Chest Freezer can't get cold!

[barrooze]

My keezer can't get cold! Compressor is running non-stop, has a temp around 175F, and the freezer's internal temp isn't dropping under 65F. I've cleaned off the rear coils, checked the lid gasket (seems intact) and have no idea what's wrong with it. I bought it about 5 years ago and everything has been great until recently.

Any advice from you fine folks who've encountered these symptoms before?

Thanks!

 

[seefish]

If the compressor runs and it doesn't get cold then it sounds like you are out of refrigerant.

 

[day_trippr]

Freezer evaporators get down to at least 0°F when the compressor is running and the interior wall in the vicinity of the evap loop should be wicked cold to the touch.

If that's not happening the most likely scenario is refrigerant loss.

When was this freezer manufactured?
You don't see many chest freezers with rear condensers these days...

Cheers!

 

[masonsjax]

I had a compressor lock up on me. It sounded like it was running, but was just a loud buzz. It overheated and died because I had covered the sides of the keezer with wood before I knew better. I now have a different keezer with all sides exposed.

 

[kombat]

Was this freezer ever left outside (such as your garage) during a winter?

 

[barrooze]

If the compressor runs and it doesn't get cold then it sounds like you are out of refrigerant.

Is there a DIY way of adding more refrigerant or is this a mandatory service call?

Freezer evaporators get down to at least 0°F when the compressor is running and the interior wall in the vicinity of the evap loop should be wicked cold to the touch.

If that's not happening the most likely scenario is refrigerant loss.

When was this freezer manufactured?
You don't see many chest freezers with rear condensers these days...

Cheers!

I can't find the manufactured date, but it was purchased new at HD mid-2009.

I had a compressor lock up on me. It sounded like it was running, but was just a loud buzz. It overheated and died because I had covered the sides of the keezer with wood before I knew better. I now have a different keezer with all sides exposed.

There was no buzzing, and i haven't covered the freezer with anything, so airflow should not have been an issue.

Was this freezer ever left outside (such as your garage) during a winter?

This freezer has spent it's life in my garage, away from the elements. Houston's "winters" are mild at best. Normal low temps we see are in the mid to upper-30s at the coldest part of winter.

 

[brewcat]

I'd assume the heat would be your bigger problem. It would make the compressor work overtime.

Have you tried defrosting the unit? Put some towels underneath and unplug it and open the lid for a couple days.

I'd wonder about the thermostat before missing refrigerant.

 

[day_trippr]

[...]I'd wonder about the thermostat before missing refrigerant.

The OP said the compressor is running non-stop...

Cheers!

 

[barrooze]

The thermostat is working well enough to know its not cool enough in the freezer so it's just running. I looked online for typical compressor temps and 175F didn't seem out of the norm.

 

[raouliii]

......This freezer has spent it's life in my garage, away from the elements. Houston's "winters" are mild at best. Normal low temps we see are in the mid to upper-30s at the coldest part of winter.

But Houston's summers can be hell, much like New Orleans, where I am. This results in a relatively high duty cycle for the compressor and a tough environment in which the unit must operate. Keep in mind that these home appliances are designed to operate indoors, where temperatures are seldom extreme. And are built with non-commercial components, designed for a relatively short life span, even in the best environments. In a southern garage, during 1/2 of the year, the compressor can run abnormally long and at an abnormally high temperature. Seven years in that harsh environment might equal 10 or even 15 years of indoor use.

The more likely problem, over loss of refrigerant, is worn/leaky compressor valves, caused by run time and operating temperatures. The result is a low, high pressure side and high, low pressure side, which results in a low potential for cooling.

Unlike residential refrigerators, most residential chest freezers don't have exposed, forced-air cooled, condensers, although it appears that yours does. I would recommend a replacement with the same feature and maybe add air movement across the coil to reduce operating temperatures.

 

[user 4295]

The compressor has a suction line and a discharge line. The discharge line should be warm/hot and the suction line should be cool/cold. If not, there could be a restriction (plugged capillary tube), it could have lost it's refrigerant charge due to a leak, or the valves in the compressor have failed and the compressor is no longer pumping, even though the motor is still rotating.

The problem with most of these consumer units is that they do not have access fittings that allow a set of manifold gauges to be installed to check the pressures in the system. This isn't just done as a cost saving measure, it's done because these small units are critically charged, meaning that they are charged with just the right amount of refrigerant, and if any is removed, even the small amount that would be lost in the hoses, the system will no longer operate correctly.

 

[TX_Brewing]

My fermentation chamber died in a similar manner. It turns out that the coils on the inside were/are made of steel and moisture rusted them out causing a pin-hole leak.

 

[barrooze]

Thanks, everyone for your help in troubleshooting, I really appreciate it!

Is it possible to recharge the refrigerant, and if so, how much does that normally cost? If there are holes, such as TX_Brewing had experienced, I assume recharging the refrigerant wouldn't do anything since it would leak out through the holes anyways. I guess the ultimate question is: Is my freezer really dead or can it be repaired?

Thanks again!

 

[masonsjax]

These consumer level chest freezers are not generally serviceable. They're priced to be disposable. The last one I bought only cost $155 on sale. A service call and refrigerant would cost more than that.

 

[TX_Brewing]

Thanks, everyone for your help in troubleshooting, I really appreciate it!

Is it possible to recharge the refrigerant, and if so, how much does that normally cost? If there are holes, such as TX_Brewing had experienced, I assume recharging the refrigerant wouldn't do anything since it would leak out through the holes anyways. I guess the ultimate question is: Is my freezer really dead or can it be repaired?

Thanks again!

You can put refrigerant into it by using a piercing valve, a company named supco makes them. I bought one at grainger and put refrigerant into mine. It worked for a bit, but as you said the refrigerant all leaked out. For the sake of curiosity I tore the freezer apart to find the leak, that's when I find out some of the tubes are steel and not copper! Keep in mind you will also need gauges and refrigerant as well to charge the freezer. All of this will set you back about 70-80$. I ended up buying a fridge off of craigslist to replace my freezer.

 

[IloveWorts]

I would buy a new one.. Down the raod it will **** up again anyways. All those days of that insane heat swings in the garage is not good for it. Sell it for chump change as its already a suck cost. Get a new one and take care of it. In the long run its going to be such a ***** to deal with a faulty ass keezer.