My New GE Combination Custom Fridge

[mandorob]

Hello,
I just got this fridge for $25, we had to get it down from a second floor apartment which took about an hour but actually was fairly painless. The owner said he plugged it in and it got cold, but it hadn't been in use for ten years. I had great success with the old Maytags and with forum help I have a matching washer and dryer up and running. Figured I'd do the same with the fridge.
It is in decent condiion, door seal appears new, but the freezer seal is very dry and cracked. Most of the paint will rub out OK, but a repaint is not out of the question. Pretty small freezer so I don't know about practicality. I plan to fire it up tommorrow and see if she cools and how she sounds. I plan to put a grounded cord on her at the very least and locate a freezer seal.
I can't seem to find any info on this so any input would be appreciated regarding things to look out for, manuals, specs,etc.
Here are some exterior pics and more info soon after the initial fire-up.
Serial 4DR00646
Model LM-100
Thanks,
Rob

 

[rp2813]

Nice looking fridge

I didn't realize that GE used the term "Combination" for their single door refrigerators.   Is the bottom kick plate missing or has it just been removed? 

 

In case you haven't seen it yet (see thumbnail to the right of the forum choices at the top of this page), our webmaster has another site devoted to product literature and manuals.  I didn't see your model listed there, but have provided a link to what's currently available on GE refrigerators.  The 1956 material may come close.

Refrigerator/Freezer Library at Automatic Ephemera

 

[mandorob]

Thanks, I have seen the other site with manuals. doesn't seem to have the right one though. I'm not sure of the date but perhaps late 40's? I do have the kickplate it just wasn't installed in the pictures. The only things missing are the drawers and one bracket for the kickplate.
Fired it up today and it is very quiet, got down to around 0 on the freezer and 35 in fridge with the dial on 9. I'm not sure where these numbers are supposed to be but they seem reasonable and I'll check my modern fridge for comparison.Butter warmer seeems to be working also. So everything seems pretty good so far. As seen in pics the freezer seal is bad but fridge one is new looking. Any help on dating it and manuals would be nice. Thanks

 

[ken]

Pretty sure your GE is a 1953 or 1954. Find the serial #. Use the link to find the month/year of manufacture. For a proper temperature reading put a thermometer in a container of water in either compartment. I believe setting 9 is the coldest setting and shouldnt be necessary for regular operation. Mid point on the dial will be about right.

GE Appliance - How to Determine the Age or Manufacture Date

 

[rp2813]

I'm going to peg it at around 1954 or 55, leaning towards 1954 now that I've seen the interior.  GE started using color schemes on the interior liners in 1955, and introduced the spinning shelves a year or two earlier.

 

You can always try contacting Larry at Modern Parts in Parma, OH for the freezer gasket.  If he doesn't have it, you can attempt repairing the existing gasket.  I got a used fridge that had a gasket repair made with silicone caulk/selant buttered onto it.  It served me for 20 years before I passed it along, and the repair was still as good as the day I got the fridge.

 

 

 

 

 

[pulltostart]

Ralph

I'm thinking it's a 1954, like you say, 1955 would have colors and 1956 would use a magnetic latch. I think 1953 used a very round logo on the cabinet door.

That's a great-looking fridge! Good find.

lawrence

 

[appliguy]

IT is indeed a 1954

For just the reasons Lawrence stated above. Also I have a 1954 GE Brochure that shows this model and the model numbers are both the same. According to my research and my file of GE Fridge brochure pages, GE made these single door combos from 1953 to about 1964…….PAT COFFEY

 

[combo52]

The Name Combination On A GE Refrigerator

Means that the freezer section is a real 0 degree freezer, the single door combination models had a sealed freezer door and a 2nd evaporator at the top of the fresh food section. These Combination models were a HUGE improvement over the typical single door refrigerator because you had a REAL freezer and you only had to defrost the freezer section as little as once a year..

John L.

 

[rp2813]

Thanks for the info John.  I've wondered how well the freezer compartment door sealed on these and how often defrosting was required.  It's good to know they are comparable to freezers on the two-door models.

 

Do they have a drain in the freezer floor like the two-door Combinations?

 

[mandorob]

It does have a hole in the freezer floor which I assume drains into the trough near the top of the fridge compartment.Should there be a tube taking water from the hole to the trough?
The freezer door would theoretically seal very well as it has its own seal and locking latch, both of mine are in disrepair. I'll try to rebuild the latch mechanism which is not wanting to stay latched, and call Larry in Ohio for the gasket. My model LM100 is not coming up on any parts searches, are these just too old and there are no parts from the normal sources anymore?

 

[pulltostart]

Rob

I pulled out a 1954 GE catalog and found this information regarding the LM-100:

"Features and Accessories LM-100L

In a single-door model with same deluxe features as LH-121L. Real food freezer for long-time storage of frozen foods... an automatic defrosting refrigerator section with revolving shelves.
1. Freezer Capacity - 48 packages.
2. One new Mini-Cube, three Redi-Cube ice trays.
3. Automatic defrost refrigerator section.
4. New revolving shelves.
5. New adjustable door shelves
6. New fold-away bottle racks.
7. Automatic butter conditioner.
8. Roomy vegetable drawers.
9. Stop hinges for door.
10. Automatic interior light.
11. New V-shaped meat pan."

lawrence

 

[rp2813]

Defrost water

I've seen GE's with a tube to route the water, and without.  I read up on my own model, which is a '57 Combination two-door top freezer type.  It refers to some sort of absorbent styrofoam layer below the freezer that supposedly catches the defrost water and routes it away, but it made no sense to me or apparently my fridge, because defrost water runs out the hole and into the refrigerator.

 

I found that a 1/2" copper elbow fit perfectly in the hole, and I attached a length of plastic tubing onto the elbow so water would be routed to the rear wall and drain into the trough.  This has made defrosting a cinch, as the water from the freezer follows the same course as that from the refrigerator coils.   The copper sweats a little, but it's no big deal.  The hole you see in the bottom of the refrigerator under where the crispers go is the drain.  There should be a pan underneath the fridge that catches the water and allows it to evaporate.

 

[mandorob]

Thanks for all the great information, makes me want to bring it inside and put it into service immediately. It needs a good rubbing out at least but probably a repaint.
Upon closer inspection there is a nozzle to route the freezer defrost water to the channel. Here is a pic of that. I'm guessing there should be a plug in the hole to prevent moisture from entering the freezer compartment from the fridge. Good to know I only need to defrost once a year. The plastic tray is in place under the kickplate so good luck there.
I've begun dissassembly of the freezer door to see if I can fix the latch, more pics of that soon.
Any one have any crisper drawers they want to part with?

 

[rp2813]

There you go!  I was going to try to describe that bellows type of tube connector but am glad it wasn't necessary.  I'd like to find one of those for mine.

 

There should be a cap for both the freezer drain and the one under the crispers.  You can probably devise something for both.  Their main function is probably to keep stray debris from getting into the drains.  The one in the refrigerator section of my Combination has tabs that provide clearance over the drain opening, and that particular cap stays in place all the time.  The cap over the drain in the freezer does make a seal and needs to be removed when defrosting.

 

I've attached a picture of the floor drain cap under the crispers in my fridge.  It was taken when I first got it and was in the process of cleaning it up.

 

[pulltostart]

Ralph

Back when I had my '58 Combination, the instructions called for replacing the freezer drain plug after defrosting, and pouring a small quantity of water into the recess around the plug, assuring a good seal.

lawrence

 

[rp2813]

Lawrence, I'm surprised about that advice.  If there are GE Combos out there that are missing the freezer plug, that might be why.   They'd be so frozen in place that people probably tried to pry them loose before defrosting and ended up breaking them.

 

I just replace the cap securely  on my freezer's drain.  It's not my main freezer and it still stays plenty cold enough.

 

Oddly, one of the spacers on the refrigerator's drain was cracked and eventually fell off.  I still have the piece, but haven't bothered to apply some JB Weld to it yet.  The cap still works fine as is.

 

[pulltostart]

Defrosting

Ralph,

I pulled all of my old Use and Care booklets for these GE refrigerators, and they all say to pour a small quantity of water around the plug after defrosting is finished.

I seem to remember doing exactly that when I had my '58 Combination, but I always made melting that ring of ice a high priority when the defrosting process started.

lawrence