Domestic freezer advice

Author
Discussion

Paul Drawmer

Original Poster:

5,039 posts

282 months

Our upright freezer in the garage is struggling with the heat. It is 25 years old.
It is not frosted up, it does not have dirty heat exchanger coils etc.

The ambient temp in the garage is going up to 35C and it can't cope. It used to do fine, but now I'm having to help it with a big fan blowing over the back.

It hasn't 'failed' it's like me, and struggling with old age. What's likely to be the problem, my suspicion is that the compressor may be wearing out. Is that likely?

If it is the compressor, I guess that's not a £50 repair?


LastPoster

2,969 posts

198 months

The greater the difference between ambient air temp and the temp you are cooling, the less efficient any refrigeration system becomes

Your temp diff is approaching 55 degrees C.

Nudging the limits of any freezer designed for UK use, let alone an elderly one

Paul Drawmer

Original Poster:

5,039 posts

282 months

Yesterday (07:05)
quotequote all
Yes, I did wonder about that.
The freezer has coped with high temps in the past, but I guess it's just gradually losing power as it wears out. I still think it's the compressor that's the problem as there aren't a lot of moving parts!

So, it's new freezer, or just struggle on for these extreme days (It's going up to -18C instead of -21C) which trips the alarm beeper.

Right now at 07:00 this morning, it's 21C in the garage and the freezer is showing -20C.

dontlookdown

2,177 posts

108 months

Yesterday (07:22)
quotequote all
-18 is still cold enough to keep food safely deep frozen, so just carry on, keeping an eye on it in case it starts to warm up any more?


Belle427

10,586 posts

248 months

Yesterday (09:49)
quotequote all
Can you extract some hot air from the garage using a properly sized fan maybe?

The Three D Mucketeer

6,537 posts

242 months

Yesterday (10:00)
quotequote all
I got rid of two old freezers and replaced with a new Samsung model .... My monthly electricity bill is down by £30/month or more ... get rid

rlg43p

1,416 posts

264 months

Yesterday (10:03)
quotequote all
Paul Drawmer said:
Yes, I did wonder about that.
The freezer has coped with high temps in the past, but I guess it's just gradually losing power as it wears out. I still think it's the compressor that's the problem as there aren't a lot of moving parts!

So, it's new freezer, or just struggle on for these extreme days (It's going up to -18C instead of -21C) which trips the alarm beeper.

Right now at 07:00 this morning, it's 21C in the garage and the freezer is showing -20C.
It's working fine......


Simpo Two

89,010 posts

280 months

Yesterday (10:03)
quotequote all
Belle427 said:
Can you extract some hot air from the garage using a properly sized fan maybe?
My thought too - the garage is warmer than ambient. Is the heat just from the freezer or is it just sitting in the sun?

I propose a two stage freezer... First stage reduces temp from 35 to 10, then pumps the cold air to the second stage which takes it from 10 to -18.

OutInTheShed

11,358 posts

41 months

Yesterday (10:06)
quotequote all
More likely it's lost some gas and/or the insulation has become less effective due to being damp, breaking down or whatever.

If it's struggling to get down to temperature, it will be using a lot of electricity.

Sheepshanks

37,165 posts

134 months

Yesterday (15:39)
quotequote all
OutInTheShed said:
If it's struggling to get down to temperature, it will be using a lot of electricity.
Our newsih Samsung side-by-side has an energy monitor and it's generally pretty steady around a kW per day. Just looked prompted by your comment and it's been 2kW for the last couple of days.

I guess it's mainly a struggle to cool the condenser - it's blowing out into a normally coolish utility room but it's got unusually warm in there so I guess there's a vicious cycle going on.