Hooking up the '47 GE Fridge

[sudsmaster]

Cleared away enough stuff to get to the '47 (just a guess as to date.. will have to check with GE for exact vintage) GE refrigerator. Hooked it up to a wattmeter and set it to cooling.

I was a bit worried because a co-worker said the seals might have dried out and let all the refrigerant escape. But after three or so hours, the temp got down to 35F, which is very good.

Still letting it equilibrate before I estimate the yearly power consumption. I'm thinking of replacing the modern KA top freezer in my patio kitchen with this one.

 

[sudsmaster]

Here's the pic

Taken a few months ago. The exterior needs sanding/painting, and the door gasket needs to be replaced. Other than that, it seems to work fine!

 

[polkanut]

I'd say go for it.

 

[frontaloadotmy]

suds

My Grandmother got a GE refer of that style in 1950, (brand
new). I believe she got some life insurance money, or similar
type settlement when my Uncle was killed in a car wreck. It's
still cooling away in the kitchen in Sierra City, Ca. Yes,
the door gasket is quite brittle and cracked, but it's the "daily driver".

 

[jasonl]

My grandpa had both that size and the smaller "Spacemaker" size from 1948. He gave the big GE to my cousin and kept the small GE in operation up until Hurricane Katrina.

 

[kenwashesmonday]

There are no seals to let the freon out, it's a sealed system. The motor is inside the compressor so there is no fan-belt and no seals. The sealed system was invented by GE back when the Monitor-Top fridges came out (late 20s?).

If the evaporator (the freezer) freezes all the way to the last coil, the compressor is good and there is no leak.

Ken D.

 

[sudsmaster]

Ken and company,

Thanks a bunch for that info!

The watt meter is estimating that this fridge uses about 430 kWH/year. That is competitive with modern energy efficient fridges, so from an energy cost standpoint, it is a "go". Of course the fridge capacity is much less than that of the 22 cu ft KA top freezer this would replace, but on the other hand I have a 15 cu ft chest freezer right next to it that can take over the freezer portion of the chores.

Certainly it would look much better right next to the '57 KA dishwasher.

I will be checking to see which coils have frost on them. I've been avoiding opening the fridge in order to get a good undisturbed energy reading for at least 24 hours.

And I think I have located a replacement gasket that will work well for this fridge.

 

[sudsmaster]

Last night I went out to the carport to turn off the power to the GE... power consumption testing being over and all. Before I did, I checked the coils and they were all nicely coated with a thin layer of frost. So it looks like the unit works great.

As soon as I can I will be restoring the outer finish and door gasket, and then moving it into the patio kitchen to replace the modern KA top freezer. Not sure what I'll do with the modern one, at this point.

 

[jasonl]

Want the coldest Cokes in town? Put some cans of Coke in the little drawer under the freezer. Talk about COLD and refreshing!

 

[gansky1]

That is a beautiful refrigerator, you will really like it when it's in use. Your energy usage may vary depending on the load, room temps, etc. but the 56 Frigidaire that I have in the garage is a miser compared with the 1987 Sub-Z in the kitchen!

I think these older units are a more "solid" cold than the newer fan-forced boxes - there is nothing like a can of soda or beer that has been chilled by a vintage refrigerator.

 

[launderess]

Was thinking about just that fact last night!

Growing up remember the old time fridges with lots of metal, and porcelian over metal, then realised they for the most part did not have "fans". Rather the units were simply a better "ice box" in that the units themselves cool/froze and chilled the air inside (simple explination I know).

IMHO this method is far more energy efficient and gives better results. In as much that these units once reached temp would stay that way longer, unlike today's models when just opening the door for more than a several seconds causes the fan/cooling to start. There is a reason old fashioned morgues, daries, etc had lots of marble and other materials that acted like heat sinks; they provide more cooling bang for the buck.

L.

 

[foraloysius]

Most fridges overhere still don't have a fan, only the more fancy ones have it. And yes, most of the fridges with a fan use more energy.

 

[panthera]

I think

well, it hurts, but I try - anyway, I *believe* part of the reason "modern" refrigeration is less efficient is simply a question of bad design.
The older units were built by engineers - the modern ones by young, dynamic marketing idiots.
If an engineer were able to design and build a fridge today, it would certainly be at least as good - if not better than the stuff we know from the '30s to about 1975 or so.
The fan based units frequently need those fans to compensate for their atrocious design. The heat which has been removed from the inside of the case needs to be dissipated as quickly as possible. This is just not possible when the coils are just a few loops of copper sitting next to the compressor in a partition under the refrigerator.
The "flowing cold" Frigidaire system used a fan in the cabinet and it was quiet and efficient; but it had enormous coils to dissipate the heat on the back...
I am told (but don't believe it) that part of the problem is the less efficient coolants now being used. I suspect this is more a case of the manufacturers being too lazy to optimize the rest of the system for them.

 

[sudsmaster]

This '47 GE actually has the coils under the main compartment with the compressor, prsumably with a fan to draw air across the coils. The entire unit is quite compact - even counter-depth if you will. No coils sticking out of the back.

My observation from looking at Energy Guide labels and such is that the biggest consumer of watts in a modern fridge is the automatic defrost mechanism. Older fridges like this one don't have such mechanisms, and so don't waste watts trying to melt ice while everything else is kept cool. On the other hand, energy will be expended re-cooling the fridge after a manual defrost is performed. On the other hand, as I recall, manual defrost periods allowed for a thorough cleaning of the interior, something that may not be done enough with modern frost-free units.

Additionally, the freezer compartment on this one is relatively small, perhaps just one cubic foot, vs. the five or more cubic feet devoted to the freezer compartment on a modern fridge.

Finally, the walls of this fridge are a lot thicker, and contain much more insulation, than those on modern thin-wall fridges. I understand that modern mfg's have gone to solid foam insulation instead of fiberglass, in order to save room and allow thinner walls, but this is sometimes with mixed results (on my modern KA top freezer, the solid sprayed-in insulation foam has shrunk, causing the outer walls of the fridge to bow inwards. Makes the curved stainless doors look all dented in). Modern solid foam also transmits noise better, so modern fridges may be louder than their fiberglass insulated predecessors.

PS-There was a genuine 20's era GE Monitor-top refrigerator being given away on the SF Bay Area Craig's list over the weekend... of course it went quickly. Not sure if the owner was aware just how much those can be worth!

What I like about this fridge is the retro look, of course. I don't think it will save much energy vs. the current modern one, which uses about 500 kWH/year (rated so, at least), and has been largely trouble-free (no defrosting needed).