littleknowledge
Premium Member
- Model Number
- TH21TW
- Brand
- Amana
- Age
- More than 10 years
This is a 23 yr old Amana top freezer (fridge / freezer tot. 20.6 cu.ft.). This started out a couple of weeks ago when noticed it was running longer than usual.
I quickly found out the condenser fan was intermittent coming on. It would run if gave the blades a gentle push (but possibly below its rated RPMs).
I guess it has good thermal protection, cause after opening it & oiling the felts, it worked as good as new. Very quiet.
I searched / read other posts & outside info - seems a normal freezer temp range from compressor start to shut off is roughly a 5 deg range, maybe 10?
Is that a normal cycle temp range for a fairly full freezer & fridge, on a fridge like this?
However, after oiling fan & cleaning coils I noticed it still running longer. Now because it took the freezer to -15 F (w/ same freezer setting as always on the sliding temp control - not digital).
There are no icing problems & defrost seems to work flawlessly & silently.
Before, it never took it that low - at the same freezer sliding control setting. Before, the usual freezer setting took it to 0 or -5 deg. Typically, we lowered (warmer) the freezer / fridge settings by 1/2 a whole number in winter.
I assume the thermostat has gone / going bad. Pretty sure the system didn't gain efficiency after 23 yrs.
After the servicing, it now took the fridge to 30 or 32, with the same (as always) fridge temp control setting.
At the old freezer / fridge control settings, it now didn't come on until freezer was +5 or bit higher & stopped at -15 (at least 20 deg range).
Moved the freezer control warmer from 4 to 3.5 (ranges from 1 to 7, I think). Not enough change.
Moved freezer to about 3; that stopped the compressor at about -10. I think it still came on at roughly +5.
Finally moved freezer setting to 2.25 (out of 7) & fridge setting = 3. Lower settings than ever before - esp. freezer.
The 2.25 setting stops when freezer = -5. I haven't caught the compressor start temp, at the 2.25 setting. I just need to be in there when it kicks on. Fridge cutoff is about 38 / 39 deg @ setting = 3, with freezer setting = 2.25.
That's fine, but It still takes quite a while to get freezer to -5, but not nearly as long as when going to -15. Not sure if compressor was somewhat damaged, the short time the condensor fan was intermittent.
I haven't timed the total run time since lowering the control settings so much, but my impression is it's still longer run time than a few months ago or last summer.
Which if so, will increase operating cost. I'm also not going to put a lot of $$ in a 23 yr old fridge - even on parts. We don't have really cold winters, so that shouldn't be a huge factor of run time to reach set point in winter vs. summer w/ AC.
We may buy a new fridge just to get more freezer space. I'm not sure anyone would pay for a running 23 yr old fridge - but might be surprised. If there's something easy to fix / replace, I might donate it to a charity or needy family.
Thanks.
I quickly found out the condenser fan was intermittent coming on. It would run if gave the blades a gentle push (but possibly below its rated RPMs).
I guess it has good thermal protection, cause after opening it & oiling the felts, it worked as good as new. Very quiet.
I searched / read other posts & outside info - seems a normal freezer temp range from compressor start to shut off is roughly a 5 deg range, maybe 10?
Is that a normal cycle temp range for a fairly full freezer & fridge, on a fridge like this?
However, after oiling fan & cleaning coils I noticed it still running longer. Now because it took the freezer to -15 F (w/ same freezer setting as always on the sliding temp control - not digital).
There are no icing problems & defrost seems to work flawlessly & silently.
Before, it never took it that low - at the same freezer sliding control setting. Before, the usual freezer setting took it to 0 or -5 deg. Typically, we lowered (warmer) the freezer / fridge settings by 1/2 a whole number in winter.
I assume the thermostat has gone / going bad. Pretty sure the system didn't gain efficiency after 23 yrs.
After the servicing, it now took the fridge to 30 or 32, with the same (as always) fridge temp control setting.
At the old freezer / fridge control settings, it now didn't come on until freezer was +5 or bit higher & stopped at -15 (at least 20 deg range).
Moved the freezer control warmer from 4 to 3.5 (ranges from 1 to 7, I think). Not enough change.
Moved freezer to about 3; that stopped the compressor at about -10. I think it still came on at roughly +5.
Finally moved freezer setting to 2.25 (out of 7) & fridge setting = 3. Lower settings than ever before - esp. freezer.
The 2.25 setting stops when freezer = -5. I haven't caught the compressor start temp, at the 2.25 setting. I just need to be in there when it kicks on. Fridge cutoff is about 38 / 39 deg @ setting = 3, with freezer setting = 2.25.
That's fine, but It still takes quite a while to get freezer to -5, but not nearly as long as when going to -15. Not sure if compressor was somewhat damaged, the short time the condensor fan was intermittent.
I haven't timed the total run time since lowering the control settings so much, but my impression is it's still longer run time than a few months ago or last summer.
Which if so, will increase operating cost. I'm also not going to put a lot of $$ in a 23 yr old fridge - even on parts. We don't have really cold winters, so that shouldn't be a huge factor of run time to reach set point in winter vs. summer w/ AC.
We may buy a new fridge just to get more freezer space. I'm not sure anyone would pay for a running 23 yr old fridge - but might be surprised. If there's something easy to fix / replace, I might donate it to a charity or needy family.
Thanks.
