5 replies to this topic

[F1jim64]

So my 2004 GE side by side has stopped cooling the Freezer below 50F. First - the condensor fan bearings ran out of oil and seized - so I cleaned it up and re-oiled the bearings, and she was good again - blowing like new.

But... no Fridge love. still won't cool below 50F and only 2-3 of the bottom coils are frosty. My very smart neighbor will every tool in the world loaned me his Johnson Controls fancy leak detector - and I can't find anything obvious - I thought I got a good hit at the top left of the evap coil or cap tube - but it won't repeat. (Evap Pic attached - BEFORE ADDING 134a)

So... I put on a low side tap and my gauges - it read 25 psi with fridge off and pulled down to -1 or -2 when I plugged it back in. I've bled some R134 in slowly - and now I have about 1/2 of the evap frosty - but the fridge is still only 50F but I've had the door open. Now I think I just heard the compressor kick off (first time in days) but I bet the freezer is still only at 50F...

My neighbor suspects that the failed cond fan caused the head pressure to go sky high and took out the valves in the compressor. I was hoping for a leak but it looks like he might be right if the compressor just kicked off on over temp... Pressure is now about 42 psi with compressor off. I'm still waiting to see if it will try to restart - freezer is still at 50F

On wait - it just hit the defrost cycle - so lets see what she does after she fires back up... I was really hoping to save this baby for a garage beer fridge as the boss already has her eye on a fancy new LG with bottom freezer and top door ice maker.

The good news is that LG thing will be so freaking complicated, I'll never even think of working on it...

Thanks Fellas

Jim in Texas...

[F1jim64]

adding Pic this time

Attached Files

•  Fridge.jpg   135.67K   16 downloads

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

Howdy, Jim, these cap tube systems are very charge critical to 1/4 oz. The exact charge is printed on the model number tag in the beer compartment. Assuming we're giving up on the find-the-leak snipe hunt (I don't blame you, especially if it's a slow leak and you're doing the re-charges yourself), I would just pull a deep vacuum on the system and then recharge it with the exact amount printed on the label.

[F1jim64]

OK - further developments. I kept bleeding in R134a and let it run all night - next morning the freezer was down to about 0F, and the low side was about 2 PSI. Evap coil was about 3/4 frosted. So - I bled it a bit more and 3-4 hours later - the freezer was down to 0F - and the low side was about 3-4 psi. I kept bleeding in R134 until I had frost on the entire evap and down the line into the back compartment - still about 2 -3 feet away from the compressor. So... the compressor looks good.

Then it was time to take the doors off and get the old GE out of the kitchen to make room for the new LG. After the GE had warmed up, I went back at the evap with the leak detector and soap bubbles. I FOUND THE LEAK. It was under the defrost? sensor that is snapped onto the top evap tube - there are small series of dents in the evap tube in this area - and one of them has a pin hole leak that will just blow a soap bubble. I think having the system off and higher pressure in the evap made it easier to find. Turning the sensitivity down on the leak detector also allowed me to pin point the leak.

So - the plan now is to move the old GE out to the garage, use some JB Weld epoxy to patch the leak on the evap and bleed some more R134 in there till she's got a fully frosted evap.

The new LG is a LFX25974ST - am I in for lots o' trouble ?

Thanks Samurai - another low tech appliance repair completed - hopefully....

[phydeauxe64]

They used to have touble with the rails on the bottom freezer breakin DON'T OVERLOAD the drawer! But aside from that LGs are a pretty good fridge.

Edited by phydeauxe64, 15 January 2012 - 01:48 PM.

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

Great find on the leak, Jim!

And for posting your illuminating findings, you have earned a promotion to Merit Apprentice Appliantologist together with all the rights and privileges thereof.

Kanpai!