refrigerator freezer troubles

[Todd]

Hi Trader_4,

Bronze bearings like that are porous and soaked in machine oil like a sponge. When the friction of the rotating shaft heats up the bearing, the oil expands out of the bearing on to the shaft. It is called a "self lubricating bearing". So yes, there is oil in them. I personally prefer double ball bearing fans.

And, both the repairman I like and the part house I got the replacement told me that burning tire stink and oil on the case of the fan are the first symptoms of a failing fan.

When sleeve bearing fans use up all the oil where the shaft rotates, the heat generated causes the oil on the outside of the bearing to sweat all over the place. And it stinks like hell too.

This is the fan:

By the way, there is about five times the air flow with the new motor.

-T

[Todd]

The oil came out of the fan, not the compressor.

[Todd]

The three electrical pins that the relay attaches to

[Todd]

Great link. My batteries are on the fritz on my meter. Shorting the pins together gives me 5 ohms. So, I am thinking my meter wasn't entirely accurate.

[Todd]

I keep seeing blow ups of the relay:

Where is looks like it comes in several pieces. On mine, where the pieces look to snap together, they are melted together. Not sure it that is on purpose or not.

This link gives a great representation of what is going on in the relay:

[Stormin Mormon]

Attach to compressor.

[J Burns]

Sometimes I use contact cleaner and move plugs in jacks to get a meter to read 0 ohms.

If it's adding a consistent 5 ohms, that would mean 4+5=9, as expected of good windings.

Did you check output from the relay, disconnected from the motor? If I hooked up the meter and plugged the refrigerator in (or switched a breaker on), I'd look for 120 from run to common and a momentary 120 from start to common. A new relay might fix it!

But I've been wrong before...

[ChairMan]

see my earlier post : )

[Stormin Mormon]

Cover box and three pins for electrical contact can only be a compressor.

[Kurt Ullman]

Ah yes, the benefits of placebomeniphan. Worked with a shrink once who thought that most substance abusers needed SOMETHING to hang on to to hand their troubles on. He used to RX tryptophan. There was a biologic response so the addicts knew something was happening, it was cheap, pretty much impossible to OD and (according to the doc) the only major side effect was to get a little nervous around Thanksgiving.

[TomR]

Oops, when I posted this before, I was assuming that the refrigerator was fairly new with digital/computer circuitry and software since you wrote above: "Purchased ~ 12/2010".

But, in a recent post you wrote that you bought in 2001, not 2010, so it's

13 years old. Of course, my "reboot" idea won't work on a 13 year old fridge.

In case it helps, we recently had a central HVAC system that produced a burning smell and then wouldn't cool. We have a utility company "WorryFree" service contract on that unit and they came out and the problem was the start capacitor (or whatever that is called) on the compressor. He replaced the start capacitor and that fixed it. I think he said the burning smell came from the bad capacitor, but I am not sure about that.

So, maybe if you try your idea of replacing the start capacitor that will fix it. If not, then maybe look on Craig's List for a used one, or buy a new one.

Good luck.

[Todd]

Thank you for the input anyway. It is amazing these days what a power off can do.

[Todd]

Hi All,

Stormin' was correct. It was the relay. Details will follow when I get some office time.

Many thanks to everyone who helped me on this one!

-T

[Stormin Mormon]

Nice to hear that I did some good, some where in the world. You're kind to mention it.

[trader_4]

Yes, good job in getting him going. Hopefully it will last another 10 years now.

[Todd]

And in 10 years, hopefully, I will remember what I did!

New refrigerators are such s**te these days too. Only expected to last 5 to 7 years. Cost of ownership is though the roof. It is better/cheaper to fix a long lived older unit than to waste your money on a new one every 5 to 7 years.

This review rips new refrigerators:

"Let's just go ahead and state it. There are NO long-life refrigerators anymore. In ANY brand. There are only fridges in certain models that may work all right with minor issues over their lifetime (5-7 years, perhaps somewhat more if you're lucky), and the others - with near-constant repairs. There will always be exceptions with mass-produced appliances, and no one is going be able to provide you with statistical samplings based on an entire appliance field, but in general, this is the state of affairs today.

-T

[Todd]

Guys!

Remember the last time you told one of your friends "Doctor said you gonna die!". Well ... enter the "Norcebo Effect". Not very nice!

"In medicine, a nocebo (Latin for "I shall harm") is a harmless substance that creates harmful effects in a patient who takes it. The nocebo effect is the negative reaction experienced by a patient who receives a nocebo. Conversely, a placebo is an inert substance that creates either a positive response or no response in a patient who takes it.

Okay now, which one of your guys is GONNA DIE!

[Stormin Mormon]

The one with the snake bite.... anyone remember the joke?

. Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus

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[Todd]

I wondered if anyone would catch that reference!

[Stormin Mormon]

At last, we find a reference we share.

. Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus

.