Fridge freezer not cold enough

[Al]

Ancient Hotpoint 8320 fridge freezer doesn't get cold enough in either the fridge or the freezer. Lowest temps respectively are 10C and -12C.

Compressor runs continuously and is too hot to touch, condensor is uniformly hot all over. Chiller coil at back of fridge frosts up very heavily in a matter of hours.

Have defrosted both fridge and freezer a couple of times, but it mkes no difference.

I guess it needs a new compressor or regassing, both of which would cost more than the fridge is worth. So it's time for a new fridge if nobody has any good ideas?

HOWEVER (in caps for dramatic effect!) - Can't find anything new in 'Almond' colour that would match the rest of the appliances, so I might have to have this one fixed just to keep the colour-conscious wife happy :)

Cheers,

Al.

[Mr Pounder]

Knackered compressor. Hotpoints did not lose refrigerant. Bin it and buy a new one. Then spray it if you must.

[Brian Gaff]

goog grief.. also the insulation often deteeriorates.

brian

[Andrew Gabriel]

Good

That means the door seal isn't sealing (or it's being left open). Check all the way round that the door seal grips a till receipt, and check for any other obvious failing of the seal. If the feet are not properly adjusted, the cabinet can be jarred, also stopping the door sealing.

No symptom you've mentioned implies the refrigeration isn't working. Actually, quite the opposite (although it doesn't rule out inefficient operation due to loss of refrigerent).

A common problem with Hotpoints (and others) after the ban on CFC insulation foam is that the insulation used wasn't closed-cell, and slowly over the years becomes water-logged (or ice-logged), particularly around the freezer compartment. Check the outside of the insulation to make sure it's not cold or wet or frozen (unplug before poking hands in to something that might be both wet, and live.) This tends to happen on the bottom and/or back first where there's no steel panel, but can happen on the sides too. Once the insulation is water-logged, it doesn't insulate anymore, and the refrigeration system won't be able to counteract the heat leaking in through the insulation, and this would explain why the compressor runs continuously but can't get down to temperature, although it isn't the only possible cause.

Failure of the insulation is not professionally fixable. I have done a DIY fixes which lasted about 10 years in one case, and didn't work in the other.

[Mr Pounder]

Hallo Brian :-)

Yes, you are correct with the inevitable failure of insulation.

The Hotpoint Ice Diamond was infamous for water leaking from the bottom of the freezer compartment. This if the freezer compartment was below the refrigerator compartment. Pure crap design. Lack of insulation and the evaporator plate being too close to the insulation. This went on for years ...

[Mr Pounder]

Bollocks.

Bollocks.

More bollocks.

I'm starting to lose the will to live.

He said it was ancient ffs.

Check the outside of the insulation to

Hmmm.

make sure it's not cold or wet or frozen (unplug before poking hands in

Failure of the insulation is not professionally fixable. I have done a

It is professionally fixable

[Ben]

Just to clarify.

Your refrigerator never gets below 10C, and yet you're having to defrost it on a regular basis it to try and discover the nature of the "problem".

Have you never thought to question the accuracy of your thermometer ?

Ben

[Al]

Hmmm. A mate runs the paint shop in a local garage ... I'll enquire :)

Al.

[Al]

No, all three that I tried are NPL calibrated. They're not intended to test fridges, but they are *accurate* enough for more important jobs :)

Al.

[Harry Bloomfield]

If it is the insulation (wet and cold at the back), then it is very easily fixable DIY.

You scrape out all of the old insulation, as much as you can then spray foam in to replace it.

[Dave Liquorice]

But will be a right bugger to fit into a kitchen based around 600 mm or 1000 mm wide units... Not impossible but may require reworking of units and/or their spacing.

[NT]

Soaked insulation and/or loss of gas. Insulation can be replaced but its a pita job. If it loses gas, any refill will only leak out again over time. R12 fridges can often be topped up successfully with cheap fuel gas. But if its decades old, you'd be better in the end with a new more energy efficient machine.

NT

[Mike Lane]

Andrew Gabriel wrote on Oct 2, 2011:

Bosch sell replacement door seals for all their fridges & freezers.

[Lobster]

I think the point being made was how come the fridge is iced up but sitting at 10 deg C?

[Mr Pounder]

Build up of ice. The temp of the evaporator should get to -25C at least, this is not happening.

[christopher]

My wife has started to complain that the K beater and balloon whisk of her ancient ( 40 Years ) Kenwood are covered in gray powder despite having been washed . could it be oxidation or perhaps a surface treatment has warn off.

Any ideas ?

Chris

[Steve Firth]

The K beater is an aluminium allow, the part of the balloon whisk where the wires are secured is also ally. If they are washed in a dishwasher the anodised finish gets stripped off and they start to corrode. Similarly if you try to clean them with an alkali.

Giving them a careful polish with a fine abrasive can remove the corrosion. After that treat them carefully and wnsure that they are carefully hand washed and throughly dried after each use.

And yes the powder is oxidation.

[Peter Parry]

Usually caused by dishwashers. The beater and whisk core are made of cast aluminium alloy and the caustic dishwasher tablets cause corrosion.

Clean them up with wire wool (brillo pad) and don't put them in the dishwasher.

[Ben]

Furthermore if the minimum temperature in a fridge was only 10C I don't think you'd need a thermometer, NPL calibrated or otherwise to confirm the fact. The green lumps floating around in the top of the milk should tell their own story.

Other than the 10C figure, ( assuming this is a minimum reading from a max/min thermometer) IMO this had every indication of being a failed thermostat. As pointed out elsewhere the icing up in the fridge adds its own form of insulation and so the interior temperature will be higher than if it otherwise would be

The cheapest way around a failed thermostat and ice build-up is simply to switch the thing off at regular intervals, nowadays using a timeswitch and trial and error.

Ben

[damduck-egg]

What are they made off? If they are made of aluminium perhaps they are oxidising a lot. Do you use a dishwasher? Not common domestically 40 years ago so possibly the components were not manufactured to stand dishwasher detergents like they would have to be now.

G.Harman