While we are doing up our kitchen we want to buy a second hand fridge and keep it in the garage; it would fit into my car if laid on its side. Does anyone know if a fridge can be transported on its side and how long would it need to stand before using it again? Thank you
It will be fine on it's side. Be careful that you don't lift it by the door handle or any of the pipes etc. Most "opinions" are 24 hours upright before you plug it in.
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A fridge or freezer tipped onto it's side may never work again, so you would never normally do this deliberately.
If it has happened, the following is a tip Hotpoint gave me many years ago as the best chance to recover it...
Leave it standing in final position for at least 24 hours before switching on. (You should always do this after moving one, even if it hasn't been tipped too far off-vertical.) Then run it for very short time (like 15 seconds), leaving it at least 10 minutes before repeating. If it's a modern fridge with compressor start-up delay, you need to factor this in too - it's the compressor which needs to run for about 15 seconds. This will help get the refrigerant and lubricant back into their right places. Repeat this several times over a second day.
Then, if you're lucky, it will work if you turn it on on the 3rd day. Ideally, check for a while that the external element (the condenser) is getting hot whilst the compressor is running - if it isn't, it may indicate the expansion jet has waxed up and you need to go back to the 15 second cycles again. This is much more likely to go wrong with a freezer than it is with a fridge.
Utter bollocks.
More bollocks.
Utter s**te.
I've never come acropper moving fridges & freezers. The compressor is a pum p and there are nothing but the tiniest of reservoirs anywhere, so any disp laced oil returns to it in a matter of seconds. Due to pipe size there's no t likely to be much oil displaced anyway. I'm not a refrigeration engineer though :)
NT
I've never come acropper moving fridges & freezers. The compressor is a pump and there are nothing but the tiniest of reservoirs anywhere, so any displaced oil returns to it in a matter of seconds. Due to pipe size there's not likely to be much oil displaced anyway. I'm not a refrigeration engineer though :)
I used to be.
Thank you for the advice; we are just intending to spend around £40 to £50 so it will be no great loss if it does not work. At least I now have the confidence to try.
I've never come acropper moving fridges & freezers. The compressor is a pump and there are nothing but the tiniest of reservoirs anywhere, so any displaced oil returns to it in a matter of seconds. Due to pipe size there's not likely to be much oil displaced anyway. I'm not a refrigeration engineer though :)
I used to be.
There are a couple of possible problems
You really need to see the original instruction book to be certain. Most say don't do it but don't say why.
So best kept upright to be sure. Can't you borrow a trailer or some such?
I've never come acropper moving fridges & freezers. The compressor is a pump and there are nothing but the tiniest of reservoirs anywhere, so any displaced oil returns to it in a matter of seconds. Due to pipe size there's not likely to be much oil displaced anyway. I'm not a refrigeration engineer though :)
There is a pool of lubricating oil in the bottom of all refrigeration compressors. As the compressor runs oil is picked up to lubricate the working parts.
I had a trailer until last year when we changed our car and the current one does not have a tow ball. My son has a trailer but lives some distance away.
There are a couple of possible problems
You really need to see the original instruction book to be certain. Most say don't do it but don't say why.
So best kept upright to be sure. Can't you borrow a trailer or some such?
It should be fine*...
Ideally, lay the freezer on its side, so that when looking at the compressor, the pipe with the filter drier (which will also then go into a very thin pipe after this) is upwards, as this is the direction the compressor pumps, and ideally, you dontt really want loads of compressor oil up there.
Still leave it for at least 24 hours upright before turning it on regardless of this.
*YMMV, I am not a fridgie, but have researched refrigeration extensively when I was trying to re-gass a freezer recently.
Oh yea, don't bump it about too much when it is in its side, as there are springs in the compressor that can get damaged by this...
Oh yea, don't bump it about too much when it is in its side, as there are springs in the compressor that can get damaged by this...
I havent a clue however I have collected new ones from the shops over the years and the only advice given was leave for 24 hours. they knew it was going in the back of an estate care on its side. Probably shifted around 6 over the years on their side in the back of cars, never had a problem but did always leave for 24 hours....maybe lucky who knows.
There is a filter/dryer in the system to prevent exactly that. Should be renewed if the system is opened. The lumpy thing immediately before the capilliary tube. (Likeliest place to block.)
There are other things can go wrong in transport, mostly related to gas loss. With old fridges the aluminium/copper joints on the evaporator weaken and can start to leak if distirbed. I never top post BTW
About half an hour I was told. Brian
Hmm, well there you are, two completely different ideas, I guess you suck it and see!
Brian
The chap who did our 'fridges' at work (from ordinary fridges up to big cascade systems) told me that the main problem was oil in the capillary tube twixt pot and evaporator. Because the bore is so small it's v. difficult to get the oil out - he'd had one open and tried to clear it using a CO2 line (about 70 Bar on the day) with no luck.
That's Brian not Harry.
One of them is blind, the other one has special needs.
You owe me an iPhone. I just sprayed coffee over this one and not won't ????????? ??? ????
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