Interesting Kelvy Fridge
- Thread starter cadman
- Start date
That is a truly beautiful refrigerator-freezer. If I didn't know better I'd say it was Frigidaire-Made-by-Oldsmobile-a-Division-of-General-Motors.
Well worth repairing for someone who has the means.
Photo for the archives.
Well worth repairing for someone who has the means.
Photo for the archives.
For Someone Inclined to Gamble . . .
It could be something as simple as a loose wire.
Back around 1980 I bought an early 60's Coldspot frost-free bottom freezer model at Goodwill. At the store I plugged it in to check it out and all the fans were running, so I bought it. What I couldn't hear in the store was that the compressor wasn't operating. Fortunately, after getting it home and finding it wasn't cooling, I removed the rear access panel and spotted a wire that had detached from the compressor. The fridge was fully operational within a matter of minutes.
It's a tough call. If I had waited long enough in the store to see if that fridge actually cooled down, I wouldn't have bought it. As it happened, I got my use out of it and then passed it along to my sister, who had it for a number of years after that.
It could be something as simple as a loose wire.
Back around 1980 I bought an early 60's Coldspot frost-free bottom freezer model at Goodwill. At the store I plugged it in to check it out and all the fans were running, so I bought it. What I couldn't hear in the store was that the compressor wasn't operating. Fortunately, after getting it home and finding it wasn't cooling, I removed the rear access panel and spotted a wire that had detached from the compressor. The fridge was fully operational within a matter of minutes.
It's a tough call. If I had waited long enough in the store to see if that fridge actually cooled down, I wouldn't have bought it. As it happened, I got my use out of it and then passed it along to my sister, who had it for a number of years after that.
Has Food-a-rama heritage in it.
IMHO, that'a bit o' mony for a non op.
Wow, what an awesome fridge in a cool color! And it looks to be in nice shape and complete, so for someone close (ie. who doesn't have to ship) it seems a bargain even if not operating... a gamble I would think worth while for someone in the area!
My feelings on old fridges
Slightly off the subject but not really...
I've got a couple fridges and a freezer in the basement and all are manual defrost. All get used for parties and holidays but I could use more refrigerator space. For that reason I'm always looking for a fun vintage fridge. This Kelvy is nice on many different levels. However, I stop for this reason...
A number of years ago I visited a working convent that had a 1970-ish Admiral Custom Imperial that was HUMUNGOUS. To this day I have never seen a larger unit. I longed to have one for myself ever since..
Years later at the Salvation Army, the same green Admiral Custom Imperial showed up. I was drooling over it. However I got to look at the schematic. That refrigerator had a HEATER for EVERYTHING. It has a mullion heater, a defrost heater, a heater this, a heater that.. Clearly the fridge was designed to be the Rolls-Royce of the refrigerator world but it was more of a heater than a fridge.
Moving on... it wasn't the energy consumption that I was concerned with. Rather it was the nature of the inevitable deterioration of the heaters and their housings that worried me. Surely parts were not available. If I were to disconnect the heaters the fridge would likely work as a manual defrost (not bad), but would the unit ever really work correct again?
And so I fix my sights on not-self-defrost refrigerators.
However I am interested in your comments. Am I off-base with my concerns about no-frost heating mechs in vintage fridges. All comments welcome!
Slightly off the subject but not really...
I've got a couple fridges and a freezer in the basement and all are manual defrost. All get used for parties and holidays but I could use more refrigerator space. For that reason I'm always looking for a fun vintage fridge. This Kelvy is nice on many different levels. However, I stop for this reason...
A number of years ago I visited a working convent that had a 1970-ish Admiral Custom Imperial that was HUMUNGOUS. To this day I have never seen a larger unit. I longed to have one for myself ever since..
Years later at the Salvation Army, the same green Admiral Custom Imperial showed up. I was drooling over it. However I got to look at the schematic. That refrigerator had a HEATER for EVERYTHING. It has a mullion heater, a defrost heater, a heater this, a heater that.. Clearly the fridge was designed to be the Rolls-Royce of the refrigerator world but it was more of a heater than a fridge.
Moving on... it wasn't the energy consumption that I was concerned with. Rather it was the nature of the inevitable deterioration of the heaters and their housings that worried me. Surely parts were not available. If I were to disconnect the heaters the fridge would likely work as a manual defrost (not bad), but would the unit ever really work correct again?
And so I fix my sights on not-self-defrost refrigerators.
However I am interested in your comments. Am I off-base with my concerns about no-frost heating mechs in vintage fridges. All comments welcome!
Heaters
As far as I know, modern frost-free models still use heaters, at least to defrost. Those with "energy saver" switches would have a mullion heater as well.
On the Coldspot I referenced above, there was a heater under the floor of the freezer. The floor surface had indentations to route the defrost water over the heated areas and into the drain. Apparently those heaters had a tendency to fail. On both bottom-freezer Coldspots that I've known, the floor heater had either already failed, or failed while I owned it. Sears/Whirlpool came up with a retrofit trough assembly that had its own heater and accomplished the same routing of the water into the drain without having it ever touch the floor.
No doubt on that giant Admiral not all heaters would be as easy to replace.
As far as I know, modern frost-free models still use heaters, at least to defrost. Those with "energy saver" switches would have a mullion heater as well.
On the Coldspot I referenced above, there was a heater under the floor of the freezer. The floor surface had indentations to route the defrost water over the heated areas and into the drain. Apparently those heaters had a tendency to fail. On both bottom-freezer Coldspots that I've known, the floor heater had either already failed, or failed while I owned it. Sears/Whirlpool came up with a retrofit trough assembly that had its own heater and accomplished the same routing of the water into the drain without having it ever touch the floor.
No doubt on that giant Admiral not all heaters would be as easy to replace.
Almost dismissed this as a "First Food-O-Rama"...
I wonder if my grand parents had the space that they would have bought a Side X Side Kelvinator fridge like this instead of their top freezer?
Nice that the newer ones take up a lot less space, use a lot less energy and hold a lot more than this one!
It's nice & hopefully restorable, in an adaptation to modern times...
-- Dave
I wonder if my grand parents had the space that they would have bought a Side X Side Kelvinator fridge like this instead of their top freezer?
Nice that the newer ones take up a lot less space, use a lot less energy and hold a lot more than this one!
It's nice & hopefully restorable, in an adaptation to modern times...
-- Dave
Paul, I know the feeling!
Years ago, I came across a Sears Coldspot side by side from the early 70's, in Avocado. But this was no ordinary side by side. Talk about humongous, this was a full size 'fridge on one side, and a full size freezer on the other. It was sitting on the dock of an appliance store that I was buying appliances from. It was complete, no idea if it worked. I really considered buying it for the $5.00 they wanted, but then thought "what would I ever do with it?"
Still think about that 'fridge, have never seen another one like it.
Years ago, I came across a Sears Coldspot side by side from the early 70's, in Avocado. But this was no ordinary side by side. Talk about humongous, this was a full size 'fridge on one side, and a full size freezer on the other. It was sitting on the dock of an appliance store that I was buying appliances from. It was complete, no idea if it worked. I really considered buying it for the $5.00 they wanted, but then thought "what would I ever do with it?"
Still think about that 'fridge, have never seen another one like it.
firedome
Well-known member
who cares about efficiency
that is one of the coolest looking fridges EVER! Handles right out of Star Trek, and in Outer Space Blue! Wooooooooo Ooooooo Ooo Ooo Ooo Ooo Oooooooooo!
that is one of the coolest looking fridges EVER! Handles right out of Star Trek, and in Outer Space Blue! Wooooooooo Ooooooo Ooo Ooo Ooo Ooo Oooooooooo!
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Wonder....
....What year this was? A vintage ad for the unit is included in the Craigslisting which looks like about '67 through '70, somewhere in there. BTW, the vintage ad does call it a Foodarama, so this could be the last of that line.
Does anyone know if the blue color of this unit is a custom finish, or the seldom-seen Slate Blue color, or just off-color reproduction of turquoise?
....What year this was? A vintage ad for the unit is included in the Craigslisting which looks like about '67 through '70, somewhere in there. BTW, the vintage ad does call it a Foodarama, so this could be the last of that line.
Does anyone know if the blue color of this unit is a custom finish, or the seldom-seen Slate Blue color, or just off-color reproduction of turquoise?
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Incidentally....
....If this fridge actually is Slate Blue, that would put it a bit later than the '67-'70 time frame I posited earlier - Slate Blue was '72 only. And it would be the only evidence I've ever seen that Slate Blue was used by anyone besides Sears and Whirly.
Another oddity would be that it's unshaded - Slate Blue was a shaded color with a light base coat and darker shading at the edges.
Whatever the truth of the color, that is one handsome fridge - that Florentined accent strip on each door is to die for!
P.S.: Those handles look for all the world like the handle on an Electrolux Model 1205, except in chromed metal instead of white plastic.
....If this fridge actually is Slate Blue, that would put it a bit later than the '67-'70 time frame I posited earlier - Slate Blue was '72 only. And it would be the only evidence I've ever seen that Slate Blue was used by anyone besides Sears and Whirly.
Another oddity would be that it's unshaded - Slate Blue was a shaded color with a light base coat and darker shading at the edges.
Whatever the truth of the color, that is one handsome fridge - that Florentined accent strip on each door is to die for!
P.S.: Those handles look for all the world like the handle on an Electrolux Model 1205, except in chromed metal instead of white plastic.
philr
Well-known member
I know someone who had a newer Foodarama with door dispensers.
I think it was a post-AMC product...
I think it was a post-AMC product...
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Ralph:
If you're talking about the blue fridge, the seller posted one with his Craigslisting. No high hair, no gloves - more Gladys Kravitz:
If you're talking about the blue fridge, the seller posted one with his Craigslisting. No high hair, no gloves - more Gladys Kravitz:
Older Frost Free Refigerators
I had one of these Kelvinator SXSs 20+ years ago in avocado, it had the WP built IM in the freezer section. It was a really well built refrigerator but I just didn't have a use for it and it did use a lot of power. I think the practical life span for FF refrigerators is about 30 years and maybe 40 if it is a really good one and it gets light use and good care. FF refrigerators will not last as long as a manual defrost machine and with the exception of the new energy efficient models will always use more power.
Paul I had a customer who had a late 60s Admiral SXS and it had at least 8 heaters in it, but the heaters usually are not the biggest problem with these early SXSs. The biggest problem we see is they run so hard and long and the compressors run so hot that they just do themselves in.
If you know what you are doing you can take many of these older refrigerators and reduce the power consumption in half, I have done this with most of the fridges that I have. The easy thing is to change the defrost timer so it only defrosts 1/2 as often and you can sometimes go far longer than that. 2nd thing we do is replace the condenser fan motor you can often go from 40 watts to as little as 6 watts by switching to one of the newer more reliable electronically controlled motors, you can do the same with the evaporator fan motors inside the freezer. This will usually result in a savings of at least 20 watts, but since this waste heat is inside the refrigerator you are saving almost 60 BTUs of heat the the compressor will not have to move. 3rd we look at the various heaters used inside and outside the refrigerator, some of these can be disconnected altogether others can be wired to only run with the compressor or a switch can be added so you can control them. Since smaller families, air conditioning, and living in the dry Southwest are more common now than when these fridges were built doing this in a smart way will not impact operation. And last we change out the older compressor to the newer capacitor run compressor and this alone can cut over a 100 watts of power draw.
You still will not get it to run as efficiently as a new SXS but it is a good compromise if you like the vintage machine. An older SXs like the Kelvinators pictured easily use four or more times the power of new models, some of these actually can cost $40 per month to operate.
I had one of these Kelvinator SXSs 20+ years ago in avocado, it had the WP built IM in the freezer section. It was a really well built refrigerator but I just didn't have a use for it and it did use a lot of power. I think the practical life span for FF refrigerators is about 30 years and maybe 40 if it is a really good one and it gets light use and good care. FF refrigerators will not last as long as a manual defrost machine and with the exception of the new energy efficient models will always use more power.
Paul I had a customer who had a late 60s Admiral SXS and it had at least 8 heaters in it, but the heaters usually are not the biggest problem with these early SXSs. The biggest problem we see is they run so hard and long and the compressors run so hot that they just do themselves in.
If you know what you are doing you can take many of these older refrigerators and reduce the power consumption in half, I have done this with most of the fridges that I have. The easy thing is to change the defrost timer so it only defrosts 1/2 as often and you can sometimes go far longer than that. 2nd thing we do is replace the condenser fan motor you can often go from 40 watts to as little as 6 watts by switching to one of the newer more reliable electronically controlled motors, you can do the same with the evaporator fan motors inside the freezer. This will usually result in a savings of at least 20 watts, but since this waste heat is inside the refrigerator you are saving almost 60 BTUs of heat the the compressor will not have to move. 3rd we look at the various heaters used inside and outside the refrigerator, some of these can be disconnected altogether others can be wired to only run with the compressor or a switch can be added so you can control them. Since smaller families, air conditioning, and living in the dry Southwest are more common now than when these fridges were built doing this in a smart way will not impact operation. And last we change out the older compressor to the newer capacitor run compressor and this alone can cut over a 100 watts of power draw.
You still will not get it to run as efficiently as a new SXS but it is a good compromise if you like the vintage machine. An older SXs like the Kelvinators pictured easily use four or more times the power of new models, some of these actually can cost $40 per month to operate.
philr
Well-known member
John,
That's true but using these fridges in the cold season will also reduce your heating bills as most of the extra power consumption is transferred into heat!
That's true but using these fridges in the cold season will also reduce your heating bills as most of the extra power consumption is transferred into heat!
When I was a kid I remember seeing a commercial for a fridge that had a port on the bottom for attaching a vacuum cleaner wand and with the hose attached to the exhaust, it would allow the fridge to be moved very easily....was there such a fridge or was I dreaming?
Gary
Gary
philr
Well-known member
Frigidaire did that in the mid-sixties.
This is a '65 14 Cu-Ft. model.
I have a similar 12 cu-ft model also from '65 and I don't think it has that (it's on GM adjustable casters anyway). I think many 1966 models did.
This is a '65 14 Cu-Ft. model.
I have a similar 12 cu-ft model also from '65 and I don't think it has that (it's on GM adjustable casters anyway). I think many 1966 models did.
Thanks. Glad to know that I didn't dream it up.
Gary
Gary
Frigidaire called it Ride-Aire. It would fit on most of the mid 60's model Frigidaire refrigerators. I have a NOS one somewhere.
Its too bad that we cant buy a manual defrost double door model now that is 14-18 cu ft. I had an older GE 14 cu.ft. years ago when this place was seasonal,that had more useable space, I swear, than my present Whirlpool 18 does. And I only had to defrost the GE once a year at the end of the season and it lived on in one of my apartments I rented out. It never raised my power bill. I suppose those that have kids opening the freezer constantly would frost it up a lot, like I did as a kid. But I would not mind defrosting once a year and real shelves, not glass ones that break easily.
Similar threads
