warm beer blues

My fridge just isn't as cool is it once was. Last summer, in the garage, it was having trouble keeping my beer under 45 degrees(i like mine kept at 40ish *shrug*) and now in mid 60 degree weather it's going up to as high as 50 degrees. How does one fix this without replacing the fridge. It was a freebie but it's mine now, holes and all, and I just don't want to replace it. I want to get it fixed soon so my compressor dosn't go out. Is there something that screws out that i can take and get recharged or do I have to call a repair guy/take my fridge somewhere? Is this a problem I can fix myself? I'm kinda bummed out. My fridge is dispensing warm beer. I have to bottle my kegged beer in a flip top bottle and toss it into the fridge in the house, heheh.

I am thinking that it already is your compressor. There isn't much else to them. How old is the fridge?

You might also check the fan out. In the back there should be a fan blowing on the condenser unit. If that fan is stopped that could cause overheating too. I do not beleive that a refrigerator can be recharged, especially an older one that used freon which is now banned. You would pay big bucks for it's desposal.

You may just be better off finding another one cheap in the paper.

Anyone else have any ideas? this is truley depressing me...

Make sure all your cooling coils or fins are clean. Also check the seal on the door. If the door is not sealing right, you can buy a cheap external latch or clasp at your local hardware store for a couple of bucks. Of course, if you have an inferred thermometer, you could scan your fridge for hot spots..

If all else fails.. it might be a good time to buy a freezer and convert it.

Other than cleaning it and making sure the fans (if any) are working, there isn't much you can do yourself. The system is a closed loop and can't be removed. Older fridges use a refrigerant that isn't available any more and most of them weren't designed for recharging anyway.

But, it might just be the seal. try to stick a credit card between the seal and the frame. Do this all the way around, including the bottom of the door. I use luggage clamps to hold mine tight.

It's yesterday's ad. But there's still hope for a freebee.
http://salem.craigslist.org/zip/327042784.html

Grim,
What model of referigerator do you have, if it is a late 70's-80's model frost free with the cooling coils between refigerator and freezer compartment the defrost timer has probably bit the dust and the cooling coil is a block of ice now. Another possibility if it is a GE with the coils at the back of the freezer compartment is that the infrared defrost bulb has blown and the coils are iced up solid.

kladue said:

Grim,
What model of referigerator do you have, if it is a late 70's-80's model frost free with the cooling coils between refigerator and freezer compartment the defrost timer has probably bit the dust and the cooling coil is a block of ice now. Another possibility if it is a GE with the coils at the back of the freezer compartment is that the infrared defrost bulb has blown and the coils are iced up solid.

Click to expand...

In order to fix either of these problems (at least temporarily), try unplugging the fridge and letting it thaw for a day.

I had a similar problem a couple of years back. Turned out a fan had gone out. Had it replaced and it runs like a champ now.

Critters love refrigerators. They build nests where it is warm at night- like in the coils and fans. Blocking the air flow prevents the freon from getting cool enough. Or a missing duct piece could allow the fan's out put to be wasted.

Ditto on the defrost stuff. I had the infra red bulb go bad too. It was located between the freezer and the fridge compartment. All that plastic had to come out to get to it. Expensive damn bulb too.

And, at the risk of calling you an ignoranus, you did check the controll knob? The high numbers are usualy colder. And older not-frost-free fridges need to be defrosted if there is an ice build up in the freezer.

At this point, you have nothing to lose. Might as well get out the screwdriver and dive in.