I have three refrigerators which have been unplugged for more than a year. When I tried to use them by plugging them in, none was cool though the compressors were all running. Is this a normal behavior, losing freon if not being used for a year or one and half years?
Are you sure they lost freon? It is common for window air conditioners to sit for 9 months between uses and nothing is lost.
Check to see they are not blocked by mouse nests on the coils. fans not circulating, etc.
+1
They are a completely sealed system and I don't see how them not running would have any effect. They weren't stored laying on their sides, then plugged in, where they? Laid on side, the refrigerant can wind up in the wrong place. Most I think if you put them back upright for a day or two before plugging in, it will redistribute and be OK.
They are a closed system and should never loose the 'Freon' ( refrigerant ).
When they have been off for a while, it may take a while for them to cool down. Did you wait over night ? The will start cooling when you turn them on ,but just slow.
The only other problem I can think of is that if you laid them on the side and some of the oil in the compressor ran up the tubes. If you did lay them down, they should be stood up for about a day before starting.
While I doubt it, there may be a timmer on them so the oil in the compressor can heat up before starting.
Also, is he sure they aren't cooling? An empty fridge with nothing in it may not seem as cold as fridge with stuff in it. Did he take any temp readings in the fridge/freezer?
Freon (capitalized) is a brand name, like Forane, Genetron, or Isotron. Each of these is a brand of refrigerant.
The refrigerant tends to dissolve in the lubricating oil. The unit may need to run a day or two to get to temperature.
Thanks for the reply.
A day or two? Isn't that longer than usual? One of them ran overnight. The inside was still warm, not cold at all.
One of them ran overnight without noticeable cooling.
They are all stored upright.
When you say it was running, does that mean that the compressor was running continuously or just that it was plugged in? Are the condenser coils warm to the touch? To have this happen to 3 is very strange. How old are they? Are they all the same, or different brands/models, etc?
Wish I could be more help. I can think of a few tests, but none that I can run from my computer keyboard. Perhaps you have a friend who has these skills?
Are you sure the compressor is running? Some times, fans can make a similar noise. What's the name plate say for refrigerant charge, and running amp draw? Is the unit amping properly?
I'll need to check that.
Two of them are of the same model. They are about three years old. They were used in a restaurant. The other one is a different brand. It had been used in an office for more than five years without any problems.
Because we moved the office and closed the restaurant, they had not been used for more than one year until about a month ago when I tried to use them.
I have another refrigerator which is identical to the two. Once the restaurant was closed, that one was moved to my kitchen. It has been running since without problems.
I find it strange that those three that had been unplugged for a long time would not cool.
Is the compressor running? I did not really check it. I can only tell that when plugged in, they made the same noise they made when they were working fine. I'll check tomorrow to make sure compressor is running.
Nice thing about working on a unit in person. I can usually tell if it's just fan, or if the compressor is running. Some times the start relay gets weak, and the compressor only tries to start. Could be any of a few things gone wrong.
Well, it has been running for three days. The compressor is hot but inside still ambient temperature.
Hot compressor means the compressor is getting power.
Does the compressor hum, or does it hum, pause, CLICK! and then hum a few seconds later?
If possible, touch test the black tubes coming out of the compressor. Are the tubes different temperatures, about six inches from the comp? (Go lightly, some times the tubes can be hot enough to hurt.)
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