The Frigidaire Imperial 43 Lives!!!!

[thatwasherguy]

Hey everyone! As you may already know, I am the proud owner of a 1970's G.M. Frigidaire Imperial 43 Mini Fridge that had been sitting outside for several years. I got it about 3 months back, but had put it on hold while I finished up with another restoration. Alas, that is done, and it was time to move on to it. The electrical wiring in the back of the machine looked like a complete rat's nest, but I tested it to ground, and nothing showed up, so I decided to plug it in, and see what happened. To my surprise, it still ran! But surely it didn't have any refrigerant, right? Nope! It started cooling right away. It didn't even need a light bulb! All of this happened about a day ago, and I'm still in shock from it. I've already cleaned it up on the inside and out, and it looks like a different machine. I am in love with this little Frig and want it to live a long life. The latter is the reason why I posted, actually. How do I keep the rust on the condenser and compressor from compromising the sealed system in the future? Should I use POR-15, or will that negatively affect the condenser's ability to transfer heat?
Thanks,
Thatywasherguy.

 

[tomturbomatic]

YAY!

 

[turbokinetic]

It's great that you have a runner! As you mentioned already; the rust is scary on the lines near the compressor. I have used POR15 and similar products on condensers without heat transfer problems.

 

Your biggest concern will be accessing the back of the condenser for painting. I would be afraid to flex the rusted lines enough to move the condenser away from the cabinet. You may be able to devise an extended brush to get back there, but it will be tricky.  Frigidaire used a similar condenser in the 60's which tended to rust out and leak. Most of the leaks I encountered were on the hidden side of the condenser, against the cabinet. 

I normally use the pressure washer to clean the parts before treating them. This removes loose, flaking rust. It is necessary to get loose, flaking rust off the parts so that the POR15 can bond to the rusted surface of the metal, not to loose chips. With your small cabinet, it might not be easy to do that without getting water in the cabinet insulation. But you will need to remove loose rust chips to have a chance of success. 

POR15 has a lingering odor as well. Some people find it difficult to contend with. You may want to run the fridge outdoors or in the garage for a week or so until the POR15 cures fully. You may already be familiar with it, but I just wanted to mention. 

 

Sincerely,

David

 

[maytag85]

thatwasherguy

Why are the comments off on YouTube? I’d like to comment on your videos but unfortunately the comments are off..

 

[foraloysius]

That looks like it could be a Zanussi fridge disguised as a Frigidaire.

 

[turbokinetic]

YouTube comments

Sean, the reason YouTube comments are off is because of how YouTube is defending its self against some legal threats. There are many (somewhat draconian and unclear) laws governing how sites use information aimed at children. In order to avoid legal issues, YouTube has disabled all commenting and many other features on "made for kids" videos.  

When you create a video, YouTube asks you if the video is "made for kids" when you upload it. Normal people would think that is asking if it is "appropriate for kids" and not frightening or containing adult content.  This is not what they mean. By telling YouTube the video is "made for kids" you are claiming that kids are the primary intended audience of the video, and therefore the video falls under the laws which mandate disabling the comments and other features. 

It is confusing and I made the same mistake on several of my videos. The owner of the video needs to go back into YouTube Studio and un-tick the Made for Kids box, and comments will be available.  

Reference: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9528076?hl=en