Fridge packed up..

[Matt in Birdham]

Bit of a crisis here: my fermenting fridge has packed up!
Was working fine earlier today (just on "fridge constant" running under a Brewpi), but has basically stopped working ever since I put today's brew in. I can't think of anything that would have caused it (fridge wasn't moved or anything), but the situation now is that the compressor is making a noise and getting very hot, but there is no cooling whatsoever inside the fridge. Compressor was getting so hot that I couldn't touch it.. and there is perhaps a faint whiff of that old electrical burning smell.
I'm clueless about fridges, but does anyone have any ideas? For now, I've turned it off which could stuff this beer up - hopefully it is cold enough in the garage to not require too much cooling at this stage. I'd really prefer to get this fridge fixed, even if it costs a bit, because I have just finished a custom shelf for the FV and got it exactly how I want it..
help!

[aamcle]

Time for a new fridge unplug the cooling leave the heating and considering the ambient temperatures you will be fine for some time.

Aamcle

[Matt in Birdham]

Time for a new fridge unplug the cooling leave the heating and considering the ambient temperatures you will be fine for some time.

Aamcle

Yeah - that's basically what I've done, but its a major pisser considering I just built a shelf for it that is very specific to the internal size of this fridge!
GIven all the other work I have done on it (drilling for thermometers, mounting SSRs) I would actually prefer to keep it and pay for a new compressor (if that is what is required). Is this idea totally impractical? It's true that I could probably pick up another fridge like this easily enough for £50 or so.. (this one was £30 - I guess you get what you pay for )

[alexlark]

See if you can get another second hand one of the same make and model.

[Matt in Birdham]

See if you can get another second hand one of the same make and model.

I think we have just established that this make and model is a pile of crap

[themadhippy]

have you tried the fridge pluged straight into mains instead of controled by the brewpi?

[Matt in Birdham]

have you tried the fridge pluged straight into mains instead of controled by the brewpi?

I haven't, because the fridge doesn't have a plug any more - it runs straight off the SSR, for better or worse. The fridge itself is definitely getting power when the SSR fires, as the light is on and compressor is humming away. I suppose there is an outside chance that the Brewpi is doing something weird with the power but I think that is a longshot tbh. Be interested to hear if anyone has heard of something like that happening though..

[millmaster]

It sounds to me like you may have lost the refrigerant ? ( everything works but no cooling happens )

You can get the air-con on your car re-gassed when it loses its refrigerant, so it might be possible to get a fridge re-gassed, if thats the issue, although I've never heard of a fridge being re-gassed ( though cars and fridges probably use different refrigerants and what works in the car won't work in a fridge !! )

[Rogermort]

I investigated getting my old fermentation fridge re-gassed, it seems almost impossible in the uk. You can buy the kit quite readily but by the time you've put all the necessary bits together, you could have bought another fridge (which is what I did). The old fridge is now just for winter fermentation use in the garage.


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[Aleman]

A refrigeration engineer will be able to re gas the fridge for you. I've had my IARP done by mistake when the probe fell out of the door! :doh:

[Matt in Birdham]

Thanks guys I will make a few calls this morning and see if anything can be done.

[Matt in Birdham]

Yeah - not repairable in any economic way is the consensus from a few places I have called.. now whether to splash out on a brand new fridge or do the ebay thing again.

[scotsloon]

Check out Freecycle or Freegle in your local area. You might be lucky, I often see fridges on there.

[Nitro Jim]

I will have a fridge approximately that size up for grabs early in the new year. There are some issues with it but it is working. If I don't find space for it myself then I'll offer it on here first but it will be collection only from Spalding, Lincolnshire.

[Matt in Birdham]

I will have a fridge approximately that size up for grabs early in the new year. There are some issues with it but it is working. If I don't find space for it myself then I'll offer it on here first but it will be collection only from Spalding, Lincolnshire.

Thanks Jim. I won't take you up on that because you are a little far away, and I would rather get something sorted ASAP, but I appreciate the offer.