double chest freezer failure ????

[odie]

Back from a weekend trip and both my chest freezers are running warm ???? These are keg storage freezers. Basically my cellar. Both equipped with ITC-1000. Both in the garage (80s-90s) temps, South Texas.

Google does not seem to be much help...lost of mentions of frozen evap coils or dirty condenser coils....but chest freezers don't have either of those exposed.

Anyway, one freezer appears to have maybe quit running. Only a low hum can be heard. Swapped in a hard start relay an it appears to run but I can't really tell if it's any louder than normal since I don't habitually "listen" to the compressor. only drops a few extra degrees. Inside is kinda cool but that's it. Outside cabinet is not warm, just ambient, 80s.

The other freezer is running. Inside walls have some frost. Outside cabinet is very warm, 90s-100 degrees by laser thermometer. But strangely the ITC-1000 probe inside is only registering in the 60s???? As are my kegs. It appears to be running normal but the inside probe says otherwise.

Very strange that both freezers have issues at the same time...Is this an issue of being in a hot garage? Should I remove the ITC-1000 and try running them? Do they occasionally just need to be shut off and let all the coils defrost? Do chest freezers "freeze" up if they keep running constantly and just can't circulate freon anymore?

all most confusing.

I suppose I could just store my full kegs in the house without extra cooling what issues will that cause? Can you store a finished and kegged lager at 75-80 without it spoiling and for how long? Ales are probably ok? I usually have several finished kegs that may sit for a couple months before tapping.

 

[Golddiggie]

Do the freezers have the 'access panel' on the side (where the hump is) so you can check to see if everything in there is OK? It is odd that both would have the issue at the same time. Are you running both from the same outlet (or a power strip)? Maybe place them on different circuits (if possible), even to just rule that out.

If you can remove the ITC-1000 from the freezer (don't know if you have it setup with a plug to the freezer or hard wired to it, I would do that as another test. Let it run for at least a couple of hours and then check on it.

Assume you had the controller set so that it wouldn't short cycle the freezers. That should have prevented them from being damaged in that aspect.

I have the controller for my keezer set to not cycle without at least a five minute rest period/delay. If your rest period was shorter, it might be a factor. Then again it might not.

How old are these freezers? Sizes?

 

[IslandLizard]

It's indeed odd that both give up the ghost around the same time.

Maybe they have to run too long, or even perpetually, being in the hot garage? Could the compressors have worn out due to running 24/7?

 

[odie]

Both run off the same power source/outlet. The controller cycle I think is the default, which I think was 3 min? For the ITC-1000 wiring it feeds the freezer power and the t-stat is always on. So when the ITC send signal the freezer "thinks" the manual control was suddenly turned on or freezer suddenly plugged in. I can manually shut it off but the ITC will still be on showing probe temp and sending power. If somehow the probe was bad or left outside the freezer, the manual t-stat will still shut off once it hits it's set point anyway.

Even when it was hot outside before they would cycle. Not like they ran 24/7 before. Usually set at 55-60 degrees so it's not like they are being over tasked.

Older units, 10-15 years? The kind with the "corner" hump and not the huge side shelf. 5cf ( appears to work). The one I'm really worried about is the 10cf unit, 2005, made in Canada (not cheap China unit).

Will completely remove the ITC after work and see what happens.

But this may be a good time to "slow down" my brewing cycle. I have 7 taps and 15 kegs. All kegs are full so I must store finished beer for quite some time before going in the kegerators. I kinda like having a "selection" ready for when tap blows. I don't know which keg will float next so it's nice to have several to pick from ready to go....But this does require having proper storage.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

. I kinda like having a "selection" ready for when tap blows. I don't know which keg will float next so it's nice to have several to pick from ready to go....But this does require having proper storage.

I refer to that as my "Beer Library".
lol

 

[Golddiggie]

Check the guts of the freezer as well. You might have a failure in there (mechanical) that won't be crazy to fix.

 

[odie]

not much "guts" to these things. Evap and condenser are sealed into the case. The only thing you can access is the compressor, mechanical t-stat (but not the capillary tube part) and relay/capacitor. About the only thing that is really replaceable is the start relay/cap.

Basically, these things are built to be disposable.

 

[day_trippr]

Correct on all counts, sadly.
What it really informs is the folly of building a keezer around a used chest freezer as they all have self-limited life spans...

Cheers!

 

[ITV]

I suppose it's ok to cry over warm beer.

My keezer crapped out only after 5 years, basement kept the entire time. I noticed that the compressor was noiser than usual, temps went up in the keezer and the compressor was very warm to the touch. I unplugged it to let it cool down, when I plugged it back in the compressor was froze. Junked it and bought a new one.

If it's possible, I suggest bringing them in a cool house to see if they still work to eliminate the hot garage being the culprit.

 

[shetc]

South Florida here. Chest freezers don't last long in a hot garage. First freezer I bought off of Craigslist is still running many years after I bought it, converted it to a keezer and put it in my living room. All the other ones I bought and kept in the garage for fermentation died pretty quickly. Their specs usually indicate that they need to be in cooler room temps.

 

[odie]

partial update....

The 5cf unit was down to 50 yesterday and 44 this morning. I attribute this to the fact that I had it out of service last week and shut off. I then had it back on and it was coming down nicely to 50. Then I moved some warmer kegs from the other freezer in and left for the weekend. When I got back it was mid 60's and should have already stabilized at 40. Not sure if the ITC has it's own "defrost cycle" default, causing the temps to swing greatly for a few days until finally stabilizing at the set point?

The other freezer (the one I think is dead) just got warmer. Did not have the opportunity to remove the ITC and run it "normal" since I had to go deal with the GF's fridge, washer and car...but it's just shut off completely and will go remove the ITC and see if it runs normal without it. But I suspect it's a goner.

 

[odie]

South Florida here. Chest freezers don't last long in a hot garage. First freezer I bought off of Craigslist is still running many years after I bought it, converted it to a keezer and put it in my living room. All the other ones I bought and kept in the garage for fermentation died pretty quickly. Their specs usually indicate that they need to be in cooler room temps.

I wonder how much of this is due to these freezers usually do not have a cooling fan to move heat away? I have a regular garage fridge too but it's got a fan that blows over the condenser coils and compressor.

Would putting a small mini fan to cool the compressor help?

 

[IslandLizard]

Would putting a small mini fan to cool the compressor help?

To drive heat away from the compressor (cavity)? Absolutely!
Either run concurrently with the cooling phase, or leave it permanently on.

 

[TkmLinus]

Have you checked the compressor on the "dead" fridge?

 

[odie]

I wonder why they don't include a compressor fan with the chest freezers? So they don't last and you buy a new one every couple years? Planned obsolescence...

 

[Joeywhat]

I wonder why they don't include a compressor fan with the chest freezers? So they don't last and you buy a new one every couple years? Planned obsolescence...

It's because most folks keep these in climate controlled spaces, and omitting that fan saves money for the manufacturer.

 

[odie]

IDK...garage placement is very common with chest freezers...it's not a kitchen appliance but more for bulk storage. Most laundry rooms or pantries do not have freezer space designed in or considered. Newer "custom homes" or upscale houses maybe...but your run-of-the-mill, average income family house, no.

But saving money over consumer value/product quality is all too common these days...

 

[Joeywhat]

IDK...garage placement is very common with chest freezers...it's not a kitchen appliance but more for bulk storage. Most laundry rooms or pantries do not have freezer space designed in or considered. Newer "custom homes" or upscale houses maybe...but your run-of-the-mill, average income family house, no.

But saving money over consumer value/product quality is all too common these days...

You'll find that a lot of newer freezers are listed as "garage ready" if they are indeed designed to withstand hot and cold ambient temps. Otherwise they are assuming it's going into some sort of conditioned space.

 

[odie]

I had noticed the "garage ready" catch phrase on some freezers. Thought it was just a meaningless marketing gimmick. Curious what is actually different.

Anyway, the big one is officially dead I believe. The smaller one is sitting nicely at 40' with 3 lager kegs.

 

[odie]

Had a "not-so-small" CPU fan lying around so I put it to use cooling the compressor.

 

[odie]

 

[ITV]

I had noticed the "garage ready" catch phrase on some freezers. Thought it was just a meaningless marketing gimmick. Curious what is actually different.

Anyway, the big one is officially dead I believe. The smaller one is sitting nicely at 40' with 3 lager kegs.

My new keezer was marketed as "garage ready", looking at the compressor, I couldn't tell any difference between it and the non-garage ready. My opinion is that it is a marketing gimmick. Regardless they are located in my cool basement.

 

[Deadalus]

This may not be applicable to a chest freezer but on both my upright freezer and my refrigerator (also has a freezer) I have had icing buildup on the frost free mechanism that requires off time to allow melting. I ended up taking apart the panels on the inside back walls and there were blocks of ice. Both units seemed like they were failing. On the fridge, which I kept lowering the set temperature, this occurred inside the refrigerator side no less which was unexpected as that area was above freezing. If it hadn't happened to my fridge first, I would have thought the upright had failed because I bought it used and I was unfamiliar with this problem. But I decided to take it apart some as it's a common problem on my Samsung fridge as the ice builds up over the drain hole. Not sure how that works though on a chest fridge, it hasn't happened to mine.

 

[Deadalus]

My new keezer was marketed as "garage ready", looking at the compressor, I couldn't tell any difference between it and the non-garage ready. My opinion is that it is a marketing gimmick. Regardless they are located in my cool basement.

As Joeywhat mentioned, they are built to be placed into conditioned spaces. If they can save money by only considering say a 30 degree differential, they probably would. Good idea to check the manual because it may say, don't put it in the garage. If your garage in unconditioned and the climate is mild it may not be an issue. But if you live in Florida, Texas or Maine, maybe not a good idea.

 

[odie]

This may not be applicable to a chest freezer but on both my upright freezer and my refrigerator (also has a freezer) I have had icing buildup on the frost free mechanism that requires off time to allow melting. I ended up taking apart the panels on the inside back walls and there were blocks of ice. Both units seemed like they were failing. On the fridge, which I kept lowering the set temperature, this occurred inside the refrigerator side no less which was unexpected as that area was above freezing. If it hadn't happened to my fridge first, I would have thought the upright had failed because I bought it used and I was unfamiliar with this problem. But I decided to take it apart some as it's a common problem on my Samsung fridge as the ice builds up over the drain hole. Not sure how that works though on a chest fridge, it hasn't happened to mine.

Your upright freezer and fridge work very different than a chest freezer. Those, air must flow thru the evaporator coils to exchange heat. Those same coils ice builds up on. The unit will cycle off after while and a heater will come on to melt that ice, which drains out a small hole. If the defrost function fails or the drain hole ices over, you got problems. 99% of the time its a bad "defrost" sensor on the evap coils. About 10 bucks. If the drain is clogged you probably need to root it out, like a sink drain...

 

[Deadalus]

Your upright freezer and fridge work very different than a chest freezer. Those, air must flow thru the evaporator coils to exchange heat. Those same coils ice builds up on. The unit will cycle off after while and a heater will come on to melt that ice, which drains out a small hole. If the defrost function fails or the drain hole ices over, you got problems. 99% of the time its a bad "defrost" sensor on the evap coils. About 10 bucks. If the drain is clogged you probably need to root it out, like a sink drain...

How about the chest frost free function then, do you know how that works?

Good to know on the sensor. The Samsung fridge it's a design flaw of some kind. I'm not saying it isn't the sensor but it's a commonly reported problem with the model. The drain looks to be too close to the coils and the dripping water freezes. Hole isn't particularly larger either. It's happened twice though so if it happens again I will go ahead and swap out the sensor as you suggest.

The upright has a weak door seal. It closes but the kids load it wrong, the door doesn't get closed properly, and then humidity gets in there. They also don't check it and the door stays cracked for hours. I was close to replacing it (and getting a new staging keezer) but there was a long wait at the time and it hasn't happened again.

 

[oakbarn]

If it is not "garage ready", anything put in a garage will void the warranty of a new one. I think the "garage ready" has more to do with the thermostat in Cold Weather than Hot. That being said, you can overheat a compressor if your garage is hot >100. It has to run continuously to keep the inside cool. An exhaust fan can help.

 

[odie]

How about the chest frost free function then, do you know how that works?
/QUOTE]
No clue. Didn't know they even existed. It has to drain the melted ice some how and must have exposed evap coils I think.

 

[odie]

The Samsung fridge it's a design flaw of some kind. I'm not saying it isn't the sensor but it's a commonly reported problem with the model. The drain looks to be too close to the coils and the dripping water freezes. Hole isn't particularly larger either. It's happened twice though so if it happens again I will go ahead and swap out the sensor as you suggest.

I have a Samsung side-by-side fridge in the garage...here we go again...LOL...

I had issues with ice building up on the Samsung freezer side floor and running out under the door gasket. After several thaw outs It was apparent that the drain was clogging and the melt from the defrost cycle was just draining down to the freezer floor and re-freezing and getting bigger and bigger...like a glacier...until it forced itself past the door gasket and started melting on the garage floor.

As you have discovered, the freezer drain tube on the Samsung fridge is not very large. Nor does it appear to be a straight drop, allowing stuff over time to collect and hold water, which eventually freezes into a permanent plug.

My solution??? i got a piece of solid core electrical wire. The kind that is in your house walls. I striped it down and took a single piece several inches long. I snaked that down the drain hole and wrapped the end around the defrost heater coil. Copper is an excellent conductor of heat, or cold. So when the defrost heater comes on, the copper wire warms up and heat travels down that wire into the drain hole, melting any frozen water, keeping the drain flowing.

The problem has not returned in several years...

 

[Tom R]

After some internet searching, I did the same copper wire technique on a freezer-on-top Frigidaire. Much better now.

 

[Deadalus]

I have a Samsung side-by-side fridge in the garage...here we go again...LOL...

I had issues with ice building up on the Samsung freezer side floor and running out under the door gasket. After several thaw outs It was apparent that the drain was clogging and the melt from the defrost cycle was just draining down to the freezer floor and re-freezing and getting bigger and bigger...like a glacier...until it forced itself past the door gasket and started melting on the garage floor.

As you have discovered, the freezer drain tube on the Samsung fridge is not very large. Nor does it appear to be a straight drop, allowing stuff over time to collect and hold water, which eventually freezes into a permanent plug.

My solution??? i got a piece of solid core electrical wire. The kind that is in your house walls. I striped it down and took a single piece several inches long. I snaked that down the drain hole and wrapped the end around the defrost heater coil. Copper is an excellent conductor of heat, or cold. So when the defrost heater comes on, the copper wire warms up and heat travels down that wire into the drain hole, melting any frozen water, keeping the drain flowing.

The problem has not returned in several years...

Cheaper still I like it!