Can I solder in a refrigerator compressor myself?

[slewfoot]

Originally Posted by Trapper Sean

While we're at it, original problem was no ice. Service allegedly replaced the ice maker, but still no ice. To my estimation, this is actually unrelated to the freezer yes/no? I plan to take out the ice maker and re-install and see what may have been overlooked. If I can't find anything, a new ice maker is only $100-150.

Originally Posted by TheHammer

Do you have water to the ice maker?

Originally Posted by slewfoot

This^^^^^^^^ We still have our original new fridge we bought along with the new home back in 1997. Maybe 10 years later, the ice maker quit. I make some calls and such and the suggestion was a bad solenoid.

Okay, where is it? I'm not a pro in the field. Well, I was told and pushed the fridge away from the wall and there it was, right in front of my face. I removed it, got a part number, ordered one, installed it and been fine ever since. No screwing around, just remove and replace.

Then maybe 5 years ago, the ice make itself quit, I pulled it out ordered a new one and is fine.

However, the fridge is 27 years old and overall is crapping out since the fridge side is freezing up the food. So it's time and we're out looking at new ones.

I'm not paying the guy and end up spending half the cost of a new one to fix this fkn thing.

Wait, the original issue was no ice? Above is what happened to me

[BayouCountry]

Originally Posted by Big bob

I have fixed many most are less than 20 bucks. One was over a hundred for a control board that was not needed but still have,
.

The last one was the fan that I have you checking. I flicked it and lubed it up. It is still working with the back still off. It is on back order and time to move to the summer house coming up.

I have yet to see a compressor go bad or loss of freon.

LG had a batch of defective compressors go out a few years back. Unfortunately, they were also installed in other refrigerator brand's. My daughter was a victim. Of course, the compressor worked fine until the warranty expired.

I hope my old Jen-air lasts another 20 years. I will definitely try to repair it myself instead of rolling the dice and buying a new refrigerator. Same goes for my washer and dryer.

[Big bob]

Originally Posted by BayouCountry

LG had a batch of defective compressors go out a few years back. Unfortunately, they were also installed in other refrigerator brand's. My daughter was a victim. Of course, the compressor worked fine until the warranty expired.

I hope my old Jen-air lasts another 20 years. I will definitely try to repair it myself instead of rolling the dice and buying a new refrigerator. Same goes for my washer and dryer.

But when a compressor goes bad they usually don't run at all or cool. I have a 1950s rounded frig that hasn't been used in years. I was going to turn into a smoker. Just for shits I plugged it in and it is working perfectly.

[Trapper Sean]

Ok I dove into the freezer (bottom freezer) to look at the evaporator coils, fan, and motor. Fan runs. Evaporator fins are clean. However a big blob of ice on one end, on copper tubing.

Not entirely sure why this would be a big problem. Possibly this make the freezer think it's plenty cold when actually it is not??

There is a loop of heater element for defrosting that loops all around the evaporator. I suspect that is the bad part and will start pursuing replacement. The local parts place that has it in stock is closed for the weekend.

The service tech that abandoned the job had ordered a heater part and left it with me. It appears to actually be for ice maker water inlet. Maybe got the wrong part??

In the mean time I will reassemble the defrosted freezer. If it cools down, I could be on to something. We'll see. The ice make may still be a different bear. It is in top of fridge, not within the freezer.

[Big bob]

Originally Posted by Trapper Sean

Ok I dove into the freezer (bottom freezer) to look at the evaporator coils, fan, and motor. Fan runs. Evaporator fins are clean. However a big blob of ice on one end, on copper tubing.

Not entirely sure why this would be a big problem. Possibly this make the freezer think it's plenty cold when actually it is not??

There is a loop of heater element for defrosting that loops all around the evaporator. I suspect that is the bad part and will start pursuing replacement. The local parts place that has it in stock is closed for the weekend.

The service tech that abandoned the job had ordered a heater part and left it with me. It appears to actually be for ice maker water inlet. Maybe got the wrong part??

In the mean time I will reassemble the defrosted freezer. If it cools down, I could be on to something. We'll see. The ice make may still be a different bear. It is in top of fridge, not within the freezer.

You got this

[GTOguy]

Originally Posted by Big bob

But when a compressor goes bad they usually don't run at all or cool. I have a 1950s rounded frig that hasn't been used in years. I was going to turn into a smoker. Just for shits I plugged it in and it is working perfectly.

Have run into this several times over the years. The 1930's-'60's units are supposedly not 'energy efficient' but run literally, forever. Not sure if I buy the inefficient BS. I have a 40+ year old made in USA Kenmore in the shop that's ugly, but it is quiet as a mouse and doesn't leak water....unlike my noisy as hell stainless newer made in China Kenmore, that has to be mopped out every other day and sounds like a Briggs and Stratton one-lunger.

[Trapper Sean]

This KitchenAid (Whirlpool) has an extensive diagnostics suite onboard. I'm impressed. For better or worse though, I'm finding no error codes and so far everything tested manually passes the test.

[Trapper Sean]

Originally Posted by Big bob

You got this

I don't think this did it. Overnight 12-14 hours later, freezer and fridge both at 40F.

Nots sure if maybe the blob of ice on copper tubing (near expansion valve??) is normal. No ice on the fins. A thermistor connected to all this lies outside the evaporator compartment, in the freezer compartment. So the ice was not covering this thermistor.

The diagnostics gives no clue there's a problem with the defroster loop. Shouldn't diagnostics flag open circuit or (doubtfully) short circuit?

Next step, try to add freon.

[Trapper Sean]

Tapped in with a pipe piercing gadget and shoehorned in an entire can of R134a over about 2 hours. Low side pressure started out at zero (or less? Gauge goes down only to zero) is variable but mostly below 10 psi, mostly less than 5 psi. How much pressure goes into a fridge??

Fridge temp after a couple hours is in mid-30sF and freezer is at 26F.

This could work if it will hold.

Remaining concerns: Freezer needs to go down to around 0F. How'd my R134a escape? Is it just going to escape again? Ice maker is not in freezer. Still have to look into this.

Have to get on the road and travel again. More later.

[Big bob]

Is the ice Blob back?

Edit oh shit tapping was the last resort. And if you have no way of pulling a vacuum you are screwed.

[Trapper Sean]

Originally Posted by Big bob

Is the ice Blob back?

Edit oh shit tapping was the last resort. And if you have no way of pulling a vacuum you are screwed.

Don't know about ice blob because I have to disassemble everything to look. I would guess the ice blob is busy accumulating again since I did nothing to change this.

Last resort? Ya, I'm the last resort. KitchenAid factory-recommended service in my area is the same jokers who already came three times and another one who's been out once. Looks like all my warranty and service is expired, so I'm the Fridge Doctor from here on out. Actually one of the jokers spoke about "Freon" in front of my wife but she does not know exactly what was said.

Vacuum the refrigerant system? I could probably vacuum it out with a rented vacuum pump. I've done that on cars before, changing out condensers. Since it did have enough refrigerant to go down to 40F, I figured there was likely sufficient pressure to keep air out. Not sure if maybe pressure went below zero on low side or if so would that be a likely place for a leak.

[Big bob]

Originally Posted by Trapper Sean

Don't know about ice blob because I have to disassemble everything to look. I would guess the ice blob is busy accumulating again since I did nothing to change this.

Last resort? Ya, I'm the last resort. KitchenAid factory-recommended service in my area is the same jokers who already came three times and another one who's been out once. Looks like all my warranty and service is expired, so I'm the Fridge Doctor from here on out. Actually one of the jokers spoke about "Freon" in front of my wife but she does not know exactly what was said.

Vacuum the refrigerant system? I could probably vacuum it out with a rented vacuum pump. I've done that on cars before, changing out condensers. Since it did have enough refrigerant to go down to 40F, I figured there was likely sufficient pressure to keep air out. Not sure if maybe pressure went below zero on low side or if so would that be a likely place for a leak.

I believe the ice Blob was the cause. We just needed to figure out what caused the blob. You have added many more variables. Not sure if I will be able to help much now.

I wish you would have waited before breaching the system to try some other things but here we are now. Right now your best bet is hope for the best. If this does not work buy yourself a 20 buck sniffer.


I believe what you did freed the sticky expansion valve. But no way of knowing for sure.

[Trapper Sean]

I'm beginning to suspect the cause of the ice blob could be refrigerant leak in that area.

[Big bob]

Originally Posted by Trapper Sean

I'm beginning to suspect the cause of the ice blob could be refrigerant leak in that area.

Could very well be. $19.99 on amazon leak detector.

[Big bob]

Ok I have never had a Leaky fridge. But I looked up what I believe you bought. I would go to a auto parts store that loan tools and get a vacuum pump. And see if it holds vaccum. And find out how much freon it holds. To much or to little is not good.

Nylock sealant would be good addition for your new tap.

[GTOguy]

Originally Posted by Trapper Sean

I'm beginning to suspect the cause of the ice blob could be refrigerant leak in that area.

Restrictions tend to cause ice-up 'blobs'. Internal restrictions. Not leaks, although anything is possible.

My guess is that it had an internal restriction causing a freeze-up into non-op status. Happens a lot in cars, usually at the TXV.
Opening the system was not a good idea.
Yadkin may chime in and save the day.

[Trapper Sean]

Freon capacity is stated as 6.0 oz. So I may have created some confounding issues by adding about 11 oz. Or if there is a significant leak, maybe this levels out soon.
Freezer is now at 20F wifey says and froze two trays of ice cubes.

[Trapper Sean]

Today. Not bad but needs to hit about 0. Maybe it now needs less freon to get optimized.

[Trapper Sean]

Had to abandon the fridge saga for a while but I'm getting back on it.

Last status: Fridge was thought to be overcharged. Thought to maybe have a leak near freezer evaporator, but not sure. Holds 6.00 oz R134a, but I put in about 11 oz before figuring this out. Even so the freezer hit 15F.

Current status: Freezer temp has creeped up to about 20. If there's a leak, so far it hasn't helped with any overcharge. I have a stop leak product for up to 1 ton that I plan to shoot in.

Other updated info. The condenser coils are about 22" x 22" and are almost inaccessible and almost invisible across bottom of fridge. I jacked up the fridge about 0.5" and ran a coils brush around and picked up a little dust, but not much. I can hardly see anything and cannot squeeze a shop vac skinny attachment under there. Not believed to be at issue, but hard to verify.

Any comments? Let's hear them. Calling the guy probably not an option.

[Big bob]

Vacuum pump it out for an hour or so then add six ounces of freon. Seal your new tap and cap with nylock. Leak sealant is a last resort. I am guessing you originally had a stuck valve and you knocked it loose. Time will tell.

P.S. Make sure you purge the air out of the delivery hose.