Refrigerator Issue

[SolderIron]

The garage 2 door 20 cubic in side by side frig (Kenmore) just stopped working. I chased the problem down to the pump. It has 110 going to the motor/thermal fuse and start cap. It must has an internal breaker inside the motor housing as it will open circuit in about 3 seconds. I am thinking of harvesting a pump from another frig and make a go with it?

Please comment on what I am thinking.
If I can get a second hand pump, it can be silver soldered in with fittings, or put in with flare fittings. vacuum pump it down then add C12. The question is what is the best way to measure how much gas to put in? With a car, the high and low side gauges work fine. Fitting for gauges is not usually in a frig. Measure with a bath room scale on the 30 lbs cylinder?

This will take some time to work through. Looking for advice on this.

 

[Beemerdoc]

You are talking about ounces of refrigerant, not pounds.
If you have some r-12 laying around, You have a small savings account! It goes for $40-$80 per pound.
They used to make a line tap for checking/adding refrigerant, but it would probably be hard to find one.

 

[SolderIron]

You are talking about ounces of refrigerant, not pounds.
If you have some r-12 laying around, You have a small savings account! It goes for $40-$80 per pound.
They used to make a line tap for checking/adding refrigerant, but it would probably be hard to find one.

I have a couple of pound cans from way back for the car AC. Don't know they get so $ expansive now. Considering they were a couple bucks each from Kmart back then. Anyway there is a tap to add refrigerant. How do I know how much to add or when to stop? I can't find a paper underneath on how much is in the system. Without a gauge tap then measuring the high side temperature is going to be an approximation.

 

[Beemerdoc]

If you get the model number and the serial number, you can go online and find the amount. It will be likely that it uses different refrigerant than R12.
Perhaps R22 is what is used. Charging is done by gauge on the appropriate scale. That's why you see degrees on the gauge set.
Why not sell the R12 and buy a good used unit with the money?

 

[SolderIron]

If you get the model number and the serial number, you can go online and find the amount. It will be likely that it uses different refrigerant than R12.
Perhaps R22 is what is used. Charging is done by gauge on the appropriate scale. That's why you see degrees on the gauge set.
Why not sell the R12 and buy a good used unit with the money?

I will look if it is R22. I happen to have a can or two? of it also.
A used frig is a better solution per your suggestion.

 

[grey]

I use a digital refrigerant scale with 1/4 oz. resolution for home and auto. Naturally I'm monitoring temp. and pressure as well. The thing has a 200 lb. max. and gets used for other stuff.

Never thought about trying to charge a fridge. When the time has come up, I hit the scratch and dent avenues. My last one had a good ding to the top, back. The kitchen cabinets hid the the damage well.

 

[gadget73]

make sure the cap isn't bad, and if its got a start switch, check that. If it doesn't turn on or turn off the cap, it might trip the thermal breaker.

If the compressor is actually bad, it may have failed internally and contaminated the rest of the system. If thats the case, honestly I'd install the broken fridge on the curb and pick up another one that works.

 

[avionic]

My Kenmore crapped out a week ago. $1300 later, I have a new Amana now.

 

[SolderIron]

make sure the cap isn't bad, and if its got a start switch, check that. If it doesn't turn on or turn off the cap, it might trip the thermal breaker.

If the compressor is actually bad, it may have failed internally and contaminated the rest of the system. If thats the case, honestly I'd install the broken fridge on the curb and pick up another one that works.

Cap measured fine. Compressor is a cased black dome with leads for power and Cap. It may have a starter switch inside, Just not visually accessible to see it. I applied power directly to the compressor and it ran for about 3 sec then heard the thermal switch inside cut off. I am now looking for another frig as it may take sometime to come up with a compressor cheap.
The kitchen frig is a Kenmore also. I got it in 2014 and still running fine. The overflow goes to the bad frig and the freezer in the garage. It seems I can use a walk in instead of the multiple pieces now. I should take that up as a project after I retire.

 

[gadget73]

I have a full size upright freezer in the garage that gets my overflow from the main. Considering the one in the kitchen is a side by side with the stupidly narrow freezer area, the big guy gets a lot of work. Its a commercial one we've had for probably 20 years, coils in the shelves, the whole bit. I don't think I'd want more storage space than we have though. Every now and again I have to defrost the upright freezer, and every time I do it I pull out some unidentifiable vintage food item. As it is, I have to use every cooler I own to empty the thing out long enough to defrost.