LG FLB075LANA advice on how to proceed with tech

[Smf]

Hello All,

I have a 2015 Kenmore Elite fridge freezer with the LG Linear compressor.  During the recent hot spell it failed - first the refrigerator, then eventually the freezer and ice maker over a 2 week period.

I have had a tech visit from a national chain however based on his diagnosis and current status I now see a couple of options and would like advice on how to proceed.  

First what was done so far:

- We had not cleaned the back of the fridge freezer in seven years and it was pretty dirty back there (I know, I know - in our defense it is hard to get to!).  It is now cleaned

- The drain tube from the refrigerator was blocked with dirt at the end and has now been removed, cleaned and reinstalled

- The tech initially thought there might be a leak in the system so he examined the evaporator at the rear of the fridge but after spraying it with soapy water he could not find any leak after 1/2 hour

- The tech then attached a piercing valve to the charging port line on the compressor.  He got a reading of 15psi and said he thought the compressor was probably bad and needed replacing.

- The French door alignment was off.  There is a sealing strip that slides into place when the left door closes but this was not happening because of the misalignment, hence the refrigerator compartment was probably not sealing as well as it could.  This is now fixed.

- The tech left a quote to replace the compressor and evaporator.  It’s an expensive repair even though the compressor part is under warranty.

Since the tech left 2 days ago the fridge has stabilized and is working correctly.  Fridge and freezer are on temperature, the unit is making ice.  Temperature in the house was 85f yesterday and it coped, although it is only lightly loaded.

So my question is how to proceed:

- do nothing and hope it is fixed

- get the unit recharged via the piercing valve in case it has just lost some refrigerant over time

- replace the compressor only

- replace the compressor and evaporator as quoted

I am retired and would like to keep cost down, plus we are planning to move in a couple of years and don’t want to invest in this fridge.  We will be getting a tech to do the work.  I do not have the skills or tools to do the repair myself.  All advice gratefully received!  I am trying to attached a picture of the evaporator and the compressor with the piercing valve installed.

Thanks!

SF

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Smf]

No responses?

I talked to two other local techs over the phone and it seems that no one wants to work on Kenmore/LG units, except the retailers’ contracted techs. General consensus is that they are over complicated and junk.

I can’t see the point in going back to the national repair chain to replace the evaporator and compressor for almost $1000, particularly as the tech they sent out was a 20 something that barely knew what he was doing.  They have a policy that they will only do the evaporator and compressor at the same time…
 

So…. I am going to attempt to add refrigerant myself and if that does not work replace the fridge on the tax holiday next weekend.

The instructions I can find all say to do it via a piercing valve on the low pressure line and to bring the pressure up to around 2 psi.  

However, since the tech already added a piercing valve on the charging line can I do it via that instead and if so what PSI should I be looking to achieve?  
 

 

 

[Vance R]

This one of the post that is kinda tricky to give good advice. 

From the given information about the condenser being pretty dirty - you did remove the back panel vacuum and blow out the condenser coils completely?

For the leak test did the tech have the refrig running or off? Turn on the defrost heater?

After adding the bullet valve to check system pressures did the tech add any refrigerant? Did the tech put the refrigerator into the test mode to check pressures? 15 psi on the lowside depending compressor speed maybe perfectly acceptable - the system is variable capacity to meet cooling needs.

3 hours ago, Smf said:

However, since the tech already added a piercing valve on the charging line can I do it via that instead and if so what PSI should I be looking to achieve?  

The bullet valve is on what is call the process stub and that is part of the lowside. Adding or removing refrigerant is not recommended because of the statement above. It is better to remove all of the refrigerant, pull a vacuum and recharge by weight. The measure charge information is on the model/ serial number tag.

 

This last statement is kinda blind based on some assumptions - tech couldn't find a leak, tech didn't add any refrigerant, condenser was cleaned and condenser fan is running when needed. There was hot spell with a dirty condenser - cleaning the condenser may have been what was needed. 

As tech we all replace tons of these compressors but the true is not all them have issues. Seems like some of the original compressors built LG have lasted quite nicely. The main issues started when LG sub out the manufacture of the compressors to others.

[Smf]

Hello Vance

Thanks for your response!  To confirm your assumptions:

- the back panel was removed and the condenser completely blown out

- the tech could not locate the leak and no refrigerant was added.  Leak test was done with the refrigerator running and defroster off

- condenser fan is operating normally as was the fan in the fridge back near the evaporator

- tech took the PSI reading from the processor stub while the compressor was running

Fridge is currently set to 37 but ranges between 40 first thing in the morning and 55.  We have another hot spell and the house is currently at 85.  The fridge has coped better and we have not had a total melt down like 2 weeks ago but it is definitely still warmer than it should be.  The compressor / fans seem to be running all the time.

If a low side reading of 15 is acceptable then are you saying the compressor is most likely good and there is no need to recharge?

Anything else that should be considered instead?

 

 

[Vance R]

14 minutes ago, Smf said:

- the tech could not locate the leak and no refrigerant was added.  Leak test was done with the refrigerator running and defroster off

Almost impossible to find a lowside leak this way unless the leak is rather large.

 

17 minutes ago, Smf said:

Fridge is currently set to 37 but ranges between 40 first thing in the morning and 55.

So there is some cooling just not enough to keep correct temperature. Which leads to wanting to know the highside pressure to make a better diagnoses.

 

35 minutes ago, Smf said:

Anything else that should be considered instead?

Since that information is not available the best guess would be based on LG track record is you have a lowside leak. With a lowside leak some refrigerant leaks out when the system is off and then when the system starts up air is drawn into the system. Usually this happens when the leak is very small and take a long time to affect cooling.  To do a correct repair the leak would need to found. Due to the age of the compressor and the  possibility of oil contamination due moisture from the air a compressor replacement would necessary with a drier and which ever part is leaking. Yes the part could be the evaporator but it could also be anyone of the lowside lines. If your refrigerator has a steel condenser which is all black this as well. 

 

[Smf]

Thanks again Vance.   

My takeaway from your description is that it is probably a small leak, which is almost impossible to find.  There is no guarantee of success if I have the tech replace compressor, evaporator, condenser etc. - all of which is expensive and does not sound like a good way to spend hard earned cash!!

I guess the one thing that still confuses me is why the low side pressure of 15 psi on the stub is in ‘the acceptable range’.   If the fault is a leak should I have a low PSI reading that is out of the acceptable range?

I have a bullet valve, can of R134a and pressure gauge/line arriving Amazon today.  I am tempted to return it and just give up but would it be worth either:

- sticking the bullet valve on the high pressure side to get a better diagnosis

- giving it a shot to add more refrigerant - in which case what low side PSI should I aim for?

Thanks again

 

 

 

 

 

[Vance R]

50 minutes ago, Smf said:

I guess the one thing that still confuses me is why the low side pressure of 15 psi on the stub is in ‘the acceptable range’.

This is variable capacity compressor being controlled a board. In the old school days with single speed compressors 0 to 15 was the typical acceptable range for a lowside reading. Ideally the lowside with a single speed compressor the lowside is 0 psi.  Typical pressure for a failed linear compressor - usually 35 to 60 psi on lowside is what is seen when running. 

1 hour ago, Smf said:

If the fault is a leak should I have a low PSI reading that is out of the acceptable range?

Lowside leaks are different in that don't leak all the refrigerant out at once like a highside. They leak out a little refrigerant and then pull in some air slowly causing no cooling issues. Some lowsides can take years to become noticed.

 

1 hour ago, Smf said:

giving it a shot to add more refrigerant - in which case what low side PSI should I aim for?

Since there is probably air in the system topping off the refrigerant won't help.