals properly! Time to cancel my Trim-Lok order and buy some more of the 3/8" seal from Lowes (I only bought one pack, but two were needed).
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