Tell me about freezers

My third freezer went out today for the season. I like the old style but are hit and miss buying those used. Looks like I will be replacing two large freezers and would like to hear the good and bad of the new chest type. Brands,problems,etc.

"Tell me about freezers"

They're cold. (sorry tbn, I couldn't resist)

Ah no problem. I have a sense of humor.

That's why I put my fur up. Although I do have 20 small beaver in a freeze waiting for fur route.

Not his

https://www.amazon.com/CDN-TA20-Visual-Refrigerator-Freezer/dp/B000I62FQI - this is the the most important for any freezer IMO.

I only buy used freezers off craigslist or whatever so I'm no help with new ones. Sorry.

Lol, I do put up all my fur. I know a HVAC guy that tells me all the fridges and freezers use the same compressor and you can buy one for a mini fridge (same compressor) and solder it in and charge with whatever coolant you want. I have searched craigslist but again is a gamble of how long it will last.Went from 5 freezers down to 2.

The last new one I bought when still doing taxidermy lasted about 3 years.

Might be able to pick up a couple cheap at Sears! My guess is that most of the new ones are the same thing with different names on them.

tbn do you have your freezers in a heated space or unheated? Did you have the freezers that died checked to see what failed or are they just not working? Typically the compressor start components fail or thermostat or defrost timer.

Always check the backs where the evaporation trays are , they build up with dust and the compressor motors over heat and then can't start after they cool.

Always check with your Electrical supplier because if they have had a "brown out" they will pay for replacement...7 to 10 day grace period. If the power was too low the motors try to start over and over again..and kaputs...

Get ahold of a new appliance dealer and offer your services to help remove when a new up-grade goes in a new client. They don't want to deal with taking the Freon out for the 15$ worth of scrap metal in the freezer

I don't think there's $15 in scrap steel in a typical residential freezer. I checked the local scrap yard today what they were paying for the lightest steel and it was $75 a ton that equals out to be 3.75 cents a pound. White goods don't bring much more than "shred" given the amount of plastics in them.

tbn- Fresh out of details about new residential freezers but I think they suffer the same problems as new household frigs, generally cheaply made and are only going to last 3-5 years. You might have to upgrade to some sort of commercial restaurant grade unit. I think they are still more stoutly made than the household stuff. Probably a good amount of coin but you can typically depreciate it off of your taxes.

On my third third season of a Costco chest freezer ,inexpensive so far so good!

scrap is 200 ton here..10 cent pound...150-200 pounds

Its usually the starter capacitor that goes kaput. Those are around 12 bucks a pop. Thermostat switch around 25 bucks. If you want to mess with the refrigerant, most are filled with 134b ... thats the same stuff that is in the AC of your car and you can get that pretty much anywhere . Most residential units are charged by weight and then sealed so that you can not check or charge them ........ however........ for around 8 bucks you can get a BPV31 BPV-31 Bullet Piercing Valve. That gives you the chance to put gauges on the thing and charge it if needed and find an eventual leak. Cheap set of gauges runs you less then 50 bucks. Well worth having if you do have a bunch of freezers.

I have had two used uprights for 7-10 years. Both still work. I can put a 100 coon or more in one and several hundred rats if I need to in another. I might buy a chest type as when I was watching one of the videos where in the walk in freezer they hung the coons and then stacked them up. I can take the racks out of one of the uprights, make the hangers and freeze my coons hanging and toss them in the chest type froze solid. I will buy that used as well but around here they are harder to find.

Bryce

Good for you all. Maybe there's an end user close by. We don't. There are also various grades of scrap, I was talking about the cheapest. But we probably shouldn't hijack tbn's thread about freezers.

No problem,I have been bad myself many times.

Appliances get the tin price here...7.5 cents/pound.

check your freezer before attempting to remove the racks, some freezers the racks are the "cold" plates. they have tubing running through them or under them and it would be detrimental to the freezer to tear them out.

I have one of those uprights,Cold Spot

I am scared to post on this thread, cause when I talk about something.....it always happens! lol

In that case LEE , I am going to catch a nother cat tomorrow. lol

My experience they are kind of a poop shoot. You can get one from one brand that'll last 10yrs and the next one on the line is a junker. I started just buying from stores and shelling out for the 3yr replacement warranty. It's a pain when they go out regardless. I have one that didn't kick back on and I'm still trying to find the time to dig a hole for its contents in the back 40.

Yup I have checked one is like you stated the other not. So I know which one to try this with. I won't touch a thing until I get a decent used chest freezer however.

Bryce

I didn't see a thing.

I have two large uprights. Both Montgomery Wards. The oldest was bought in 1974, the other 1983. I have an International Harvester brand refrigerator in my garage that I’ll fire up to cool deer quarters. It dates back to the 1950’s, still works fine.

I have one freezer 25 years old and another one 20-still going no problems,except for the seal on the old one is getting a bit worn.

Yeah those are the good ones.

The 20 cu footer in our basement for our food was bought new in 1975.

Bryce

We had a International Harvester...........1955 model still running er operating

The one that just quit was from my inlaws that they had for many years and we got it in "93.

Found the problem,thanks.

you can't just say found the problem, share what you found with us please.

Kind of stupid. I have 2 chest freezers along the wall in garage. I went to plug the other one in and outlet was loose,sparks. I plug in the other one that quit and it fired up and quit. I thought what are the chances both freezers just quit. Loose outlet,wires etc. So I put in a new outlet and good to go. Likely saved myself a fire anyway and 2 new freezers.

Sounds like an overloaded curcit to me, that said I'm not the tman electrition. Be safe man.