Calling all fridge engineers...

[ScottM]

I've got a Hotpoint RL150 fridge out in the garage but for some reason it's not getting very low in temp. Even when sitting on max it's only dropping to 4.5 degrees. Considering the temperature outside is around 4 degrees that's not very confidence inspiring.

In order to rule out the compressor I took the panel apart and pulled the thermostat wire out and stuck it down my trousers. Within seconds the compressor fired up and all was well. I put it all back together and it shut off in no time.

Does this mean the thermostat is faulty? I wasn't sure if there was a secondary adjustment on them to further calibrate for when the fridge is sitting in an outside environment? Looking at the location of the thermostat (upper skin) I was wondering if due to it normally sitting in 20 degrees if the thermostat itself was actually triggered by a slightly higher temperature than what the internal temperature of the fridge is actually at, as the outside temperature would effect the thermostat a lot more when the fridge is sitting at room temp.

Anyway, enough of me rambling on. Time for an expert opinion

 

[artyb]

may not be relevant ... :nah:

you need a freezer that is rated for outdoor use..
i know as my brother had 2 new ones that packed up....then he found one that was rated to be outside... :thumb:

 

[ScottM]

may not be relevant ... :nah:

you need a freezer that is rated for outdoor use..
i know as my brother had 2 new ones that packed up....then he found one that was rated to be outside... :thumb:

Possibly, my other one does work no problems though :)

 

[oz11]

Might be worth reading this, particularly the climate class section.

I have taken this quote from there:

"As you can clearly see there is no rating that would allow normal operation below 10°C in any circumstance"

 

[gibb58]

is it a coil stat or air stat

 

[ScottM]

Might be worth reading this, particularly the climate class section.

I have taken this quote from there:

"As you can clearly see there is no rating that would allow normal operation below 10°C in any circumstance"

Thanks for that, that may well explain why it's not working. Strange that the other one does, but the one that's working is el-cheapo so perhaps it doesn't have any safeguards.

is it a coil stat or air stat

No idea, how do I tell? It's a tall larder fridge, thermostat at the upper front, condenser (I believe?) on the back down the whole length of the fridge with the compressor at the bottom.

Other than that I have no idea :wha:

 

[ScottM]

Looks a bit like that.

Cheers :)

 

[artyb]

i have a cheapo beko freezer in my garage and its been fine for 6+ years ... :party:

by bro had 2 new hotpoint ones pack up..... apparently most of the cheap uns are good outside... :wha:

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

pulled the thermostat wire out and stuck it down my trousers.

We use ferrets in Barnsley.

 

[JimmyB78]

i have a cheapo beko freezer in my garage and its been fine for 6+ years ... :party:

by bro had 2 new hotpoint ones pack up..... apparently most of the cheap uns are good outside... :wha:

Beko are one of the few makes that are rated for outside use, they use a different coolant or something. We had to get a new freezer as the one we had kept defrosting when we moved it to the outhouse and the temp started dropping too much for it.

 

[gibb58]

Well is the stat phial in the air or screwed to the back plate. I'm just wondering if it is meant to be an air stat but someone has moved it onto the coil and making it cut of early, might just find the stat is out if scale. Can get a thermostat off of e bay

 

[ScottM]

Well is the stat phial in the air or screwed to the back plate. I'm just wondering if it is meant to be an air stat but someone has moved it onto the coil and making it cut of early, might just find the stat is out if scale. Can get a thermostat off of e bay

The stat is on the upper front of the fridge, knob attached. The probe for it is around 1m long and goes into a plastic sheath along the top of the inner skin of the fridge. It was this I pulled out and stuck down my trousers to check the start circuit & the compressor were OK.

I'm guessing that means it's an air stat as it's measuring the temperature of the air in the inner skin.

 

[wezil]

Does beg the question WHY down your trousers :rofl: (stuck one of my ferrets down my shirt once, little git popped his head out the collar and clamped his teeth onto my neck!!! (swmbo nearly wet herself laughing) He didn't want to let go either!!! :twisted:

 

[alanywiseman.]

Do you have a STC-1000? You could hook it up to that then you may get better control?

I am assuming it is for brewing related adventures!

 

[ScottM]

Does beg the question WHY down your trousers :rofl: (stuck one of my ferrets down my shirt once, little git popped his head out the collar and clamped his teeth onto my neck!!! (swmbo nearly wet herself laughing) He didn't want to let go either!!! :twisted:

Lol, the stat has a long flexible probe for checking the temp (about 1m, maybe more). Rather than scrunching it up and trying to heat it I wanted to heat it without bending it too much etc. Only thing I had to match that sort of length was down my trousers

Do you have a STC-1000? You could hook it up to that then you may get better control?

I am assuming it is for brewing related adventures!

Yeah I have one connected to my other fridge. I may get another one and just bypass the thermostat altogether. The best part is that it's actually cheaper than replacing the thermostat is going to be, and I guess the stc is much more likely to solve the problem.

Good thinking, thanks :thumb:

 

[gibb58]

I right. It's not a probe usually it's a gas phial so when the temp increases the pressure in the phial increases. As long has the phial on the outside of the fridge is insulated so that it doesn't read the outside temp it should be ok. Probably find that 4.5 in this weather is all that it will reach being outside. If you wire out the stat you will end up freezing things

 

[gibb58]

O right. It's not a probe usually it's a gas phial so when the temp increases the pressure in the phial increases. As long has the phial on the outside of the fridge is insulated so that it doesn't read the outside temp it should be ok. Probably find that 4.5 in this weather is all that it will reach being outside. If you wire out the stat you will end up freezing things

 

[ScottM]

O right. It's not a probe usually it's a gas phial so when the temp increases the pressure in the phial increases. As long has the phial on the outside of the fridge is insulated so that it doesn't read the outside temp it should be ok. Probably find that 4.5 in this weather is all that it will reach being outside. If you wire out the stat you will end up freezing things

Oh I wasn't going to bypass the stat all together, just replace it with an STC-1000 :)