Help with old sears chest freezer

[bnlfan]

Look at the compressor. There is a relay that plugs into the compressor to start it up. It simply slides on and off of most of them. Unplug from the power and then check to see if it is pushed on. It should only go on one way. That may be the problem.

Otherwise, submit the model number and I will go through my things to try and answer your question. By the way, I am an appliance repair man. School trained.

[nathan104]

You are not supposed to lay a freezer on its front or sides. If it must be layed over, it should lay to the back. Has to do with the freon. We just bought a freezer from Lowes and thats what they told me. And the box said the same thing.

[Buttermilk]

Nathan104 I want one that is upright with manual defrost, I haven't been able to find it Lowes here only had a Frost free. Any Help??????????? Jay in N.C.

[bnlfan]

Originally Posted by nathan104

You are not supposed to lay a freezer on its front or sides. If it must be layed over, it should lay to the back. Has to do with the freon. We just bought a freezer from Lowes and thats what they told me. And the box said the same thing.

The purpose is to keep the oil in the compressor from running up into the evaporator coils. If you do that you will need to let it sit upright for atleast 24 hours unplugged. This allows the oil to drain back into the compressor.

[mdharris68]

Modern Pioneer, If this freezer has been unplugged since you started this thread, then plug it back in, and every time you hear it try to start, shake the compressor with your hands or smack it with a hammer. The stator in the motor could be stuck from jaring it around when it was moved. Let me know if it starts, and if not I got another idea.

[Rick]

Originally Posted by mdharris68

Modern Pioneer, If this freezer has been unplugged since you started this thread, then plug it back in, and every time you hear it try to start, shake the compressor with your hands or smack it with a hammer. The stator in the motor could be stuck from jaring it around when it was moved. Let me know if it starts, and if not I got another idea.

This is just what I was thinking. I know someone who dropped an window A/C unit, that was having a compressor issue. When they plugged it in it worked.

[Michael W. Smith]

Buying an old freezer is a very bad purchase. The newer models are so much more insulated and energy efficient - the "savings" you got from buying an old used freezer will end up costing you more in the long run with cooling costs - IF you get it running again.

Even getting one for "free" while at first will seem like a good deal, chances are you could buy a new one and it would be cheaper in the long run (especially with electricity prices about to rise).

[BeeFree]

We were cleaning our freezers up a month or so ago and our large Kenmore wouldn't not start after it was cleaning. We would plug it in and it would click then nothing. We looked through the ph book as we didn't know who to take it too. Found an appliance fix it dealer. Took it too him and went shopping at Wal Mart for an hr or so and he called and said it was ready. It was a switch that had went bad. He replaced it and it is working fine. I thought it was from my cleaning because I am pretty liberal with the water. The guy said no, it was one of those switches that was probably just about to go out and when it was unplugged it did. Might be something like this wrong. Cost $85 dollars for switch and labor, but it was worth it as that was our biggest freezer and we were needing it or was going to have to go buy another.

[WayneR]

Unplug it and allow it to set for several days before plugging it in.

As was stated earlier the (mineral) oil in the compressor has entered the capillary tube metering device and blocked it closed. The compressor can not force this liquid oil through the system.

That is (hopefully) why it won't start. The hum-click you are hearing is the compressor attempting to start. That tells you that the thermostat is working.

[nathan104]

Originally Posted by Buttermilk

Nathan104 I want one that is upright with manual defrost, I haven't been able to find it Lowes here only had a Frost free. Any Help??????????? Jay in N.C.

The one we bought from Lowes was a manual defrost upright. It was the cheapest upright they had. The same model in frost free was almost $100 more.

[Common Tator]

Originally Posted by Michael W. Smith

Buying an old freezer is a very bad purchase. The newer models are so much more insulated and energy efficient - the "savings" you got from buying an old used freezer will end up costing you more in the long run with cooling costs - IF you get it running again.

Even getting one for "free" while at first will seem like a good deal, chances are you could buy a new one and it would be cheaper in the long run (especially with electricity prices about to rise).

If you have followed Modern Pioneer's recent history, you would rejoice with him that he has a freezer to put food in for his family. Buying new just isn't an option right now.

[Michael W. Smith]

Sorry, I didn't know that Common Tator.

So, Modern Pioneer, did you get it working again? I hope so.