Frigidaire 5400426 antique fridge - 1 - Checkout and initial repairs....

Part 2: • Frigidaire 5400426 ant...
This very nice fridge was taken care of, and has all of its accessories. Unfortunately, it has a hole in the evaporator coil and the unit has been sitting, open to the air, outside for quite a while. Hope the compressor isn't damaged!

[@zeldarado80]

What an awesome vintage fridge. I am so glad to see it has gone to the right home! Hope it sees many more years of dutiful service.

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

Thank you. I hope it will! I'll feel much better after it runs steadily for a month or two. Did some more work on it today and made good progress, by the way.

[@zeldarado80]

We seem to like many similar things, though I regretfully am not as handy working on them. I really like your 1987 Park Avenue Coupe and Delco radio repair videos. I purchased both a 1990 Electra T-Type and an 88 Lesabre T-Type in the last few months. I try to absorb all I can from your videos and appreciate them!

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

Well; it's an extension of my work life. I have to be handy for my work, so that makes it easier to do things like this... and also these projects are "practice" for my job! Very cool that you got the Electra T-Type and LeSabre T-Type. Those are amazing cars and I am really pleased that I encouraged you on that decision!

[@graymodeler]

"Made only by General Motors"! No Chinese stuff here. I used that plug trick to help some JB weld seal a hole once.

[@farmboy30117]

That looks like a nice one! Nice tip on the solder plug!

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

Thanks! I can't claim it, my uncle's late friend Adrian was a skilled welder. He taught me that trick!

[@richvenne]

This model is from around 1943. This is missing a larger ice tray and a metal container that stores the ice. I found this exact model is mint condition with all the accessories and the original sale paperwork.

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

Very good that you found one all complete and without any damage! People took better care of things in the past than they do now, since they were intending to keep them longer. Hope yours is running well and gives years more service to you!

[@terrip.5541]

Wow! We got one very similar but It doesn't have model or serial number. Inside is the same but the "Frigidaire on front is a crown Logo nd door handle is up and down. Your door handle is sideways. Any ideas on how we could find out the serial or year? Thank you

[@jimdefilippis9630]

Nice video. thinking you could use r409 also, but it is a blended refrigerent or hcfc. I used it on commercial r12 refrigeraors and freezers and was told at united refrigeration it was also a replacement for r12 ice machines. The charge uses 15% less wieght than the r12 charge and the press. and temp. are about the same. Looked up the 152a and it was used in blended refrigerants and is more flammable than the old cfc refrigerants. Thanks for the video, absolutely love it.

[@charlesmcmillion968]

Looks just like mine, mine 1929

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

Hi Charles. Thanks for the comment! This model Frigidaire with the R12 system; rounded corners curved door was introduced in the late 40's and kept through the 50's. The earlier models were different in several ways. The mid 1930's through early 1940's had more squared-off styling, with a different compressor using R114 refrigerant. Going back to the mid 1920's to early 1930's, they were very square, often stood up on legs, and had belt-driven sulphur dioxide (SO2) compressor systems. If yours is a 1929 it would be an AP-series unit, such as the grey and white model shown in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqSranpqZtOWeJo

[@wechselrichterschaltungen]

7.42 Hello Davida, You can also fix the evaporator with J B WELD 2 components glue. I have done this many times and it works great. in the evaporator, the pressure is not very high. a lot of success while testing. Greetings from Germany walter

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

Hi Walter, thanks for the comment! Yep you're right about the pressure. It is very low while the unit is running. With R12 and an evaporator temperature of 0°F (-18°C) the pressure is about 9 PSIG. With the R152A I am using in the refrigerator now, it would see about 4.5 PSI at the same temperature. When the refrigerator is powered off, it can see pressures up to 150 PSIG or so; if the unit is stored, powered off, in a hot area. I am old-school though, and just get the feeling that a soldered, metallurgical bond is going to be a permanent repair, whereas the epoxy might, over time, become brittle and separate from the metal. Just my opinion!

[@DBVintage]

That evaporator coil looks like the Hammer and Chisel Mechanic's wife was working on it. Hopefully you can save that compressor. Nice old fridge.

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

It does look like she got the meat cleaver and icepick after it LOL! It seems the compressor works. Today's video is really long and it may not upload till tomorrow, but it has lots more on the compressor.

[@ladybird3596]

I have bought a vintage fridge. I think it's an apartment Frigidaire 1950s. I didn't know if it would be worth trying to get it back running and take it to someone to look at. This is beyond my repair. I wanted to repurpose it but only if it's not repairable. I love my antiques and don't want to take the compressor off and scrap it unless it's beyond repair. Thank you!

[@douro20]

A jewellers' brazing torch would work well for evap repairs like that.

[@mrjason9382]

Thanks for shareing

[@skyyzz4316]

nice vid

[@joseclass7224]

I have a similar one just sitting in my NYC apartment. Looking around to sell it.

[@jeffreyfreeman4843]

I just inherited an old Fridgidaire GM fridge and while the exterior is not perfect the interior is very nice and it fired right up and is presently making ice. I had the temp dial set at 7 but that was freezing the beer I had on a shelf in there. I turn it down to 4 see if that helps create the perfect temperature in there.

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

Hi Jeffrey. Typically "1" is perfect if you aren't opening the door much.

[@jeffreyfreeman4843]

Yes I had to turn it way down it was freezing water bottles on the shelves. What are the letters all about? I find that opening any fridge door sets the thing off to be loud. Keep it closed keep it quiet.

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

@@jeffreyfreeman4843 According to Frigidaire manual, the letters are for cool weather and operation while on vacation. In other words, when the door isn't opened much at all. The numbers are for times when the kitchen is hot and the door gets opened up more. The thermostats in these wear, over time. The mechanical parts inside wear from constant moving. The wear causes the setpoint to shift colder over time. So you will likely need to use the lettered settings to keep from freezing things. Also, do you have all the trays and shelves in the cabinet? If the freezer compartment door is missing, or there is no tray underneath the freezer, it will cause the fresh food compartment to run too cold.

[@jeffreyfreeman4843]

Inside is very nice. All the original shelving and the ice door is present and functional. The glass drip tray is present as well. Can’t believe how cold this thing gets after all these years. It’s actually in my Maine garage as a backup beer fridge. I think I need it as low as the settings will allow, gonna try the letters and see what all goes on.

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

​@@jeffreyfreeman4843 That is great yours is in such good shape! I just had a turquoise 1960's Frigidaire in the shop from Maine, actually. Everyone I talk to from that state love it there. I am too much of a weakling for the winters, however LOL! Will stick to Alabama. If you can't get your temperature regulated, the thermostat may need to be adjusted on the internal calibration setting, or possibly a new one installed.

[@Clement-xy9iv]

that's an amazing work ! But, where and how will you find the freon to fill it back ?

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

Thank you! As for the Freon; there are several choices. It used R12 which is still available (but costly). There are several alternatives which will work as well or better!

[@Clement-xy9iv]

And what are those alternatives?

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

Sorry for the vague reply - it wasn't intentional. I was uploading a video showing them at that time. The first one was a test charge, using R600 also known as butane. It works but is too flammable to use for an indoor appliance. It is a good test refrigerant because it is very cheap, and legal to release it. The temperature / pressure curve for R600 was lower than this fridge requires for maximum BTU cooling. It worked, but the compressor was under-loaded and it took a long time to cool the evaporator. One positive point about it is, it WILL blend into the mineral lubricating oil in liquid form. The next alternative was R152A, which is used as an automotive conversion refrigerant, as well as for "canned air" keyboard duster spray. It will not blend with the oil (stays separate like oil and water). But in this compressor, I don't believe it needs to blend with the oil. The temperature / pressure curve is just right for this refrigerator, as well as R152A being more efficient as a refrigerant than R12. When I charged this into the system, it worked extremely well. It quickly frosted the entire evaporator core even with the fridge door open, and sent a vent thermometer to zero degrees Fahrenheit, even with the fridge door open. Also the compressor motor current draw was right in line with the ratings for the motor.

[@garymozingo3441]

Have a nice, clean CA form A. Worked beautiful for years until I moved it for a kitchen remodel. Any help troubleshoot?

[@garymozingo3441]

Sorry that's a CA-2-A16

[@garymozingo3441]

Got alot of fireworks at points. Runs for a few minutes and shuts down

[@oualihocini835]

sir how to dismantle the thermostat of the fridge of 1950

[@einherrjar]

i recently got a nice hotpoint fridge, it is a 110v 1/8hp machine, and i am in Europe. would a 200watt step down converter be enough, or do i need something beefier, like 500watts?

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

Hi, I would definitely use a 500VA step-down transformer, minimum. The transformer needs to be able to provide the starting current for the compressor, which is lots more than the running current. Also, please be sure it is a "transformer" device and not some other voltage reducer such as a capacitive dropper or resistor block. There are some very useless products sold today which would not work with the fridge.

[@einherrjar]

@@davida1hiwaaynet thank you very much. found a 500w transformer (real transformer) locally, guy had a load of NOS transformers, and is selling them cheap.

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

@@einherrjar That should be perfect!

[@awh5773]

In your other video I told you I had the same compressor that is in this video and it was converted to use as a vacuum pump for auto a/c. I did get the supco RO81 relay like you said and it works now. Could you tell me what kind of oil goes in these compressors? And also , is that supco RO81 relay supposed to get HOT ???. Any help would be greatly appreciated and thank you for the info

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

Glad that RO81 got your compressor running! As for the RO81 getting hot, yes. Those always get hot because it's a thermal device which cuts off the start winding. The oil was a 300 SUS viscosity mineral refrigerant oil. If you continue using it as a vacuum pump, you'll want to use actual vacuum pump oil. Be sure to change the oil often because the motor will fail from the contamination pulled from old systems, if you aren't careful.

[@awh5773]

@davida1hiwaaynet thank you very much. I believe the tag on the motor says. R 1/8 -16 at the top left corner of the tag . And the relay gets up to about 235 degrees according to my thermometer. Now I got to figure out how to get the old oil out . Thanks again

[@blueresendez]

Have a vintage hotpoint, was working good but unpluged it for a year and wen i plug it back up doesn’t work!! Help

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

Awe that is not good! Would need a lot more info than this to help out. Please see the General Electric Monitor Top fridge forum, where I'm an active member. Post this in the Other Vintage Refrigerators area and you'll get a lot of assistance. monitortop.freeforums.net/ As for your fridge; does the compressor run at all?

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

I hope you see my other message and get some advice on your fridge! Sadly, KZbin does not have private messaging functionality any more.

[@natehine8541]

Do you have an info on Philco v handle refrigerators. Good / bad things to look out for great videos

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

Hi Nate. I have only worked on one Philco. It wasn't a V-Handle but it used the Philco compressor. That one was a cosmetic restoration only and the original cooling system worked perfectly. They are very reliable. I have heard that the V-Handle door mechanism is very sophisticated and requires careful adjustments. I would focus on that area first.

[@natehine8541]

@@davida1hiwaaynet thank you !! This one has been restored on the outside . The door works fine . I am just worried about the cooling side. If it goes in the future. Love your vids you do some great work. I have no clue what you are doing really . But great to watch and try to figure it out

[@natehine8541]

@@davida1hiwaaynet would you know what type of gas it uses .. is it the poisonous kind ? I think it's like a 1954 model

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

@@natehine8541 I'm glad you watch my videos and even if you don't feel as if you understand - the fact it interests you is a good move towards understanding. The Philco from 1950's would have Freon R-12 which is not poisonous unless you are in an extremely high concentration of the stuff for a long time. The entire charge could leak out in the room and you would be no where near any hazardous concentration. These are compatible with the modern refrigerant R152A; which is also a low-toxicity material. The 1920's and 1930's era was the wild west of refrigeraton. Most household systes used SO2 (sulphur dioxide). This has a very powerful irritating smell and is moderately toxic if you are unable to move out of the cloud of leaked vapor. Because the vapor has such a pungent odor, it is not likely to poison a person because you will smell it and take action well before breathing in a lethal amount. There were other less common refrigerants which were pretty bad but those are pretty well all gone by now.

[@natehine8541]

@@davida1hiwaaynet Thank you

[@terrip.5541]

What will you use instead of freon in these old refrigerators?

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

Hi Terri. Thanks for the comment. The answer depends on what the system was engineered for. If it was an R12 system; we usually will replace that with R152A because it matches the operating pressures very closely. If it was an older R114 machine; we use R1234ZE because it's a lower pressure refrigerant and is closer the R14 pressures.

[@JulianVacationRentals]

I have an old Frigidaire and the port on the compressor is on the front vs the back like yours and is nothing like shown here. It is about 1/2 in depth and 3/4" wide and has a screw on cover that is like a doughnut. Have you ever seen anything like that?

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

Hi John. Yes some of the early Frigidaires had a screwed-on thread protector on the port, that looked a little like a donut. There is often a port on the bottom of the compressor, short type without stem, which was (if I remember) an oil filling port. It is open into the compressor housing on the high pressure side of the system as well.

[@JulianVacationRentals]

@@davida1hiwaaynet So to put freon in I recon I will have to install a fitting by splicing into the tube. Can you confirm? How do I know the low side?

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

@@JulianVacationRentals It's hard to say without seeing it. I eventually bought an antique "hermetic service kit" to add refrigerant via the normal service port provided on the unit. You could add a new modern port if desired! The low side tube will come from the evaporator inside the fridge, without any small sections, and go back to the compressor. The high side will go from the compressor directly to the condenser.

[@JulianVacationRentals]

@@davida1hiwaaynet great idea. Maybe I can find on ebay! Thx for the super help. Much appreciated!

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

@@JulianVacationRentals You're welcome! Search for Imperial Service Kit on eBay. That's where I got mine. The only problem is some of these fridges don't have low side ports. You'll just have to study it and see. If it has only high side you may have to use can warmer to inject the refrigerant with the system off.

[@doomman700]

What do you do if the line going up is plugged some and not letting enough refrigerant up to cool enough all else works well.

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

It's unlikely that the line is partially plugged. Normally if it is blocked it's almost complete. If, however, it is blocked; the best repair is to replace the line. More than likely the problem is that the system is low on refrigerant.

[@doomman700]

Thanks, I left it plugged in 10 hours, it was about 51f inside.

[@istoa22]

I’m buying a beautiful 1948 Hotpoint tomorrow morning, but he says the compressor doesn’t work. Should I buy it? I don’t have experience, but I want to fix it.

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

It's likely in need of wiring repairs and is likely an easy fix!

[@user-rl8uv1mu4t]

I have a 1950 Frigidaire that is not working. I have a wire that broke off from the compressor. Looking for someone in Cincinnati Ohio area to repair it

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

James, I live in Alabama so it might be a little far. Should be pretty easy to get an electrical repair done, though. As long as the refrigeration system is not broken, they can't complain about refrigerant availability and environmental nonsense.

[@bcroft68bc]

Is 5400426 the model number? If it is, where did you find the model number on refrigerator? I have one just like this one but it’s in much worse condition but still works and I’m trying to restore it.

[@dennispeet8543]

Do you have a email

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

I do have one but it gets me too much spam to post it here openly. Please remove the letters x, b, and r from the e-mail before using it. [e-mail]

[@oualihocini835]

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[@oualihocini835]

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[@oualihocini835]

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