Freezer/Refrig Help

[tnom]

I noticed that ice cream was starting to melt in the freezer of my

1979 GE side by side Ref/Freez combo. I removed the frozen goods and put them outside. I new there was a reason for this cold weather.

I had this problem once before and the drain in the freezer was frozen and plugged. That is not the case now.

What I have noticed is the fan that is positioned to blow on the compressor comes on from time to time but shuts down after only running for about five seconds. I believe this symptom is related to the problem I am having.

The refrigerator seems to be fine but I haven't put a thermometer in it yet to confirm this. The unit seems to be fairly clean from dust in the coils and the drip pan is dry.

Help. Any pointers to what the problem may be?

[Speedy Jim]

Hmmm 30 years. I believe GE used their "uni-bearing" cond motor. The single bearing has probably gone oval-shape.

Dig out the model number, but this shows some common parts:

You could put a meter across the motor just to verify that it is getting power when it stops spinning.

[tnom]

I have checked the temperature of the refrigerator now. It is to warm also. I believe the separate cooling fan for the compressor shuts down because the compressor is froze up and over current. Not having to delve into a refrigerators working before this can only be a guess.

Maybe some one on this group can confirm whether the cooling fan runs during the same time periods as the compressor. If so I may be off to Lowe's to get another thirty year refrigerator.

[tnom]

More bad news if I am understanding the circuit. A bi-metal over current device clicks off when the fan shuts down. This thimble sized device is in series with the compressor and fan. If I unhook one leg of the compressor the over current device will not trip and the fan continues to run.

[Speedy Jim]

Ah. You are probably right then that it's a compressor failure. That's the starting relay for the compressor.

Too bad.

Jim

[DK]

Replace the fridge. The new ones are energy efficient and will pay for itself in a couple of years.

[greg6755]

Honestly replace it.

Here are some facts I read in Consumer Reports:

Refrigerators made after 1985 use half the energy of those made before.

Refrigerators made after 1995 use 25% less energy than those made between 1985 and 1995.

You will almost certainly see a difference in your electric bill.

[tnom]

It died. It almost lasted as long as my parents Crosley refrigerator. The Crosley lasted about 35 years.

[Stormin Mormon]

The fan next to the compressor, and the compressor come on at the same time. If the fan is defective, the compressor will overheat.

Immediately unplug the refrig. Because an over heated compressor may come back to life, or it may be burned out forever. On the small chance that the compressor will come back to life, don't hurt it any more.

Replace the fan, see if that helps.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I'm sorry to hear that. A 35 year old refrigerator uses much more power than a new one. As an example, I had a second refrigerator in the basement, an old 12 cubic foot model. I replaced it with a new 18 cubic foot with self defrosting. My electric bill went down $10 a month and I have much more space and better freezer.

Based on just that example, 35 years, at $120 a year, cost your parents $4200 extra to keep the old Crosley compared to a recent model. Why would anyone want to keep spending extra money to keep an old appliance running?