Chest Freezer Not Cooling

[jmp138]

So I made a stupid decision and bought a Craigslist chest freezer that I wasn't totally sure of. I paid 75 for a 12 cubic foot Kenmore and as soon as I left I just had a bad feeling about it.

Got it home and plugged in and the compressor kicks on, but after being plugged in for 24 hours it's not cooling. Is all lost? Do I have a 75 dollar storage container? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[abeasst]

What is the temp in the freezer after running for 24hrs?

 

[jzelina]

My guess would be bad thermostat or coolant leak.

 

[sparkshooter]

Do you have any proof that it was working recently/previously? ie: was it cold when you bought it?

 

[jmp138]

Once again, my due diligence lost out to the excitement of building a new keezer. It's probably 60 degrees in there now.

You can definitely tell the walls are a little cool, but not even fridge temps. How would I check to see if it needs coolant?

 

[raouliii]

Refrigerant does not get used up over time. It could be a leak but a service call to add refrigerant will not be cheap as service valves are rarely installed on consumer units. Its more likely to be a worn out compressor. The valves start leaking after a decade or so of use on these units and gradually gets worse. Leaking valves results in ever worsening, low, high pressure, which results in ever worsening efficiency of operation.

 

[MaxStout]

That sucks, especially when you consider the time and effort hauling that home, in addition to the $$ lost.

Craigslist has its share of people passing off broken stuff as good. With big, bulky items like freezers and the like, if they are broken you usually can't give them away. So some unscrupulous individuals sell them, rather than pay to have them hauled away and recycled.

I'm in the market for a 5 cu ft freezer to use as a ferm chamber. After sifting through CL ads offering used freezers (that may or may not work) for $100 or so, I decided to just buy a new one for $150.

 

[abeasst]

Refrigerant does not get used up over time. It could be a leak but a service call to add refrigerant will not be cheap as service valves are rarely installed on consumer units.

If its a leak in an interior line then its a total loss.

 

[jmp138]

That sucks, especially when you consider the time and effort hauling that home, in addition to the $$ lost.

Craigslist has its share of people passing off broken stuff as good. With big, bulky items like freezers and the like, if they are broken you usually can't give them away. So some unscrupulous individuals sell them, rather than pay to have them hauled away and recycled.

I'm in the market for a 5 cu ft freezer to use as a ferm chamber. After sifting through CL ads offering used freezers (that may or may not work) for $100 or so, I decided to just buy a new one for $150.

Yeah, I am definitely not real happy about it and will be calling the guy. I have no confidence that he's really going to care at all.

I may just buy a new one like you did. Buying electronics and appliances just opens you up to too much risk and there seem to be a ton of people willing to pass off junk.

 

[MaxStout]

Yeah, I am definitely not real happy about it and will be calling the guy. I have no confidence that he's really going to care at all.

I may just buy a new one like you did. Buying electronics and appliances just opens you up to too much risk and there seem to be a ton of people willing to pass off junk.

Been there, done that. Bought some cordless power tools with batteries that turned out bad--wouldn't hold a charge for very long. My initial cost for the CL buy plus new batteries nearly added up the the cost of new.

 

[jmp138]

It's a real bummer. Lesson learned though. I've got a water proof storage space for my chicken feed now I suppose.

 

[Chrisl77]

If you buy a brand new one I would suggest not making any holes in it either to attach a collar or run the lines through the lid. If you modify it you will void the warranty. If you put a collar on it that floats and seals with a foam gasket you can remove everything and make it look stock again for warranty purposes. I put foam weather stripping on the bottom side of the collar on mine and just then just took the screws out for the hinges on the lid and moved it to the top of the collar.

 

[Hello]

OP, after going through the hassle of Craigslist where I ran into people who wouldn't respond, people who wouldn't set up times for me to see the units and just waiting for a good freezer, I bought a Kenmore 7.2 for $213 out the door. It's still in the box but I assume it's going to work. Rain today made my lumber run impossible.

If you buy a brand new one I would suggest not making any holes in it either to attach a collar or run the lines through the lid. If you modify it you will void the warranty. If you put a collar on it that floats and seals with a foam gasket you can remove everything and make it look stock again for warranty purposes. I put foam weather stripping on the bottom side of the collar on mine and just then just took the screws out for the hinges on the lid and moved it to the top of the collar.

No issues with cold escaping?

 

[abeasst]

OP, after going through the hassle of Craigslist where I ran into people who wouldn't respond, people who wouldn't set up times for me to see the units and just waiting for a good freezer, I bought a Kenmore 7.2 for $213 out the door. It's still in the box but I assume it's going to work. Rain today made my lumber run impossible.

I have 2 of the kenmore's and love them.

 

[Chrisl77]

No issues I put some 3/4" ridged foam insulation on the inside of the collar and taped the seams with foil tape. Everything is easily removable so I can make it look like a regular freezer if I ever need service done on it.

 

[mjdonnelly68]

For what it's worth, I always ask folks selling fridge/freezer/coolers on Craigslist to plug them in for me a few hours before I'm scheduled to see them.

Then I show up with one of these:
(http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CVHIJDK/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20)
to check the cooling. You'd be surprised how honest folks get when you start measuring.

 

[day_trippr]

If its a leak in an interior line then its a total loss.

"Actually" given the cost of fridge tech labor these days, whether it's a hole in the refrigerant loop or a compressor that doesn't know it's dead yet, it's a total loss regardless.

I've bought two fridges and a chest freezer via Craig's List, $300 total. Stipulated was each was plugged in and performing as one would expect before I arrived for the exchange. The two fridges were quite young (one still had all the shipping tapes - an interesting story) and are still working perfectly; the chest freezer was almost 10 years old when I got it, and lasted for four years before succombing to old age (RIP, Keezer #1)...

Cheers!

 

[jmp138]

I'm going to just go ahead and order a new one I believe. For right at $200 I can get a Haier or an Igloo 7 cubic foot. Are you guys able to get 5 kegs in there?


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[Chrisl77]

I have this one and with a 6" collar I can only fit 4. Its just a tiny bit to small to squeeze 5 in it.

 

[abeasst]

Here's a thread that lists a bunch of freezers and the amount of kegs that will fit.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/chest-freezer-specs-layouts-377518/

 

[day_trippr]

I'm going to just go ahead and order a new one I believe. For right at $200 I can get a Haier or an Igloo 7 cubic foot. Are you guys able to get 5 kegs in there?

The new Igloo chest freezer is worth investigating. The fact that you can set the thermostat for fridge temperatures seems like a great feature...

Cheers!

 

[Hello]

No issues I put some 3/4" ridged foam insulation on the inside of the collar and taped the seams with foil tape. Everything is easily removable so I can make it look like a regular freezer if I ever need service done on it.

I don't want to hijack the thread but got a link to your build thread?

I'm going to just go ahead and order a new one I believe. For right at $200 I can get a Haier or an Igloo 7 cubic foot. Are you guys able to get 5 kegs in there?


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

Hey that kenmore I just bought was purchased at Cary Town Center for $213, like I said. It fits 6 ball locks with a 8 1/4" collar. Check that thread linked above to see what I mean. It's just a good price right now and found a coupon I could use in retailmenot.com.

 

[Chrisl77]

Ok I am gonna take back what I said about the ge 7cf freezer only fitting 4. after I posted I remembered seeing this post year or so ago and there is a layout that I didn't try that can fit 4 on the floor and one on the hump. I just tested it out and it works. The post has a bunch of freezers listed the ones your looking at might be in it.

 

[jbaysurfer]

I agree with the idea of having them plug it in for you a few hours before you come to get it. I simply tell people "I've been burned before, I simply can't buy it if I don't have proof it cools". Usually works.

FWIW, you don't have to give up on Craigs finds. You don't have to do a Keezer unless you have limitations on your vertical space. That means you can cruise craigs for 5 year old whilte Kenmore fridges that hold 4 kegs for 100 or less. I have 2 of them. SWMBOs in the neighborhood are getting rid of perfectly good fridges for next to nothing. The vendors selling them the new ones are charging for haul off. One of mine was 50 bucks, and it was a block away. The lady had her contractor's laborers literally wheel it down to my house a block away!

Another I had to get a friend with a pickup and paid 100. The lady was on her knees cleaning the thing when I went to pick it up. Pretty new units work great, but didn't have the fortune of being born with a stainless steel finish.

 

[Chrisl77]

I didn't document it but its pretty easy to do. I made a box out of 1x6's that rested on top of the freezer with the lid removed and was flush with the outside of the walls. On the front and sides I screwed pieces of 1x8 so they where flush with the top of the 1x6 box and came down the outside of the freezer to hold it in place. On the back I screwed a few scrap pieces to lock it on and keep it from sliding off the front. For the lid I just placed it on top and screwed the existing hinges into the collar. I put foam weather stripping on the bottom of the 1x6 box and taped the 3/4 ridged foam on the inside of the collar. Next time I go down stairs I can take a pic of the inside.

 

[jmp138]

It looks like I'll be picking up a new one sometime this week, I just hate that I flushed $80 dollars down the drain. I have a strong urge to go over and knock on the guys door, but considering the condition of the place I bought it, I don't think I would be very well received.

 

[seckert]

I guess i have just been pretty lucky with my keezer and my ferm chamber. My keezer was given to me by a buddy who needed help moving. He didnt know if it worked since it had been sitting for a long time, but since it was free i took a chance and it paid off. i have 6 kegs in it, but could squeeze in 8 if i really wanted to. My ferm chamber was a CL find. He was asking 50, i offered him 40 and he took it. It was dumb luck that when i went to pick it up he was still using it and had frozen food in it, so i knew it worked. I would go and just drop it off on the guys front porch, with a note! then at least he has to deal with it...

 

[MrFoodScientist]

Can you get Duke Energy to pick it up and you can recoup a small portion of your $75?

They stipulate that it has to be plugged in and "working", but I don't know if that means that it has to be "cooling".

Penelec has a similar program here, which I believe has reduced the number of inexpensive and functional freezers/fridges on CL here.

 

[Homer]

It looks like I'll be picking up a new one sometime this week, I just hate that I flushed $80 dollars down the drain. I have a strong urge to go over and knock on the guys door, but considering the condition of the place I bought it, I don't think I would be very well received.

I had a mini fridge that I was using in my condo for few years, I unplugged it for about a week, then moved it to my parents house, let it sit there for a few days, then tried to use it, and it was like yours, the walls would get cold, but it only got down to about 60 degrees. I was very careful while moving it also. I'm not saying that this happened to yours, but it is a possibility