I keep killing keezers: whats up with that?

[DsmBrood]

I have just recently killed my third chest freezer. The first was admittedly very old, a mid 70s model, and its time had clearly pasted. The other two where early 90s Amanas: I ran off a Ranco thermostat controller, and made no other modifications to them. They failed due to coolant line leaks. I had an appliance tech look at them and it seems I might have accelerated their demise by running the temperature controller range too narrow, typically +/- 2 degrees. Apparently cycling the compressor on and off too much can wear out the motor and put undue stress on coolant lines by repeatedly changing pressure too often.
So: my questions for the group.
How long do we expect keezers to last?
What temperature ranges do we like to for our thermostats? And, is this a balance between what is good for the equipment and what is good for the beer? (I also use the keezer for a fermenting chamber)
Are refrigerators any better to convert than are freezers due to them being designed for a warmer temperature range?
What should I be thinking/doing to keep my next one living a long productive life?

 

[mtyquinn]

I use a Johnson controller and it keeps the switch from turning on/off and on again in to short a time frame. (10 minutes maybe) That helps with the wear and tear on you equipment. However, there is going to be stress on your keezer overall anyways. As far as freezers vs fridges. I think it's preference. I prefer freezers.

 

[kyle187]

The other two where early 90s Amanas

Early 90's is 20+ years old, which i would say is a pretty good run for any fridge/freezer, but I do think you want some type of time delay so the compressor doesn't restart too soon after it shuts off.

 

[augiedoggy]

Early 90's is 20+ years old, which i would say is a pretty good run for any fridge/freezer, but I do think you want some type of time delay so the compressor doesn't restart too soon after it shuts off.

Now days they are only designed for a 5 year expected lifespan... my beer fridge is from the 1940s and still going strong...

The other thing thats worth mentioning is some people put these in an unheated garage... if you garage temps get down to freezing you will dramatically shorten the life of any appliance running R134a refrigerant since it freezes and turns to slush which shortens the life of the compressor... older appliances running R12 will not have these issues so in those cases older is better..

 

[d3track]

If your temp and time to delay ranges are narrow, and the sensor is just dangling in the air, I can see that putting a lot of stress on the freezer.

For next one maybe try the sensor in a glass of water and a wider temp/time variance.

 

[HumulusHead]

Def should look at a temp controller (like a DIY STC1000) with a built in compressor delay.

Also, 2 degrees seems pretty tight of a range IMO. I think I use 5 degrees, maybe even 10. Remember that unless your probe is IN your keg, that temp is just the ambient temp of the fridge/freezer and can change rather quickly. Wheras the actual beer temp takes much much longer to match the temp swings. So say you set the range to 5 degrees, you probably wont even see a temp difference in the beer. Much less notice one when you are drinking it.

Also something I do is that i keep a glass of water in the fridge and put the probe in that. It helps with the temp swings since I tend to open my kegerator alot and my kegerator is a piece of junk when it comes to insualtion. Without that glass of water, my probe would be reading crazy temp swings pretty often.

 

[HumulusHead]

If your temp and time to delay ranges are narrow, and the sensor is just dangling in the air, I can see that putting a lot of stress on the freezer.

For next one maybe try the sensor in a glass of water and a wider temp/time variance.

beat me!

 

[kh54s10]

Early 90's is 20+ years old, which i would say is a pretty good run for any fridge/freezer,

Now days they are only designed for a 5 year expected lifespan... my beer fridge is from the 1940s and still going strong...

I would try getting a new freezer and make it so it doesn't cycle so often.

I had an energy audit and the tech was amazed at my refrigerators. Both early 90's models and also did an energy test and found them to be more efficient than expected. I actually turned the newer one into my keezer. No controller, it holds 3 kegs.

 

[kyle187]

Now days they are only designed for a 5 year expected lifespan... my beer fridge is from the 1940s and still going strong...

The other thing thats worth mentioning is some people put these in an unheated garage... if you garage temps get down to freezing you will dramatically shorten the life of any appliance running R134a refrigerant since it freezes and turns to slush which shortens the life of the compressor... older appliances running R12 will not have these issues so in those cases older is better..

Good to know about the R134a as my ferm chamber (mini-fridge) is in an unheated garage. Thanks!

 

[d3track]

Now days they are only designed for a 5 year expected lifespan... my beer fridge is from the 1940s and still going strong...

The other thing thats worth mentioning is some people put these in an unheated garage... if you garage temps get down to freezing you will dramatically shorten the life of any appliance running R134a refrigerant since it freezes and turns to slush which shortens the life of the compressor... older appliances running R12 will not have these issues so in those cases older is better..

I didn't know that, glad the ones in my garage are old, it definite freezes out there

 

[Vandulus]

Just curious if you've looked at possible electrical issues? If you're having constant spikes or brown-outs (under voltage), that could be causing the keezer life to be shortened. A surge protector will help with the spikes, but nothing short of a UPS, and a hefty one at that, will do anything for brown-outs. I'd also make sure to check if the outlet is properly grounded.

 

[Bobby_M]

Right, the other thing is that there is oil mixed in to keep the compressor lubed and when it's too cold, it's too viscous. I killed a freezer in 3 years in a 40F garage. My solution was going to be putting some heat tape around the compressor but I think just running 25 watt light bulb down in that cavity would be reasonable too. Some are more susceptible than others. Electronic controllers have a setting called ASD that you should set to 10 minutes. That will keep the cycling to a minimum.

 

[actech]

Agree on keeping compressor warm. Refrigerant leaks are generally at joints and have nothing to do with thermostat setting. Historic copper pricing will show you years of most leaking equipt. as manufacturer tries to save money by making evaporators and condensers as thin as paper. Just bad luck. Running a freezer as a fridge should never stress it unless you short cycle.

 

[actech]

Now days they are only designed for a 5 year expected lifespan... my beer fridge is from the 1940s and still going strong...

The other thing thats worth mentioning is some people put these in an unheated garage... if you garage temps get down to freezing you will dramatically shorten the life of any appliance running R134a refrigerant since it freezes and turns to slush which shortens the life of the compressor... older appliances running R12 will not have these issues so in those cases older is better..

Can you explain this slush thing??
r-134a freezing point -142 F @ 14.7 psiA
alkybenzene oil pour point -42 F

The light bulb thing works, something to keep compressor warmer than the refrigerant
Can be more explained by manf reaching energy star and no longer having a hot winding which makes a crankcase heater in the compressor. When colder outside than in fridge , refrigerant will migrate to coldest location, then displaces oil in crankcase and compressor starts with r134a for lube not oil. So agree on life shorten just not reason why.

 

[augiedoggy]

Can you explain this slush thing??
r-134a freezing point -142 F @ 14.7 psiA
alkybenzene oil pour point -42 F

The light bulb thing works, something to keep compressor warmer than the refrigerant
Can be more explained by manf reaching energy star and no longer having a hot winding which makes a crankcase heater in the compressor. When colder outside than in fridge , refrigerant will migrate to coldest location, then displaces oil in crankcase and compressor starts with r134a for lube not oil. So agree on life shorten just not reason why.

You could very well be right actually... I was told the refrigerant/oil mixture turned to a slush by an ac/ fridge repairman when the topic came up so depending on him knowledge of the subject (Guess I shouldnt have assumed that his 30 years or so experience in the field necessarily meant he was right).

Bottom line is he was telling me how he has seen many many burned up compressors from people doing this... they would replace an old but working freezer with a newer r134a and it would be short lived..

 

[actech]

Auggie no idea why a guy would tell you that. Been in hvac/r trade for over 25 years and never saw frozen/slushy oil (at least not in cent Ill.) May have tried to over simplify a technical reason that may have annoyed a homeowner againt the manufacturer that they represent. As Bobby m said either a light bulb or heat tape will go a long way to increase the life of a compressor in winter. Manufacturers know what they did as most freezers will state that it is not to be kept in an unconditioned space. It's not just the oil being viscous in the cold is the problem, refrigerant naturally migrates to coldest location. If that is compressor it will fill crankcase with refrigerant and push oil out. Why the best residential heat pumps all have a crankcase heater on them. A/c used to and that was why some people would kill breaker over winter on a/c to save that 20-25 watts. Now that its all about energy savings not equipment life they dont put them on.
Sorry dont know beer yet but I do know this field. Just wanted to add 2 cent worth

 

[BigRob]

If your chest freezer has no airflow due to being built into something like a wooden shell, you can expect a shorter life as well. Without a way to dump the heat through the sides your refrigerant pressures will spike as well, worsening the issues with thin copper or brazes at the joints.