GE GSH22KGRBBB cooling problem

[WhiteRau]

hey gang:

while on holidays my well-meaning father attempted to resurrect our GE side-by-side. worked fine for a few days, but we found the ice maker took 12+ hours to make a round of ice. after second dump of ice, fridge went warm. so my Dad tapped what looks like the low-side and pumped in some 22a up to 25PSI (i think that's a little high...). because the low-side pipe frosted up, he figured he was done. but the fridge is still warm.

i'm concerned that the pipes may have frozen solid, given the buildup of ice on the tap. i've upped a photo of the setup.

does this ring a bell for anyone? i'd like to be able to get this beast running again, it's a great fridge.

[Dan O.]

my Dad tapped what looks like the low-side and pumped in some 22a up to 25PSI

Than the fridge is likely scrap. First, the fridge will either use R12 or R134a not R22. Second, the normal back pressure of a domestic refrigerator is between 0 and 5 PSI at most.

Now that the refrigerant is contaminated it would have to be totally evacuated and then recharged with the exact amount of refrigerant required. Where I am that job would start at $125+... if you could even find someone willing to work on it after the tampering.

JMO


Dan O.
Appliance411.com
The Appliance Information Site

[WhiteRau]

no big. the fridge didn't work before anyway. i think he chose the Duracool 22a because it was what was being used at the repair shop he got his information from.

no big deal. by the sounds of it, this arcane art is not something many people who know about it are happy explaining to tinkerers. no wonder Dad couldn't get it going.

to the dump!

[HayZee518]

does your Dad have an EPA certification? the freon type is stamped into the compressor housing. pressures are like this, suction around 40-55 lbs, high side around 300# besides the fridge uses a smaller to larger orifice in the evaporator line to cause the pressure drop necessary for cooling.

[Dan O.]

no big. the fridge didn't work before anyway

There are lots of things that could cause cooling problems, the refrigerant is usually the last thing which might be responsible. And if the refrigerant was the problem, the condition would usually always be present, not work well for a while and then quit like you originally reported.

pressures are like this, suction around 40-55 lbs, high side around 300#

Those pressures look more for an air conditioner than a refrigerator. The back pressure of the system is directly proportional to the evaporator temperature you want to achieve. On a frost free refrigerator the evaporator can be -10 deg. F or lower. Check a pressure/temperature chart for the specifics of the refrigerant type in use to see what back pressure would be required to achieve it.


JFYI

Dan O.
Appliance411.com
The Appliance Information Site

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