Kenmore Elite Fridge 795.79753.904 Not Cooling (Cap Tube Leak?)

[6010fd12]

I have a fridge that I bought for a very low price. Was looking to fix it up and give it to a family member as a present. The reason is was sold was due to not cooling. 

As soon as I got it home I pressurised it and over the course of 2 days it ended up dropping somewhere around 4 psi. Leak checked basically everything and could not find anything. I ended up carefully cutting open a panel where the yoder and evap line go up into the insulation.

 

Used a leak detector and it was going crazy around all the foam. I was worried it might be the yoder loop so I ended up isolating the line from the filter drier to where the suction line goes into the compressor. Left it overnight and it dropped 2 psi. 

I split the test up even more. I removed the evaporator and capped off both the suction side and the capillary tube in the fridge and tested both the pipes from to back of the fridge.

Left it for 1 day and so far it looks like the cap tube has gone down 2-4 psi and the suction line has more or less stayed the same.

 

I'm going to leave it a lone for another day just to be on the safe side but while I do that I wanted to know if someone could tell me what diameter cap tubing I need to purchase and how much of it is used in this fridge just incase I need to replace it.

This is a Kenmore Elite 795.79753.904

[Vance R]

Here ya go - have fun new heat exchanger kit for their side by sides and single evaporator french door bottom mount. 

Kit AGR75874401

[6010fd12]

Absolute Legend! Thank you again!

This kit will just allow me to drill a hole through to the back and route the tubing along the outside of the fridge to the bottom correct? Or does it need to be installed a long with the insulation?

[Vance R]

Pictures are easier.

[Vance R]

Opps, forgot there is a cap tube kit, MGE63775901. The cap tube goes down through the drain tube and then you wind it around the suction tube to make a "heat exchanger". So you have choices.

[6010fd12]

Looks like I'm going to have to go with the AGR75874401 kit. Suction side is loosing 2 psi per day and cap is around .5 psi. I tested the evap and yoder and looks good on that end. Quick question about installing that kit. I need to drill from inside out or outside in and when the tubing is all routed how do I seal the extra space with insulation? Is there some type of spray foam I could purchase?

 

Also what exact are these things and do I need to replace them?

[Vance R]

Looking from the back on left side there should be a plastic cap where they injected the foam. Just remove the cap and push a screwdriver slightly angle toward the center of refrig through the insulation. You want it to come out just above the evap. Use permagum to seal around the tubing  inside and outside.

57 minutes ago, 6010fd12 said:

Also what exact are these things and do I need to replace them?

 

Believe those are just black mastic used to dampen sound.  Depends on how noisey it is after the repair.

[Budget Appliance Repair]

@Vance R I wonder if @6010fd12 maybe actually wonder what the parts are under the foam wrapping?

If that is the case the one on top is your Filter/Dryer that you will be replacing.

The lower short/fat one I believe is some sort of Accumulator? Someone else can probably explain this one better and let you know if it needs to be replaced  - (I don't think it does).

[6010fd12]

@Vance R Thank you! This should work correct?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Gardner-Bender-1-lb-Plug-Duct-Seal-Compound-DS-110/100212441

@Budget Appliance Repair

Yup I was talking about the lower one. I looked all over and even on the parts disgram and could not find anything about it. Some people are saying it's a accumulator others are saying it's a harmonic dampener. I honestly don't know what to believe.

[Vance R]

@6010fd12 that should work ok.

 

Opps thought you talking about the mastic, that would the harmonic damper idea. That probably is an accumulator, those usually don't get replaced.

Noticed the compressor is old style rotary compressor. 

[6010fd12]

Got it installed. I just have one question.

This being my first "test" fridge I actually worked on even before fixing that LG fridge, I may have "damaged" the compressor while installing the service port a while ago so I had to buy and install a new compressor. The new compressor (LX86LACM) has the 3 prongs in a different spot than the old one. 

 

I can't find any diagrams online that mention which way to plug the connector in. It will only fit 2 ways.

 

Do you know which way it plugs in?

[Vance R]

First picture looks best.  You can ohm out the winding to figure out run, start and common then wire to schematic.  Ohm out all three set of pin combinations. Lets say 1 to 2, 2 to 3 and 3 to 1. The combination of pins with the high ohm reading is the run and start windings together, leaving the other pin as common.  Now that you know which one is common, common to the next highest reading will be the start pin. From common to the lowest reading will be the run pin.

[6010fd12]

Gotcha. So the overload would sit on the common right?

[Vance R]

19 minutes ago, 6010fd12 said:

So the overload would sit on the common right?

yes

 

[6010fd12]

Alright so I tried just like in the first picture (and you were correct on the front sticker it shows that) http://imgur.com/a/JUZdx18

but a little while after the fan started I heard the overload click; turned it off and took it out and it was very hot.

I tried the same plugs on the old compressor (except with the overload at the top like it was originally) and it started up just fine a little before the fan did. 

Do I maybe need to get a new overload and start and run switch that will work with the compressor? Or are the windings inside shorted?

[AccApp]

I am fairly certain the bottom pin is the common and top two are start and run. Get a resistance reading between all the pins and ground to determine if the new compressor is good.

[Vance R]

Not a good free hand write in paint, but you'll get the idea. 

[WOOKIE]

41 minutes ago, 6010fd12 said:

Alright so I tried just like in the first picture (and you were correct on the front sticker it shows that) http://imgur.com/a/JUZdx18

but a little while after the fan started I heard the overload click; turned it off and took it out and it was very hot.

I tried the same plugs on the old compressor (except with the overload at the top like it was originally) and it started up just fine a little before the fan did. 

Do I maybe need to get a new overload and start and run switch that will work with the compressor? Or are the windings inside shorted?

anytime you install a new compressor you need to change the overload and start relay per the specs of the new compressor.  

[6010fd12]

15 minutes ago, WOOKIE said:

anytime you install a new compressor you need to change the overload and start relay per the specs of the new compressor.  

Whoops. Alright that probably explains why it worked on the old one and not the new one lol. Still learning. Which overload and relay do I need for a LX86LACM compressor?

[Vance R]

Your picture of the compressor shows it to be a LG branded. Should use LG start components, double check your wiring of the starts group.

[6010fd12]

19 minutes ago, Vance R said:

Your picture of the compressor shows it to be a LG branded. Should use LG start components, double check your wiring of the starts group.

OOHHHH! Ok I gotcha now. Sorry I didn't understand at first. You were right, looks like the new compressor has the start and run flipped from how the old compressor had it. Tyvm!

[6010fd12]

Last question. I added 5.2 oz (the fridge takes 5.11) because my scale has a resolution of .2 oz but even with the correct amount the low side in still in a vacuum during compressor operation. Is this because I used the suction and cap tube kit? Do I leave the system as it is or should I add more until the low side breaks vacuum?

[Vance R]

2 hours ago, 6010fd12 said:

Is this because I used the suction and cap tube kit? Do I leave the system as it is or should I add more until the low side breaks vacuum?

Not sure, just let it run for awhile to see if the pressures change. See you post a couple hours ago. have the pressures changed? Up to 2" of vacuum is ok, if more than 2" would add an once.

[6010fd12]

I think I may have messed up. 

I decided to recover the refrigerant and try again this time with the high side connected. I made sure to flow the refrigerant through the high side first until it very slowly started to come up on the low side and after it stopped I turned on the compressor and while the low side guage was going down, so was the high side at the exact same rate until they both reached a full vacuum in a matter of seconds.

This seems silly especially since this is how the original compressor was wired but I think I have the suction and discharge lines swapped. To me it makes sense that the smaller tube at the front being the discharge and the bigger one behind it being the suction. I called LG support to confirm but they didn't have any of that information and it's not labeled on the compressor itself. Here is how I have it currently setup:

[Vance R]

Sometime when they sub compressor styles and/or manufactures it is hard to know which tube is which. The old boy way is to run the compressor with no tubes hooked up. You'll find out which one is the discharge line.