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Author Topic: Freezer Issue  (Read 2138 times)

Offline brewmichigan

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Freezer Issue
« on: September 27, 2012, 12:29:19 pm »
This is not quite a beer related as I would like it to be but it is affecting my beer fridge so I think it fits in this category.

I'm having trouble with my chest freezer I use for actually freezing things. In the mean time I have UN-converted the other chest freezer that held my beer to an actual freezer until I get the other fixed.

My issue is this. After the freezer runs for a day or two it gets stuck around 15-20F. If I turn it off and let it set for an hour or so and turn it back on it cools right back down to -5 for the next day or two. Then it does the same thing and gets stuck at 15-20F. This is not good for the food in there so I switched it out.

I have noticed, by using an IR thermometer, that when it's stuck in this phase the back wall of the freezer (on the inside) is quite warm. It's in the 30's. The front wall is ice cold in the -10to -15F range. During this time the freezer is running non-stop and it seems to be fighting itself. When the freezer is working properly both walls are very cold.

2 days ago I put my love controller on it and set it at -5 and it's staying just fine. I'm wondering if the thermostat might be bad and after it runs for awhile it stops working. I don't know much about refrigeration systems and you guys are the smartest guys I know  8) so I thought I'd throw it out there.

The freezer is a GE and it's 10 years old.
Mike --- Flint, Michigan

Offline Jimmy K

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Re: Freezer Issue
« Reply #1 on: September 27, 2012, 01:24:47 pm »
I don't know much either but....
 
So it runs fine for a day or two and then the back wall gets warm but the front walls are still ice cold. I know my refridgerator has a defrost cycle for the freezer coils (cause I just paid $400 to get it fixed). I don't think chest freezers have anything like that, but somehow heat is getting trapped in that back wall. Only two think I can think of that would create heat - a defrost heater or heat from the compressor. I think these dissapate heat through the walls, so it could be that something is freezing up and trapping heat. That would explain why it works for a few days. Might also explain why it works fine on the temperature controller since the whole thing shuts off, giving it time to defrost. Or I might be making this all up.
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Offline brewmichigan

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Re: Freezer Issue
« Reply #2 on: September 27, 2012, 01:46:00 pm »
I don't know much either but....
 
So it runs fine for a day or two and then the back wall gets warm but the front walls are still ice cold. I know my refridgerator has a defrost cycle for the freezer coils (cause I just paid $400 to get it fixed). I don't think chest freezers have anything like that, but somehow heat is getting trapped in that back wall. Only two think I can think of that would create heat - a defrost heater or heat from the compressor. I think these dissapate heat through the walls, so it could be that something is freezing up and trapping heat. That would explain why it works for a few days. Might also explain why it works fine on the temperature controller since the whole thing shuts off, giving it time to defrost. Or I might be making this all up.

That's what I've been thinking. Something freezes up and can't work properly. I thought the condenser coils were in the back and they just dissipate heat and that's why the back wall gets warm but it only gets warm after it has run for a long time.

I don't think you're making this up  ;)
Mike --- Flint, Michigan

Offline brewmichigan

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Re: Freezer Issue
« Reply #3 on: September 28, 2012, 07:34:08 am »
I think I figured it out. I posted this question on an appliance forum and got a response. It does seem to be the thermostat is messed up. Having it plugged into my love controller has it working perfectly. Looks like I'm buying another because it's cheaper than the actual thermostat for the freezer. Thanks
Mike --- Flint, Michigan

Offline Jimmy K

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Re: Freezer Issue
« Reply #4 on: October 02, 2012, 01:44:34 pm »
Glad I could ... uhh ... help
Delmarva United Homebrewers - President by inverse coup - former president ousted himself.
AHA Member since 2006
BJCP Certified: B0958