Yesterday I took a first look at my parent's old French Frimatic refrigerator. It has had a wild life (my aunt bought it from an old lady who had it for 25 years even though she never had electricity, then used it for some time and gave it to my dad) and has been sitting around for about 10 years because it doesn't work any more. I guess it's 1960ies. The problem is this: The compressor simply refuses to start. The light inside is on when the door is open, so I guess power is present (my first guess was the twisted and taped power cord). Turning the temperature dial doesn'T have any effect. As the refrigerator seems to be a very simple model I had only a few ideas what could have happened: no power to the compressor or thermostat broke. If I remember correctly the thing stopped working immediately after we moved it downstairs and had worked intermittently the days before, which could point to loose connections. The bodged cord had severe amounts of corrosion on it, in dry words the copper was almost black over about 10 cm from the repair.
Any tips how to trace the fault? I'd really like to getit back running again because it's a real cool beast (probably one of the first models after the famous rounded 50ies refrigerators, white with an almost barbie pink interior).

BTW, yet another color coding. 2 blacks for hot & neutral and a white ground.

Texas,
Just at a guess, I'd say that it would be one of two things.
If adjusting the Thermostat will not start the Compressor, the Compressor or the thermostat is faulty or you have a broken wire (usually a Neutral) somewhere in the loom.
Is there some form of a terminal box on the Fridge?.
If there is, this is where I would look first.
Just another thought, you mentioned that the Compressor refuses to start, are you sure that the Compressor has not seized, through inactivity?.
The old Freon (pre-CFC free systems) Refrigeration Equipment, didn't tend to age too well, if the Refrigerant wasn't circulated around the system regularly.
Hope that this helps.

Thanks for your answers! There's some weird kind of terminal block on the back of the unit where all wires go in, but I haven't yet managed to find out how the connector is designed (there are just rectangular holes where the individual conductors go in).
I turned the thermostat to the highest setting (14), without any effect.
Well, the thing wasn't inactive when it quit working. it was in use for at least 15 years continuously, then it started working intermittently for a few days and stopped working immediately after having been moved. That was about 10 years ago. Now my parents bought another used one and want to get rid of the old, this is why the matter got urgent.
I guess if the compressor seizes there should at least be a faint hum when it tries to start, but it's completely silent, or am I mistaken?
There aren't many wires. A piece of brown 3-conductor zip cord going inside the fridge, a black and a red wire going to the compressor and the power cord. One of the wires leading to the compressor feels loose, but I haven't had time to unscrew the terminal cover. MAybe that's all it needs. Would be glad if it were, I actually grew up with that refrigerator and it would be sad to see it go the the trash.

Ok, going back to my maths exercises *shudder*
Maths is called our weekly Russian roulette.

Texas,
Is there an audible "click" as you turn the Thermostat dial?.
If there isn't, it means the contacts in the Thermostat aren't closing and this is what is preventing the Compressor from starting.
Yeah, you're right about the humming Compressor, in some cases they can even blow the fuse/CB on the circuit that supplies the appliance.
I'd check the Thermostat and the terminal box first and then take it from there.
If you need any more help, just give me a yell!.
Best of luck with the maths.

Thanks! I'll take a look at the refrigerator tomorrow. So far the only thing that seems to work is the light inside
The terminal box could be a good idea, since the power cord was that corroded. And wires that already feel loose always get me suspicious.

Update: There are no obviously loose wires. The thermostat doesn't do anything when the dial knob is turned. I did some metering and actually found 220V at the compressor terminals. Why? If the thermostat is broke there shouldn't be 220V at the compressor! My next idea was to bypass the thermostat (there are only 2 wires with spade connectors). No result. Would it be an idea to hook up the compressor directly to 220V or isn't that a good idea? Working on that thing is a pain in the a** since everything is near the floor, dirty and cramped (after he refrigerator was pu where it sits now a generous amount of construction debris (mostly mortar) has accumulated in the back of that beast, not really making things easier.

Ragnar,
I don't really like the sound of having voltage at the Compressor and nothing happening.
It sounds to me like the Start winding in the Compressor has gone Open Circuit and there is nothing that can really be done about it.
Compressors in fridges are usually run by a Split-Phase motor and depending on the size of it, the Current Held relay and Capacitor are often sealed inside the Compressor body.
Unless you replace the compressor, it looks like this is the end of the road for this old beauty , but even replacing the compressor is not really an option, because of the likelihood of the residue from the old Freon gas reacting with the new charge of non-CFC refrigerant, this can have explosive results.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, mate, but that's just my opinion of the situation.

Was this monster banged around when it was being moved?

I've read (on some appliance repair website somewhere) that old refrigerator compressors don't like being moved around.

Apparently these people say there is some sort of spring suspension that holds the motor and other inner workings and keeps it all from bouncing around.

The springs then go brittle with time...and a good bouncing around is enough to break the springs and damage the workings in the compressor.

Changing a compressor is not fun. The one in our icebox was changed two years ago. The guy came with a bunch of specialized tools (among them was a device to "bottle" the freon while he replaced the compressor).

The compressor is also welded to the condenser coils. If I remember correctly it was a gas torch (welding torch, not battery flashlight ) that he used...

You have to know what you're doing.

Also, that refrigerant is only (legally) sold to people who are properly licenced.

*Note: Freon is my generic term for refrigerant just like "town gas" is my generic term for the smelly stuff that comes out of your gas stove.

Wonder what a refrigerator mechanic would charge to work on that thing? Have you considered it -- I mean...depends on how much you want that thing, might be worth asking before you leave it out on the sidewalk.

There are companies that refurbish and sell (at a huge markup) such appliances.

Oh, a last piece of advice. If you do toss it out in the street, be sure to remove the doors from the hinges. You don't want little kids playing around and getting locked inside and suffocating in there. It _has_ happened.

[This message has been edited by SvenNYC (edited 12-03-2003).]

Probably you'Re right, that doesn't sound good. I'm not going to attempt changing the compressor myself, so this is probably the end of the old thing. Gonna take a few pics and then... R.I.P.
I haven't heard of such appliance restore companies here in Vienna and a normal repair guy would probably only laugh.
Probably it was bumped around. IIRC the guys who brought the new refrigerator loaded it onto a 2-wheel-cart and let it rattle down the stairs. Probably the death of the old thing that hadn't been moved for about 15 years.
You can't just leave stuff like that, we'll have to take it to a recycling station. You also have to pay for the recycling of refrigerating equipment. Side note: the door doesn't latch, it can be opened from inside. besides I think the guys at the recycling center will take care of that problem themselves.

Is it actually a sealed motor-compressor assembly with everything inside the can? Older units often had the capacitor mounted externally with separate terminals on the compressor for the start & run windings. Replacing the capacitor wouldn't be a problem if it's faulty, but as Trumpy has said, if the internal windings are at fault it's a big job.


This was a subject of another of those public safety films we had in Britain in the 1970s. Smash the lock on an old fridge before putting it out.

Is it possible that the gas has leaked out of it?

It would explain why the compressor won't start if there is no pressure detected it might just trip out automatically?

Over here Fridges have to go back to a recycling centre where the gas is extracted and disposed of safely. I think it's either passed through a special incinerator or a chemical scrubber.

Yesterday I had another good look at the back of the fridge. Under the terminla cover of the compressor there are the following things: A pice of equipment labeled Klixon M(or maybe N)RA 2969 with one wire going in and one coming out. At the bottom there's some coil with 3 terminals. 1 wire goes back to the main terminal block and 2 wires come out. Between the 2 things there are 3 terminals where all the described wires go. If i manage to remember where I put my digicam I'll take a picture.
Any idea what that Klixon thing is? Google didn't return anything with that special model number. The component itself is inside the can, only the terminals are accessible.

have a look at these sites
http://www.ti.com/mc/docs/precprod/docs/

look at their thermal sensors and thermal circuit breakers.

http://www.carbonbrush.com/klixoncircuitbreakers.htm

[This message has been edited by :andy: (edited 12-05-2003).]

Ragnar,
DONT throw that fridge out yet!!!.
The Klixon that you refer to is a Non-Resettable Over-Temperature device.
Replace it and re-test the fridge.
Just as a passing comment Ragnar, was this fridge plugged straight in after being moved?.
There is a really good chance that the Compressor may have gone, out on overload, through the imbalance of Refrigerant inside the Compressor.
On the Compressor, there should be 3 terminals labelled C, S and R.
Or 1, 2 and 3 respectively.
These are Common, Start and Run, the windings being in Parallel, the difference being that the Current or Voltage-held Relay opens the Start winding, instead of the traditional Centrifugal switch, as in the normal Split Phase motor.
Ragnar, my advice to you would be this:

• Short out the Klixon, or even take it out of circuit.
  The worst you can do here is take out the supplying circuit OCP, if the Compressor does not start.
• Also short the Thermostat out too and work from there back, if you can't turn the Compressor on and off with the Thermostat, it's faulty.

[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 12-06-2003).]

Any updates on the fridge, Ragnar?

Nope, I put it aside. maybe after christmas. Just too busy right now.

Ragnar,
Had a good look at that fridge?.
I'd be interested in your comments.

Hello Ranger- Trumpy is correct in identifying the compressor terminals. There should be three terminals in a ceramic bossthat feed the motor in the hermetic dome(tin can) you can ring these out with an ohmmeter- there should be some ID for run-common-start, if not, the small klixon biscuit(actually a thermal overload) is connected to the common. Place meter lead on any 2 terminals to check for open windings and then check each to compressor housing to check for grounded windings. if you get a resistance form all terminals, and open to ground, then your motor should be intact. If the refrigerator was tipped on its side during the move, it should have been left to stand up for 24 hours before starting to let the oil return to compressor. Is this compressor on bottom or top of cabinet? If it was started too son or with oil out in system, it may be cooked. if your ohmmeter readings are ok, check resistance of overload- should not be open at room temp. if overload shows continuity, then maybe worth a try to get a new relay(other "coil thing"). Good Luck 2 U

chi spark,
Welcome to the board, mate!.
And coming into the frey, with darned good comments, too!.
What more could we ask for eh?.

Chris (chi spark),
Do you have experience in Refrigeration Gear?.
If so, join the club,mate!.
I've worked on various sized Plants from Domestic fridges up to multi-kW freezer plants on both the Electrical Control and Gaseous Charging/Pump-Down of the said systems.

Hello Trumpy-yes, I have been working with refrigeration, from domestic to cascade, compound, and modulating systems. My main market for that is the hospital, research, and laboratory field. I'm also a licensed electrician, I guess I'm just distracted easily.... Thanks for the hearty welcome- I am jealous of you though- I hope to see your corner of the world someday. New Zealand has always fascinated me- even more so since the tolkien movies are out, there's some intense nature down there. Are you on 50Hz?

Hello Chi, and welcome to ECN.

N.Z. is indeed on 50Hz, as is most of the world outside the Americas. Saudi Arabia has some 60Hz, and most sources indicate that the small African country of Liberia also uses 60Hz.

Japan also has a mixture of 50 and 60Hz, and I believe that there are a couple of other far eastern countries which use 60.

Hey,
No problems Chris!.
If you're ever over here, give us a yell, I'd be more than happy to show you the South Island.(That goes for anyone else too!,I just like to stay away from the normal "Tourist sites".)
As Paul said above, yes we do use 50Hz supply here, with a 230/400VAC system.

how about that Frimatic refrigerator?

Finally an update on the old fridge. Today I went down on it with a decent meter and _lots of light_. (the last time I had a meter with intermittent test leads ) and here'S what I found out: The thermal cutout is indeed cold out. The motor windings all give reasonable resistance readings, as well as the relay.
Chi-Spark, the compressor is at the bottom of the box.
I have no idea how long it was unplugged after moving.
Right now I'm trying to figure out a way to jumper the cutout. Jumper cables with alligator clips would be great, unfortunately I don't have any. Guess I'll have to try something like wrapping stranded wire around the terminal or just cut the link wire between thermal cutout and compressor.

IT WORKS!!!!!!!!!
Jumpered the thermal cutout with a piece of zip-cord (noticed the insulation of the wires feeding the compressor looks a bit brittle), took out all stuff that had acuumulated inside the appliance (my brother used it as a convenient shelf for boxes of cereals and similar stuff ), plugged it in and it started humming softly! After a few minutes it was noticeably cool inside.
Going to unplug it overnight though.
Any idea what to do about the thermal cutout? I feel I should replace it, but how do I do that? And are spares available that fit mechanically?
Thanks for your support!

Ragnar,
That's great to hear that the old girl is away again!.
Are you referring to the Thermostat or the Over-Temperature cut-out that protects the Compressor?.
If it is the Thermostat that controls the temperature in the fridge chamber, you may have to retro-fit a modern T/stat where the old one was mounted.

Ragnar,
Sorry,
I didn't read your post above to well before I replied.
Thermal cutouts for Refrigeration compressors are usually of a generic type, in that getting a suitable replacement, shouldn't be a problem, they all trip at the same temperature.
While compressors do get rather warm (especially during Summer)during normal operation, the protection is generally 90 degrees C, AFAIK.
Take the cut-out to a spare parts place and see if they can give you something similar in Temperature and Current rating.
Failing that, post the serial number off the cut-out and I'll have a word to our Guru of Refrigeration at work, Ken.

Thanks!
Going to try taking the thing out (couldn't figure out how to do that yet) and go looking for a replacement. I can also buy a new rubber seal for the door (the old rubber ring is cracked and stiff as a board). And I should probably replace the power cord since it's very badly patched (just twisted and some old-style cloth tape) and very oxydized (copper looks close to black).
I'm really happy I found the fault and got it at least half-working again! It's a cool thing, the door has individual oval holes for the eggs! Going to paint it some nice color outside, my dad had it painted an awful 70ies brown that matched his old kitchen cabinets and wallpaper.

Ragnar,
I'd personally "soak-test" the thing first.
This means running it for an hour or so to see that the Thermostat works correctly.
Also, is there a requirement to Earth these appliances?.
The soak test will show how well the Refrigration system is working, and the fridge should "pull-down" to at least 2 degrees C in the first hour.
Hope this helps,
Cheers,
Trumpy.

I ran it for a few hours but didn't have a thermometer to test. It ran for some time, then the thermostat switched off and when I opened it it felt cool inside. The top (light-duty freezer compartment) was covered with a solid layer of ice, so I guess it works ok. Then I unplugged it overnight.
There's an "household appliance magician" around who should be able to get me a new thermal cutout, but maybe it'll be cheaper if I go to a normal repair guy (the "magician" is known to fix _anything_ but he charges quite a lot. Fitting a new switch to a 1960ies mixer took him 3 weeks and cost nearly 50 Euros). Maybe Conrad electronics has something like that.

Forgot to mention that, it has a three-wire cord and a Schuko plug, still the original molded angle plug with the Frimatic company logo on it.
As I already mentioned, the color coding is weird. Two blacks and a white ground wire.
All refrigerators I've seen, regardless of age and price are class I. The only double-insulated refrigerator I've ever seen was a Thailand-imported one with NEMA 1-15 cord set.

Same in the U.K. -- I don't recall ever seeing a double-insulated fridge with no ground connection.

Glad to hear you've got an old appliance up and working again! One less item for the landfill.

Good on you Ragnar!.
Glad to hear it works OK.
Most people would have tossed this elderly appliance on the scrap heap.

Howdy Texas- glad 2 hear that you got it to spin. If the thermal overload is a round device that has two wires and sits against the dome, perhaps there are clip(s) that hold it in a semi-socket type of prong setup. In the US and US made-for-world market, it would be a round 1 inch diameter X 3/4 inch height device with a terminal(screw) and a wire lead to connect to common. Failure of this is related to repeated high heat operation(caused by high current/motor issues, or just insufficient cooling for compressor and condenser. the fact that it started and ran to cool would indicate that the unit probably ran in a close space or a dirty condition. there are one-siz-fitzall types of overloads that use current as limiter and clip on the terminal box, and generally these will do an adequate job with proper maintenance to fridge. If the overload is klixon type as described above, there should be numbers on the side that can be cross ref'd to newer style numbers. If this is a french product, do you see a brand name for the compressor?

Hey - here's a list of possible numbers for a tecumseh product if that is the case- otherwise, if it is a manoir or aspera brand compressor-those are available too.
http://www.tpc-nacg.com/ref-espol.htm

And here's another info link 4 U regarding refrigeration- http://www.tecumseh-europe.com/M4/UK/p41.htm

Good luck and keep us posted- I *waste* more time doing things like you are doing just for fun-very rarely do I get a $$ return on that sort of "turd-polishing" but the personal satisfaction is great! I was wondering if you were going to continue.

[This message has been edited by chi spark (edited 04-18-2004).]

Thanks for the links. I have no idea about the compressor (as far as I've seen not even the terminals are marked), but the OC is a Klixon M(or maybe N)RA 2969 and looks just as you described. maybe 1" in dia., a screw and a wire to the compressor.
Only problem: it sits flush in the dome. Gonna have a look at it soon. Spent the last 2 days at a flea market (local scouts sold lots of old stuff, real fun to dig around), so I didn't have much time to spend on the fridge.
IIRC it operated for several (close to 10) years built into the kitchen cabinets, then it sat in a corner of the kitchen butting up against 2 walls. When I ran it w/o the OC it sat in the middle of the workshop with lots of air around.

Hi Texas, idle time today, I was able to find a cross-reference for klixon, but the number you have may be obsoleted and subbed. here is a link to the cross reference page: http://shop.marsm-a.com/images/mars/images/00%20COMP%20X-Ref.pdf
this shows MRA2964 then jumps to MRA2972. I guess you can confirm 2969, if it is so then I'll check when I go to supply hse next. Is that the boy scouts that held the flea market? That's a great idea for fund$raising.

No such fuss made here - boys and girls all together - lots of cute girls my age
Actually it was a cool flea market 'cause they just piled up everything without any system and you really had to dig for the treasures. I had fun, even though a freaking old record player gave me a nice 230V buzz (power cord seems to have a few strands sticking out at the device side even though I haven't been able to find the fault). Finally got lots of stuff for free (they dumped everything they didn't sell and I offered to take somke stuff, just courtesy, so their car wouldn't be that full
It's a portable player, just about the size of a 33 disc, mains or battery powered.
Ok, getting a bit off-topic.

It's actually MRA 2959, still can't find it in the cross-reference.
I managed to find out how the OC is attached... but one of the 2 screws is stuck and worn. I'll try some kind of spray, maybe that'll loosen it.
There's no name plate on the compressor itself (at least not easily visible), the unit'S name plate shows a pretty cryptic compressor number.
The entire back of the unit is covered in a solid layer of dust, and it's hard to make out details. Before I try to use it I'll give it a good cleaning.

Posted for Texas Ranger:








[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 04-22-2004).]

That is old! In the US, there were Frigidaire cabinets that had the vertical compressor like that. I wonder if Frigidaire made that compressor. I'm still waiting to hear back from someone about the number MRA2959 to get a replcmnt number 4 u.
was there also a relay attached to the compressor terminals or was that outside the compressor terminal area? I think that you said that you figured out how to remove the overload by removing the shiny plate that surrounds it. are there any other photos of fridge, like cabinet, information plate, any motor information(FLA, LRA, cal or Kcal or Watts)? We might be able to back into it that way. If there is a relay, are the terminals numbered(1,2,5) or letter ID(L,S,M)?

There is a relay at the bottom of the compressor terminal box. In the first pic you can see the red and the yellow wire leading to the relay. I'll take some moire pics today. There are indeed at least 2 name plates, one of which has an almost illegible Compressor number on it.
Yes, you have to remove the shiny plate, but the screw head is stripped. I'll try to chisel it away or use any other brute-force method to get it out. I guess one screw should be enough to hold the plate in place afterwards.

More pics from T-R:

The Klixon is out! My dad managed to get the crew out, so I could take a close look at the relay and the thermal cutout. The cutout has a screw terminal labeled "1", a spare terminal "2" and a wire link "3". It's a MRA2959. There are 2 patent numbers on it and somethin that looks like "I 60". Could that indicate a temperature?
The relay doesn't have any legible markings on the terminals. I've hardly ever seen a piece of electrics that was documented that badly.

sorry, I was out of town- I will check on that cross reference for the klixon # again. Thermal overloads are rated as a part of originial compressor manufacturer design and are very difficult to match or rate- there's not a lot of info. If I was doing this for a customer, I would not want to "re-engineer" the protector. The application depends both on current draw and temperature of the dome. There are some package units in the US that claim to replace both relay and overload with a *new* solid state relay/overload combination.
Here they are: http://www.supco.com/images/09%20relay%20&%20hardstarts.pdf -- this would be PRO series on bottom of page 9-3 http://www.supco.com/images/09%20relay%20&%20hardstarts.pdf -- this would be URO series on middle of page 9-5

If we can't get a direct match, these might do, I didn't remember if there was a watt or amp rating or maybe even a direct HP rating for the motor. We could back into the HP rating through any of these. Based on the age of the unit, I think it might be worth a try to consider these aftermarket items. SUPCO isn't a bad company. Do you have access to a refrig/hvac supply there? Are you in France?

Hey T-R, I'm going to see my Tecumseh(compressor manufacturer) rep monday, I'll run the number by him too.

Thanks Chi spark!
No, I'm not in France, I'm in Austria, probably that company didn't sell too many of those refrigerators here, so it's extremely hard to get spares. My only idea at the moment is to take the old cutout and all information I have to the "old appliance magician" and ask him for spares. He's known for fixing _anything_, but not cheap. I think he'd even rewind the motor of your kitchen mixer if you asked him to do so. Only it'd probably cost more than a new one.

Whew!
More than five years after the initial post I gave myself a kick up my lazy behind and got a replacement Klixon at a local spares place. Prices vary greatly, one company charges €24, I got mine for 6. Unfortunately these things are out of production and getting increasingly rare. Might even try to put the old fridge back together today!

Wish me luck I still find the screws after 5 years...

The new door gasket is going to be expensive - almost €35.

Finally, the beast will need a fresh coat of paint... somebody (not calling any names ;)) painted the exterior an extremely sick yellowish brown.

I did a little bit of Googling for French classic appliances and found a website owned by a guy who seems to restore and collect old French washing machines. Perhaps you might be able to get some advice from him ?

http://www.lamachinealaver.com/accueil.htm

Wow, thanks! I might ask him a few questions!
The refrigerator runs smoothly after I replaced the Klixon, now it's the power cord, door gasket and exterior paint. I already devised a paint scheme likely close to the original - white with blue accents. I might put the painting aside though and just do the technical stuff needed to make the machine useable.

The compressor is remarkably quiet during operation, our fairly new Electrolux is much louder! My dad even thought it might be an absorber since it's so quiet.

I did some googling too and found an old advertisement on Ebay. The 1962 model range looks similar, but the company logo seems to be different - already looks more modern. The 1959 models look too round and old-fashioned though. The 140l model we have cost 700 francs in 1962, probably a good month's salary! To imagine a door to door salesman convinced a poor old lady of buying this while she didn't even have electricity...

The only essential part that got lost over the past 5 years is the dial knob of the thermostat. I hope it turns up again!

I ran the fridge for just half an hour today and it cooled perfectly! The thermostat switches on and off too, so I guess I won

Old American built refrigerators from the 50's and early 60's were similarily quiet, and much quieter than the brand new ones we buy nowadays. One reason for the quietness is that they didn't have the condensor and evaporator fan motors like modern frost-free fridges do now. Also, I think the old compressors were beefier, in heavier housings which suppressed noise. Its also possible the old compressors ran at slower RPM's than the newer ones. And yes, the old fridges lasted almost forever, it seemed like. The door gaskets were usually the first to go. My mother just recently retired a 1955 Sears Coldspot (Whirlpool) fridge that had been in the basement for years doing duty as an extra fridge. There was nothing wrong with the old machine...she just is getting older and doesn't keep as much food stored as she used to, so she decided she did't need to keep it running anymore.

Hi
I am from India. I have a Frimatic fridge about 35 years old or more. The door has 'Frimatic International' written on it. The markings on the compressor are not very clear. This is what I could decipher. No. 21321452. L INITE HERMATIQUE/ S.A. LIC TECUMSEH. Inside the door there is a small compartment on top with plastic sliding covers. Inside this is a switch with 'Beurre' printed on the label. A few months back the gas leaked because of damage to the freezer compartment and it had to be replaced with a local one and the gas refilled. Cooling was good but the fridge would work for couple of minutes and then the compressor would shut down as required, but it would restart within a minute, before the gas could stabilize. It worked for a few months and then it developed a new problem. the compressor would start as normally and then within 15 to 20 seconds shut down. After that it tries to start but there is heavy knocking. Removing the relay and putting a capacitor (as a starter) gets the fridge working now but it restarts within a minute after shut down. The compressor when connected directly to mains consumes 1.9 Amps on 230volt line. As per one of the 'experts' here the current should be about 1.2. Here in India most have not heard of a Frimatic fridge. No availibility of spares. So any ideas anyone how to rejuvenate this 'relic'. The fridge is a beauty as the cooling is good and the compressor very quite. Need details on the wiring diagram and specs for the compressor.

OK Praveen,
So you are saying that you have a fridge that was more than likely full of Arcton R12 (Freon) filled with a newer gas?
This new gas (could be R22 or R134) runs at higher load pressures than R12 ever did, which could explain the cycling of the compressor, it sounds like it could be going out on High pressure, hence the short cycling of the compressor.

Unless you can get a refrigeration engineer to put some "gauges" on it, to see what is happening with the High and Low Pressure sides of the system, we are flying blind here.

Just a disclaimer here, I am not a qualified Refrigeration Engineer, but I have worked on domestic fridges and gear up to 350kW of cooling in blast chillers during my time as an EC at a slaughter-house.

Hi Mike

Thanks for your response. You could be right on the diagnosis. I will check with the guy who filled the gas. I think freon is now banned here for its ozone 'gobbling' property. So it has to be one of the newer kinds that is inviormentel friendly. If that is the case, I will have to get someone to fill up freon gas and then see the results.
Is it possible to modify/replace the pressure switch to get the results or is that bad for the compressor?

Praveen

Hi Praveen,
If you have a compressor that was running under R12 Freon or even it's nasty cousin R14, there is no way that you can run it with newer gas.
The newer gas mixes R134 and R22 require additional oil that will burn out a compressor in a week or two if they are not designed for it.
There is no such thing as a "drop-in" gas between old refrigeration gear and new stuff.
As I said above, all the new stuff runs at appreciably higher pressures, you wil find that if R22 is put into a R12 system, the system will cycle on the High Pressure Overload, this will eventually kill the Compressor, due to the starting currents, if the start relay doesn't burn out first.

BTW, Welcome to ECN, mate!

Quick news about my fridge: door gasket replaced, runs perfectly! Didn't paint it yet though.

NoFrost appliances only popped up here very recently (1 or 2 years ago), so that's likely not the difference - our Electrolux is more than 8 years old too. Lower RPM and heavier compressor is most likely the real reason.

How long was R12 commonly used in domestic appliances? Our 1991 Liebherr fridge/freezer combo still has R12, quite to my surprise. I thought these refrigerants were banned in the 80s. The name plate even says: "This appliance contains ozone damaging substances!".

Frost free fridges only recently? They have been commonplace since the 1960's here ,but on the other hand you still use starters in fluorescent fixtures too. Rapid start ballasts were replacing them in the 60's too (In all but the smallest & cheapest fixtures).

My 1992 Ford pickup came with R12 in the A/C I suspect by the next year they were using R134A & think appliances would be about the same.

Regarding fluorescent fixtures don't forget the voltage difference. 220/230V fixtures only use a simple choke for a ballast, that wouldn't work on 120V. Besides, manufacturers are trying hard to sell electronic ballasts.

To be honest, I don't look at the appliance market very closely, but I do remember Liebherr (German manufacturer) marketing "NoFrost" as a whole new feature last year, in addition to the built-in ice maker. Remember, most Europeans (city folks) have a supermarket within walking distance and usually live with apartment sized refigerators and (if at all) freezers. US sized refrigerators only popped up very recently and are largely seen as ridiculously huge energy hogs. Different situation, different solutions I'd say.

Hi Mike

Thanks, you have given me some imortant info. I should think that Frimatic used R12 gas, then again I am guessing here. Does this company have a website? Anyways I hope to locate a chap who can provide me with R12 gas and lets see what happens. Will keep you posted.

Thanks for the welcome

Praveen

There is a web site of a company called Frimatic International, but I don't have the slightest idea whether it's still the same company as it isn't based in France but somewhere in Southern America (I vaguely remember Argentina).