A friend sent me a link to this. It was local, and very inexpensive. When I got to the seller's place, it was plugged in and running. But all was not well.
Westinghouse - Very near death, I hope I can save it!
- Thread starter turbokinetic
- Start date
Help Support :
Great retro fit of the iron cord! LOL
Glad you decided to "save" it. I had one very similar to this I got free a few years ago. It worked fine but stupidly I scrapped it. I kick myself now for having done that but I told myself I couldn't keep everything I found and brought home. It was before I found this site or I would have offered it here. The cover on the back had a flue that the fan forced air exhausted out of.
Glad you decided to "save" it. I had one very similar to this I got free a few years ago. It worked fine but stupidly I scrapped it. I kick myself now for having done that but I told myself I couldn't keep everything I found and brought home. It was before I found this site or I would have offered it here. The cover on the back had a flue that the fan forced air exhausted out of.
Yes, this one is very similar to my '39, but mine was a little smaller and the cold control was a large wheel at the top of the lower front panel. Mine did still have its rear cover, both of its shelves, its meat/defrost dish and a cute little door on the "super freezer" compartment. If I knew how easily the compressor assembly could be removed, I might have been able to determine why it had stopped running.
I noticed that the stainless (or was it nickel) trim piece on the door handle is missing. Mine got lost somewhere along the line too, while it was keeping drinks cold on my parents' covered patio.
Considering how much was working against it, that fridge is a true survivor. I agree that it deserves to be rewarded.
I noticed that the stainless (or was it nickel) trim piece on the door handle is missing. Mine got lost somewhere along the line too, while it was keeping drinks cold on my parents' covered patio.
Considering how much was working against it, that fridge is a true survivor. I agree that it deserves to be rewarded.
Patient is very sick.... :-(
Ken, thanks for the description of the air flue thing on the back. I figured it was something like that. If you happen to run across a picture, post it if you will.
RP2813, yes the compressor slides out easily, but it is supposed to have a bolt in it at the front! When I started cleaning up the parts, I could see that there was a missing bolt which would have kept it from sliding out.
Unfortunately, I have some bad news. Apparently the rough roads were too much for her. It seems she's slipped into a coma overnight.
I worked on the wiring and tried to run it today. The compressor ran but no cooling. Found almost no pressure in the system.
On the bright side, it will be easier to work on it with the compressor removed.
I was able to remove the compressor and wash it with the pressure wash. It looks a lot better, although I forgot to take pictures of it! Will have them tomorrow.
When I found the system was not cooling, I knew it was time to check the pressure. The charging port was a total rusted mess. It defied every effort I made to open it, including using the torch to heat the plug up. This was admittedly dangerous with the system charged, but I was conservative with the heat. In the end, the screw slot broke away.
After that happened, I used a Supco 'Bullet' self-tapping valve on one of the lines to hook up the gauges. The room was very hot and the pressure should have been in the 90 - 100 PSI range. There was about 50 PSI. Charge is gone.
Now, I have to say - I heard this running and saw the evaporator cold when I picked it up. There was no hallucination involved, I promise!
So after finding this, I took the compressor out and pressure washed it. Then, took the evaporator out and found out that the hardware holding it to the cabinet was loose and broken. That undoubtedly allowed it to bounce around more than it should have.
The charging port was a mangled mess. I had to drill it out and make a new plug. That was an awful job, but in the end I now have a plug which uses an allen key instead of the screwdriver that strips out so easily.
Ken, thanks for the description of the air flue thing on the back. I figured it was something like that. If you happen to run across a picture, post it if you will.
RP2813, yes the compressor slides out easily, but it is supposed to have a bolt in it at the front! When I started cleaning up the parts, I could see that there was a missing bolt which would have kept it from sliding out.
Unfortunately, I have some bad news. Apparently the rough roads were too much for her. It seems she's slipped into a coma overnight.
I worked on the wiring and tried to run it today. The compressor ran but no cooling. Found almost no pressure in the system.
On the bright side, it will be easier to work on it with the compressor removed.
I was able to remove the compressor and wash it with the pressure wash. It looks a lot better, although I forgot to take pictures of it! Will have them tomorrow.
When I found the system was not cooling, I knew it was time to check the pressure. The charging port was a total rusted mess. It defied every effort I made to open it, including using the torch to heat the plug up. This was admittedly dangerous with the system charged, but I was conservative with the heat. In the end, the screw slot broke away.
After that happened, I used a Supco 'Bullet' self-tapping valve on one of the lines to hook up the gauges. The room was very hot and the pressure should have been in the 90 - 100 PSI range. There was about 50 PSI. Charge is gone.
Now, I have to say - I heard this running and saw the evaporator cold when I picked it up. There was no hallucination involved, I promise!
So after finding this, I took the compressor out and pressure washed it. Then, took the evaporator out and found out that the hardware holding it to the cabinet was loose and broken. That undoubtedly allowed it to bounce around more than it should have.
The charging port was a mangled mess. I had to drill it out and make a new plug. That was an awful job, but in the end I now have a plug which uses an allen key instead of the screwdriver that strips out so easily.
vacerator
Well-known member
Condolences,
prayers and thoughts for the victims, regards to the families.
prayers and thoughts for the victims, regards to the families.
Yes. It's a calamity of epic proportions, isn't it. Oh the humanity!
Hope returns!
Today I got the compressor all cleaned up. Amazing what the pressure washer, and a little paint can do! Pictures attached.
Next, I found a very dangerous modification done by a previous owner sometime in the past. They had moved the control from the rear of the fridge, to directly inside the evaporator! That meant that you could reach inside the evaporator and touch live wires! The original design has a shaft and the control on the back. I went back to this design for safety and reliability. The extension is made from 5/16" steel automotive brake line.
Once the compressor was in place, I pulled it into a vacuum for about an hour. After that, I put in two 10 oz cans of R152A. It ended up being too much. I didn't weigh how much was taken back out, but after recovering two or three times, in 15 second intervals, it started to cool properly. More explanation of the symptom in the video, as well
More details here:
But I am so delighted I got frost today!
Today I got the compressor all cleaned up. Amazing what the pressure washer, and a little paint can do! Pictures attached.
Next, I found a very dangerous modification done by a previous owner sometime in the past. They had moved the control from the rear of the fridge, to directly inside the evaporator! That meant that you could reach inside the evaporator and touch live wires! The original design has a shaft and the control on the back. I went back to this design for safety and reliability. The extension is made from 5/16" steel automotive brake line.
Once the compressor was in place, I pulled it into a vacuum for about an hour. After that, I put in two 10 oz cans of R152A. It ended up being too much. I didn't weigh how much was taken back out, but after recovering two or three times, in 15 second intervals, it started to cool properly. More explanation of the symptom in the video, as well
More details here:
But I am so delighted I got frost today!
David, I'm really glad you've chosen to share these projects with us!
Why anyone would suggest that you're showing off is beyond me. Everything you share is very educational and interesting, at least to me, and it's clear that you enjoy it and are having a good time restoring worthy old machines to proper working order.
If I knew how to do what you do, I'd own a lot more than two refrigerators!
Ralph
P.S.
The "flue" on the back of my '39 was a rectangular black metal cover that was almost as tall as the cabinet. I think that at least the inner side of the back section of the flue was insulated. The flue itself was about 3 or 4 inches deep and protected the tubing and compressor from getting banged up. I can see the mounting screw holes for (a taller) one of these on the back of your fridge. A replacement could probably be fashioned out of a heavy gauge sheet metal.
Why anyone would suggest that you're showing off is beyond me. Everything you share is very educational and interesting, at least to me, and it's clear that you enjoy it and are having a good time restoring worthy old machines to proper working order.
If I knew how to do what you do, I'd own a lot more than two refrigerators!
Ralph
P.S.
The "flue" on the back of my '39 was a rectangular black metal cover that was almost as tall as the cabinet. I think that at least the inner side of the back section of the flue was insulated. The flue itself was about 3 or 4 inches deep and protected the tubing and compressor from getting banged up. I can see the mounting screw holes for (a taller) one of these on the back of your fridge. A replacement could probably be fashioned out of a heavy gauge sheet metal.
Raph, thanks for the reassurance. I believe the comment about showing off was a misunderstanding on the part of both me and a friend. I almost edited out that part of the video. But again, you really don't know what others are thinking about you without discussing it.
There have been so many sad stories of people who have antique appliances and can not get them repaired. They lament about how all the service people refuse to work on them and say "nobody fixes these" or say the shops tell them "it can't be fixed" or some such rubbish. It seems like a good thing to share the fact they CAN be fixed - and it's not really all that hard.
Yeah, I need to fabricate the fan exhaust flue. It seems the design of this fridge is for the air to be drawn in at the back (at the very bottom) and discharge upward through that flue. Without the flue in place, the hot air will go against the wall, and a lot of it will go back downward and recirculate through the condenser.
My other Westinghouse has the compressor on top. It has a flue for the condenser air intake. That one is (as you said) insulated on the back on the inside. It's that same soft "flocked" material they used for noise reduction inside the cabinet.
On this one, it seems the flue mounting holes stop about halfway up. The lines going into the top part aren't painted. There is a sort of decorative steel cover over them. It seems that the parts from halfway up were designed to be visible. It does look like mounting holes exist all the way to the top in the pictures, but this is just an illusion from some rust spots on the paint, I believe.
There have been so many sad stories of people who have antique appliances and can not get them repaired. They lament about how all the service people refuse to work on them and say "nobody fixes these" or say the shops tell them "it can't be fixed" or some such rubbish. It seems like a good thing to share the fact they CAN be fixed - and it's not really all that hard.
Yeah, I need to fabricate the fan exhaust flue. It seems the design of this fridge is for the air to be drawn in at the back (at the very bottom) and discharge upward through that flue. Without the flue in place, the hot air will go against the wall, and a lot of it will go back downward and recirculate through the condenser.
My other Westinghouse has the compressor on top. It has a flue for the condenser air intake. That one is (as you said) insulated on the back on the inside. It's that same soft "flocked" material they used for noise reduction inside the cabinet.
On this one, it seems the flue mounting holes stop about halfway up. The lines going into the top part aren't painted. There is a sort of decorative steel cover over them. It seems that the parts from halfway up were designed to be visible. It does look like mounting holes exist all the way to the top in the pictures, but this is just an illusion from some rust spots on the paint, I believe.
Showing Off??
Did someone actually make that comment? If so I must have missed it. Don't understand the thinking behind such a comment. Especially on a site dedicated to the love of, repair and preservation of vintage appliances.
I second what Ralph said as to your postings being educational and interesting. Only persons such as yourself and other vintage appliance aficionados would have the wherewithal to repair them. Most would consider it junk to be scrapped. I've always had a strong interest in mechanical refrigeration and the history of its development. And even though I have a good understanding of the process I don't have the equipment for checking or recharging a system. I've wanted to try my hand at it as I have a 54 Frigidaire that had had the system evacuated before I "saved" it and also a 58 GE with a leak in the system.
As far as I'm concerned I tip my hat to your skills and interest in resurrecting these pieces of appliance history. The fact that the mechanical systems still function after 80+ years is a testament to the over engineering that was built into these units. How many refrigerators made in 2018 will still be running 80 years from now?
As to the exhaust flue on the back. I remember the one on mine being almost as tall as the cabinet with insulation inside as Ralph stated. It had a closed bottom though as I remember there being a bit of debris at the bottom which included a clothes pin. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of it to help show exactly how it was.
Did someone actually make that comment? If so I must have missed it. Don't understand the thinking behind such a comment. Especially on a site dedicated to the love of, repair and preservation of vintage appliances.
I second what Ralph said as to your postings being educational and interesting. Only persons such as yourself and other vintage appliance aficionados would have the wherewithal to repair them. Most would consider it junk to be scrapped. I've always had a strong interest in mechanical refrigeration and the history of its development. And even though I have a good understanding of the process I don't have the equipment for checking or recharging a system. I've wanted to try my hand at it as I have a 54 Frigidaire that had had the system evacuated before I "saved" it and also a 58 GE with a leak in the system.
As far as I'm concerned I tip my hat to your skills and interest in resurrecting these pieces of appliance history. The fact that the mechanical systems still function after 80+ years is a testament to the over engineering that was built into these units. How many refrigerators made in 2018 will still be running 80 years from now?
As to the exhaust flue on the back. I remember the one on mine being almost as tall as the cabinet with insulation inside as Ralph stated. It had a closed bottom though as I remember there being a bit of debris at the bottom which included a clothes pin. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of it to help show exactly how it was.
After thinking it over, it makes sense that the flue would be a certain height that would be standard across all models. If it were any taller, the physics involved would likely compromise the efficiency of exhausting the heated air from the condenser. Also, looking at the first batch of pictures, the height of the flue is obvious.
I agree 100% with David's statements about vintage refrigerating units being easily repaired. The thing that gets in the way of pursuing it for the average person is that labor charges for any professional willing to do the work would be astronomically prohibitive. This sort of thing is a labor of love, and that really shows in David's work.
Ken, I don't think the "show off " comment was made on this site. I do think that David has the right perspective about it, though.
[this post was last edited: 8/17/2018-14:00]
I agree 100% with David's statements about vintage refrigerating units being easily repaired. The thing that gets in the way of pursuing it for the average person is that labor charges for any professional willing to do the work would be astronomically prohibitive. This sort of thing is a labor of love, and that really shows in David's work.
Ken, I don't think the "show off " comment was made on this site. I do think that David has the right perspective about it, though.
[this post was last edited: 8/17/2018-14:00]
Hi Ken, just a quick reply. The show off comment I told about verbally in the video. The comment came from someone I know in real life who also watches my videos and the comment was not via Internet communication.
I really do appreciate the support and votes of confidence that my videos are constructive to watch.
More on the fridge later, busy at the moment!
I really do appreciate the support and votes of confidence that my videos are constructive to watch.
More on the fridge later, busy at the moment!
Details! Got a few details sorted today.
First, this box arrived from fellow antique appliance enthusiast wiskybill. (Thanks!) It has a Westinghouse fan motor from a dehumidifier; and a motor start relay. This is perfect since I am missing the Westinghouse motor relay for this fridge.
The relay. It had the same exact relay inside it as the one in my Deluxe Westinghouse. Should work nicely!
I modified a box to house the Ranco replacement temperature control, the motor start relay, and a terminal strip.
The cords have strain reliefs. Those came from Lowe's for use with outdoor boxes and Romex cable.
Got the light in place. The socket needed some soldering internally. The rivets had popped apart. I replaced them with small brass screws, and then soldered the screws in place. Also, put new MTW wire for the light circuit. No shoddy wiring here!
All I need to do is get a box cover for the box, so that it has a finished look. And then, of course, the rest of the cabinet is in need of quite a bit of work with the paint condition and all.
It's interesting the lengths Westinghouse went to, trying to minimize the noise. The bottom of the fridge had wood baffles in it, with flocking on the surfaces to absorb the sound. It also had the hot air exhaust flue that went on the back. That would have had some sort of insulation in side it, also for noise abatement.
First, this box arrived from fellow antique appliance enthusiast wiskybill. (Thanks!) It has a Westinghouse fan motor from a dehumidifier; and a motor start relay. This is perfect since I am missing the Westinghouse motor relay for this fridge.
The relay. It had the same exact relay inside it as the one in my Deluxe Westinghouse. Should work nicely!
I modified a box to house the Ranco replacement temperature control, the motor start relay, and a terminal strip.
The cords have strain reliefs. Those came from Lowe's for use with outdoor boxes and Romex cable.
Got the light in place. The socket needed some soldering internally. The rivets had popped apart. I replaced them with small brass screws, and then soldered the screws in place. Also, put new MTW wire for the light circuit. No shoddy wiring here!
All I need to do is get a box cover for the box, so that it has a finished look. And then, of course, the rest of the cabinet is in need of quite a bit of work with the paint condition and all.
It's interesting the lengths Westinghouse went to, trying to minimize the noise. The bottom of the fridge had wood baffles in it, with flocking on the surfaces to absorb the sound. It also had the hot air exhaust flue that went on the back. That would have had some sort of insulation in side it, also for noise abatement.
Vintage repairs
"There have been so many sad stories of people who have antique appliances and can not get them repaired. They lament about how all the service people refuse to work on them and say "nobody fixes these" or say the shops tell them "it can't be fixed" or some such rubbish. It seems like a good thing to share the fact they CAN be fixed - and it's not really all that hard."
I just want to touch on this for a second.
We have a tech that has been here 43 years. He constantly talks about how the old stuff was easier to repair blah blah blah. I am in sales but I have a love for all things old. I am constantly talking people into repairing something I know would be an easy fix yet I hit a wall with our service department because they don't want to do it. Part of it is because it takes a lot of over thinking instead of just ordering a random part from the supplier, the other part is we have 3 techs in this store and we have 1704 currently open work orders. Things are breaking faster than we can repair them. We have a very large service area and we can't hire service people because they take off after we train them and go work for the hvac companies.
I always hit a wall with the service department because I can't get them to work on anything older because they just think people should replace it and be done with it. The service on modern stuff is just too overwhelming. Between the 3 techs they can knock out an average of 30 tickets per day. We get about 200 calls per week. We are the only servicer in an area of around 30k people with all of the counties we service.
"There have been so many sad stories of people who have antique appliances and can not get them repaired. They lament about how all the service people refuse to work on them and say "nobody fixes these" or say the shops tell them "it can't be fixed" or some such rubbish. It seems like a good thing to share the fact they CAN be fixed - and it's not really all that hard."
I just want to touch on this for a second.
We have a tech that has been here 43 years. He constantly talks about how the old stuff was easier to repair blah blah blah. I am in sales but I have a love for all things old. I am constantly talking people into repairing something I know would be an easy fix yet I hit a wall with our service department because they don't want to do it. Part of it is because it takes a lot of over thinking instead of just ordering a random part from the supplier, the other part is we have 3 techs in this store and we have 1704 currently open work orders. Things are breaking faster than we can repair them. We have a very large service area and we can't hire service people because they take off after we train them and go work for the hvac companies.
I always hit a wall with the service department because I can't get them to work on anything older because they just think people should replace it and be done with it. The service on modern stuff is just too overwhelming. Between the 3 techs they can knock out an average of 30 tickets per day. We get about 200 calls per week. We are the only servicer in an area of around 30k people with all of the counties we service.
they can knock out an average of 30 tickets per day
Is that because they simply tell the customer to buy a new appliance, close out the ticket and move on to the next one?
I admire your attempts to change the way your service department thinks, but in these days of "buy a new one," the term "service" is used very loosely.
Is that because they simply tell the customer to buy a new appliance, close out the ticket and move on to the next one?
I admire your attempts to change the way your service department thinks, but in these days of "buy a new one," the term "service" is used very loosely.
