Quick Amp and Temperature Test for Refrigerator Sealed System Diagnosis

[@cecho9367]

Great video which I wish more tech would see. I have spent years worrying if my guys just condemn a refrigerator prematurely because they don’t feel like “going thru the motions” but I’ve taught them this and if they ever come across a unit that they think is a sealed system or just plain old bad compressor, they know now that if the compressor isn’t making strange noises or it is/isnt drawing proper amperage, they know which direction to go in

[@AppliantologyOrg]

Thanks! I go into more details about why measuring amps and condenser temperature work as sealed system diagnostic tools in this blog post: mastersamuraitech.com/quick-amp-and-temperature-test-for-refrigerator-sealed-system-diagnosis/

[@freecheese4143]

Im must've been one of the 1st to see this. I watched it this morning about 9 hrs ago. Very good explanation. I was told a good ampere rating was ~1A but can understand the ~2A as you said when working under heavy load.

[@AppliantologyOrg]

Thanks for watching! Bottom line on amps is the FLA rating on the compressor name plate rating.

[@johnblaisdell2179]

Very good video. I use this method all the time. No since tapping the system and hooking up to it. Pressures and temperature are relative, right? Eyes, ears and fingers are your best tools.

[@AppliantologyOrg]

Pressure and temperature move in lockstep with each other ONLY at SATURATION. Sealed systems have two saturation zones: the middle of the evaporator and the middle of the condenser. So if you know the temperature of a saturation zone (like with an IR gun or thermocouple), then you also know the pressure by table lookup. That's what the PT tables are for.

[@johnblaisdell2179]

@@AppliantologyOrg exactly. There are many inexpensive digital PT charts available that cover multiple refrigerants. Very useful little devices.

[@jamesortolano3983]

Very good point , thanks 🙏

[@AppliantologyOrg]

Thanks for watching!

[@4362mont]

Thanks!

[@AppliantologyOrg]

Welcome!

[@briancarlisi2224]

Thanks for posting… always something to learn. So what did you do to test your theory and what was the result? 1 week to go before the Clemson/Ga showdown! Go Tigers!!

[@AppliantologyOrg]

It's not a theory, it's just physics. If you know the temperature of a saturation zone, like then middle of the condenser, then you also know the pressure by table lookup. That's what the PT tables are for.

[@trust1952]

Hope you read this. I’m new to the industry and just getting to start on refrigeration. I have the PT tables, but can’t find an answer on where to measure the saturation temperature? Do you measure on the condenser or evaporator?

[@AppliantologyOrg]

The sealed systems we work on (fractional horsepower, cap tube systems) have two saturation zones: the middle of the evaporator and the middle of the condenser. Everywhere else the refrigerant is either superheated or subcooled. Saturation zones have a special property. At saturation, and only at saturation, pressure and temperature move in lock step. So if you know one, you know the other by table look up. That's what the PT tables are for. If you're new to the industry, you would benefit from our training. We have courses on Core skills (circuits, reading schematics, troubleshooting, motors, etc.) and advanced courses on refrigerator repair, washer and dryer repair, etc. All self-paced, on-demand, with quizzes along the way.You can see all our course on this page: mastersamuraitech.com/online-appliance-repair-courses/ And every enrollment comes with a 6-month free tech membership at Appliantology where you can download manuals, get help from other techs, and get on-going technical training. You can learn more about that here: appliantology.org/blogs/entry/1027-tech-memberships-at-appliantology/

[@trust1952]

@@AppliantologyOrg thank you, I’ll check the course out.

[@lvl88661]

😎👍