BM23 Question

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stdywell

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I picked up a BM23 yesterday. The compressor fan runs and the inside fan runs. this thing has not been used or turned on in a year. Based on the numbers on the Tecumseh compressor, it appears to have been made in 2001. I plan on letting it sit for a good day or so before firing it up again after transport. ( Had to tilt it to get it into my van and it went on its back for a few seconds)

My question is this: how long should I leave it on for to determine if it is going to get cold or not ? ( I only had a couple minutes to check it out and just made sure it was electrically sound )
Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks all,
Doug
 
Good plan on letting it sit before firing it up. Even after extended non use, it should begin cooling in minutes, and stabilize temp in an hour or two (less hopefully). If it hasn't reached temp in a couple hours, it probably isn't going to in a couple days (or ever for that matter).... Fingers crossed for ya
 
I picked one up that was sitting in a garage over a year and had previously been in a pizza place. I dont know the age but atleast 7 years old. Anyways, 4 cornies were feeling cooler after a few hours and were serving temp the next day. If more than overnigt for a few full kegs to cool or a few hours to reach temp empty, i would be concerned.
on a separate note, the fan always runs. any idea how much energy this uses a month?
 
Plenty,. I believe. Saw one post that said $13/month.

Maybe for the the whole unit, although I doubt it especially if its used in a conditioned area. The evaporator fan on a unit like that (don't have the specs for this one) is usually well under one amp, and usually more like .2A (.2A ~= .24W). In other words less than leaving a light bulb turned on in bathroom.

Of course it's dependent on your electricity costs, but I run 52cu ft commercial refrigerator in an unconditioned space that costs me around $16 dollars a month. It run 2 evap fans 24/7.
 
Damn, this thing isn't cooling at all. Anything someone with no knowledge of refrigeration can do before I call in a pro ?
 
1. evaporator (inside) and condenser (outside) fans are functional (believe you already said both were ok)
2. check both coils (especially the condenser) for cleanliness. If there is a mat of debris, remove with stiff brush to start. (can tell you how to fully clean if this helps)
3. (this should actually be step one.....Can you tell if the compressor is running? If it is, then check the two copper lines coming out. One should be hot to the touch and the other should be cool.

If these don't yield anything new, then probably best to take to someone. If compressor and both fans are running, and coils are clean, it's more than likely a refrigeration issue (low or empty).
 
I'm not sure if the compressor is running or not. Nothing back there seems very warm though.
I took a vac and cleaned as best I could . Am considering getting a can of compressed air as its pretty tight back there
 
Yep, usually very tight. That's the only thing that makes working on them a pain. The system itself is pretty simplistic....... How's your comfort level when dealing with electricity? Do you you own a meter (would need to at least read AC voltage and Ohms)? If so I can give you a few other things to check, but in the end it will probably just tell you how much to prepare yourself on the repair bill.

BTW - yes, I work in refrigeration for a living.
 
Excellent. Can you send a couple pics (compressor area, thermostat location)? Would help me to help you with identification. PM me if you want.
 
will do. I'll try to get them in the next day or two. 2 full time jobs is killing me... i found a parts diagram online. not exactly the same but close. not seeing the evaporator coil. assuming that can be found behind the large panel that spans most of the back of the unit.
Thanks TONS.
 
Wahooooo ! I think I am almost good to go ! My son has a friend whose dad is refrig repair. He came by today and tested everything. When he got to the capacitor, one of the clips just fell out of it. He didn't have one of the same rating in his barn, but had one we could test with that was close I guess.
The compressor kicked on right away. Tested the refrigerant and there was no pressure, so he filled it and it went to 40 degrees inside the kegerator in no time. He said we will test pressure again in awhile and deal with that when we have to. He said it *probably* is a small leak at the evaporator, but no promises.
Anyway, he will be back next week to toss on the new capacitor, and I'm going to start cleaning this and looking for a couple corny kegs ! All he wants as payment is for me to do some computer work, but I'm sure He will appreciate some homebrew as well.

Thank you so much for your kind offer to help !


Doug
 
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