Mr Draper, your General Electric Frost Guard Refrigerator is here...

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So far, so good. It's been running for about 2 hours. The refrigerator section is COLD. Frost continues on the coils. Freezer fan is working and freezer is working normally. That very warm draft I felt coming out of the grill originally has been replaced with a much cooler, strong breeze. If anything, that vacuuming of the coils certainly increased airflow greatly.

 



[this post was last edited: 9/22/2017-23:41]

 

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After 90 minutes, almost frozen solid. When I open the freezer drawer, the freezer fan stops.

 

 

[rp2813]

Looks good, Louie!

A thick accumulation of dust and cat hair on the condesner killed the compressor on my sister's refrigerator.  I don't think she ever vacuumed under there.  Maybe that's all your fridge needed.

 

I agree that there's no way to remove all of the dust from the condenser with a vacuum or a brush.  The crevice tool is limited in where it can reach, and there are areas that can't be cleaned even with a brush that's supposedly designed for this purpose.  I do what I can, every six months to a year, and that seems to be enough.   Not just on the '57 Combination, but also the '09 KA, which supposedly doesn't require vacuuming, but I do it anyway. 

 

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I'm hopeful Ralph. However, I haven't noticed the compressor cut out yet. The frost continues to accumulate. I hope it's doesn't go back to what it was doing originally. Perhaps my moving the refrigerator back up vertically jogged some loose connection somewhere.

 

[rp2813]

Check it in the morning.  I realize it's already morning, but you know what I mean.  Big frost free fridges can run for quite a while to get cabinet temperatures down to normal.   My '57 Combo accumulates far more frost on the serpentine coil after it has been shut down for defrosting than it does during normal operation.

 

Having said that, the latest behavior you've described seems to implicate the cold control.  They were the weak link in GE refrigerators from this period.

 

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Still cooling like nobodies business. A LOT of condensation water in tray.

 

[rp2813]

Well then, it must be stopping for the defrost cycle at least.  But is it cycling off in between defrosts? 

 

This could be tough to figure out if the problem comes and goes.   If the fans are working properly, the cold control might be suspect.  Maybe there's just a loose wire?

 

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It's defrosting normally, and yes, it cycled off.  Loose wire, cold control?

 

 

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Still working fine.

 

 

I decided since it was empty to give a good cleaning.

 

 

[rp2813]

It sure sparkles!  I'd want to keep that thing running too -- if the door swung the opposite way.

 

[mayfairpink]

Beautiful! What do you use to clean the interior? Thanks.

 

[Ultramatic]

Thanks Hue!

 

 

Nothing special to clean it with. Any good spray cleanser will do. I use 409 and a small brush to get into the joints and corners.

 

[Ultramatic]

Still working fine.

 

 

My dad had mentioned that if the coils were extremely dirty, that would had an effect on cooling, thus the compressor would overheat and cycle on and off continuously. As for the heavy frost build-up on the coils, it seems there is an issue with the cold control, but more like something loose. Anyway it seems to had resolved itself, for now. I cleared the drain tube of the coils in the refrigerator section with a stiff wire. It was clogged with some sort of chalky material. Now the water drains normally.

 

A few pic's of the rear of the refrigerator. The water intake for the self filling ice trays seems to have never been connected. I'd LOVE to have this feature operational, but I am missing the ice tray self in the freezer.

 







[this post was last edited: 9/24/2017-22:54]

 

[rp2813]

If only I had known.  About a year ago there was a yellow GE bottom freezer sitting curbside for a few weeks not far from me.  It had the ice feature, and IIRC, the shelf was there.  The fridge was in really bad shape and stunk to high heaven; too far gone to bring back and there was no way of knowing if it even ran.   More of a project than I could take on.

 

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Damn. No worries Ralph. Perhaps John may have one? Calling John!

 

It would had been nice if my GE had the second roll out basket in the freezer. I guess it was not available on the smaller models.

 

 

 

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Since the original pic's were deleted...

 

 

 





 

Automatic ice tray filler spout and one of the guides for the missing shelf.

 

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Time to finally replace the cold control. Is this the part number, L3 012?

 





 

Thanks in advance guys.

 

[combo52]

No

Hi Louie, the Pt# would start with WR like all parts for GE refs.

 

Best way to get correct Pt# is to look it up from the Model #.

 

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Hey John! Thanks will do!

 

[Ultramatic]

Model TC474YD W

 

 

 

 



[this post was last edited: 1/23/2018-04:56]