Fridge thermostat

Submitted: Monday, May 01, 2006 at 16:40

ThreadID: 33420 Views:4337 Replies:4 FollowUps:2

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pprass

After a few visits at a 12V fridge mechanic, I had the thermostat on our 39L Eutectic Autofridge replaced as well as a fan installed to cool down the compressor housing. I since found that the stiff wire from the thermostat was not coiled properly and it consequently made a hell of a jangly racket every time I went over bumps and rough roads. So I thought that I could fix it by taping some of the coils together with insulation tape. This stopped the racket, but now the fridge is operating in an odd maner. It will operate like normal when first started, but then after switching it off at night, it won't start in the morning until it warms-up. The first time this happened the temp in the fridge was is about 2°. I had to wait until it got to about 4 or 5° before the fridge would start again.

Would the taping of the thermostat wire coil affect the operation of the fridge in any way? If not then I will have to take it back once more to the fridge guy - and as he is a long way from home, I am trying to avoid that.

Thanks for any advice.

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Reply By: ZUKSCOOTERX90(QLD-MEMBER) - Monday, May 01, 2006 at 16:54

Monday, May 01, 2006 at 16:54

Take it off (the tape) & see if it work's again.

AnswerID: 170050

Reply By: Member - Col G (WA) - Monday, May 01, 2006 at 16:57

Monday, May 01, 2006 at 16:57

Sounds quite normal to me the thermostats turn off at a lower temperature and then turn the fridge back on when the temperature rises, 5 degrees is ok , what t temperature is the fridge when it turns off, ideally a fridge should operate between 2 to 4 degrees. The stiff wire you talk about is the temperature sensing wire and is actually a hollow tube, the thermostat senses the temperature from the difference in pressure in the tube, it contains a gas under pressure. Nothing to do with the refrigerant gas. Make sure you have not taped the coils you talk about to either the hot pipe out of the compressor or the cold one. The temperatures of these can affect the capilary tube.

Hope this helps.

AnswerID: 170051

Follow Up By: pprass - Tuesday, May 02, 2006 at 13:53

Tuesday, May 02, 2006 at 13:53

Thanks - I don't think I taped it to anything - just to itself, but I will have a look this weekend.

".....what t temperature is the fridge when it turns off,....."
I manually switch the fridge off at night and it is usually around 4°. In the morning it is still about 4°, but won't start. I can't hear the "click" in the thermostat when I rotate the knob to the 7 mark (full on). At 4° fridge temp, it used to start again when I passed the 2 or 3 mark on the knob and definitely if I put it on full.

FollowupID: 425573

Reply By: Peter 2 - Monday, May 01, 2006 at 18:52

Monday, May 01, 2006 at 18:52

Be gentle with that stiff wire as it is actually a very thin tube (capillary) which you can and will break if you play around with it too much.
I'd give Auto fridge a ring as theymay be able to advise, The original thermostat is adjustable.

AnswerID: 170080

Reply By: Member No 1- Monday, May 01, 2006 at 20:17

Monday, May 01, 2006 at 20:17

the bulb or end of the capillary must be in contact with the evaporator....with nothing in between...the capillary between thermostat and contact can be covered.providing its not required to be cooled by the evaporator

AnswerID: 170103