"Hello, is your refrigerator running?"

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turquoisedude

turquoisedude

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Aug 8, 2007
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Ah, yes, the classic crank call made by brats like myself in the days before call display or even '*69'.... Yes, the response would usually be 'yes' and the crank caller would then reply, 'Well, you'd better catch it, then'.

This weekend, if anyone was foolish enough to have tried this phone prank on me would have gotten the following reply:

"YES!! It's running!! The son of a sea cook is running! I got the condensor fan rewired, and with the new resistor, I just hooked that sucker up and BAM! The freaking compressor started right up! I mean, holy s**t! It's working! It sounds normal and it seems to be cooling just fine! Far out!!"

turquoisedude++10-14-2012-21-30-15.jpg
 
So in case it wasn't clear in that previous post, I finally got the original 1956 GE LW11 wall refrigerator in Ogden working again! I still can't figure out the why and how behind it, but the two-phase fan motor and resistor are what make that machine run. I left it running overnight Saturday and the refrigerator cycled on and off normally and kept consistently cold temperatures. I had the smoke detectors on 'MAX', but no smoke or flames appeared! I'll keep it running this week (my neighbour, Cyndi, is checking the house and keeping the fire department on speed-dial...) but if all goes well, the LW-11 will resume it's role as stylish kitchen refrigerator. Keep your fingers crossed!

 
That thing is really cool!

When you say two-phase motor do you mean 240V? Any chance you could share a schematic of this? Usually, there is a starting capacitor for single phase motors (and 120V and 240V motors are considered single phase motors), but three-phase motors usually have a different starting scheme.
 
Those old GEs were kinky. One 'phase' of the fan motor was a leftover from the compressor. Like they sat around asking "how complicated can we possibly make this?".
 
Those commercials come on cable, "is your computer running slow?" and I can't help answer "then you better catch it".

Now, do you have Sir Walter Raleigh in a can?
 
Hurrah!

Paul, you are amazing. I'm so glad you got her running, I know she's a favorite of yours. Tenacity pays off again!

Tim, around here we always hear Prince Albert in a can, too. My favorite uncle rolled his own cigarettes with P.A. all his long life. I loved that smell.
 
Paul,

I think you mentioned you had acquired another GE wall fridge and also had one held for you somewhere in the midwest. What will you do with those?

If your kitchen is large enough you could have 2 of them and double your storage capacity.

Congrats on getting this amazing refrigerator running again.

Patrick
 
One of the disadvantages of not living full-time in Ogden is that it is impossible to know if there's a problem with a vintage appliance like, oh I don't know, a wall refrigerator when you're gone for the week...
Well, when we pulled up the drive on Friday night, the house was a: still standing and b: the power was still on... When we got in, I was delighted to find the GE LW11 still running and maintaining a nice steady temperature.
On Saturday, I transferred all the food back into it and popped the access panel back into place. Oh, how I missed having this fridge up and running again!!

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Presto-Chango-Rearrango!

So, the 62 Frigidaire Cycla-Matic got moved down to the basement where it will now serve as our bar fridge. Hubby had been against this, but he came around...
It will be sooo nice to have an extra fridge for entertaining, too!

turquoisedude++10-21-2012-20-58-31.jpg
 
And what to ok its place? Nothing less than the 61 Whirlpool dishwasher... The kitchen looks great and oh yeah, I am thrilled that the fridge is back up and running!

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GE Wall Referigerator Running again

Yay, We knew you could do it.

 

GE used these dual winding condenser fan motors on many refrigerators in the late 1940s-1950s, the advantage was higher starting force and lower power consumption once it was running. these dual winding fan motors drew about 31 watts while the single winding motors drew about 46 watts, = savings 15 watts enough to run a 100 watt equivalent CFL light bulb. Today's refrigerators use little ECM motors that only consume about 5 watts and as a result run completely cool. I have converted all my older refrigerators to these newer fan motors, I was trying to get Paul to put one in this refrigerator as these newer motors will last longer than these old hot running motors ever did.
 
The '61 Whirlpool looks so much more at home in that spot than the Frigidaire did.  Great job on the GE!
smiley-cool.gif
 
I don't know - I could fill a room with all the failed "little ECM motors that consume 5 watts and run completely cool" that I have changed in the last 10 + years. The evap motor in my 2005 Maytag bottom freezer made it a whole 10 months before it stopped. Lost a lot of food so I'm happy to pay for the extra electricity that the new(old style) motor has used for the past 6 years trouble free.
 
Before I forget

I managed to locate not one but two potential replacements for the 56 GE wall refrigerator - one of them is still avaialable in Minnesota - if anyone is interested, please contact me and I will let the seller know. This one is white, and I believe it is a 1957 model.

AND... there is ia turquoise 1957 model sitting in my own garage (with a seething hubby urging me to find a new home for it - I cleaned up his direct quote considerably!) For this one, please contact me and I'll send you the directions to Ogden... LOL
 
Yee-Haw!

Congrats, Paul! Ain't it grand when a repair works? I'm always pleased as punch (and a litle surprised)!

Time for a GE breakfast?
 
Repair-man

I too have replaced at least 100 of the ECM motors in the field over the past ten years, and probably 1000 of the older style motors over the past 30 years. it is really hard to know the actual durability of either type motor and I have often said the worst person to ask is an appliance repairman about durability. All I know is I have two frost free freezers and two frost all refrigerators in my kitchen and that equals 8 ECM motors humming away now for several years and have had no failures. Over the past 10 years I have cut my electricity use in 1/2 by doing this and many other things around the house without giving up one bit of comfort or convince. As a result I am saving around $1000 per year, so if one of these years I actually have one fail in my home I think I can afford to replace it.

 

After all it is not up to the government to make this country energy independent, I believe in doing things for yourself and the country and the world.
 
I would love to have one of these refirgerators! But I think they are about 3 inches wider than the space I have. I'm trying to keep my kitchen in the spirit of the 19th century, and I really want to put the refrigerator in the large pantry, but I will only have 60-61" of space, and I thought these were 63"

Wes
 

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