My General Electric Refrigerator/Bottom Mount Freezer. P1

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It's working beautifully. Refrigerator temperature is 37F @ #5 on the thermostat. Freezer ice trays have all set and it's cycling correctly. Did I mention it's whisper quiet?

 

David, I can't thank you enough. Your expertise saved yet another vintage refrigerator. Man, you're on a roll!

 

I also want to thank wholeheartedly John (Combo52), for all his advice and help.

 

A big thank you to Jeannine for the schematics.  And thanks everyone for their advice and encouragement.  Next stop, COSTCO!

 

BTW, David, yes, I had removed a large, one piece fiberglass mat from the back of the refrigerator in order to see where the wiring was going. It was far easier to remove than to put back! I'll post a few more pictures of the compressor compartment before I button it up.

 

[turbokinetic]

Glad it's working correctly for you!

The real test will be after a few weeks to see that it's defrosting correctly as well. I believe you have it connected right so that if the defrost control is good, it will work.

John L also got me interested in these fridges, to a degree where I notice threads with folks asking for help with them. Without his info on the defrost control, I would probably not have got John G's fridge fixed; and therefore would not have had the experience to assist you remotely.

 

[combo52]

Yay, Another GE Frost Guard Refrigerator Saved

Yay Louie and David, you got it going, A big Thank You to David who has more patience than I do, It is often harder for me to explain something to some one else. I knew once you got the compressor to run with the 3-in-1 relay that this ref would be OK, by this time period these GE refs were pretty bulletproof.

 

As David suggested put all insulation back and be sure the black metal rear cover is sealed perfectly to the cabinet, even tiny air leaks will cause problems in time with frost and moisture in the insulation. Probably fresh new soft Permagum is the best choice.

 

John L.

 

[spacepig]

Louis,

So glad that it appears to be up and running as it should be. Fingers crossed that it will go on to live a long life.

This has also reaffirmed for me that I need to get at least a couple of my guys up to David, or convince him that he needs an all expenses paid trip to Florida for a few days--lol.

 

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Hey thanks for the suggestion of Permagum John. I was wondering what I was going to use to reseal the back panel.

 

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Final reassembly of rear panels.

 



 

Yes, that is a trash bag. Because the rear panel was not sealed properly, the fiberglass insulation was damp. After drying it out, as a extra measure, I added the plastic to protect the insulation. As John suggested, I applied Permagum to seal the rear panel tightly againt the refrigerator back.





 

Supco 3 and 1 starter relay in it's permanent location, wiring tidied up.





 

All buttoned up.

 

[turbokinetic]

Awe yeah that looks very good! The new permagum really will help minimize the frost buildup, as well!

 

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Freezer is registering 40F. Ice is melting. It was fine this morning. I hear it clicking, as like starting then stopping. The refrigerator section seems to be OK. Defrost timer? Low refrigerant? Dying compressor? Don't quit on me now Spacemaker.

 

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I spoke with David, seems like I got the relay in a starting loop by not waiting 5 minutes to plug in the refrigerator again. I'm unplugging it now and will wait 10 minutes in order for it to reset. If that doesn't work, I'll need to reorder another 3'n1.

 

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Bummer.

 

 

No dice. The 3n'1 has failed. Just ordered a new one.

 

[turbokinetic]

Frustrating!

These 3-in-1 devices and other Supco start devices are supposed to be equipped with a specially calibrated overload breaker. It is designed to have a long reset time. If the overload trips, it should stay off for at least 5 minutes. This is to allow for the start device to reset; and for pressure to equalize in the compressor. If it tries to restart too soon, it will not be able to start. Louis's overload was cycling off and on every few seconds and not allowing any time to reset.

 

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Take two...

 

 

New Supco 3n'1 installed. Started up fine. Amp draw is a steady 4.7. We'll see in a few hours.

 

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Currently temperature in refrigerator section is 31F @ the #7 setting. Ice in the freezer is rock solid. It is cycling normally. So far so good.

 

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[ozzie908]

I have to ask

How its grounded on a 2 core flex?

Is it on a separate wire or just not grounded?

Austin

 

[combo52]

The 3-in-1 relay is in a plastic housing and does not require grounding, the compressor is grounded along with the rest of the refs cabinet.

 

Hi Louie, I am concerned about the amp draw, is 4.7 for the entire ref or just the compressor ?, 4.7 is pretty high for even this old compressor.

 

John L.

 

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Hi John. It's for the entire refrigerator when the compressor is on. According to the tag, the refrigerator is rated for 5.8 amp draw.

 

[turbokinetic]

Glad that the new start device solved the problem. I have a feeling the original could have been a knock-off.

 

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I read somewhere that Amazon was having issues with vendors selling knockoffs. Nevertheless I sent a complaint about the failed starter-relay and gave it a bad review.

 

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Still working flawlessly...

 

 

So I decided to give the interior a deep clean. However, I am having trouble removing the glass shelf over the vegetable bins. I see no screws or tabs. Any suggestions?

 

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[combo52]

Removing crisper cover etc

 

It just pulls out, lifts up etc, they often get stuck with years of sticky spills etc, poor lots of really warm water all around the cover and this should loosen it up.

 

John L.