Shoreline fridge

[davel]

The shoreline fridge on Iona has never worked. I've not bothered investigating before as it did not seem worth it with batteries that are so knackered they probably would not manage to run it. But now we have new (secondhand) batteries, cheers Vince, and with summer just around the corner I would like to keep my beers cooler than canal temperature.

 

Fixed the fault that was tripping the breaker on the fridge circuit, connected the wires to the fridge and checked voltage (12.8v) switched on, a couple of seconds later compressor comes on. YAY. 10 seconds later goes off. BOO.

 

Quick search on the forum, got a link to a Danfoss technical page where it says about connecting l.e.d. between

+ and D.

 

Into Maplins for l.e.d.

 

Back on the boat, connect l.e.d. which, after compressor starts up and goes off again, flashes 5 times which Danfoss says "Thermal cut-out of electronic unit (if the refrigeration system has been too heavily loaded , or if the ambient temperaure is high , the electronic unit will run too hot)". Methinks it cannot be running too hot being as how it only ran for 10 - 15 seconds.

 

So has the electronic unit developed a fault or could it be something else?

 

Waddya think.

[Smelly]

The shoreline fridge on Iona has never worked. I've not bothered investigating before as it did not seem worth it with batteries that are so knackered they probably would not manage to run it. But now we have new (secondhand) batteries, cheers Vince, and with summer just around the corner I would like to keep my beers cooler than canal temperature.

 

Fixed the fault that was tripping the breaker on the fridge circuit, connected the wires to the fridge and checked voltage (12.8v) switched on, a couple of seconds later compressor comes on. YAY. 10 seconds later goes off. BOO.

 

Quick search on the forum, got a link to a Danfoss technical page where it says about connecting l.e.d. between

+ and D.

 

Into Maplins for l.e.d.

 

Back on the boat, connect l.e.d. which, after compressor starts up and goes off again, flashes 5 times which Danfoss says "Thermal cut-out of electronic unit (if the refrigeration system has been too heavily loaded , or if the ambient temperaure is high , the electronic unit will run too hot)". Methinks it cannot be running too hot being as how it only ran for 10 - 15 seconds.

 

So has the electronic unit developed a fault or could it be something else?

 

Waddya think.

 

Could a connection to the electronic bit be mucky and getting a bit warm?

 

Maybe ram the fridge full of cool blocks to cool it down (get em from Towsure, 1.65 a pair ) and see if it is overloading?

[springy]

When you say it has "never worked" - how long for ? It could need re-gassing,

I seem to remember something about the refrigerant also lubricating the

compressor so perhaps that could explain the behaviour ? I'm not sure

about this & it may depend on the refridgerant type used (which will

depend on the age of the fridge) - I believe it is true for air con systems

on cars.

 

springy

[WotEver]

Waddya think.

My guess (but it is only a guess) is that it's low on refrigerant and needs re-gassing. Low gas levels would cause it to run hot.

 

A responsible refrigerant engineer will only top it up if he/she can find the leak. (That's not to say you couldn't find an unresponsible engineer!)

 

Either way, I doubt you'll fix it yourself and will need to take it to someone.

 

Tony

 

Edit to ask if anyone knows why the abbreviation of refrigerator is fridge. Anyone know where the d came from?

Edited April 13, 2010 by WotEver

[Gibbo]

Edit to ask if anyone knows why the abbreviation of refrigerator is fridge. Anyone know where the d came from?

 

They were orginially for storing game. Someone wrote it down wrong with a letter in the wrong word. It's the same "d" that got lost out of pigeon.

[WotEver]

Thanks for the explanation.

 

It's the same "d" that got lost out of pigeon.

Unless your name's Walter

Does that date me?

 

Tony

[nwhear]

Fridge is a contraction of Fridgidair that used to (and still do make refigerators).

 

Just like we call vacume cleaners a Hover due to the first mass producer of the item

[RLWP]

Hover? They're mowers aren't they?

 

Richard

[WotEver]

Fridge is a contraction of Fridgidair that used to (and still do make refigerators).

Well, if that's how they spelt their name I guess it would have been a possibility. However, seeing as the company name is and always has been Frigidaire I don't really see that solution as a go-er.

 

http://www.frigidaire.co.uk/

 

Tony

[Pretty Funked Up]

Check the voltage at the unit WHILE COMPRESSOR IS RUNNING.

 

 

edit: is the missing 'd' an americanism?

Edited April 13, 2010 by Pretty Funked Up

[WotEver]

edit: is the missing 'd' an americanism?

Nope.

 

I spent a bit of time Googling the question following Gibbo's answer and the consensus seems to be that any other spelling would look wrong and probably be mispronounced. Think "Frig" or "Frige" - neither of those would be pronounced "fridge".

 

A more interesting question that my Googling turned up was why is the full word "Refrigerator"? That actually means "To cool again". They should really be called "Frigerators".

 

Enough already... none of this is helping OP any

[nbfiresprite]

The shoreline fridge on Iona has never worked. I've not bothered investigating before as it did not seem worth it with batteries that are so knackered they probably would not manage to run it. But now we have new (secondhand) batteries, cheers Vince, and with summer just around the corner I would like to keep my beers cooler than canal temperature.

 

Fixed the fault that was tripping the breaker on the fridge circuit, connected the wires to the fridge and checked voltage (12.8v) switched on, a couple of seconds later compressor comes on. YAY. 10 seconds later goes off. BOO.

 

So has the electronic unit developed a fault or could it be something else?

 

Waddya think.

 

Try taking the fridge out and turning it upside down for an hour (take the contents out first). It is a old gas fridge

fix and may work.

 

 

Firesprite

 

Middle Levels

[davel]

Could a connection to the electronic bit be mucky and getting a bit warm?

 

 

Maybe ram the fridge full of cool blocks to cool it down (get em from Towsure, 1.65 a pair ) and see if it is overloading?

 

 

I removed the leccy unit to see if there was anything obviously wrong and it was all very clean under there.

 

It was fairly cool on the boat when I first tried it, we hadn't had the Squirrel fired up for a few days, so I would not have thought it was warm enough to overload it, and the compressor cannot have been running long enough to overheat, but I'll borrow some blocks from Ange's mum and try again.

 

 

When you say it has "never worked" - how long for ?

 

springy

 

 

It was at the brokers for 3 -6 months and we have had her for 18 months.

 

 

 

My guess (but it is only a guess) is that it's low on refrigerant and needs re-gassing. Low gas levels would cause it to run hot.

 

A responsible refrigerant engineer will only top it up if he/she can find the leak. (That's not to say you couldn't find an unresponsible engineer!)

 

Either way, I doubt you'll fix it yourself and will need to take it to someone.

 

Tony

 

Edit to ask if anyone knows why the abbreviation of refrigerator is fridge. Anyone know where the d came from?

 

 

I'm going to phone Shoreline later to see if they have any advice to offer but on previous threads someone said they were not very helpful so I don't hold out much hope.

 

The next stage would be to get it to a refrigeration engineer and see what they think.

 

 

Check the voltage at the unit WHILE COMPRESSOR IS RUNNING.

 

 

edit: is the missing 'd' an americanism?

 

 

The compressor doesn't run long enough to check the voltage. I tried it again just now and it only came on for a second or two.

 

 

Nope.

 

I spent a bit of time Googling the question following Gibbo's answer and the consensus seems to be that any other spelling would look wrong and probably be mispronounced. Think "Frig" or "Frige" - neither of those would be pronounced "fridge".

 

A more interesting question that my Googling turned up was why is the full word "Refrigerator"? That actually means "To cool again". They should really be called "Frigerators".

 

Enough already... none of this is helping OP any

 

 

I had wondered about the spelling and was going to ask about it to bump the thread if there were no responses

 

 

Try taking the fridge out and turning it upside down for an hour (take the contents out first). It is a old gas fridge

fix and may work.

 

 

Firesprite

 

Middle Levels

 

 

From reading the other threads about failed fridge some expressed the opinion that this might damage the frdge but yes if all else failed this would be the last resort.

 

Many thanks for all your suggestions

 

Cheers

 

Dave

[soldthehouse]

Youve picked my weakest subject Dave so no help hear, sorry

[davel]

Youve picked my weakest subject Dave so no help hear, sorry

 

 

But you thought about it.

 

It's the thought that counts!

[WotEver]

Try taking the fridge out and turning it upside down for an hour...

From reading the other threads about failed fridge some expressed the opinion that this might damage the frdge...

Yes, I've seen those opninions expressed. I do wonder if those expressing them have ever actually tried it. I have, (only once) and it worked. If you do try this, it's imperative that you leave the fridge the correct way up for a while (at least 24 hours is good) before switching it on. Otherwise you will damage it, due to the compressor running with little or no gas.

 

Tony

Edited April 15, 2010 by WotEver

[ditchcrawler]

Try taking the fridge out and turning it upside down for an hour (take the contents out first). It is a old gas fridge

fix and may work.

 

 

Firesprite

 

Middle Levels

This is OK with an absorption fridge but never do this with a compressor driven fridge. They don't like it up em Mr. Manwaring.

[WotEver]

This is OK with an absorption fridge but never do this with a compressor driven fridge. They don't like it up em Mr. Manwaring.

I fixed a compressor driven fridge this way only last year.

 

Tony

[ditchcrawler]

I fixed a compressor driven fridge this way only last year.

 

Tony

The reason you didn't knacker it was in the last couple of lines of your last posting in the time you left it before trying to run it. I would suspect that most people would be slightly more impatient than you and not leave it long enough to see if its fixed.

[davel]

I phoned up Shoreline, who were actually very helpful, and after describing the symptoms they concluded that it was the electronic unit, so 1 day and £100 later the fridge is working. The compressor has been running constantly for an hour or so and ice cubes are just starting to freeze. Is this a bit too long for freezing to start and a sign that it might need re gassing or am I being impatient?

[nb Innisfree]

I phoned up Shoreline, who were actually very helpful, and after describing the symptoms they concluded that it was the electronic unit, so 1 day and £100 later the fridge is working. The compressor has been running constantly for an hour or so and ice cubes are just starting to freeze. Is this a bit too long for freezing to start and a sign that it might need re gassing or am I being impatient?

 

Sounds about right to me 'n' 'er' indoors

[Keeping Up]

I phoned up Shoreline, who were actually very helpful, and after describing the symptoms they concluded that it was the electronic unit, so 1 day and £100 later the fridge is working. The compressor has been running constantly for an hour or so and ice cubes are just starting to freeze. Is this a bit too long for freezing to start and a sign that it might need re gassing or am I being impatient?

I think you're just being a bit too impatient.

 

Edited to add - just have a couple of drinks that don't need ice-cubes while you're waiting - beer for example.

Edited April 17, 2010 by Keeping Up