Thread Number: 79418
/ Tag: Refrigerators
1962 GE Spacemaker TC469 Refrigerator - "Repaired" - still does not work. NEED HELP! |
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Post# 1033361   5/22/2019 at 06:58 (1,772 days old) by kelly0721 (Lakewood, Colorado)   |   | |
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A year ago I sent my refrigerator out to be repaired and finally got it back this past week, but it still does not work. The compressor was replaced with a Panasonic R134A DGH66C94RAU compressor, but the fridge still has the same problem it originally had. When plugged in it gets cold, but after a few hours the compressor shuts down and everything defrosts. The compressor does not seem to be connected to the fan any longer, but the repairman said that this new compressor did not need a fan. I have included photos of the new compressor and just to the right of the compressor in front of the fan, as well as the data sheet for the compressor. I am beyond frustrated after waiting a year and getting the refrigerator back with the same problem! If additional photos are needed, I will have my son help me move it from the wall and take more. If anyone has any ideas of what I need to do to get this working, I would appreciate it. Thanks!
This post was last edited 05/22/2019 at 08:50 |
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Post# 1033371 , Reply# 3   5/22/2019 at 10:24 (1,772 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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Post# 1033374 , Reply# 4   5/22/2019 at 10:51 (1,772 days old) by kelly0721 (Lakewood, Colorado)   |   | |
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That is what I thought. How do I get the fan running again with this new configuration? Are there any parts I need to purchase? If so, should I purchase the original parts or new parts that work with the new compressor? I do have a cover, it was removed to take photos. I just plugged it in and I don't see the fan running at all. I have included new photos with it running.
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Post# 1033375 , Reply# 5   5/22/2019 at 10:56 (1,772 days old) by kelly0721 (Lakewood, Colorado)   |   | |
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turbokinetic, It is very sad. I had the repairman return it after a year being gone. He told me that he had consulted an "old timer" who said that it did not need a fan. When he returned it he said he did not know what else he could do and could not fix it. It took me nine months just to find this guy who could not fix it. Every other repairman refused to do it. I am beside myself with what to do next.
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Post# 1033377 , Reply# 6   5/22/2019 at 11:02 (1,772 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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The wiring is a mess, and the installation of the compressor is very sloppy. the fan motor just gets connected to the black & orange wires going to the compressor, the fan and compressor are wired in parallel.
It looks like an original condenser fan motor, if it has three wires instead of two like newer fan motors you will need to replace the CFM with a newer 2 wire motor. John L. |
Post# 1033378 , Reply# 7   5/22/2019 at 11:08 (1,772 days old) by kelly0721 (Lakewood, Colorado)   |   | |
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I just want to cry. I wanted this fridge so badly and tried everything I could to get it running. I printed out all the suggestions from this site, told him what was thought to be wrong with it and he just ignored me. I even referred him to this site to ask questions if he was stuck. He ignored that too. After he quit giving us monthly updates after a year, I asked him to bring it back to me. I am so bummed. :(
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Post# 1033381 , Reply# 9   5/22/2019 at 11:26 (1,772 days old) by estesguy (kansas)   |   | |
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Can you use an R134a compressor in place of one that was R12 to start with? With the small amounts of refrigerant and capillary tubes, refrigerators are very temperamental creatures to begin with. |
Post# 1033383 , Reply# 10   5/22/2019 at 11:33 (1,772 days old) by turbokinetic (Northport, Alabama USA)   |   | |
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Yep, an R134A compressor can be used. There may be a few trade-offs but in general R134A will replace R12 in a system like this. |
Post# 1033384 , Reply# 11   5/22/2019 at 11:46 (1,772 days old) by RP2813 (Sannazay)   |   | |
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I'm casting another vote for the fan needing to run. It's fairly easy to make that happen, even if it requires a new fan. They're not expensive and are commonly used among various makes of refrigerators so you don't have to track down a genuine GE part or anything.
One thing to make sure of is to get the blade assembly along with the fan motor. I replaced the fan motor on my '57 GE and the replacement motor didn't have the same mounting for the blade as the old motor. I had to make alterations to the fan blade and it still was compromised in its performance.
First, check your fan motor to see how many wires it has. If it has only two, then just connect those to the compressor leads as instructed above. If it has three wires, remove the fan motor (you may have to remove the blade first -- it's probably held by a simple zip-nut), which is best accomplished with a small socket wrench or a nut driver. Examine the motor to see how the blade gets locked into place, and make sure the replacement motor has the same configuration.
Usually, fan motors have connectors on the ends of the wires that slide onto their associated connectors on the relay block. I don't see a relay in the pictures above, but I assume there has to be one. You'll find the compressor's orange and black wires connected to it, and likely there will be additional unused connectors for the fan wires on those same terminals. |
Post# 1033387 , Reply# 12   5/22/2019 at 12:00 (1,772 days old) by Combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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The commonly available condenser fan motors have wiring attached to it, also the original fan blade should be used it just Hass to be modified slightly by folding the tabs over I’ve done it hundreds of times it’s better to use the original fan blade.
You can use whirl pool part number 833697 as a replacement |
Post# 1033393 , Reply# 13   5/22/2019 at 13:43 (1,772 days old) by kelly0721 (Lakewood, Colorado)   |   | |
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turbokinetic, The fan moves freely. It has three wires as seen in the attached photos. In the photos I label where each wire goes from the fan to where they end up.
I have called the repairman who I convinced to fix my vintage Maytag W/D and he agreed to come out to look at the fridge. I was worried he wouldn't be okay with looking at it because I have been turned down so many times by other people. Hopefully, he can figure out what to do. I am going to print out all the suggestions from everyone on this thread for him. |
Post# 1033398 , Reply# 15   5/22/2019 at 16:21 (1,772 days old) by kelly0721 (Lakewood, Colorado)   |   | |
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Post# 1033404 , Reply# 17   5/22/2019 at 17:45 (1,772 days old) by goatfarmer (South Bend, home of Champions)   |   | |
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Post# 1033621 , Reply# 19   5/25/2019 at 20:13 (1,769 days old) by Lorainfurniture (Cleveland )   |   | |
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Would you mind divulging how much you paid for that repair? |
Post# 1033836 , Reply# 21   5/28/2019 at 20:53 (1,766 days old) by turbokinetic (Northport, Alabama USA)   |   | |
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I'm really hopeful to hear a positive result from the technician visit! |
Post# 1033861 , Reply# 22   5/29/2019 at 10:31 (1,765 days old) by sfh074 ( )   |   | |
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I second that. |
Post# 1033867 , Reply# 23   5/29/2019 at 13:24 (1,765 days old) by norgeway (mocksville n c )   |   | |
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If John Lefever had fixed it you wouldn't have these problems and it would look as good as the factory soldering and wiring. |
Post# 1033875 , Reply# 24   5/29/2019 at 15:00 (1,765 days old) by kelly0721 (Lakewood, Colorado)   |   | |
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Hi everyone,
I am sorry it has taken me so long to get back to this thread. My repairman just left, so I finally have an update to share, but I read everyone's comments and wanted to answer all the questions first. The update on the fridge is below my answers. :) Combo52: Thank you for the reference to the Whirlpool part. Is this something I could purchase from you? sfh074: Thank you for the link to the part on eBay. I appreciate your input. :) Lorainfurniture: We paid him $300 for the compressor, which is what it cost him. He did not charge us for anything else as he did not get it running. Supersurgilator: The compressor was replaced as the consensus was that it was probably going out. I had several repairmen out who thought that was at least part of the problem. They refused to fix it, but those were their thoughts. I was really hoping the gentleman who took my refrigerator for a year would have been able to figure that out for me! Norgeway: I don't doubt that! If Mr. Lefever was in Colorado I would have had him do the repair in a second. He knows what the heck he is doing. :) Update: Apparently, the wiring is a mess and has to be rewired so the fan can be connected. The overload is broken too, so that has to be replaced. After he has all that taken care of then we will address replacing the compressor with one that was recommended by Combo52 (John Lefever) way back when I first purchased the refrigerator. I had printed out his recommendation for the first repairman, but he apparently was not willing to take anyone else's advice and installed this crappy Panasonic compressor I did not want. Hopefully, it will all be fixed soon so I can finally bring it into the kitchen instead of having it sit in the garage. Thanks for everyone's advice. I really appreciate you all. :) I will post further updates once I have something to report. Kelly |
Post# 1033892 , Reply# 25   5/29/2019 at 19:44 (1,765 days old) by turbokinetic (Northport, Alabama USA)   |   | |
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Thanks for the update! Looks like you have someone who is going to make a path forward which will set you up for years of good service from this fridge. |
Post# 1033893 , Reply# 26   5/29/2019 at 19:56 (1,765 days old) by RP2813 (Sannazay)   |   | |
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Post# 1033920 , Reply# 27   5/30/2019 at 00:13 (1,765 days old) by kelly0721 (Lakewood, Colorado)   |   | |
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David, I think you are right! It is nice to work with someone who is excited about the project and knows what he is doing. I think I am finally on the right path. Thank you very much for all your suggestions and moral support!
RP2813, You are funny. I would definitely sell it back to him if I could be in the same room with him again. I am so stinkin' mad I don't think I could bear it without some choice words for "Mister I don't think I need to listen to anyone or ask for help." I will eat the cost. It was a lesson well learned not to work with someone who is so uncooperative again. |
Post# 1033939 , Reply# 28   5/30/2019 at 06:17 (1,764 days old) by Combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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Hi Kelly, sorry you went through this mess. It’s obvious that the guy who worked on this does not enjoy his job, we’ve always had the best luck with techs that liked what they’re doing. It always bothered me when we went to service training twice a year that half the guys were totally On interested in what was going on and would rather talk about last nights football game.
The Panasonic compressor that was used is not the problem, they made pretty decent compressors. I would use something a little newer that has a run capacitor on it if you’re going to all the trouble you might as will put in a higher efficiency one so everything stays cooler underneath there. John L. |
Post# 1033954 , Reply# 29   5/30/2019 at 10:26 (1,764 days old) by kelly0721 (Lakewood, Colorado)   |   | |
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Thanks John, I will definitely relay this new information to my repairman. My repairman, Anthony looked at it yesterday and remarked that he was surprised that this compressor was used, especially because I care so much about the quality of products used to refurbish this antique. He called it a "two year compressor". That upset me because I was planning on refurbishing this refrigerator so I could use the rest of my life, not for two years. I gave the last "repairman" a printout of your suggestion from 2017 you made to use a 850-1000 BTU compressor from a larger refrigerator from around 1988-1994. I was totally caught off guard when the refrigerator came back with this Panasonic compressor.
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Post# 1034008 , Reply# 31   5/30/2019 at 22:16 (1,764 days old) by Combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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I would be concerned about anybody’s ability that thinks a Panasonic compressor is a two-year compressor, they might be a decent technician but their reasoning ability is not very sound.
In 1985 GE started using rotary compressors that they built them selves in all their standard refrigerators from around 1985 through 1990, all of these compressors failed within 2 to 10 years max. The replacement compressor may have been a Panasonic in some cases they used as many different companies as they could get their hands on because they had to replace them all. John L. |
Post# 1034107 , Reply# 32   6/1/2019 at 05:04 (1,762 days old) by askolover (South of Nash Vegas, TN)   |   | |
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GE used to have a compressor plant here in my town! I worked with people who were laid off when it closed who then came to work at the auto part plant I worked in. They told me stories about quality issues and the reason GE closed it. That would have taken place in the late 80's early 90's. I guess those stories were true huh? |
Post# 1039446 , Reply# 33   7/25/2019 at 18:41 (1,708 days old) by turbokinetic (Northport, Alabama USA)   |   | |
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Hey Kelly - just curious if you were able to get this fridge running? |
Post# 1040031 , Reply# 34   7/30/2019 at 15:28 (1,703 days old) by kelly0721 (Lakewood, Colorado)   |   | |
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Turbokinetic: No, it does not work at all. I purchased an old repair manual for the repairman I hired, he rewired it correctly, but when we turned it on, it no longer gets cold. He does not repair compressors, so he referred me to another shop. I am not very confident that it will ever be fixed. I am not sure what I am going to do with it. I have spent hundreds on it and am nearly at our budget of $1200 to repair the fridge. I probably never should have purchased it without the skill too repair it. I know a big "I told you so" from my husband is coming. I haven't updated because I am a little despondent over the whole situation.
This post was last edited 07/30/2019 at 15:50 |
Post# 1040035 , Reply# 35   7/30/2019 at 16:15 (1,703 days old) by turbokinetic (Northport, Alabama USA)   |   | |
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Hi Kelly. So sorry you have this problem now. So; it went from cooling for a short time, then stopping. Now it doesn't cool at all. If the defrost timer circuit is somehow miswired; it could be actuating the defrost coil at all times. If this happens, the compressor will run but not cool. |
Post# 1040040 , Reply# 36   7/30/2019 at 16:45 (1,703 days old) by kelly0721 (Lakewood, Colorado)   |   | |
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I guess the first guy who swapped out the compressor said he got it to make ice, but the compressor would not stay on. The second guy rewired it and it turns on, but never gets even a little cooler inside the fridge or the freezer. Where is the defrost timer coil? Maybe I can take a photo for you to see if it is wired correctly?
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Post# 1040049 , Reply# 38   7/30/2019 at 17:48 (1,703 days old) by kelly0721 (Lakewood, Colorado)   |   | |
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Hi David,
I disconnected the green wire (photo 1), but the fan did not turn on. I also noted a uncapped back wire coming from the fridge that seems concerning (photo 2), so I turned it off. I did not know if it was live or not. |
Post# 1040061 , Reply# 40   7/30/2019 at 19:08 (1,703 days old) by kelly0721 (Lakewood, Colorado)   |   | |
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yeah, I saw that black wire and totally freaked out! I am glad I noticed it before I got shocked. I am going to call the repair shops Misty on FB recommended here in town. I don't think I am qualified (no matter how much I want to be) to even attempt to fix it myself. Gosh, I sure hope it finally gets fixed. Thank you again for all your help. Everyone here has been so nice and helpful. I am so glad I joined this forum. :)
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Post# 1040096 , Reply# 41   7/31/2019 at 04:27 (1,702 days old) by turbokinetic (Northport, Alabama USA)   |   | |
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It's the spirit of the enthusiast community not to give up. There is surely SOMEONE in your area who will be able to get the wiring sorted out! Just be sure they understand that the existing fan motor will have to be replaced with a two-wire version. That may be what's tripping them up. |
Post# 1040105 , Reply# 42   7/31/2019 at 06:56 (1,702 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City)   |   | |
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Post# 1040119 , Reply# 43   7/31/2019 at 08:09 (1,702 days old) by Paulg (My sweet home... Chicago)   |   | |
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Regarding General Electric parts - particularly through the 1980s.
My father worked with the Hotpoint / General Electric Home laundry and subsequently the refrigeration group from 1948 until the late 1980s. I do recall, compressors and trim parts being source by SANYO. I am very sure GE had multiple vendors but I distinctly recall his hating the Japanese “Just in time” system. He’s often have to get a truck to O’Hare for an emergency shipment of stuff from Sanyo or the Chicago factories would shut down. In recent years Sanyo ran into some bad times. I forgot who bought their appliance division. Was it Panasonic / Matsushita ? Oh well, just passing along some info that is wasting synapses in my brain. |
Post# 1040159 , Reply# 44   7/31/2019 at 13:28 (1,702 days old) by kelly0721 (Lakewood, Colorado)   |   | |
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David: I was a little dejected when the fridge was not fixed with this last go round of repair and had to put it on the back burner for a while due to my little dog, Grace Kelly's death and my grandmother's death. But with your help and encouragement, I am back on the horse and not going to give up! I am determined to get this fridge running. Thank you for being so helpful and kind!
Ultramatic: When I first started my quest for a repairman to repair the fridge I called several old shops around town and paid for several service calls only to be told they don't work on anything that old and to "Get a new refrigerator". Apparently, I was not diligent enough and got a few referrals from the Vintage Appliances and Electronics group on Facebook. I am going to call them today. PaulG: Thanks for the interesting information! I too have lots of information wasting synapses in my brain that I don't think anyone will find useful. However, I always think you never know what will be useful information and welcome anyone's thoughts! Thank you for sharing! |
Post# 1040177 , Reply# 45   7/31/2019 at 15:25 (1,702 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City)   |   | |
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Post# 1040179 , Reply# 46   7/31/2019 at 15:50 (1,702 days old) by kelly0721 (Lakewood, Colorado)   |   | |
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Post# 1040186 , Reply# 47   7/31/2019 at 16:47 (1,702 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City)   |   | |
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Post# 1040187 , Reply# 48   7/31/2019 at 16:48 (1,702 days old) by kelly0721 (Lakewood, Colorado)   |   | |
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Post# 1040414 , Reply# 49   8/2/2019 at 15:54 (1,700 days old) by kelly0721 (Lakewood, Colorado)   |   | |
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Had a local repair shop out to look at the fridge. Apparently, there is no freon in the fridge. One of the tubes to the compressor is broken. I hadn't even noticed it was broken otherwise I would never have turned it on! I just bit the bullet and now everything is going to be replaced for a lot of $$$, which is fine. It is what I would have paid in the first place. I just want it done and over with. He is coming back on Tuesday to fix it. I wish I would have known about this shop before I paid the last two charlatans. |
Post# 1040424 , Reply# 50   8/2/2019 at 17:56 (1,700 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City)   |   | |
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Post# 1040425 , Reply# 51   8/2/2019 at 18:13 (1,700 days old) by turbokinetic (Northport, Alabama USA)   |   | |
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That is terrible! Apparently one of the last bozos had broken that tube and didn't say anything about it. So glad you found a repair shop who will get it going for you. |
Post# 1040440 , Reply# 52   8/2/2019 at 20:56 (1,700 days old) by Northwesty (Renton, WA)   |   | |
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am hoping this will fix it. It sometimes is a long process with these old things. Best of luck. |
Post# 1040515 , Reply# 53   8/3/2019 at 12:02 (1,699 days old) by kelly0721 (Lakewood, Colorado)   |   | |
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Yeah, I have to say I was pretty pissed off when the tech showed me the broken copper tube. He was just dumbfounded by the mess that was made of my refrigerator. He even offered to help me take him to small claims court. I was also pissed to find out the "new" compressor was used and may no longer be working. I used the word charlatans to be nice. When the first guy who had it for a year returned it, all he talked about was how he lived on a golf course. If I would have known better, I would have told him that he probably can afford that golf course abode because he has no problem ripping people off. What a jerk! Oh well, I have to let it go and just look forward to my "new to me" refrigerator finally being in operation in my kitchen! I will keep you all posted. |