Chillin

SuicideTaxi

SuicideTaxi

Contributor
Veteran XX
My refrigerator in the garage used to be chillin

Now it chills no more

I found a replacement compressor for it, and since I have the gauges/manifold, vacuum pump, and misc tools to install the new compressor, I'm going to keep it and do it myself, saving like $600 - $700 over the purchase of a new one. (It's a nice side-by-side model with icemaker, not a normal cheapie garage fridge.)

Only one thing I don't have is a nitrogen tank, which from what I understand should be used to blow out the refrigeration lines after flushing them and if I braze the compressor back in.

Does anyone on this forum do refrigeration work? If so, WHERE IN THE GODDAMNED PISS HELL CAN YOU BUY A NITROGEN TANK THAT ISN'T A HUNDRED DOLLARS?

I've spent more time trying to find a nitrogen tank for a one-shot job than I did learning about how to do the entire fucking job.

This some bullshit right here, son.
 
SuicideTaxi said:
Does anyone on this forum do refrigeration work? If so, WHERE IN THE GODDAMNED PISS HELL CAN YOU BUY A NITROGEN TANK THAT ISN'T A HUNDRED DOLLARS?

This some bullshit right here, son.
Click to expand...

That is some bullshit. When my fridge went out I bought a new one for $50. Their Aunt had just bought that fucker too. Rip Auntie.

Try to be strong bro!
 
SuicideTaxi said:
My refrigerator in the garage used to be chillin

Now it chills no more

I found a replacement compressor for it, and since I have the gauges/manifold, vacuum pump, and misc tools to install the new compressor, I'm going to keep it and do it myself, saving like $600 - $700 over the purchase of a new one. (It's a nice side-by-side model with icemaker, not a normal cheapie garage fridge.)

Only one thing I don't have is a nitrogen tank, which from what I understand should be used to blow out the refrigeration lines after flushing them and if I braze the compressor back in.

Does anyone on this forum do refrigeration work? If so, WHERE IN THE GODDAMNED PISS HELL CAN YOU BUY A NITROGEN TANK THAT ISN'T A HUNDRED DOLLARS?

I've spent more time trying to find a nitrogen tank for a one-shot job than I did learning about how to do the entire fucking job.

This some bullshit right here, son.
Click to expand...
take a hint, god wants you to spend a hundred dollars on a nitrogen tank
 
yeh when the tools to do the job is X the cost to pay someone to fix it is usually X x 2

i have noticed this on most things. so yeh you gotta buy all the tools and then it only benefits you if you gotta fix more than 1 thing. The manifold is cool since it works with Vehicle AC also but meh.
 
Don’t need to blow out the lines with nitrogen. If the pump failed and blew a bunch of metal in you can use A/C flush and an air gun to blow out the lines to clean it up.
I guess technically you want nitrogen so it’s free from compressor oil that’s found in normal shop compressors but in reality no one flushes with nitrogen. Besides a bit of oil is good for AC systems.

I would first check the pressure in the system, if the static pressure is ok I think you probably have a sensor problem.

If you do have good pressure and you can’t hardwire the compressor to turn on, then the compressor is probably bad. Suck down the system, open the drain plug on the compressor and pour the oil into a measuring cup, do the same for the new compressor. You need to make sure that the new compressor has the same oil amount. Sometimes they come with it or sometimes they don’t.


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The compressor definitely blew, I heard it. (For like weeks before it actually died, hehe.)

New compressor comes oiled with drier and relays.

I have all the tools to do the job, and it's really not that difficult a thing to do if you have a basic understanding of refrigeration. I don't have a tank of nitrogen however.

Nitrogen is absolutely required when brazing pipes. The oxygen inside the heated line will cause burning/sediment on the inside of the pipe, which will then get into your brand new compressor. I can get around brazing the lines (with oxy/acetylene) though by using a silver solder that can be applied with a cooler propane torch, resulting in no oxidation inside the line. (Which I intend to do.)

But, after taking out the old compressor and flushing the system, the nitrogen is supposed to replace all the moisture, oxygen, and flush remaining in the line. After that you vacuum it down and charge it.

Since I can't find a nitrogen can any smaller than a goddamned industrial size except for those stupid canisters you use to make homemade seltzer water, I think I'm going to just skip it altogether and will just blow out the system with my air compressor. Hopefully the vacuum pump will suck out everything and that'll be that. Fuggit.
 
TechnoDonut said:
Compressed gas isn’t cheap. Can you just blow them out with a standard air compressor.
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The reason you use a whisper of nitrogen in the copper lines when brazing is to prevent nasty flaky oxidation. It’s very important not to have that in your compressor lines. That ugly black look on the outside of a brazed joint is what happens on inside without nitrogen. Shop air has oxygen so you don’t want to use that. They must sell a product to use, you don’t need a lot of n2 just a low flow through the pipe.
 
I thought solder didn’t hold up to temperature change like a brazed joint? I’ve only seen brazed tubes in compressor systems. I was always told that solder was stronger and brazing was more flexible to temperature change. I’m not an expert, so I could be wrong
 
Interesting. I have zero knowledge about this stuff, and would just pay for another fridge. Seems like a better use of your time. But, that said, I understand doing things around the house yourself. Good luck.
 
Mr Jimmy Pop said:
The reason you use a whisper of nitrogen in the copper lines when brazing is to prevent nasty flaky oxidation. It’s very important not to have that in your compressor lines. That ugly black look on the outside of a brazed joint is what happens on inside without nitrogen. Shop air has oxygen so you don’t want to use that. They must sell a product to use, you don’t need a lot of n2 just a low flow through the pipe.
Click to expand...

Well if they make something that is for small jobs someone TELL ME WTF IT IS cuz I sure can't find it :(


Mr Jimmy Pop said:
I thought solder didn’t hold up to temperature change like a brazed joint? I’ve only seen brazed tubes in compressor systems. I was always told that solder was stronger and brazing was more flexible to temperature change. I’m not an expert, so I could be wrong
Click to expand...

You're not mistaken. Brazing is the standard because of the heat ranges and flexibility, but after researching my balls off (seriously, my balls fell completely off researching all this fucking shit), there's a certain solder/flux combo that works and HVAC guys will use it in a pinch. The way I look at it, even if it fails in a few years, big deal, I fix the leak, vacuum it down, and put in a can of r134a for a coupla dollars.

Harris Stay-Brite Silver Bearing Solder 1/16 x 1 lb - - Amazon.com

Harris SCLF4 Stay Clean Soldering Flux, 4 oz.: Power Soldering Accessories: Amazon.com: Industrial Scientific


TechnoDonut said:
Interesting. I have zero knowledge about this stuff, and would just pay for another fridge. Seems like a better use of your time. But, that said, I understand doing things around the house yourself. Good luck.
Click to expand...

Eh... I thought about it. It was a $1200 fridge that's mad overkill for a garage fridge, but I can fix for two hundred bucks, or I can buy a new one for five or six hundred bucks or whatever. So fuggit... it's a good project to work on with my kids and gives me an excuse to actually use my gauges and vacuum pump again, which have been sittin in my garage for years hehe.
 
So I have a new dilemma... does anyone around here actually work in refrigeration?

So far I've spent more time researching the danged compressor on this thing than I've spent buying cars or homes! I was wondering if someone with more knowledge than myself could point me in the right direction on all of this.

The failed fridge is a General Electric GSS25LGMA.

The GE number of the compressor is WR87X20798, which sells for anywhere from $300-$400.

The Embraco part number for the compressor is EGYS70HLP.

And here is where things go sideways -

According to Embraco's thoroughly lousy website and online materials, (namely this PDF breaking down part numbers), the EGZS70HLP is the "next generation" of the EGYS70HLP, which to me means they are compatible units, with the Z version being better/more efficient than the Y. The units are basically identical, but looking at data sheets the Y model is an RSIR type of motor, and the Z is an RSCR type, which I don't even know what that means really, so I have to question if they are compatible?

This the data sheet for the EGYS70HLP, and this is the one for the EGZS70HLP.

Also, to make things even more complicated, the EGZS70HLP was superseded by a new model number, FF7.5HBK, and that was superseded by the FF7.5HBK1.

The FF7.5HBK1 sells for about $145, a considerable price difference than the WR87X20798/EGYS70HLP, so obviously I'd like to go that route. Except the FF7.5HBK1 doesn't appear to cross-reference to the EGYS70HLP.

So my question is... what the heck man? Is there a way for a consumer to make sense of all of this? Even the parts houses that I've contacted don't really know the more intricate details of the compressors, they just go off of whatever it says in their catalog and don't really care to find out more.

Any help is appreciated :(

Thanks!
 
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