My Candy fridge freezer is no longer working but it is hard to judge if it is worth trying to fix it. First I noticed it was not getting as cold as before so I turned up the thermostat. That did not work so I started listening to it and noticed the compressor was running all the time. I then felt the radiator at the back and found it was only slightly warm. Over the next day or say it got colder until it was at room temperature. Reading up on the matter I found that it was not advised to keep the fridge on in such a state because it damages the compressor. After leaving it more than a week I tried it again and the black pipe from the compressor to the radiator got to about 50C but after an hour was only around 30C.
My understanding is that if the problem is a refrigerant leak then it cannot be too bad because some must remain in to allow it to almost work, and it would be worthwhile getting someone with the specialist equipment to top it up. My concern is that failing compressor seals may be the problem and topping it up would be a waste of time. Can anyone tell the difference from these observations?
The label on the compressor says HYK95AA 0307 R600a
Im only guessing, but put a amp meter on it, a compressor going bad will pull alot more juice. A repairman will tell you and freon wont be expensive and probably be worth it.
From experience I'd say that it might cost one third or half the cost of a new fridge, to fix it. That includes fixing the leak and recharging the gas, and taking the fridge away and returning it, and the use of a temporary fridge. So if your fridge is really tatty maybe it's time for a new one. My new fridge is more efficient than an old one.
Usually loss of gas. If its topped up it just leaks out again. Finding the leak is very hard to do, so generally such repairs are uneconomic. With 2 exceptions:
insulation pad under the base can be replaced if saturated
Topup with very low cost replacement gas is sometimes done, and sometimes works well.
Well, our 'garage' fridge (for overflow from the house fridge plus beers) conked out under similar circumstances and I was faced with the same dilemma.
In the end I bought a replacement from a local ebay seller for... five quid. That was about three years ago and still going strong. So go figure...
Nearer or over 1/2 the cost these days with larder fridges coming in at around the =A3130 to =A3150 mark.
I had a compressor replaced on a fridge/freezer done in the kitchen took no more than a couple of hours. No need to bother shifting, large moderately heavy, boxes about to and from workshops.
To complete the story as a future reference; because the fridge looks good as new despite its 11 years I decided to try to refill the refridgerant.
Esjay came around with the appropriate kit and refilled with gas. He warned that although the pressure was low to start with it might not fix the problem. Also, the cooling coils for the fridge part are embedded in back of the unit and are made of steel. They therefore rust and leak after a while and fixing is difficult - bloody built-in obsolescence!
The refill worked partially but the thing became very noisy. Although it cooled more effectively than before when first switched on it still failed to get cold enough for the thermostat to cut out the motor. I therefore had to turn the fridge on and off manually. Obviously not a long term solution so it is now replaced. Going by previous advice here I steered clear of frost free options. Apparently frost free bumps the number of parts that can fail up from 3 to about 12.
The key to keeping a freezer frost free is to make sure the door is totally shut. Ice can build up and press slightly against the door and that slight pressure can create an air leak big enough for the frost to build up much more quickly.
Hope someone benefits!
Robert C> My Candy fridge freezer is no longer working but it is hard to judge if
Just a quick note to say that if you're thinking about disposing of your old fridge, don't forget that many of the substances contained inside may be very harmful for the environment if disposed of incorrectly. I've written an article that explains a bit more about what those substances are, the legislation governing fridge disposal, and the various ways of how to dispose of a fridge responsibly. You can find it here
Just a quick note to say that if you're thinking about disposing of your old fridge, don't forget that many of the substances contained inside may be very harmful for the environment if disposed of incorrectly. I've written an article that explains a bit more about what those substances are, the legislation governing fridge disposal, and the various ways of how to dispose of a fridge responsibly. You can find it here
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AnyJunk
Many years ago I had a freezer re-gassed and it cost £80 I recall.
I would think such a repair is hardly economical - however - a new timer on a frost Free is only about £7 (parts only)
is a badly misleading article though, typical jobsworth. For example you state:-
"What legislation is relevant to householders disposing of their old fridge?" and go on to list 3 Regulations only one of which has any affect upon householders and that single one not in the way you describe.
"Duty of Care ? Waste (Household Waste) Duty of Care (England & Wales) Regulations 2005 ? all householders getting rid of waste (not just old fridges!) have a duty of care to ensure that it is disposed of properly."
This is wrong. The duty imposed is only to take all such measures available as are reasonable in the circumstances to secure that any transfer by him of household waste produced on the property is only to an authorised person or to a person for authorised transport purposes. There is no other obligation on householders in that regulation about disposal at all.
Household waste is also exempt from the duty of care provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 :- "34 Duty of care etc. as respects waste (2) The duty imposed by subsection (1) above does not apply to an occupier of domestic property as respects the household waste produced on the property. "
(The late and not lamented ODPM defined "household waste" as :- ?all waste collected by Waste Collection Authorities under Section
45(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990), plus all waste arisings from Civic Amenity (CA) Sites and waste collected by third parties for which collection or disposal recycling credits are paid under Section 52 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.3")
"to ensure that any 3rd party you use to remove the waste is registered as a waste carrier with the Environment Agency"
You got that bit almost right, the duty is satisfied if you see a copy of their licence. Most people wouldn't recognise a real one of course.
" and provides you with a appropriately completed Waste Transfer Note for the collection. "
There is no requirement for a householder to have a Waste Transfer Note and no requirement for a waste carrier to provide them for household waste, it is required only for business collections.
"EC regulation 2037/2000 ? all refrigeration units containing Ozone Depleting Substances (ie. CFCs and HCFCs) must have those ODS removed in a controlled manner before the appliance is scrapped. Failure to comply with these regulations carries a fine of up to £2,500 and eligibility for prosecution."
Firstly, EU Regulations are not law until transposed into national legislation. Secondly a fine normally follows prosecution, it does not precede it. Thirdly, none of the transposing regulations apply to a householder disposing of a fridge. The householder has no responsibility at all for the removal of ozone depleting substances and is not at risk of prosecution or fine if it is carried out improperly.
"It is also worth noting that the majority of fridges still contain substances that could be harmful if handled incorrectly."
What "substances" might these be and what harm would result from mishandling? (Apart from the pain of dropping it on your foot).
I realise you want to advertise your business and exaggerate risk but scare mongering isn't a good way to do it. It is also not good form to quote prices ex VAT for consumer contracts, in fact that is against a real law, not just one of your invented ones.
(Statutory Instrument 2005 No. 2705 The Consumer Protection (Code of Practice for Traders on Price Indications) Approval Order 2005 Value Added Tax (i) Price indications to consumers 2.2.7 All price indications you give to private consumers, by whatever means, should include VAT.)
So, including VAT, In order of cost or removing old fridge:-
Take it to Household Waste Site - price of fuel to get there.
Using supplier of new fridge to take old one away- zero to £20
Local authority bulk rubbish - zero to £40
Anyjunk - The pricing is rather obscure as you quote £59 for a minimum load plus a supplement of £59 for a fridge so its either £59 or £117 (or, apparently, whatever else the van driver decides on the day).
I can see that will be a difficult decision for most people to make.
By the way, compressors from old fridges and freezers make fine vacuum pumps and compressors for airbrushes.
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Tim Witcomb saying something like:
Exactly so. Which is why I always take an axe to any old fridge of mine and let the fluids drain out into the garden soil. The weeds love it, as does all the local wildlife around here. Mind you, I haven't seen much of that recently, must be the weather or something...
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