fridge is acting up

fishlessman

put two cooked birds in it on tday and by saturday temps were only up to 44 degrees, turned up all the settings and its holding 40 degrees which i can live with. probably just needs to be moved from the wall and vacuumed clean. now im reading these new fridges need to be operated in a room over 60 degrees, is that really true, i keep the camp at 52 during the week but know it occasionally drops below that. hoping cleaning works out. now i need to check the home fridge cause i keep the house a 45 during the weekend. both fridges are 70's vintage

nolaegghead

Yep, the older appliances don't like to run under 60F ambient.  The freezer won't get cold.  Cleaning the coils won't help much but can't hurt.  Get newer stuff - you'll save money in electricity through higher efficiency and they'll run in colder rooms.

Photo Egg

Mine is newer but still has issues when I add a bunch of non chilled food. Especially when the humidity level is high in the house.
The coils freeze up and it takes more than a few thaw cycles for it to catch up. This causes it not to cool as well.
But it always comes back to normal and works fine after a few days.
Over compensating causes mine to take longer to straighten out.
Good luck.

fishlessman

nolaegghead said:

Yep, the older appliances don't like to run under 60F ambient.  The freezer won't get cold.  Cleaning the coils won't help much but can't hurt.  Get newer stuff - you'll save money in electricity through higher efficiency and they'll run in colder rooms.

i need more research, from what i saw the older freon fridges worked better in the cold and the newer ones wouldnt. not sure about the savings in my case, im the cheapest electricity piker in my neighborhood, 15 bucks this month for the house 40 is okay for the camp, beer is out on the deck and i never leave food there, just would be nice to squeak out 1 or 2 degrees colder

fishlessman

Photo Egg said:

Mine is newer but still has issues when I add a bunch of non chilled food. Especially when the humidity level is high in the house.
The coils freeze up and it takes more than a few thaw cycles for it to catch up. This causes it not to cool as well.
But it always comes back to normal and works fine after a few days.
Over compensating causes mine to take longer to straighten out.
Good luck.

had all the big items out friday, was still hanging right at 40 monday after turning everything up, right on the edge

HeavyG

I just got a new fridge (an LG) a few months ago and looking at the manual it states that if the air temp of the room gets down to 41° that food in the fridge section will freeze. It says the fridge should not be operated in a room temp of less than 55°.

Googling tells me that if the room temp gets too cold that the compressor may freeze up and that food in the freezer may actually get warmer as the outside temp tricks the fridge into thinking it doesn't need to run.

Will it damage the fridge if it is run in a room temp in the 50's? Probably not. I probably wouldn't want them to run if the room temp is in the mid-40's or lower tho.

johnmitchell

My fridge is in my garage and in winter I just run a aquarium heating pad in the fridge $9.00 works like a charm.

RRP

knocking on wood, but my 30 year old freezer sits in the unheated garage where it can get to 90º+ in the summer and 0º in the winter. Works like a charm! 

fishlessman

RRP said:

knocking on wood, but my 30 year old freezer sits in the unheated garage where it can get to 90º+ in the summer and 0º in the winter. Works like a charm! 

i have a 40's vintage fridge with the icebox in the fridge that ices solid every other month thats still chugging along that works fine in the hot and cold at work, just have to unplug it every so often to melt the ice out   hope it keeps chugging

lousubcap

@fishlessman- Regardless of how this ends up you can't complain about 1970's vintage fridges still performing.  That operational life is way beyond anything I have experienced or heard of.   Better to be lucky than good any day. 

fishlessman

johnmitchell said:

My fridge is in my garage and in winter I just run a aquarium heating pad in the fridge $9.00 works like a charm.

the heating pad is in the fridge?

fishlessman

lousubcap said:

@fishlessman- Regardless of how this ends up you can't complain about 1970's vintage fridges still performing.  That operational life is way beyond anything I have experienced or heard of.   Better to be lucky than good any day. 

every fridge ive ever owned was second hand and was changed out because harvest gold or avacado green or brown (what was that color called) was not a popular color anymore   these newer models dont hold up

Jstroke

My dad has the same fridge he bought new in 1972 when he moved in the house. The top has surface rust and the plastic inside is going yellow but it still keeps chugging along. I told him a new one would pay for itself

fishlessman

Jstroke said:

My dad has the same fridge he bought new in 1972 when he moved in the house. The top has surface rust and the plastic inside is going yellow but it still keeps chugging along. I told him a new one would pay for itself

the life expectancy of a new fridge is about ten years, at 43 years your dad would be on fridge number 5 my dads girlfriend bought a 2000 dollar plus fridge last summer and that was what they said, expect 10 years. she was thinking it would last the rest of her life

NPHuskerFL

If it's older it likely uses R12 vs newer residential models that utilize R134A or commercial that use R404A or R134A

http://www.aircondition.com/pressure.htm

http://www.refrigerants.com/pics/ptchart.pdf

R12 running in low ambient can display the problems you describe. Cleaning the condensing coil would actually be counterproductive due to an already low head pressure. Most of these units were built like a tank. Obviously replacement with a new high efficiency model saves in utility costs but, don't last nearly as long as the unit you already own.

fishlessman

NPHuskerFL said:

If it's older it likely uses R12 vs newer residential models that utilize R134A or commercial that use R404A or R134A

http://www.aircondition.com/pressure.htm

http://www.refrigerants.com/pics/ptchart.pdf

R12 running in low ambient can display the problems you describe. Cleaning the condensing coil would actually be counterproductive due to an already low head pressure. Most of these units were built like a tank. Obviously replacement with a new high efficiency model saves in utility costs but, don't last nearly as long as the unit you already own.

one thing i have not checked is fridge temps when the house is shut down during the week, i can check that thursday night. im also wondering about the freezer to fridge vent having some blockage, had the freezer door open during a quake a few years back and stuff melted during the week from freezer to fridge. from the charts it looks like i could put a small heater near the coil to build some pressure, maybe a lizard rock

Darby_Crenshaw

let's not get too nostalgic.

an ad for a simple GE fridge in 1966 shows a 16 cubic foot fridge for $299, or about $2200 in today's dollars.

but a comparable top-freezer fridge at Home Depot today only costs $498 dollars, (or about $70 in 1966).  you can certainly buy a $2200 fridge today, but it won't be the same as that basic 16 cubic footer in avocado with a top-freezer and no ice maker, etc.

just saying. 

and they may have "run forever", but they'll cost you a good bit more to run every month.

we tossed out an old one out a while ago, and saved $25 a month off the electricity bill

granted, these things are designed to crap out a month after warranty.  but there's a reason a high end fridge costs a pant load of money.  you get what you pay for

johnmitchell

fishlessman said:

johnmitchell said:

My fridge is in my garage and in winter I just run a aquarium heating pad in the fridge $9.00 works like a charm.

the heating pad is in the fridge?

Yes sir it is connected to a electrical outlet and I have it lying on the bottom shelf and the cord conforms to the rubber seal it is a 15 watt aquarium heating pad

Ozzie_Isaac

fishlessman said:

Jstroke said:

My dad has the same fridge he bought new in 1972 when he moved in the house. The top has surface rust and the plastic inside is going yellow but it still keeps chugging along. I told him a new one would pay for itself

the life expectancy of a new fridge is about ten years, at 43 years your dad would be on fridge number 5 my dads girlfriend bought a 2000 dollar plus fridge last summer and that was what they said, expect 10 years. she was thinking it would last the rest of her life

I thought you were going to day he was on fridge #1 and girlfriend #5.

fishlessman

Darby_Crenshaw said:

let's not get too nostalgic.

an ad for a simple GE fridge in 1966 shows a 16 cubic foot fridge for $299, or about $2200 in today's dollars.

but a comparable top-freezer fridge at Home Depot today only costs $498 dollars, (or about $70 in 1966).  you can certainly buy a $2200 fridge today, but it won't be the same as that basic 16 cubic footer in avocado with a top-freezer and no ice maker, etc.

just saying. 

and they may have "run forever", but they'll cost you a good bit more to run every month.

we tossed out an old one out a while ago, and saved $25 a month off the electricity bill

granted, these things are designed to crap out a month after warranty.  but there's a reason a high end fridge costs a pant load of money.  you get what you pay for

if you look in my fridge theres bacon, condiments, and beer, in the freezer theres salmon,stuffed clams, ice, and crown if i can fix it im going to fix it. i never have more than a day or two of food. just got my national grid efficiency statement, i was number one out of the top 20 percent efficient neighbor group (aka frugal cheap old yankee) if its something simple like a blocked vent and i can get it to drop to 39 from 40 im ok with that.  498 seems pricey for cold ketchup dont ya think my last two fridges came to me by mentioning i was looking for an old fridge for beer, and wallah, some woman that heard about it bought themselves a new fridge, someone must have a white almond from the 80's im roof shopping right now anyways, got any leads for a metal standing seam roofer

Darby_Crenshaw

standing seam is the way to go where you are.

i convinced my client on Winni to do one, and he never regretted it. 

i don't have an installer on deck.  should be easy enough to get prices though where you are.

Little Steven

Is that all tube steel posts?

fishlessman

xactly what i want but in the mass camp, first guy up said the exposed gaskets on the screws would need to be changed out every 5 years, passed on that guy, second guy quoted 20k plus minus over the phone for my simple cape no dormers, hung up on that guy. have some better leads and hoping the current roof makes it to spring. need to find someone on the same page priceways and cant see it costing more than 10. i send stuff out for quote all day every day at work but find it so annoying doing it for the house

Darby_Crenshaw

@Little Steven it's all wood.

they raised the post height by two feet which bunged up the scale (in my humble opinion) , but i was not the architect of record at that point.  that connecting roof and the main roof overhang should be lower, less 'lofty' (more human scale)

@fishlessman you should not have to even bother with exposed fasteners.

that place goes through winter and fall really well. everything slides off.  no pine needles in the valleys, no heavy snow load.

zinc or copper would be ideal (no finish to fail), but that is pretty spendy.

on my end, if can get slate (material cost) for the roof for the same cost as installing an asphalt shingle roof.  labor to install slate in the boston area is $2000 a SQUARE ($20 per foot).  in vermont, every tom **** and harry can do slate without thinking it is anything special. i see double wide trailers up there with slate roofs.   was thinking i should hire some slate roofers and put them up for three nights, while working here, at a motel nearby with an expense account and HBO

fishlessman

i put some exposed fasteners on the wood shed but its not going on the house, the contractor didnt know whats what. i did get a call from a gypsy roofer from vermont for 700 to 900 a square but it seemed sketchy to me, probably should have kept the number but still want to stay local. theres people up there willing to travel. looking at the dutch seam either flat or raised, almost looks like it snaps together on screwed down runners, doesnt look hard to do at all

Darby_Crenshaw

it's an old technology.  should be able to 99% of it with crimped and clipped (non-exposed) fasteners.

get a price for materials and installation separately, and see what manufacturer they propose for the metal.  i have seen the painted finishes fail on many of them.  you don't want that to happen, and a gypsy roofer may not exactly use the best stuff.

been out of it a decade or so, or i'd point you in a better direction

fishlessman

Darby_Crenshaw said:

it's an old technology.  should be able to 99% of it with crimped and clipped (non-exposed) fasteners.

get a price for materials and installation separately, and see what manufacturer they propose for the metal.  i have seen the painted finishes fail on many of them.  you don't want that to happen, and a gypsy roofer may not exactly use the best stuff.

been out of it a decade or so, or i'd point you in a better direction

im still learning it before i get really involved, greg doyle(neighbor on the lake) from doyle lumber can set me up and i also know someone over at harvey that works with contractors. the clipped (non-exposed) fasteners with the dutch seam goes full lenght top to bottom on the roof, stronger in wind, i think thats my best option

Darby_Crenshaw

exactly... that all sounds good.  in fact, doyle is probably the best bet for an installer reference.  if you call the manufacturer, you'll get all high end installers (typically).

clips are best. 

not really many better roofs frankly, than standing seam metal. keep an eye og gauge.  the thin stuff is obviously cheaper, but not good

Little Steven

Darby_Crenshaw said:

@Little Steven it's all wood.

they raised the post height by two feet which bunged up the scale (in my humble opinion) , but i was not the architect of record at that point.  that connecting roof and the main roof overhang should be lower, less 'lofty' (more human scale)

@fishlessman you should not have to even bother with exposed fasteners.

that place goes through winter and fall really well. everything slides off.  no pine needles in the valleys, no heavy snow load.

zinc or copper would be ideal (no finish to fail), but that is pretty spendy.

on my end, if can get slate (material cost) for the roof for the same cost as installing an asphalt shingle roof.  labor to install slate in the boston area is $2000 a SQUARE ($20 per foot).  in vermont, every tom **** and harry can do slate without thinking it is anything special. i see double wide trailers up there with slate roofs.   was thinking i should hire some slate roofers and put them up for three nights, while working here, at a motel nearby with an expense account and HBO

I had aluminum on the house before the fire. What a pain with the heat transfer. I thought it was structural tube because the corners appear to be rounded.

Darby_Crenshaw

they are chamfered with a 45 degree stop to the bevel. 

Little Steven

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