1957 Philco Automatic Refrigerator freezing

[classiccaprice]

Help!

Hey fellas, I've got a 1957 Philco Automatic Refrigerator that works great. In fact, it works too well... freezing items in the refrigerator section. I replaced the thermostat with one from Supco, and while the problem has decreased it hasn't stopped. Any idea on how to keep my refrigerator from freezing?

 

[classiccaprice]

inside with food

 

[classiccaprice]

inside without food

 

[classiccaprice]

freezer section

 

[akronman]

fan

is that an added fan? I have a 56 Hotpoint like this, the old "cold wall" or "Cold plate" style of fridge. When does the fan cycle? Is that your addition?

 

Also, the instructions for mine say to keep food about 3 inches from the walls to allow airflow. Your second shelf looks jammed. Maybe that's what's keeping all the cold up on the top shelf and coldplate, making it freeze?

 

I see the temp bulb is in the freezer section. Maybe try it in the fridge? See if just the right temp setting in the fridge is enough to keep the freezer as it shuold be? I believe most controls from this era sensed the fridge section temp, and assumed the freezer would be ok. Most families open the fridge portion lots more than the freezer, so it's temp is likely more accurate for when the compressor needs to cycle...

 

I'm no pro, I'm just liking this thread because maybe some ideas will help out my ancient fridge when troubles occur. LEt me know about that fan, I like the idea.

 

 

 

[classiccaprice]

Thanks for the ideas... here's more info...

I do appreciate the ideas, keep them coming!

There is no added fan. The only thing I added was the Supco thermostat to attempt to regulate the temperature better. The automatic only turns on and off, and regulates the temperature "automatically," this lead to frozen food where it wasn't supposed to be, so I put in something I could adjust. There is no fan behind the freezer, It looked like there would be, so I took off the back compartment to check and see if it worked. There was only insulation. I think what you are looking at is the blue circular shade for the light bulb. I took this picture while defrosting so I wouldn't get the glare.

Both shelves are in there designed spots. The middle shelf is set to the higher spot to allow for taller foods on the bottom shelf. The picture is at a slight angle. Sorry about that.

The back of the fridge is approx. 3 inches from the back wall of the kitchen, there sadly isn't enough room to allow for the same distance on the sides.

I tried the temperature bulb in the fridge. On the warmest setting, food was freezing in the fridge. I put it up there to try to get it to cut off sooner. It's been a modest success, but still not perfect. Things are still freezing down below, but not as badly.

Thanks again for the ideas. I appreciate the feedback.

 

[akronman]

oh

Yep, I saw the light cover and thought fan, sorry.

 

Sounds like you need a lower range thermostat overall. I have also heard of installing a timer, run the compressor around 2 to 4 minutes out of every 15 minute increment.

 

Thanks for your feedback too, I'll keep watching.

 

[danemodsandy]

Will:

I have no idea how to help you on your freezing problem, but I did want to say how very pleasant it is to see a kitchen with all-vintage major appliances and the original knotty pine cabinets.

Those photos bring back some memories - I remember when many, many kitchens looked very much like yours.

I am really glad to see someone preserving such a space instead of ripping everything out to "create" something that looks like every kitchen on HGTV.

Props to you!

P.S.: Double props - it has been a long time since I've seen a fridge holding a glass pitcher!

 

[westingman123]

Will

The light in my Automatic is recessed and covered next to the on/off switch. Yours looks different. I had an issue with the switch at the bottom front of the door. It bent a bit out of shape and wouldn't turn off all the time. I'm just guessing, but do you think your is on all the time? I'd think that would affect the thermostat.

Just a shot in the dark (or the light), really.

 

[washer111]

Thermostat:

I know in the beauty little Arcus units like this from the early 80's that the temperature prove lived on the freezer, between the evaporator coils on the freezer walls. I don't know how accurate that was, but the fridge would cycle fairly frequently, so I suppose keeping the freezer at temperature would = fridge temperature.

Bear in mind the freeze chest on that unit controlled the temperature of the whole fridge... The Thermostat had 4 positions: "Full Freeze" (Dunno what that did), "Normal," "Vacation" and "Economy." 

 

So perhaps your temperature probe has dislodged? On many cold-plate refrigerators, the thermostat lives inside the cold plate, cycling it off when it reaches the right temperature, and allowing it to get hot enough to defrost, before cycling back on. Have you checked the freeze chest and the cold plate for thermostat probe points?

 

[travis]

It's possible that your original thermostat probe became defective or loose, but you have replaced it.  What happens if you raise the temperature so that the refrigerator section is in the upper 30's to low 40's like normal?

 

Have you placed a thermometer in either the fridge of freezer to see what the temperature actually is?

 

 

 

[goatfarmer]

Make sure the replacement control you've installed, is the type that works with a cycle defrost refrigerator. Does the sensing bulb attach to the freezer section, or the fresh food section?

 

[classiccaprice]

Update:

I defrosted the fridge on Monday, plugged it back up last night, and went to refill it today. I noticed as I was refilling, the inside thermometer said the refrigerator section was at 30 degrees. I also noticed that the supco thermostat was still off from when I turned it right before I unplugged the fridge. I know that it was installed correctly, I asked the advice of an older local repairman and followed it to a "T." I am unsure what happened. Help!

 

[classiccaprice]

I guess improvement was psycological....

Defective thermostat? How can the fridge run with the thermostat turned off?

 

[combo52]

Running REF While Turned Off ?

Either the new TS is bad or it is not wired in correctly, Will is the old thermostat completely disconnected?.

 

[classiccaprice]

The Philco doesn't have a dial to adjust temperature, ju

The older repairman said that it seemed to be stuck on, to take the cover off the switch and hook the connections for the new thermostat up to the spades connecting to that switch. It seemed to work better when I first did it, but again I think it was psycological. Did he tell me wrong or do I have a defective unit?

 

[swestoyz]

Sounds like you now have two thermostats running the fridge - the on/off switch was probably providing power to a set thermostat else where in the refrigerator.  Now that an adjustable thermostat has been installed in place of the on/off switch, the original is still controlling the climate when the supplemental (newer) thermostat is providing power.

 

I'd try to find the original thermostat in the refrigerator and remove it from the circuit.  The repair guy probably figured this fridge worked like almost all other fridges and didn't realize the switch was simply an on/off switch.

 

This is just a hunch.

 

Ben

 

[eronie]

thermostat

there is an adjustable thermostat! its hidden behind the on/off switch plate! i have one similar to this fridge and the door opens both ways!

 

[classiccaprice]

olie-olie-oxen-free

I took off the panel for the switch again (excuse the silicon on the side of the fridge). All I have is insulation. The wire goes back into the fridge, but I can't access what it goes to. Where is this hiding adjust adjustable thermostat which you speak of? I didn't see it when I went behind the freezer. How do you get to it without taking the whole fridge apart?