Philco Refrigerator - relay question

[anahas]

Hi,
I've been searching the forum, but still do not see the fridge I'm working with. Although by reading, I'm guessing a similar relay and wiring could be utilized. Also, any idea on date of this fridge is appreciated. Model no. indicated is Philco Refrigerator Co. Model: ULU-616 (and the relay is GE CR1057-R 19).

The fridge runs and gets cold. I simply want to maintain running to keep drinks cold in our shop. I planned to replace the power cord, however, when I opened the bottom where the compressor is, the wire from the compressor to the relay is covered in a tar-like substance. So I'm thinking I should replace the relay while I'm replacing the power cord. Would the Supco #RO81 work? I've attached pictures. In addition, I have not disconnected any wiring at this time.

ok, I've attached files, and for the life of me can not get them to rotate correctly. I apologize. Please let me know if you can see these ok.

I really do appreciate any advise.
Thanks,
Amanda

[anahas]

Hi there.

It has an old GE CR1057-R 19 relay that I'm replacing with a supco RO81. I have the compressor side figured out with Run, Common, Start, however,
I'm having trouble figuring which wires go to the fridge. Could someone walk me through how to determine what wire goes where into the fridge (without taking the fridge apart)? (there is a green, black & white wire that come out the bottom of fridge and were attached to the GE relay as indicated below:

White wire from fridge on terminal 5 (along with white power plug)
Green wire from fridge on terminal 2 (with common from compressor)
Black wire from fridge on terminal 4 (with black power from plug)
Start wire from compressor was on Terminal 1 by itself
Run wire from compressor on Terminal 3 by itself.

Is there a way to determine from this set up, what wires from fridge to go Cold Control, Light & door switch?

Thanks for your response.
Amanda

[rickgburton]

Hi Amanda, These old machines are a good refrigerator and they were designed so they don't need any maintenance other than defrosting it every 6 months. If the machine was working OK it's best to leave it alone. When they get this old (50's 60's) you're dealing with brittle wires and you might end up opening a can of worms you wished you left closed.

The RO81 is too small for your compressor and won't work for very long. The "pancake" style compressor works best with it's own hot wire relay but if you insist on changing it you'll need a RO41. Hot wire relays are not all wired the same and the wiring into the refrigerator is wired different between manufacturers. Some manufacturers shellacked a wire diagram to the back of the machine but most did not. You'll need a meter and access to the wires on each component in the machine. The wiring will be similar to this:

[anahas]

Shoot! I had purchased the RO81, but not wired anything. I planned to change the plug only because it looked like a fire hazard. While I was looking, the wires from compressor to relay were pretty bad as well. This is why I thought a new relay to attach to compressor and using wire diagram you provided would be best. I have meter and access to wires, but do you think there is a better relay to use? Or shall I just rewire the original? I’d use new wires to go from relay to compressor.
Thoughts?
Thank you so for responding,
Amanda

[rickgburton]

Those older compressors work best when they have their original parts. That style hot wire relay is a very basic heavy duty relay. It's been doing its job for the last 70 years. On these old retro-refrigerators I don't recommend replacing any parts unless they're bad. The reason for using a solid state relay is because the old hot wire relay is no longer available. If the wire casing is starting to crack and fall off use black tape on the bare spots. The problems start when you start moving the wires around. Wherever there is a bend in the wire or where they go into the machine is where the wire casing will crack and fall off. As far as aftermarket parts like the relay they are all about the same.

Repairing these old antique refrigerators is not the same as on modern refrigerators. It's more of a restore than repair. Otherwise it's just a very old machine that's past repairing. If I was you I would just let it run until it quits then decide if you want to put the time into it. It will take 15 to 30 hours to completely rewire the machine. Wire size is very important when rewiring it.

[anahas]

Thank you for the comments, I really do appreciate the advice. I’ve replaced the gasket on the door, patched up some wiring as suggested and will let it run. When it quits, will probably move to using as a storage cabinet.
My husband has a hobby of working on/restoring old cars, so it’s kinda fun to have the fridge in the shop to. He’s working on a 1946 Chevy car at the moment.
Thanks again for your time!
Amanda

[rickgburton]

Old refrigerators like that, when restored to factory conditions, sell for thousands of dollars. This is a 1941 Philco: