Remarkable that a) the warranty item survived so many years like that and b) can you image the entire guts of a fridge being shipped swapped under warranty like that today? A real insight into the past!
Modern fridges are not built in a way where that is possible as the tubing goes holes in the insulated box and is glued in. Nothing is made to be repaired today.
Thanks! Times were very different back then for sure. Things like this were much more costly and were taken more seriously then. These early designs were engineered so that the cooling system could be removed intact fairly easily (in minutes, by an experienced person.) Today, vending machines are still made this way. The entire refrigeration system can be taken out without having to remove all the stock from the cabinet or move the cabinet. For the antique vending machines, we ship the cooling systems around the country for repairs. You've possibly seen some of my videos where I have them on stands with a plastic tote over the evaporator? Those are a similar concept to the early domestic fridges.
@@zaprodk Nothing is made to cost a years wage either. On modern refrigirators both radiators are built into respectively outer ant inner paneling, much more compact but leaves nothing to really disassemble.
@@davida1hiwaaynet Interesting that vending machine are still made that way. I guess it all depends on volume of units being produced in terms of how repairable the unit is.
David, I have a Frigidaire K-M-46, all original (except for the relay). I still runs and cools. I’ll give it to you for the hauling if you would like to have it. I,believe it’s 1939 vintage,porcelain cabinet,temp indicator in the door,etc.Fancy for its day. Hermetic system with rear mounted waffle condenser. I also have old GM Frigidaire service manuals going back into the 20s-50s that you could have also.
With the early advent of home refrigerators,manufacturers shipped complete systems to the dealerships because at the time they didn’t have the expertise or knowledge to make individual part replacements. I worked for a Frigidaire dealer the started selling in 1928 I believe. At that time,the customer picked the cabinet style they wanted. The sealed system was shipped in separately and was installed into their cabinet before delivery. A real different time and place!
Definitely a different time and place, for sure! I love the earlier Frigidaire stuff as you have probably noticed seeing my other videos. Have a 1925 model Frigidaire M5-2 complete with original working cooling system.
David,I have a K-M-46 original Frigidaire that you can have for the hauling if you would like to have it. All original (except for the relay), porcelain cabinet, and still running/ cooling. I believed it’s 39 vintage. Hermetic system,external waffle style condenser.
I don't see why it can't be a Tecumseh compressor. You're the expert, obviously. But I highly doubt Philco - a radio company - made their own compressors. Probably like most companies back then and even today, they sublet manufacturing to a company more suited to making individual components like compressors. Tecumseh makes stuff like that. If that particular compressor only appears in Philco's, well, it's probably a Philco design that Tecumseh manufactured for them. Or a Tecumseh design that's been modified by Philco.
I just cannot believe it’s been crated, intact, since the 1940s and the repairman never bothered sending it back! It’s crazy. The crate itself looks like it was super well made and preserved everything.
Interesting that the shipping crate seems like it has been used many times (well worn on the inside) which tells me that units were shipped on a regular basis. I have a Frigidaire IR-90 (?) still in use at my house. The tag says it was made in 1952. Still mostly original other than door gaskets and the door latch, both replaced in the early 60s. (10 years old?) I put a new start capacitor in it about 1995 or so. Went searching for a new freezer door some years ago and the dealer I called thought I was nuts. I hacked in a piece of plywood and screwed the original interior face with door seal onto the original hinges. The plywood seems to hold up for about 12 years, then I make a new one. (twice so far) These old things really sip the electricity. Last I checked it was only about $7 a month to run it versus my Sears fridge in the kitchen that sucks up near $30 a month. (well, it is twice the size) A friend of mine has a 30s vintage monitor top (Emerson?) that's 7 cu ft and hold his beer very well. Our local Grange Hall has an early 30s vintage double door monitor top that's still functioning. (Westinghouse?) Both of these are the very square looking cabinets with legs. The Grange unit survived a weeklong flood in the mid 50s that had water about halfway up. Good thing all the electrical is high!
So, I assume these are the guts from inside an old Philco refrigerator and the way they install it in the crate like this, I assume is to keep the charge inside of it when they send it back? if that's the case then proper recovery of refrigerant was important even back then, too.
Actually, they didn't recover anything back then. They wanted the system back for rebuilding to supply to the next customer for a remanufactured system exchange.
Basically; through social networking. Someone brought a fridge in for restoration and we were working together to search for some missing parts (shelves etc.) They found this locally to their home in the northeast; and picked it up for me. Brought it down when they picked up their restored fridge. Many of us in this field travel a lot and do a lot of research for things like this.
The capillary liquid lines (warm) were soldered directly to the low side suction lines (cool/cold) to transfer the heat in the capillary tube to the colder suction line in order for the liquid refrigerant entering the evaporator was cold, not warm. That line set is referred to as a “heat exchanger”. There have been incidents where that solder bond has broken down, the refrigeration cycle goes to pot. Won’t cool properly. It’s not easily noticed because the line set is usually covered with a foam rubbed tube to shield condensation water.
Im gonna guess it was pulled due to some of the refrigerant having leaked out causing it to start making that clacky knocking sound and not providing enough cooling, given there does not seem to be anything wrong with it. Unless these fridges had regular compressor replacements as part of some expected life cycle or whatever.
I expect you may be right, but it may have been a lack of cooling moreso than the noise which caused the customer complaint. They didn't have regular replacements as lifecycle maintenance.
Remarkable that a) the warranty item survived so many years like that and b) can you image the entire guts of a fridge being shipped swapped under warranty like that today? A real insight into the past!
Modern fridges are not built in a way where that is possible as the tubing goes holes in the insulated box and is glued in. Nothing is made to be repaired today.
Thanks! Times were very different back then for sure. Things like this were much more costly and were taken more seriously then. These early designs were engineered so that the cooling system could be removed intact fairly easily (in minutes, by an experienced person.)
Today, vending machines are still made this way. The entire refrigeration system can be taken out without having to remove all the stock from the cabinet or move the cabinet. For the antique vending machines, we ship the cooling systems around the country for repairs. You've possibly seen some of my videos where I have them on stands with a plastic tote over the evaporator? Those are a similar concept to the early domestic fridges.
@@zaprodk Nothing is made to cost a years wage either. On modern refrigirators both radiators are built into respectively outer ant inner paneling, much more compact but leaves nothing to really disassemble.
@@zaprodk Yes - sadly - I do mostly electronics stuff which also has become generally irreparable over the the years.
@@davida1hiwaaynet Interesting that vending machine are still made that way. I guess it all depends on volume of units being produced in terms of how repairable the unit is.
David,
I have a Frigidaire K-M-46, all original (except for the relay). I still runs and cools. I’ll give it to you for the hauling if you would like to have it. I,believe it’s 1939 vintage,porcelain cabinet,temp indicator in the door,etc.Fancy for its day. Hermetic system with rear mounted waffle condenser. I also have old GM Frigidaire service manuals going back into the 20s-50s that you could have also.
Some old boy, somewhere, is watching this and thinking "so that's where the damn thing went!"
With the early advent of home refrigerators,manufacturers shipped complete systems to the dealerships because at the time they didn’t have the expertise or knowledge to make individual part replacements. I worked for a Frigidaire dealer the started selling in 1928 I believe. At that time,the customer picked the cabinet style they wanted. The sealed system was shipped in separately and was installed into their cabinet before delivery. A real different time and place!
Definitely a different time and place, for sure! I love the earlier Frigidaire stuff as you have probably noticed seeing my other videos. Have a 1925 model Frigidaire M5-2 complete with original working cooling system.
David,I have a K-M-46 original Frigidaire that you can have for the hauling if you would like to have it. All original (except for the relay), porcelain cabinet, and still running/ cooling. I believed it’s 39 vintage. Hermetic system,external waffle style condenser.
I don't see why it can't be a Tecumseh compressor. You're the expert, obviously. But I highly doubt Philco - a radio company - made their own compressors. Probably like most companies back then and even today, they sublet manufacturing to a company more suited to making individual components like compressors. Tecumseh makes stuff like that. If that particular compressor only appears in Philco's, well, it's probably a Philco design that Tecumseh manufactured for them. Or a Tecumseh design that's been modified by Philco.
That is really cool
Thanks. It is fascinating.
I just cannot believe it’s been crated, intact, since the 1940s and the repairman never bothered sending it back! It’s crazy. The crate itself looks like it was super well made and preserved everything.
Obviously lol
@@HDXFH I guess everything was well made then. Stuff today is trash.
Interesting that the shipping crate seems like it has been used many times (well worn on the inside) which tells me that units were shipped on a regular basis. I have a Frigidaire IR-90 (?) still in use at my house. The tag says it was made in 1952. Still mostly original other than door gaskets and the door latch, both replaced in the early 60s. (10 years old?) I put a new start capacitor in it about 1995 or so. Went searching for a new freezer door some years ago and the dealer I called thought I was nuts. I hacked in a piece of plywood and screwed the original interior face with door seal onto the original hinges. The plywood seems to hold up for about 12 years, then I make a new one. (twice so far) These old things really sip the electricity. Last I checked it was only about $7 a month to run it versus my Sears fridge in the kitchen that sucks up near $30 a month. (well, it is twice the size) A friend of mine has a 30s vintage monitor top (Emerson?) that's 7 cu ft and hold his beer very well. Our local Grange Hall has an early 30s vintage double door monitor top that's still functioning. (Westinghouse?) Both of these are the very square looking cabinets with legs. The Grange unit survived a weeklong flood in the mid 50s that had water about halfway up. Good thing all the electrical is high!
Glad you got this vintage philco compressor I can't wait for more
Thanks! My plan is to probably find an old icebox to mount the system into.
So, I assume these are the guts from inside an old Philco refrigerator and the way they install it in the crate like this, I assume is to keep the charge inside of it when they send it back? if that's the case then proper recovery of refrigerant was important even back then, too.
Actually, they didn't recover anything back then. They wanted the system back for rebuilding to supply to the next customer for a remanufactured system exchange.
I'm gonna go out on a limb and predict a refrigerant leak at the compressor seam... :)
I think you're probably close, but it was a leak at the terminals moreso than the housing seam.
Put a couple of beers up in that cold box!
Neat find
Do you think the original failure was a terminal leak?
What an amazing find. I bet that compressor is fairly low hour!
How did you find this awesome equipment?
Basically; through social networking. Someone brought a fridge in for restoration and we were working together to search for some missing parts (shelves etc.) They found this locally to their home in the northeast; and picked it up for me. Brought it down when they picked up their restored fridge.
Many of us in this field travel a lot and do a lot of research for things like this.
David, Is that 2 lines joined together feeding the top box? Thanks
The capillary liquid lines (warm) were soldered directly to the low side suction lines (cool/cold) to transfer the heat in the capillary tube to the colder suction line in order for the liquid refrigerant entering the evaporator was cold, not warm. That line set is referred to as a “heat exchanger”. There have been incidents where that solder bond has broken down, the refrigeration cycle goes to pot. Won’t cool properly. It’s not easily noticed because the line set is usually covered with a foam rubbed tube to shield condensation water.
Im gonna guess it was pulled due to some of the refrigerant having leaked out causing it to start making that clacky knocking sound and not providing enough cooling, given there does not seem to be anything wrong with it. Unless these fridges had regular compressor replacements as part of some expected life cycle or whatever.
I expect you may be right, but it may have been a lack of cooling moreso than the noise which caused the customer complaint. They didn't have regular replacements as lifecycle maintenance.
Hey David, will you remove the leaker valve and fix it or make something more permanent ?
go for it
You got a refrig already just need a food box for it