Need some help with a 64 Frigidaire refrigerator

[turquoisedude]

I am in touch with a local collector and Frigidaire fan who is having some trouble with his 1964 Frigidaire refrigerator. He says the unit runs for a very long time and the freezer does not get cold enough; he thinks it is the compressor that is the problem, but could there be other causes?? He said he was looking for a replacement 7/32 meter miser compressor. Any thoughts or suggestions??

 

[58limited]

I would check the freon level. He'll probably have to have a professional check it - there are no fittings like on a car.

 

[kenwashesmonday]

This can be diagnosed without breaking into the system, but not from afar.

Kenzz

 

[philr]

Hi,
I'm the one who'd like to get a new (or should I say good used!) compressor. The refrigerator is a FPI-16BC-64.

Mine still works and I had a technician verify it recently. He said it was ok but I don't think so. I asked him to install a service port on it and there's 6 pound of pressure on the low side. I heard different things about what was "normal" pressure on these. Some people say 2-3 pounds, 0 pounds and someone even told me it should be -10 pounds (vacuum). I don't know who's right but I'm pretty sure it needs to be replaced. Someone also told me to discharge it and refill the system with the correct amount of R-12 before attempting to replace the compressor but I haven't tried it. The compressor is somewhat noisy compared to the one of my similar FPI-16BC-63 refrigerator and it works almost 24 hours a day (it stops 4 times for the defrost cycle). I can still make it cycle on and off if I turn the cold control almost all the way to "off" and then the temperature in the freezer just gets even less cold... Otherwise, with the cold control anywhere from "C" to "3", the refrigerator stays a bit cold at or just below 32° but the freezer doesn't get cooler than 10°F. In my other refrigerator, the freezer temp goes below 0°F and the compressor cycles normally.

 

[douglasdc6]

Things to check -

Is the evaporator fan running ?
Is the evaporator coil Iced up ?
Is there oil residue in the primary pan under the frig?
If so then you have a freon leak in the evaporator.

Very seldom will a refrigerator ever leak its freon.

Pull the cover & see if there is a nice frost line on the evaporator.

About 85 to 90 percent of refrigerator problems I fixed on the older models were in the defrost circuit such as timers, termination thermostats & heater coils .

Unless you know exactly what the problem is one of the worst things you can do is break into the refrigerant system .

Again, If the evaporator is iced over then youre problem could be a bad timer, Termination t-stat or the defrost heater its self at the evaporator .

Hope this helps

 

[douglasdc6]

Forgot to mention -

If the unit has a condenser fan motor under the frig , Then is it running ?

Are the condenser coils clean ?

 

[philr]

There's no condenser fan and the evaporator fan is running fine (there's no cold plate and no fan in the refrigerator of the post-1962 models and the cold from the freezer is circulated in the refrigerator section by the single evaporator fan).

The defrost timer is just a few months old and it works every 6 hours for 18 minutes, the defrost heater was also replaced at the same time as the other one was shorted. There's no oil visible anywhere. The compressor connections (which sometimes leak on these compressors) are dry too.

I did pull the cover and the evaporator looks ok, with normal frosting just like the one in my 1963 refrigerator but it doesn't get the temperature down to the correct level in the freezer.

Can somebody tell me what's the normal pressure on the low side of these compressors?

 

[goatfarmer]

Nice Frigidaire!

6 lbs pressure on the low side sounds like too much. I'm betting compressor, the valves are getting bad.

 

[goatfarmer]

Newer R12 refrigerators usually run 2-3 lbs low side. If it showed a vaccum, that would mean it's low on refrigerant.

 

[philr]

These refrigerators still used rotary compressors (the same basic design Frigidaire has been using since the thirties).

 

[magic clean]

Another

area to investigate is the suction line--heat exchanger. If the capillary line has separated from the suction line this can cause temperature problems. When this failure occurs, the suction line generally gets quite cold along its length back to the compressor. It will then sweat and drips water. This results in odd performance problems as well. You mentioned recent repairs to the defrost system. Could there be a problem there again? I'm thinking the defrost heat on while the refrigerator is running. Can you make wattage and amperage checks?

Don't open the sealed system until all other areas are verified. If the unit has been running this long without a leak, chances are great that a leak is not the trouble. Optimal temps are fresh food 37f & 0-5f in the freezer. 32f in the refrig sounds awfully cold.

 

[philr]

The suction line doesn't get cold but the freezer doesn't get cold either!

The defrost system has been staying on while the compressor was running, this resulted in the repair that was done a few months ago. The plastic ducts in the freezer also melted because of that but the repairman was able to straighten them enough so the air could flow. I think the compressor probably overheated when this happened.

The compressor makes much less noise in my other Frigidaire refrigerator (a similar model from 1963 with brushed chrome doors) and the freezer stays very cold in this one too.

 

[cfz2882]

sounds a lot like a weak charge-do you get a faint hissing
sound from the evap when compressor running?
Also if compressor is quieter than usual,the spring that
puts pressure on the little divider plate that rides on the
compressor ring might be broken,in that case ring will just
gyrate around and no pumping will take place.
Running current draw may be less than normal if compressor
is not pumping.