Any fridge/freezer experts on PH?
Discussion
My fridge started making some funny noises this morning; so I pulled it away from the wall to have a look. The noise seems to be the thin mesh of pipes vibrating against a thicker, insulated pipe that runs underneath them. If I hold the thin pipes it stops it.
Also, there's a small deposit of water on the floor which seems to be coming from that thicker pipe although it's a really tiny amount. That pipe is very cold to touch, so condensation maybe?. There's a drip tray underneath, so perhaps it's just not quite landing in it.
The vibration comes in pulses and only when the compressor is on. I'm not too concern about it, although it's only just started doing it. The water does concern me. Anything to worry about? It's a frost free fridge/freezer.
cheers :)
Also, there's a small deposit of water on the floor which seems to be coming from that thicker pipe although it's a really tiny amount. That pipe is very cold to touch, so condensation maybe?. There's a drip tray underneath, so perhaps it's just not quite landing in it.
The vibration comes in pulses and only when the compressor is on. I'm not too concern about it, although it's only just started doing it. The water does concern me. Anything to worry about? It's a frost free fridge/freezer.
cheers :)
The thin pipes are the heat exchanger, the warm refigerent gas from the fridge compartment is turned to a liquid by a compressor where the refigerent gas and becomes a liquid, in so doing it gives up its heat, the heat exchanger allows as much heat as possible to be given up to the surrounding air. Just before it enters the big pipe, the gas passes through an expansion valve causing it to evaporate and become a gas again, this process requires heat, and hence the fridge compartment is cooled. so the insulated pipe is cold and therefore the surrounding air is caused to evaporate onto it causing condensation and thus your pool of water. The insulation is meant to prevent this as much as possible, but just in case the drip tray is there. The rattling sound should be stopped by gently bending the pipes in contact apart, so that the vibration of the compressor does not rattle them.
>> Edited by ocean1 on Wednesday 24th August 10:21
>> Edited by ocean1 on Wednesday 24th August 10:21
The large mesh of pipes on the back of the refrigerator is the condenser. Refrigerant gas comes out of the compressor at high pressure and is condensed into liquid as heat is transferred from the condenser into the surrounding air. The liquid then passes through an expansion valve or more likely on a fridge a capillary tube. This causes the pressure of the liquid to fall; some liquid will flash off to gas. The low pressure liquid then enters the evaporator, the cold plate in the fridge, this sucks heat from the fridge which causes the gas in the evaporator to boil. The gas is then sucked back into the compressor were the whole process is repeated.
The water on the floor maybe because the condensate evaporating tray, usually a plastic ring around the compressor, has over flowed. This could be caused by too much condensation being made if the door has been left open or the door seal is past its best.
The rattling is the condenser pipes. Finding the contact area and bending the pipes very gently apart can fix this. Be very gentle as creasing a pipe or cracking one will knacker the fridge or you could put a bit of soft packing between the offending pipes. Sometime putting a cloths peg between the condenser and the back of the fridge can stop the rattling. It is worth sorting as if a pipe is chafing it could wear through and cause all the refrigerant to leak out.
The water on the floor maybe because the condensate evaporating tray, usually a plastic ring around the compressor, has over flowed. This could be caused by too much condensation being made if the door has been left open or the door seal is past its best.
The rattling is the condenser pipes. Finding the contact area and bending the pipes very gently apart can fix this. Be very gentle as creasing a pipe or cracking one will knacker the fridge or you could put a bit of soft packing between the offending pipes. Sometime putting a cloths peg between the condenser and the back of the fridge can stop the rattling. It is worth sorting as if a pipe is chafing it could wear through and cause all the refrigerant to leak out.
Smart roadster said:
The large mesh of pipes on the back of the refrigerator is the condenser. Refrigerant gas comes out of the compressor at high pressure and is condensed into liquid as heat is transferred from the condenser into the surrounding air. The liquid then passes through an expansion valve or more likely on a fridge a capillary tube. This causes the pressure of the liquid to fall; some liquid will flash off to gas. The low pressure liquid then enters the evaporator, the cold plate in the fridge, this sucks heat from the fridge which causes the gas in the evaporator to boil. The gas is then sucked back into the compressor were the whole process is repeated.
The water on the floor maybe because the condensate evaporating tray, usually a plastic ring around the compressor, has over flowed. This could be caused by too much condensation being made if the door has been left open or the door seal is past its best.
The rattling is the condenser pipes. Finding the contact area and bending the pipes very gently apart can fix this. Be very gentle as creasing a pipe or cracking one will knacker the fridge or you could put a bit of soft packing between the offending pipes. Sometime putting a cloths peg between the condenser and the back of the fridge can stop the rattling. It is worth sorting as if a pipe is chafing it could wear through and cause all the refrigerant to leak out.
Isnt that what I said
Thanks for the tips folks I'll have a closer look this evening to pin point the rattle. Hopefully the water is just that and not the refrigerant leaking out. It seems to be working ok and keeps things cold.
Just how far back should the fridge lean? Currently it's leaning slightly back, but no so far as to allow the doors to close automatically if you leave them open. If I do that, it seems to put quite a visible lean in it.
I'll have a closer look this evening to pin point the rattle. Hopefully the water is just that and not the refrigerant leaking out. It seems to be working ok and keeps things cold. Just how far back should the fridge lean? Currently it's leaning slightly back, but no so far as to allow the doors to close automatically if you leave them open. If I do that, it seems to put quite a visible lean in it.
KITT said:
Thanks for the tips folks
Just how far back should the fridge lean? Currently it's leaning slightly back, but no so far as to allow the doors to close automatically if you leave them open. If I do that, it seems to put quite a visible lean in it.
You could try a little taste of the liquid, if its water then its just condensation. Actually I dont think the refridgerent can exist as a liquid unless it is compressed.
>> Edited by ocean1 on Wednesday 24th August 13:26
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