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Re: Admiral F/F Dead evaporator!! New F/F suggestions requir

Hi Bryan,

I was so overwhelmed at my ‘working’ F/F I forgot to do an update. Also I didn’t want to count my chickens.

The refrigerant content was lowered but the pipe still frosted over which resulted in a puddle every time it stopped pumping. It was explained to me that as the pipe was longer than normal to get it routed correctly it was liable to frosting as more was exposed prior to it heading up, and into, the freezer compartment. The pipe was then given a thin foam lagging which appears to have cured the frosting problem as no air moisture can freeze onto it. (visit No.7 and I’m still smiling)
However, this subsequently exposed another problem which was that the plastic drain pipe that leads from the freezer compartment (defrost heater area, I guess) had come away from the outlet and therefore created another puddle!!
With all the new pipework in the way this was a real sod to fix but I finally got the pipe out. I know that it fitted over the outlet female/male style but there was no way I could do it. I softened the plastic but no joy. I ended up finding a smaller rubber pipe which I cut down to about 1.5cm and inserted in each end to act as an internal joiner and still allow the water to drain. Voila! Sorted.

So far all seems good but this machine has just used up it’s last life and will not be mended next time unless it’s really simple…..and cheap.

Thanks for all the help.

Paul

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Re: Admiral F/F Dead evaporator!! New F/F suggestions requir

Thanks for the info Bryan. I was very surprised when I saw just how fast the freezer chilled down to -20c and beyond. Maybe that’s a function of the r600a compressor, I don’t know.

I’ve just spoken to the chap and he is coming again (visit no.6 in 2 1/2 months) on Monday to adjust level.
After he put the r600 compressor in it wouldn’t run and then he found a loose earth wire which he suspects was the problem all along with the new r134 compressor not working properly. I cannot comment on that, of course.

The Admiral is off, even though he says it is perfectly OK to leave it running and will do no harm, until Monday.

Can I put it on record that I am a bit ‘cheesed off’. 🙂
Paul

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Re: Admiral F/F Dead evaporator!! New F/F suggestions requir

Well, the new r600 compressor is in and the F/F is working like a demon. It chilled right down within a few hours and is holding the temp but one of the pipes from the compressor, the same one as before, is completely frozen over and is causing a puddle of water from underneath.

Could this just be the refrigerant levels that need adjusting?

Many thanks
Paul

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Re: Admiral F/F Dead evaporator!! New F/F suggestions requir

SAMURI wrote:I like Samsung as the American type Samsung give me plenty of work.

Bob, you funny guy!

We have several friends and family with Samsung machines and I agree that there has been the odd problem but by and large they have all been reliable. My supposedly rock-solid, mega-reliable Admiral however has been a real pain and to be honest I was looking forward to seeing the back of it but I cannot justify buying a new one if it will be back to normal by the end of Thursday at no extra cost to myself.
If the correct compressor doesn’t solve it and we discover that running a mismatch of compressor and refrigerant has caused some other permanent damage, well, that’s another story. Personally I cannot see that it has but as I said to the engineer (also a Samsung eng) I know nothing about this field of expertise.
Cheers
Bob

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Re: Admiral F/F Dead evaporator!! New F/F suggestions requir

Hi Bob,
as always thank you for your input. He definitely knows his stuff but was trying a ‘work-around’ when he had a R134a delivered instead of an R600a.(it was more or less admitted just now on the phone) It was again mentioned that the ‘oil’ had been changed in the R134a to cope with the different refrigerant but acceptance when I pushed the fact that the two compressors work differently. There is now a new compressor on order and will be fitted on Thursday.

Once again this forum has proved to be invaluable in helping me to understand my predicament and find a solution.

Fingers are crossed for thursday and yes, the Samsung has been cancelled pending this forthcoming repair.
I would still be interested in the professional opinions of the newer Samsung machines although it would appear that both the G and H Series are already about 3 years old.

Once again thank you to both Bryan and Bob(I just wish you both worked in my area)
Paul

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Re: Admiral F/F Dead evaporator!! New F/F suggestions requir

THAT is very interesting to read! I will call him tomorrow and ask. I am beginning to get a bad feeling about the way I have been treated but will withhold judgement until I speak to him. I know that he is highly regarded and cannot see his motive. Initially when quoting for the job he said that he was replacing my original r134a with a r600(a) and using the new refrigerant. He said that the old style refrigerant was technically illegal. He also mentioned something about changing the ‘oil’ in the compressor to render it suitable for the different refrigerant.
Regards
Paul

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Re: Admiral F/F Dead evaporator!! New F/F suggestions requir

Hi Bryan,
Interestingly he fitted a new R134a compressor but changed/refilled with R600/R600a gas. I did query the mismatch but he said it was fine.
I will dig out the full details in the morning as now tucked up in bed but roughly what would an Admiral/Maytag part cost plus fitting.
I hope that I haven’t been fobbed off and cannot see why he would do it.
Regards
Paul

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Re: Admiral F/F Dead evaporator!! New F/F suggestions requir

r600a wrote:

Your original F/F could have been repaired.

Bryan,
you have got me curious.
The well respected engineer who has been working on the Admiral said that it was terminal and that nothing else could be done. When I talked to him this morning I stressed that on his say so I was going to bin the machine and buy a new one. He confirmed what he had said. I dreaded a familiar name like yours saying what you have.
Paul
p.s. not too late to cancel my order which is not due for a day or so.

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Re: Admiral F/F Dead evaporator!! New F/F suggestions requir

OK, I must be mad but after talking to the engineer I have purchased a Samsung f/f.

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Re: Admiral F/F Dead evaporator!! New F/F suggestions requir

Further to the above I have spoken to the engineer and he says that there really is nothing else to do and the machine has reached the end.
Interestingly he reckoned that Samsung where pretty good now and had really improved over the last year or so.
Based on that Samsung and LG feature highly on my list which is budget constrained due blowing quite a bit on the original compressor replacement which is soon to be dumped. 🙁

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Re: Admiral GC2224GEKW Overload Relay/Capacitor Question.

Price-wise, I was very pleased. He quoted a fixed cost over the phone which made me feel a lot happier. If this Admiral carries on misbehaving in future years he and I will become good friends. 🙂

Cheers
Paul

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Re: Admiral GC2224GEKW Overload Relay/Capacitor Question.

chillything,
thank you for that info. I’m using PHR but I will keep your suggestion as a back-up.

Cheers
Paul

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Re: Admiral GC2224GEKW Overload Relay/Capacitor Question.

Thanks, Bob.

I located an engineer nearby who specialises in refrigeration and he diagnosed the same problem from my lengthy description. Comes on Monday to replace the compressor but converting to an R600 type. (?)
His price is very fair and will work out at about £350 all in.

Paul

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Re: Admiral GC2224GEKW Overload Relay/Capacitor Question.

I cannot believe I am asking this but…..
What would the cost of supply and fit of a compressor be?
This is assuming that I can track down an engineer willing to do the job. Unfortunately the engineer I know is not ‘gas’ qualified.

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Re: Admiral GC2224GEKW Overload Relay/Capacitor Question.

Hi Bob,
thanks for the help, as always. This site hasn’t got anyone in this area but I do know an engineer who, though he doesn’t really do American F/Fs, is coming along on Thursday to have a look.
To be honest, I have finally lost patience with this machine. This is failure number 5 (all different) and for the last year or so it’s felt like having a ticking bomb in the kitchen. The back-up Bosch larder fridge and Hotpoint freezer which are both 10+ years old have been faultless since the day they were plugged in, which they still are.

Cheers
Paul

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