Subzero 561 refrigerator not cooling

[whburling]

Model Number

561

Brand

Sub-Zero

Age

More than 10 years

sn m1198184

Hello Folks

My Subzero 561 refrigerator is not cooling. The freezer is working.

Here is what I did:
(1) cleaned condenser coil with a vac. it would be nice if i could clean it better. does the cleaning foam work? indoors>?
(2) checked that evaporator fan is working when door is shut. checked entire return cavity (to be sure there is no blockage) in which the evaporator coil is located.
(3) checked refrigerator oompressor. Believe it is working (touch reveals small vibration).
Because I feel a small vibration, I am assuming the refrigerator compressor start relay is functioning and does not need replacing.
There appears to be a solid state relay in the machine. SSAC,Pn:Y2861. time delay 10a inrush. 1 amp rating. assuming this relay is working as well
as all compressors and fans work.
(4) condenser fan is on (not at high speed but definitely on). condensor coil not hot at all.
(5) There is an unknown device attached to the tin work the finned grill pushes up against and is within inches of the condensor coil. it looks like it might be a potentiometer
but the knob is no longer on the device.

I am not sure what to do next.
if i remove the temp controller (analog), what resistance readings should i see when the knob is turned. max and min readings would be helpful.
The controller that is in the 561 has two pliable leads. one has a bulb in it and is positioned directly below the evaporator coils. The other just seems
to be hanging around. it is sealed, even though the lead is about 6 feet long. i coiled it.

Please help. I am 77 and this refrigerator is my sole means of preserving food.
Thank you,
Bil

 

[paulhl]

1- No, use compressed air to blow out condenser right to left
2- If fan runs, so is control and so should comp run
3- See #2
4- Do not know what you mean by hi speed
5- Defrost timer, nothing to do with ref
The cap tube without the bulb belongs crimped to the evaporator, not coiled. First thing to do is see if you can see light thru the condenser. Shine a light right to left. If you can you need see what evap looks like. My guess is just a small ball of ice in upper left hand corner.

 

[whburling]

1- No, use compressed air to blow out condenser right to left
2- If fan runs, so is control and so should comp run
3- See #2
4- Do not know what you mean by hi speed
5- Defrost timer, nothing to do with ref
The cap tube without the bulb belongs crimped to the evaporator, not coiled. First thing to do is see if you can see light thru the condenser. Shine a light right to left. If you can you need see what evap looks like. My guess is just a small ball of ice in upper left hand corner.

Thank you for your help. I took apart the refrigerator one more time....and took this shot of the evaporator coil. It is wonderfully open and easy to see every part of it. There is no ice anywhere in site. I thought the expander valve was closer to the coil. It must be closer to the evaporator coil. I am assuming the sequence is compressor ->condenser coil -> expansion valve -> evaporator coil back to compressor.

Am I looking where you want me to look? Perhaps I am misunderstanding....

bil

btw...i did take the second leg of the control flexible tubing and inserted it behind the evaporator coil so that it was touching the full height of the coil. It baffles me why this is necessary.
I imagined only one tube, that services the bulb, is connected to the controller. I did measure the resistance. the controller contacts are closed regardless of the temp knob setting.
Assume when the set temperature is reached, the contacts open and the refrigerator compresser is shut off.
bil

 

[paulhl]

There is no "expander valve". If that's a pic with comp running you're out of freon. Unfortunately based on your ser # there is no access valve on comp unless you've had system work. The cap tube w/o the bulb senses evap temp, the bulb air temp. I don't see it in your pic and it looks like that evap has been replaced

 

[whburling]

Thank you for helping me.
Below are questions that remain in my mind

• CLEANING CONDENSER COIL
• Compressed air helped, but I could see an oil film on aluminum fins. Even a small oil film, theoretically, has a large impact on heat transfer. Not sure what I will do. Project for later. Welcome feedback.
• 
  
• EVAPORATOR TEMPERATURE SENSING
• I did as you told me. Somewhat. I was not sure what you meant by crimp the non bulb sensor that measures evaporator coil temp. (I AM learning from you). I just noticed that I did not have a very good connection with the coil. Can I use a tie wrap to firmly hold the end (assuming end of tube is where the sensor is located) to the coil? I thought I would tie wrap it at the end of the coil where the coil is without fins. I would select a coil loop midway down the evaporator...
• 
  
• CLOSED SYSTEM
• I think my 561 has been changed from a closed system to a refillable one. I can see “capped” copper lines. One on each compressor. One on only one of the two driers. See pictures. see picture whose last three digits is "278"
• 
  
• COPPER LINE COLORING
• I wonder if the discolored copper lines indicates a possible leak. I saw coloration on each of the two driers and on the tube coming from the compressor. See picture whose last three digits are: 741. zoom in on the bottom of the drier. Same condition for drier behind the one we can see in the picture. (741)
• 
  
• REMOVING STARTER RELAYS AND MOTOR PROTECTORS
• Would like to learn how to remove starter relay and motor protector. The specific starter relay for the refrigerator compressor is made by Embraco. How do I remove it? Just pull it radially to the motor? I have enclosed pics of the two starters. The refrigerator starter relay is in the picture In which there is a red wire in the foreground. The compressor starter relay has the metal band Around the module. Any suggestions on how to remove them so I can test the protectors? see p9icture with last three digits of 278
• 
  
• HOT FREEZER COMPRESSER
• The compressor for the freezer (which is still working by the way) does get hot when I move the Freezer controller off of the lowest setting. Is that an indication of a problem? Perhaps it needs a freon charge. By the way, the freon is 134A. The freezer compartment is keeping the food frozen. Just put a thermometer in the space to offer you a more accurate data. Will have to be another letter.
• 
  
• SERVICE ADVICE
• I am assuming I can not fill my SubZero with freon and hence will have to call a service man. is there any information I should provide him to make his job easier (and my cost lower as I have to worry about cost.

WHAT IS THIS DEVICE?
Please see picture whose lasts three digits are 320
I want you to know how grateful I am for helping me out. You are very generous. Thank you.

bil

 

[whburling]

how should the condenser fan blade be positioned? i placed the blade about flush with the housing. Perhaps it should be located further out?

 

[paulhl]

I use ty wraps on the new style evaps which you have. I mis read your ser #, you do have access valves. The ref electricals do not have a metal band, the frz does. Why worry about them if both are running. Device is the defrost timer like I mentioned earlier. Why isn't condenser fan running in first pic. Post #6 is the evap fan and it should be 1 1/4" from bottom of clamp to top. How long ago was the evap and drier replaced?

 

[whburling]

I use ty wraps on the new style evaps which you have. I mis read your ser #, you do have access valves. The ref electricals do not have a metal band, the frz does. Why worry about them if both are running. Device is the defrost timer like I mentioned earlier. Why isn't condenser fan running in first pic. Post #6 is the evap fan and it should be 1 1/4" from bottom of clamp to top. How long ago was the evap and drier replaced?

please be patient with me.
lets start with your comment, "the ref electricals do not have a metal band, the freezer does."

here is how i determined which compressor supports which side of the 561. I opened the door of the freezer and turned the temp controller to "off". I waited arbitrarily about
20 minutes as the compressor did not immediately stop. i then felt both compressors. the one on the left of picture 278 was not on. the one on the right of picture 278
was running. My interpretation of that observation is that the freezer had the largest compressor and it was on the left in picture 278 and the smallest compressor on the right of picture 278 is for the refrigertor. The refrigerator start relay/protector does not appear to have a metal band (as far as I can see in picture 278). I then had my wife turn on the freezer controller to setting 2. The left compressor clearly started up. I could feel it and see it. if you look very carefully at picture 278 you will see that the starter relay/motor protector for the freezer has a metal band around the starter relay/protector. I am assuming one would take that metal band off and pull radially away from the compressor to remove the relay/protector.

i am attaching two pictures below that reveal the name tag on each compressor. Picture 349 was of tag on the rightmost compresser of pic 278, the compressor I interpret as the refrigertor compressor. Picture 074 was of the tag on the left most compresser of pic 278. I interpret that compressor as the one for the freezer circuit.

"The device is the defrost timer." Yes,you did tell me that but I somehow could not associate your comment with the picture. Sorry about that. Now I know. Thank you for being patient with me.

The condenser fan is not running as in that picture, I had unconnected the wires going to the controller.

"the fan blade should be 1.25" from the bottom of the clamp to the top. i am unclear how to interpret that comment. are you talking about the distance from the fan hub that faces the motor to the motor bearing? If so I will measure that out and provide the measurement from fan face from which air is exhausted to the tip of the fan axle. To me it is so much easier to set the fan blade position directly seeing the measurement. The other measurement requires removing the fan, setting the blade position, then reinstalling the fan. if i were to guess what that location means, i would guess that the fan should be located so that the negative pressure on the input side of the fan must be inside the evaportator cavity enought
so that the negative pressure does not pull air being sent to the refrigerator food compartment. Hence I am going to guess the blad is about 1/4 inch in from the frame in which the fan sits. i will find out, thanks to you giving me the specs.

"how long has it been since the evap and drier have been replaced?" Have no clue. the owner of a successful restaurant gave me the 561 in beautifully working condition about 10-15 years ago. Incredibly generous of him. I have been very grateful. Are not both of those copper pods seen in pic 278 driers, one for each compressor? or do they serve different functions? how can they be replaced without emptying the freon from the system? I assumed they are in place to remove any moisture at time the systems were filled with freon.

Once again. Thank you so much for giving me your valuable time.

oh yes....do i have to hire an expensive subzero service guy to just check for leaks and top of both systems with freon? It seems like both skills would be used for all brands and not just SubZero.

bil

 

[whburling]

please be patient with me.
lets start with your comment, "the ref electricals do not have a metal band, the freezer does."

here is how i determined which compressor supports which side of the 561. I opened the door of the freezer and turned the temp controller to "off". I waited arbitrarily about
20 minutes as the compressor did not immediately stop. i then felt both compressors. the one on the left of picture 278 was not on. the one on the right of picture 278
was running. My interpretation of that observation is that the freezer had the largest compressor and it was on the left in picture 278 and the smallest compressor on the right of picture 278 is for the refrigertor. The refrigerator start relay/protector does not appear to have a metal band (as far as I can see in picture 278). I then had my wife turn on the freezer controller to setting 2. The left compressor clearly started up. I could feel it and see it. if you look very carefully at picture 278 you will see that the starter relay/motor protector for the freezer has a metal band around the starter relay/protector. I am assuming one would take that metal band off and pull radially away from the compressor to remove the relay/protector.

i am attaching two pictures below that reveal the name tag on each compressor. Picture 349 was of tag on the rightmost compresser of pic 278, the compressor I interpret as the refrigertor compressor. Picture 074 was of the tag on the left most compresser of pic 278. I interpret that compressor as the one for the freezer circuit.

"The device is the defrost timer." Yes,you did tell me that but I somehow could not associate your comment with the picture. Sorry about that. Now I know. Thank you for being patient with me.

The condenser fan is not running as in that picture, I had unconnected the wires going to the controller.

"the fan blade should be 1.25" from the bottom of the clamp to the top. i am unclear how to interpret that comment. are you talking about the distance from the fan hub that faces the motor to the motor bearing? If so I will measure that out and provide the measurement from fan face from which air is exhausted to the tip of the fan axle. To me it is so much easier to set the fan blade position directly seeing the measurement. The other measurement requires removing the fan, setting the blade position, then reinstalling the fan. if i were to guess what that location means, i would guess that the fan should be located so that the negative pressure on the input side of the fan must be inside the evaportator cavity enought
so that the negative pressure does not pull air being sent to the refrigerator food compartment. Hence I am going to guess the blad is about 1/4 inch in from the frame in which the fan sits. i will find out, thanks to you giving me the specs.

"how long has it been since the evap and drier have been replaced?" Have no clue. the owner of a successful restaurant gave me the 561 in beautifully working condition about 10-15 years ago. Incredibly generous of him. I have been very grateful. Are not both of those copper pods seen in pic 278 driers, one for each compressor? or do they serve different functions? how can they be replaced without emptying the freon from the system? I assumed they are in place to remove any moisture at time the systems were filled with freon.

Once again. Thank you so much for giving me your valuable time.

oh yes....do i have to hire an expensive subzero service guy to just check for leaks and top of both systems with freon? It seems like both skills would be used for all brands and not just SubZero.

bil

Oh… the condenser coils are barely warm. I expected them to be hot to the touch. Whst should i expect?

 

[paulhl]

Freezer left, ref right. Why are you fixated on the electricals? Is the ref comp running or not? You can easily put a ruler up between the fan blades and measure distance from bottom of clamp. Ruler will only go so far.
Why did you move it? Condenser temp depends on routing of high side tubing from both comp's, if they go to yoder loop first it will be warm, if they go directly to the condenser it will be warmer. I would recommend someone that knows SZ as your evap & drier have been replaced already. Maybe contact @sewingcybermom as you are both in CT, maybe work a deal with a service co. For your info, they started using 134A @ ser # 1198141 on model 561.