bingwsguy
Well-known member
I have someone possibly giving me one of these beauties and am wondering what to expect bringing it up to speed. They say it could use a new seal, but it cools well. Any thoughts?
The GE Monitortop
- Thread starter bingwsguy
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athanasius80
Well-known member
Seals are available. My understanding of the Monitor Top (particularly the CK models) is that they keep going and going. The refrigerating unit lifts off and must be transported vertically, it can't be put on its side, or it doesn't work. I have heard that some people will reinsulate the cabinets with fiberglass.
Otherwise, enjoy it you lucky so and so.
Chris
Otherwise, enjoy it you lucky so and so.
Chris
There was several great articles on these
in the Old Road Home magazine, they list the issues on their website which are available to buy.
here is the link
yes only transport the top vertical otherwise it will kill the mechanism inside. It takes atleast two to lower into the box and I found 3 to move the box into position.
Mine has been running since 1933 and still humms away.
jet
in the Old Road Home magazine, they list the issues on their website which are available to buy.
here is the link
yes only transport the top vertical otherwise it will kill the mechanism inside. It takes atleast two to lower into the box and I found 3 to move the box into position.
Mine has been running since 1933 and still humms away.
jet
perc-o-prince
Well-known member
Congrats!!!
We have a monitor top and love it!! We don't use it for every day use but we do use it for parties and holidays. It cools perfectly. Thanks to the advice that we got from this group we were able to transport it with no problems. As Chris said....DON'T tip the cooling part on its side.
Check out www.monitortops.com for a new seal. I think that they said that it was about $100 for the gasket material and they give you instructions on how to cut and install it.
Good luck and enjoy. Now you will have to get the glass covered dishes and glass water bottle that goes with it. The water bottle is pretty neat. It has the monitor top molded into the side of the bottle!!
Rich
We have a monitor top and love it!! We don't use it for every day use but we do use it for parties and holidays. It cools perfectly. Thanks to the advice that we got from this group we were able to transport it with no problems. As Chris said....DON'T tip the cooling part on its side.
Check out www.monitortops.com for a new seal. I think that they said that it was about $100 for the gasket material and they give you instructions on how to cut and install it.
Good luck and enjoy. Now you will have to get the glass covered dishes and glass water bottle that goes with it. The water bottle is pretty neat. It has the monitor top molded into the side of the bottle!!
Rich
christfr
Well-known member
i just got one this year and i love it..they sound so neat when they run and they do a good job.. like what was said the top must come off and be careful with it and youll be fine.. the tops are way heavy and you will need at least 2 strong guys to move and get it back onto the machine.. so congrats you will love it
bingwsguy----
Contact "monitortop.com" (Mike) he is up in your neck of the woods and should be a great help to you.
Contact "monitortop.com" (Mike) he is up in your neck of the woods and should be a great help to you.
Monitor Top
As usual, replace any crunchy electric wiring. Sundial Wire makes safe, reproduction cloth-covered wire if you want it. Try to find out what kind of refrigerant your unit uses, it's either sulfur dioxide or methyl something-or-other. Neither is good if it escapes, but they do cool well, so if it ain't broke... If you must convert, try R-134a. Otherwise, the monitor top is a pretty efficient machine, even by contemporary standards, so use it, post pictures, and enjoy.
Cool,
Dave
www.sundialwire.com
As usual, replace any crunchy electric wiring. Sundial Wire makes safe, reproduction cloth-covered wire if you want it. Try to find out what kind of refrigerant your unit uses, it's either sulfur dioxide or methyl something-or-other. Neither is good if it escapes, but they do cool well, so if it ain't broke... If you must convert, try R-134a. Otherwise, the monitor top is a pretty efficient machine, even by contemporary standards, so use it, post pictures, and enjoy.
Cool,
Dave
Cloth-Covered Wire from Sundial Wire
Highest quality US-made cloth-covered wire in many styles, colors, patterns, and gauges. Fully customizable pendants and cord sets, new and vintage lighting. A rich array of lamp parts. Knob and tube wire and procelain. Lots of how-to and information pages.
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neat!
I am terrified of both refrigerants. What happens if the motor is tilted?
Funny, these Monitor Tops and the first GE fully Automatic Washers were such perfect machines. It hurts to look at the company today.
Suppose someone ought to tell them about "6-sigma?"
(ducks and runs)
I am terrified of both refrigerants. What happens if the motor is tilted?
Funny, these Monitor Tops and the first GE fully Automatic Washers were such perfect machines. It hurts to look at the company today.
Suppose someone ought to tell them about "6-sigma?"
(ducks and runs)
Neat!
These are so cool. I love reading about people's fridges, especially Monitor Tops and some of the real oldies.
I too want to know what happens if the cooling unit is tilted
Keven, you're so right--it's funny that GE traced such a perfect line of regression from flawless (over)engineering to...uh, yeah. What we have now.
Sometimes it seems odd that we live in an economic system where, to prosper, you have to work your way backward from perfect to good enough and cheap.
These are so cool. I love reading about people's fridges, especially Monitor Tops and some of the real oldies.
I too want to know what happens if the cooling unit is tilted
Keven, you're so right--it's funny that GE traced such a perfect line of regression from flawless (over)engineering to...uh, yeah. What we have now.
Sometimes it seems odd that we live in an economic system where, to prosper, you have to work your way backward from perfect to good enough and cheap.
Just a thought on refrigeration...
I live in Savannah, GA and am also very frugal. This presents a problem because Savannah gets a little warm in the Summer and turning on the AC can triple the electric bill. It is now in the low 90s and we still haven't turned on the AC. Our house is 2-stories tall over a crawl space, except for the kitchen, which is a single-story addition over a crawl space. Our landlord went with the lowest bidder for HVAC and it really shows. The kitchen's temperature swings wildly depending on what the outside temperature is.
The refrigerator is a blessing in the winter because it pumps heat into an otherwise chilly room. In the summer, however, it is like putting a blast furnace in a sauna! I wish there was a way to vent the heat from the fride out of the house in the summer and retain it in the winter. Heck, in the winter why not just vent the cold air outside directly into the fridge if it is cold enough?
In the summer, the fridge removes heat and dumps it into the house, from which it must be removed by the AC. In the winter, the fridge must keep itself cold in an artificially warm room. There has got to be a better way that would be less counter-productive!
Ahh seasonal fustration,
Dave
I live in Savannah, GA and am also very frugal. This presents a problem because Savannah gets a little warm in the Summer and turning on the AC can triple the electric bill. It is now in the low 90s and we still haven't turned on the AC. Our house is 2-stories tall over a crawl space, except for the kitchen, which is a single-story addition over a crawl space. Our landlord went with the lowest bidder for HVAC and it really shows. The kitchen's temperature swings wildly depending on what the outside temperature is.
The refrigerator is a blessing in the winter because it pumps heat into an otherwise chilly room. In the summer, however, it is like putting a blast furnace in a sauna! I wish there was a way to vent the heat from the fride out of the house in the summer and retain it in the winter. Heck, in the winter why not just vent the cold air outside directly into the fridge if it is cold enough?
In the summer, the fridge removes heat and dumps it into the house, from which it must be removed by the AC. In the winter, the fridge must keep itself cold in an artificially warm room. There has got to be a better way that would be less counter-productive!
Ahh seasonal fustration,
Dave
bingwsguy
Well-known member
Thanks
Thank You for all of the feedback. Everyone says that the unit lifts off for transport...is that difficult to do?
Thank You for all of the feedback. Everyone says that the unit lifts off for transport...is that difficult to do?
Slightly Off-topic, but what the heck...
Are there any long-term "Young and the Restless" fans out there? Remember how, back when Jill Foster was Mrs. Chancellor's hairdresser, her Mom had a Monitortop in her kitchen? I suppose it was supposed to show how poor they were, LOL.
And does anyone remember when Jill was caught on the grounds of the Chancellor estate, carrying a shovel, with the intention of digging up Phillip?
Now back to our original Monitortop discussion.
Are there any long-term "Young and the Restless" fans out there? Remember how, back when Jill Foster was Mrs. Chancellor's hairdresser, her Mom had a Monitortop in her kitchen? I suppose it was supposed to show how poor they were, LOL.
And does anyone remember when Jill was caught on the grounds of the Chancellor estate, carrying a shovel, with the intention of digging up Phillip?
Now back to our original Monitortop discussion.
brettsomers
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2005
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Dan, i suppose you have already found the many pre-Jess Walton videos on youtube? many cool vids of Jill electrocuting Katherine and throwing up on her rug.
bingwsguy
Well-known member
Thanks Everyone
Thank You for all of the advice and help. I should be getting it within the week....can't wait!
Thank You for all of the advice and help. I should be getting it within the week....can't wait!
The unit does lift up and out of the cabinet for easier transporting, but it's very heavy and is best done with two people. If it's been sitting on the cabinet for 75 years, you're likely going to wreck whatever's left of the seal. I'm assuming this is the seal you said it needs, and not the gasketing on the door. One thing I recall about removing the unit is that when you set it down, it does end up on a tilt. I've never known this to be enough of a tilt to cause damage, though. If the gasket on the door is all that needs to be replaced, I'd do my best to transport the fridge in one piece and not pull the unit off. You'd just be creating potential problems with that seal, so if it's still doing the job, I wouldn't mess with it.
