Beer Forum

Well, this is kind of a shot in the dark, but I was wondering if anyone has any experience with malfunctioning chest freezers. I just moved today and everything went well except that my chest freezer, which I use for dispensing, no longer works. I was very careful moving it and I can't imagine what went wrong. The little research I have conducted seems to indicate that something is wrong with the compressor - it clicks to start, but doesn't run. Anyone know what I should? I've tried contacted a few electricians, but haven't heard back yet. Maybe I should just dump it and get a new one? I'm pretty bummed that I can't get my keg system set up in my new place.

Call your local AC repair man.
Good luck, I just bought one and they are not cheap.

That is a bummer, man. Sorry to hear it. Check craigslist for a new one if you think the old one is no good.

Don't spend a lot of money figuring out what is wrong with it. There isn't too much that can go wrong and they are generally cheaper to replace than repair.

That being said, did you tip the freezer vertical when you moved it? Basic reefer knowledge, I know, but if you did you may just need to let the oil drain back into the compressor before running it. Shouldn't take more than a few hours for that to happen.

BeerPal wrote:Don't spend a lot of money figuring out what is wrong with it. There isn't too much that can go wrong and they are generally cheaper to replace than repair.

That being said, did you tip the freezer vertical when you moved it? Basic reefer knowledge, I know, but if you did you may just need to let the oil drain back into the compressor before running it. Shouldn't take more than a few hours for that to happen.

I had the freezer on its side the whole way. That would be great if the problem was as simple as the oil draining back in. I'll give it another go in the morning. I'm not looking forward to getting rid of it and replacing it.

Any time I move a fridge or freezer, I let it sit for 24 hours or so before plugging it in. Even if you don't tip it the vibration from riding in a truck or bouncing down the stairs on a dolly will cause bubbles to form in the coolant. If you don't let these bubbles get out of there before turning the thing on you can damage the compressor.

Wayne

The compressor on the chest freezer has a combination overload/start relay. It's the relay that clicks. They CAN go bad, and they are pretty cheap to replace. My brew bud scored a nice big freezer a couple years ago on CL, and she was real happy with it till it "died" two months later, same "just clicks" as yours. The old O/R was literally broken, the plastic housing brittled from heat and age, just cracked though the middle. I picked up a Supco solid state O/R and installed it in less than 10 minutes, started right up.

I just did an eBay search (Supco overload), and there's a bunch of 'em there, less than 10 bucks. Use the RO41 or PRO41 for 1/4 or 1/3 hp compressor. If it's a smaller freezer, with 1/5 hp or smaller, use the RO81 or PRO81. Pretty simple to swap out, just pay attention to the wires as you pull them off the old relay. If the compressor is really old, it may need a "hard start" capacitor, and they come in a "3 in 1" relay, also very easy to use, and can buy you an extra year or five on a freezer or keg fridge (search for Supco RCO810, first three are letters, last are numbers)

Brewgyver wrote:The compressor on the chest freezer has a combination overload/start relay. It's the relay that clicks. They CAN go bad, and they are pretty cheap to replace. My brew bud scored a nice big freezer a couple years ago on CL, and she was real happy with it till it "died" two months later, same "just clicks" as yours. The old O/R was literally broken, the plastic housing brittled from heat and age, just cracked though the middle. I picked up a Supco solid state O/R and installed it in less than 10 minutes, started right up.

I just did an eBay search (Supco overload), and there's a bunch of 'em there, less than 10 bucks. Use the RO41 or PRO41 for 1/4 or 1/3 hp compressor. If it's a smaller freezer, with 1/5 hp or smaller, use the RO81 or PRO81. Pretty simple to swap out, just pay attention to the wires as you pull them off the old relay. If the compressor is really old, it may need a "hard start" capacitor, and they come in a "3 in 1" relay, also very easy to use, and can buy you an extra year or five on a freezer or keg fridge (search for Supco RCO810, first three are letters, last are numbers)

Thanks for the info. That all looks very helpful. The only trouble is that I am virtually illiterate when it comes to doing anything electronics related, plus I likely do not have the necessary tools. I've been looking on craigslist for someone to help me, but have had no luck thus far. One company told me the compressor would be about $300 to replace, so I won't be going that route, but what you say looks do-able. Perhaps I just need to educate myself.