I Has Fridge Compressor But No Skillz

[MrCrowley]

Ok I got meself a fridge compressor but I would rather not f*** it up through my lack of knowledge... Assuming it actually works anyway.

Ok well the pictures below speak for themselves but I'm wondering;

A) Do I have to get the compressor running before I know which of the copper pipes is output and which is input?

B) How do I wire this thingy (note: it has two cables??)? I believe I was reading the book "Das Boot" while we were studying electricity in physics last year

C) Quite a bit of oil was drained out, maybe a few hundred mls, will I need to replace this with more oil and if so what oil will work?

D) What are the best ways of attaching the copper pipes to a hose or something with threads? Will brass compression fittings work (note, if this thing will go to 500PSI, I am taking it to 500PSI)?

Think that's about all the help I need, and yes I did search...just seems everyone has a different type of compressor so it doesn't help that much.

[deathbyDWV]

What?!?!? Crowley has no skills? Well best of luck to you. I need to get mine working. Mine doesn't have the starter though...

Hopefully we'll see a high pressure gun from you soon!

[Marffy]

i personally don't know anything about them. i dont know what they are from or how to obtain them. but, i do know that compression fittings will go up to 300psi. i do not know if they will go any higher.

[clemsonguy1125]

Delete

[MrCrowley]

Why can't bloody POLAND_SPUD be on a pub crawl so he's awake at 4am to help me out??

[Jeeperforlife]

MrCrowley

Witch wires go into the starting capacitor? I am betting you will find that the motor was the distribution block for all the wiring in the fridge. witch means some of those may go to light, fan ect. The only wires that should matter is the ones going to the starter. On mine I striped everything but those 2 wires and it runes great. Keep in mind with out knowing were each one leads to we can't know for sure.

On the note of the compression fittings I connect mine that way and have had to to over 600PSI no problems.

I would get it wired be fore you try to plumb it up. But the tubes coming out should have a larger one witch is the suction.

Marcus

[chinnerz]

i dont know what they are from

fridge compressor, FRIDGE compressor.

and ways good luck with this project your yours Sir Crowley

[POLAND_SPUD]

A once you get it running you'll know which one is output and which one is input

B Everything seems to be in place... just replace the cables with longer ones and add an ON/OFF switch

one of the cables led to the thermostat... do you know which one..? you need to know that... you can attach the ON/OFF switch there
ohh btw sometimes there are schematics somewhere on the compressors..

I assume that the lower cable led to the mains...
the upper cable is the one that led to the thermostat and you can attach an ON/OFF switch there

buy two lengths of cable (one with a socket and 3 wires in it.... the other one is for ON/OFF switch so it might have just two wires)

YELLOW-GREEN wire is ground
BLUE & BROWN are neutral and positive (or whatever you call them... anyway you already have wires attached so you know where to attach the new ones)

do you need more info?

D you can build your own compression fitting... it's in one of my posts there -> http://jumbodesign.nl/phpBB3/viewtopic. ... a9&start=0


C you might but first try to get it to work... even engine oil will work but one for compressors would be better

EDIT
I added a pic

[MrCrowley]

The bottom wires were wired to nothing except one of the small yellow ones was wired to the base of the compressor.
The top 3 wires have two blues wires going back to the starter and whatever (the thermostat? Round black thingy in the first picture) haha. So i'm guessing I wire the top 3 wires to the mains.

If that is right, can I put my own switch in coming off those top 3 wires, wire it to mains and remove the wires from the bottom part and just leave it like that?

In that link, POLAND, that member had the same brand compressor as mine, so I assume the copper pipe on the right side which is at the back (closer to my Hybrid in the background) is output and the one closer to the camera is input but I'll check it to be sure anyway.

Thanks for the help so far.

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

I believe I was reading the book "Das Boot" while we were studying electricity in physics last year

[POLAND_SPUD]

upss... I didn't notice there are 4 cables at the bottom... anyway I am still not sure which cable you should connect to the mains...

wire it to mains and remove the wires from the bottom part and just leave it like that

it's not a that difficult to work it out... you just have to analyse the circuit and find two wires that close the circuit once you join them (they were attached to the thermostat)
(just try to draw a diagram once that's done you should be able to work it out yourself... if not post it here)

once the two are found and you put an ON/OFF switch there it should work

In that link, POLAND, that member had the same brand compressor as mine, so I assume the copper pipe on the right side which is at the back

It's not that important.. once you start it up you'll know which one is output...
though you might as well send him a PM asking for help with the wiring

[jhalek90]

Btw... the "Oil" is most likely Freon, A nasty chemical, Or a less nasty freon substitute.

any which way you look at it... that "OIL" is illegal to dump... at least in the USA.
Freon can also sometimes chemically burn you.
And, don't replace the freon, the compressor will run fine on only air.\



My compressor is hooked up with brass compression fittings.
I have taken it all the way to 750 psi

[Heimo]

Btw... the "Oil" is most likely Freon,

Uhmm.... Freon is a GAS the oil is just to lubricate the compressor in short you need the oil or the compressor will die after some time

Freon [trade name], any one of a special class of chemical compounds that are used as refrigerants, aerosol propellants, and solvents. These compounds are haloalkanes, i.e., halogen derivatives of saturated hydrocarbons (see alkane ). Every Freon contains at least some fluorine in its molecule, and most contain chlorine or bromine as well. Freons are generally colorless, odorless, nontoxic, noncorrosive, nonflammable, and chemically unreactive. The most commonly used is Freon-12, or dichlorodifluoromethane (CCl 2 F 2 ), which boils at -29.8°C and is thus a gas at ordinary temperatures and pressures

[inonickname]

Btw... the "Oil" is most likely Freon, A nasty chemical, Or a less nasty freon substitute.

any which way you look at it... that "OIL" is illegal to dump... at least in the USA.
Freon can also sometimes chemically burn you.
And, don't replace the freon, the compressor will run fine on only air.\



My compressor is hooked up with brass compression fittings.
I have taken it all the way to 750 psi

Heimo's just said this, but freon is a gas. It's not really toxic and the only way you'll be "burnt" by it is cooling from expansion which could really happen with anything.

Fridge compressors are meant to run in a closed system so the oil doesn't need replacing much. Seen as your running it as an open system, it will need a constant supply of a very small quantity of oil.

[psycix]

No skills? That's honest and brave to say.

Just some compressor carter oil should do it. After a lot of usage, put some more in.
1cc every month is a number I recall reading somewhere here.
The hardware store I work in carries it, and pneumatic suppliers should have it as well.
I used a compression fitting on mine, but not a normal one.
I squeezed a piece of rubber (a section from a bike pump hose) using a compression cap. You could also drill a hole into an endcap.