A Little More Life From An Old Refrigerator

sylvie

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We had a old refrigerator that was in our second home, now our only home. We turned it off for the winter and plugged it back in each spring. One year it wouldn't cool, and kept stopping and resetting itself.
A friend who rented out apartments told us a little trick to try that works for them all the time because they routinely have the problem.
Unplug and turn the fridge completely upside down, leave for 3 to 5 days upside down. After that time has elapsed, turn it right side up and plug in. It worked like a charm for us.
He cautioned that if it doesn't work after 5 days do the procedure again. If it doesn't work after the 2nd time, it won't.

The fridge ran another 12 years, saving us from buying another all that time.
Something about the coolant settling low and the pump not strong enough to move it.

I wish that would work for my air conditioner but I read that there is a problem with oil getting where it shouldn't in the air conditioner's system if turned upside down. Don't know if there is any truth to that.
 

big brown horse

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Thanks sylvie!! In the last 12 years we have gone through 2 used fridges. I wish I would have known about that trick!!

The brand new fridge we got 2 years ago is on the brink because of Hurricane Ike and the crazy electricity surges we got when the transformer crashed to the ground a block up the street. :barnie We didn't know it was broken (because we had no electricity for 11 days) and paid to have it hauled up here to WA state. :he
 

Bimpnottin

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And when your fridge does bit the dust, you can do what my Dad did this year. He took the door off, shot the coils in the back with his .22 (okay not condoning that -but it's what he did) and then he drilled a couple of holes in the back of it for drainage. He put it on it's back, filled the bottom with (hmmm, going to have to ask what he put in for bulk) and then he topped it off with gravel and a deep layer of good, black dirt and started a raised bed in it. :D
 

Shiloh Acres

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I wouldn't mind finding a smallish one (or maybe a freezer) to make into an incubator .... :D
 

ohiofarmgirl

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Bimpnottin said:
And when your fridge does bit the dust, you can do what my Dad did this year. He took the door off, shot the coils in the back with his .22 (okay not condoning that -but it's what he did) and then he drilled a couple of holes in the back of it for drainage. He put it on it's back, filled the bottom with (hmmm, going to have to ask what he put in for bulk) and then he topped it off with gravel and a deep layer of good, black dirt and started a raised bed in it. :D
best idea i've heard in a while - not to mention extreme creative use of firearms!

A++++!!!!!!!

:)

ps fridge is still upside down - we'll give it a whirl in a bit. i hope it works!
 

Bimpnottin

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I'm hoping I can figure out how to get my fridge in the garage to stay at about 50 degrees, so I can turn it into my aging/ripening chamber for homemade cheese. Still working out the details on that. Especially since it got relegated to the garage when it started freezing everything....hmmmm
 
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