My General Electric Refrigerator/Bottom Mount Freezer. P1

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Success!

 

 

 

The compressor is running! I used the ubiquitous Supco 3 'n 1  starter/relay. Amp draw is around 4.0. Normal draw should be 5.6. I imagine the amp draw is lower because only the relay is connected to the compressor.

 

 

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Now...

 

 

Can someone tell me what is this? It was located right next to the old starter/relay. One of the broken leads goes to the compressor fan.

 



 

And this? Some sort of pig tail? The bottom 2 wires are the power cord.

 



 

I need to splice in some new wiring, but before I cut, I need to know what is what.

 

 

 

[spacepig]

Louis, thanks for keeping us updated on your fridge. Glad to hear you were able to get the compressor running. Jeannine

 

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Thanks Jeannine!

 

 

I am sorting out the final wiring now.

 

[turbokinetic]

Hi Louis! That's great news. That round thing with the broken terminal looks like the motor's overload breaker. The Supco device has its own breaker in it so that one will not be necessary.

Is that "pigtail" piece what broke off the overload breaker?

 

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Because I am using the 3'n1, I must find out where certain wires will go now.

 

This is the secondary relay that was located right next to the plug-in relay on the compressor: The numbers are to keep track of what wire went where originally.

 



 

Notice tab #2 on relay seemed to have broken off. However I cannot find a wire that would had gone there.

 

#1 and  #2 wires go to the power cord.

 



 





 

 

 

 

 

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And here is the plugin relay that was substituted with the 3 'n 1:

 

Notice #3 wire tab has broken off as well.



 

#3 wire is the pigtail that comes off the power cord.



 

UPDATE: <span style="color: #000000;">John (Combo52) has informed me there never was a #3 tab on the relay. So where would the #3 wire go to?</span>

 

 

#4 wire goes to the condenser fan.



 

Other images of the plugin relay.





[this post was last edited: 4/27/2019-19:12]

 

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Hi Dave! I believe the #3 wire snapped off the plugin relay. So the wires that are no longer necessary for the overload relay, do I just cap them? There are a lot of bare wires where the insulation had just crumbled off. I've never seen such bad wiring.

 

[combo52]

There Is Hope

Regarding reply #30, 4 amps is about right, 5 or 6 would be too high except under extreme operating conditions.

 

Plug the ref in and let the compressor run for a while and see if it starts to cool on the freezers evaporator and the condenser should get pretty or even hot to the touch as well, if so you have a good chance it still has a decent R-12 charge in it.

 

John

 

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Thanks John!

 

 

Now where do I connect the condenser fan's #4 wire?

 

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Well, good news and bad news...

 

 

First the good news. It's cooling like nobodies business!

 

The bad news, the condenser fan will not come on.

 

I capped two wires that originally went to the overload relay. I am curious, what is the white arrow pointing to? One of the capped wires originated from there.



 

[this post was last edited: 4/29/2019-09:28]

 

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And the dead fan.  It was removed, cleaned and oiled. I hooked it up directly, and it tested fine. Placement of the starter relay and wiring is only temporary.

 



[this post was last edited: 4/29/2019-09:34]

 

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I ran the fridge (sans condenser fan) for about 20 minutes. The compressor was getting noisier and you can smell a hot odor, not burning, but when something is getting too hot. Temperature in the refrigerator section dropped from 78F to 60F in that time period. There is no evaporator fan in the freezer section since I am still waiting for a replacement motor (supposedly arriving today). Regardless the freezer was getting cold. Amp usage hovered around 4.6. If anything, it seems the refrigerator still has a good charge in it.

[this post was last edited: 4/29/2019-09:42]

 

[turbokinetic]

Hey that valve with the arrow appears to be the hot-gas defrost valve. It is similar to a reversing valve on a heat-pump where it sends pressurized refrigerant in the reverse direction, to the evaporator, to melt the frost.

These compressors are known for wearing out, so please give it some cooling air. These really aren't meant to run for any amount of time w/o a fan.

EDIT: As for the hot smell, the Supco start device uses a heat-operated starting circuit cut-out device. It is a solid-state device made of a ceramic material which becomes less conductive when hot. The current passing through it heats it up, and after a predetermined amount of time, it becomes effectively an open circuit. The device stays extremely hot while the compressor is running, and may smell a little when new. It's called a PTC thermistor, by the way.

 

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Hey Dave! Thanks for your input. So the hot gas defrost valve had a wire going to a relay that has now been removed (because of the 3'n1). Is it OK to leave that wire capped? Or does it need to be connected somewhere else?

 

[combo52]

Hot Gas Defrost valve Wiring

Hi Louis, this part still must be wired to the refs wiring harness for he ref to fully work properly

At this point try to get a wiring diagram for this ref, this will help a lot.

John

 

[kenwashesmonday]

I don't believe it's been mentioned that, once you get the condenser fan running, it's very important to replace the cardboard rear cover or it will overheat.

 

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Hi John! Yeah I was afraid of that. Even though there is one wire (blue) that is connected. running through the back of the refrigerator. I sorta' suspected that other wire needed to be placed as well. Now, to find a wiring diagram for this model. I suspect this will be a daunting task.

 

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Hi Ken!

 

 

Thanks! I am aware of the importance of putting back the cover. The cover helps keep the airflow towards the compressor and condenser.

 

[searsbest]

GE Bottom mount

Louis, it was an absolute pleasure to help you rescue those appliances! Glad to see that refrigerator come back to life!

 

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Thanks Scott!

 

 

I owe it all to you buddy!

 

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The condenser fan is working (loose connection, DOH!).

 

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In addition, the NOS freezer evaporator fan has been installed and working.

 

I covered up the back, and it's cooling. We'll see where we are in awhile.

 

Here's a close-up of the hot gas defrost valve. No luck in finding a wiring schematic for this model so far. The wire that was capped went to the overload relay.

 

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After an hour of operation...

 

 

Temperature in refrigerator section has dropped to 38F. Freezer is ice cold. As I feared, the compressor has not cycled off yet. I really need to resolve the the hot gas defrost valve issue.

 

Anyone have any idea where that wire would go?

 

Or perhaps it is the defrost timer?

[this post was last edited: 5/2/2019-05:46]

 

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OK, I raised the thermostats in the refrigerator and freezer sections. The evaporator fans turned off. Temp in refrigerator section now reads 44F. However the condenser fan is still on, and I think the compressor is still running. AMP. draw is 4.1. 

 

[turbokinetic]

In agreement with John, it sounds like a wiring diagram is in order for you!

Probably the broken wire to the defrost valve was a neutral connection.

I believe that the defrost system was actuated by a timer and cycled off by temperature. If the defrost valve never shifts over, the compressor will keep running. This is because the temperature switch to end the defrost cycle will never change state and allow the timer to move past defrost.

If the fans in the cabinet are both stopped that would possibly indicate this is your issue.

Again hopefully a wiring diagram can be found.

I love the style of this one, just don't have experience with anything this "new" LOL!

 

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Hi Dave!

 

 

What if I reconnected that capped wire to the original overload relay?

 

G.E. Guardette 3ARG1C28

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[this post was last edited: 5/2/2019-06:26]

 

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Well I reconnected the wires to the Guardet overload relay (using new wires), annnd nothing. Compressor and condenser fan do not cycle off. Still cooling fine, evaporator fans cycle on and off. Bad overload relay? Something else?

 

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Oh boy!

 

 

It just keeps getting better and better. Both evaporator fans have stopped working. Refrigerator temp at 60F and rising. Freezer still cold. Ice frozen solid, not melting. Compressor and condenser fan are still on. AMP. draw is 4.0.

 

[turbokinetic]

So frustrating!

Hope a wiring diagram can be found!

 

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John suggested something is miswired with the 3 'n 1. Here we go again. How I wish I could find the schismatic.