HELP! GE LH-12 refridgerator not cooling properly and running constantly.

[oldschoolmeg]

I've been testing the juice in a pickle jar in the fridge regularly and it started off at 35 deg and this morning it was 37 deg. I have an expensive thermapen instant-read so I'm confident that my measurements are correct. I'm thinking now a leak just because if it was left alone overnight it should've at least been the same temp or lower in that pickle jar. I've been keeping a stick thermometer in the freezer compartment to keep up with temp there. I don't have any ice cream or anything like that in there at the moment. It was staying around 20 deg every time I checked that.

I've asked some other people on a thread and they acted like replacing the compressor with a modern one was downright sacrilegious. But maybe they are a little biased. Whatever is best I will do. I am a little skeptical of putting an equally likely to fail older compressor back in this unit.

John--are you suggesting retrofitting a new compressor onto this? Along with replacing the need for R-12 with R-134? Like I said, I have no apprehensions to a complete retrofit or replacing with a similar older model, as long as it works and continues to for a long time.

 

[neptunebob]

I am surprised here...

About how lax some people here are about refrigerants, especially R12, which is supposed to be banned.  I was trained that an intentional release of refrigerants by a technician can result in a $25,000 fine from the EPA and a possible jail sentence.  Do you really want to take the chance of having to take group showers with Bubba?

 

A licensed and certified technician will recover all refrigerants and diagnose and repair the leak once and for all.  If that is not possible, then the refrigerant should be recovered, a sticker placed on the unit, and then the appliance can be recycled and disposed of.

 

Meg, replacing a compressor is not unheard of, you would just have to find a technician willing to do so.  There is at least 1 thread where someone replaced the system in 1966 GE refrigerator.  Good luck!

 

Oh, and a new compressor is likely to be of another brand like Techumseh or Embraco, GE had a scandal with compressors wearing out back in the 80s.

 

[oldschoolmeg]

Bubba

"Do you really want to take the chance of having to take group showers with Bubba?"
This actually made me laugh out loud! I appreciate your concern for me and the people on here, and quite frankly, the environment. Being a millennial or gen z (not sure which one honestly) I am concerned about mishandling R-12 myself. However, I am not willing to throw away this fridge just yet. I do plan on trying everything possible to get this thing running right. Do you by any chance have the link to this compressor overhaul thread?

 

[neptunebob]

Try thread 84642

There is also another longer thread about it that is earlier that explains more.  Do you have an EPA certification and the equipment to go into a sealed system.  Remember, there is only one place more stressful than a men's prison - a prison for women!

 

[oldschoolmeg]

Members only post?

It doesn’t seem like I can access the older threads on here. Thread # 84642 must be older. Is that a members only feature to be able to access these older posts? I don’t plan on doing any retrofitting myself. Im going to try to find a tech or HVAC person do it.