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Post by dcraven on Nov 18, 2014 22:18:24 GMT
The combo fridge is still waiting patiently, holding parts and tools until I can disassemble it and look for leaks. In the meantime I found this thread which has a complete disassembly and painting, prior to turning it into a kegerator. Very helpful to see how it is taken apart. www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/vintage-ge-kegerator-276170/Same forum, another thread where it talks about what to do if the leak is in aluminum. "Mine had a pinhole leak where the copper line goes into the Aluminum evaporator. Since you can't braze aluminum without melting it, he recommended Supco RedEpoxy which is awesome stuff. You can find it at an appliance repair place or on Amazon." www.homebrewtalk.com/f252/ge-vintage-kegerator-build-cracked-heat-exchanger-501032/I did find on CL a working GE fridge which I'll put to use, after replacing the gasket seal. Not sure about it's age as the serial number doesn't begin with two letters as this GE site says they should. Maybe back then they used the model #? Attachments:
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Post by blackhorse on Nov 19, 2014 4:07:15 GMT
I've tried epoxies that were specifically made for fixing refrigerant leaks in aluminum, they worked for a little while but not permanently. The only permanent repair I have found is Staybrite 8 silver-bearing solder (melts around 400F, well below melting of aluminum). It's a learned skill and requires special aluminum soldering flux as well (there's a discussion about this elsewhere on this forum).
The best results with damaged aluminum evaporators, finned or sheet metal, is by cutting it out back to where the tubing is copper and replacing it with a similar one from a non-leaking machine. I usually keep some around the shop for such repairs. Of course keep a copper pig tail on the aluminum tubes.
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Post by dcraven on Nov 19, 2014 15:15:40 GMT
Thank you Blackhorse, once I get that far I'll give the Staybrite solder a shot, if it's needed.
Is there a different serial number elsewhere on these GE fridges? So far the only tag that I've found is the one underneath located near the compressor and the serial number there doesn't begin with two letters on either of these.
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Post by blackhorse on Nov 19, 2014 15:47:26 GMT
Thank you Blackhorse, once I get that far I'll give the Staybrite solder a shot, if it's needed. Is there a different serial number elsewhere on these GE fridges? So far the only tag that I've found is the one underneath located near the compressor and the serial number there doesn't begin with two letters on either of these. I don't know how to make anything of those serial numbers as far as the date is concerned, but some of the components have date stamps, I assume for warranty purposes; if you are lucky to have the original thermostat or relay still in place they are your best bet. Sometimes the cabinet itself will have a paper label stuck to the back as well, though often it hasn't survived the ravages of time.
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Post by cablehack on Nov 19, 2014 23:03:54 GMT
It looks like something from the late 40's or Spacemaker era. I recognise the evaporator door. If you have a look through the vintage fridge ads on ebay, you might recognise it. As to the model and serial number, I assume that as the cooling units and cabinets were no longer separate items, what you have shown might be all there is. The prewar Flatops have a cabinet model on the back, and the cooling unit model on the compressor. What interests me is that it's rated for both 50 and 60 cycle operation. No doubt it also uses a capillary tube. Perhaps high pressure refrigerants are less fussy with their cap tube length vs. compressor power. Certainly for the low pressure CA, the cap tube had to be selected to suit the supply frequency.
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Post by dcraven on Mar 3, 2015 15:17:00 GMT
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Post by davido on Jun 4, 2016 4:13:44 GMT
134a is a replacement for R12.....most literature says to purge the oil to add the PAG100 oil to run correctly....but I have charged up 100s of R12 systems with 134a on old soda machine systems...without changing out the oil...and I haven't had any problems with them cooling perfectly.
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Post by Emmyp73 on Jul 28, 2017 17:44:11 GMT
The combo fridge is still waiting patiently, holding parts and tools until I can disassemble it and look for leaks. In the meantime I found this thread which has a complete disassembly and painting, prior to turning it into a kegerator. Very helpful to see how it is taken apart. www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/vintage-ge-kegerator-276170/Same forum, another thread where it talks about what to do if the leak is in aluminum. "Mine had a pinhole leak where the copper line goes into the Aluminum evaporator. Since you can't braze aluminum without melting it, he recommended Supco RedEpoxy which is awesome stuff. You can find it at an appliance repair place or on Amazon." www.homebrewtalk.com/f252/ge-vintage-kegerator-build-cracked-heat-exchanger-501032/I did find on CL a working GE fridge which I'll put to use, after replacing the gasket seal. Not sure about it's age as the serial number doesn't begin with two letters as this GE site says they should. Maybe back then they used the model #? View Attachment
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Post by Emmyp73 on Jul 28, 2017 17:45:01 GMT
The combo fridge is still waiting patiently, holding parts and tools until I can disassemble it and look for leaks. In the meantime I found this thread which has a complete disassembly and painting, prior to turning it into a kegerator. Very helpful to see how it is taken apart. www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/vintage-ge-kegerator-276170/Same forum, another thread where it talks about what to do if the leak is in aluminum. "Mine had a pinhole leak where the copper line goes into the Aluminum evaporator. Since you can't braze aluminum without melting it, he recommended Supco RedEpoxy which is awesome stuff. You can find it at an appliance repair place or on Amazon." www.homebrewtalk.com/f252/ge-vintage-kegerator-build-cracked-heat-exchanger-501032/I did find on CL a working GE fridge which I'll put to use, after replacing the gasket seal. Not sure about it's age as the serial number doesn't begin with two letters as this GE site says they should. Maybe back then they used the model #? View Attachment
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Post by Emmyp73 on Jul 28, 2017 18:24:28 GMT
Hi I'm having a similar problem I have a 1950 ? GE fridge AH-83-AA16, and I unplugged it on and off for the past couple of years when I wasn't home for a while. This time when I got home and plugged it in everything worked but it doesn't get very cold. I figured it needed a recharge I've lived here for 11 yrs and had no problems before I bought the house. So I've called all over Schenectady NY and only one guy seems to know how to fix it except he doesn't want to come. So I called again today and said please come. I bought 3 cans of 10 oz R-12 & the hole and temp looking thing attached to hose plus a can opening thingy attached to other end. So he's coming he wants to charge me $200 but he said he's not looking for any leaks. I need to find someone who will fix it near me??? Thanks for any advice
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Post by ckfan on Jul 28, 2017 20:36:47 GMT
Hi I'm having a similar problem I have a 1950 ? GE fridge AH-83-AA16, and I unplugged it on and off for the past couple of years when I wasn't home for a while. This time when I got home and plugged it in everything worked but it doesn't get very cold. I figured it needed a recharge I've lived here for 11 yrs and had no problems before I bought the house. So I've called all over Schenectady NY and only one guy seems to know how to fix it except he doesn't want to come. So I called again today and said please come. I bought 3 cans of 10 oz R-12 & the hole and temp looking thing attached to hose plus a can opening thingy attached to other end. So he's coming he wants to charge me $200 but he said he's not looking for any leaks. I need to find someone who will fix it near me??? Thanks for any advice What makes you think that you have a leak? Sealed systems rarely leak unless they are disturbed or abused. It could be a number of things but the first thing I would check is the thermostat. If it isn't working right it will not get cold enough. Was it working fine before you let it sit unplugged? If so I would be willing to bet it is the thermostat. Does it start to get cold quickly once you plug it in? If so, chances are that the sealed system is fine.
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Post by ChrisJ on Aug 11, 2017 11:43:07 GMT
Hi I'm having a similar problem I have a 1950 ? GE fridge AH-83-AA16, and I unplugged it on and off for the past couple of years when I wasn't home for a while. This time when I got home and plugged it in everything worked but it doesn't get very cold. I figured it needed a recharge I've lived here for 11 yrs and had no problems before I bought the house. So I've called all over Schenectady NY and only one guy seems to know how to fix it except he doesn't want to come. So I called again today and said please come. I bought 3 cans of 10 oz R-12 & the hole and temp looking thing attached to hose plus a can opening thingy attached to other end. So he's coming he wants to charge me $200 but he said he's not looking for any leaks. I need to find someone who will fix it near me??? Thanks for any advice How long did you let it run for?
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Post by dcraven on May 17, 2018 14:35:30 GMT
A few years late, but here is an update to the original posting. Turns out there was a break in the capillary tube. I ended up trading the fridge to a HVAC friend who found the problem, repaired the fridge and is now using it in his garage.
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Post by ckfan on May 17, 2018 18:55:21 GMT
That’s great. I’m glad to hear it went to the right person!
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Post by dcraven on May 17, 2018 19:43:25 GMT
That’s great. I’m glad to hear it went to the right person! Me too! Part of the trade was him showing me how to pressure test a system and repair leaks. I'm hoping with that knowledge I can get some of my other projects going. Just found the awesome videos David made! www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGxgFT69uzk&feature=youtu.be
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