No refrigerant?

[Kaz]

I wired a STC-1000 into a mini fridge that I got for my favorite price. It's brand new and stupid me didn't run it before modifying it. When it was all said and done, the STC gets power and when I hit the set point, the compressor kicks on. That's where the problem starts. The compressor will run but the fridge temp doesn't drop and the chilling plate inside doesn't even get cool. I let. It run for about 4 hours and the internal temp actually went up. I finally shut it off after the compressor ran for about 4 hours and was so hot I couldn't touch it. Does this sound like a refrigerant problem? The coils near the compressor got a little cool, but not anywhere near cold. TIA

 

[raouliii]

Any other mod other than the controller?

 

[Kaz]

Nope, just swapped the wires from the stock thermostat into the STC.

 

[kh54s10]

Try returning the wires to the stock thermostat and see if it cools. That might narrow down things to look at.

 

[day_trippr]

If the compressor is running, what makes anyone think there's something wrong with the controller wiring?

Sounds like Yet Another Dead Mini Fridge to me...

 

[kh54s10]

If the compressor is running, what makes anyone think there's something wrong with the controller wiring?

Sounds like Yet Another Dead Mini Fridge to me...

It could easily be a dead fridge but if the wiring was returned to original and it works.........

 

[day_trippr]

Oh, ok - wishful thinking instead of logic. I get it.

But it ain't happening. To paraphrase Bones: "It's Dead, Jim"...

 

[mikescooling]

Oh, ok - wishful thinking instead of logic. I get it.

But it ain't happening. To paraphrase Bones: "It's Dead, Jim"...

Did you wake up angry?
I would try undoing any mods and see if it works.

 

[day_trippr]

LOL! No, actually, I'm in a fine mood. All six keezer faucets have wonderful beer behind them, I have three more full kegs in the carb/holding fridge, another 15 gallons in carboys, my Centennial, Cascade and Chinook hops are blooming and/or coning like they're out to swamp the market, and I'm heading out to The Cape of Cod for a week on Saturday. It's all good. Very, very good :rockin:

That's just my inner engineer callin' 'em as he sees 'em, and he's seeing one dead mini fridge.

Fridges and freezers are remarkably simple devices. You have a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator. Th-th-th-that's all, folks! If the compressor is running, there's nothing that's going to stop the evaporator from dropping temperature - save for a broken compressor or lack of refrigerant.

Sorry...

 

[yewtah-brewha]

I just bought a dead mini fridge for 10.00 . I thought I was going to have to buy a 30.00 part, but I just disassemled the part I thought was bad. there was a coin shaped device acting like a fuze or something. I took it out flipped it 180 degrees and put the unit back together and it now works. Go figure! I was told by a appliance parts store that these fridges are throw away units. use em and thow em my way please!

 

[RSNovi]

Same thing happened on my first keezer build.

Compressor would run non stop and never cool.

 

[RocketBoots]

HVACR Tech here, It is likely out of refrigerant. You could check the amp draw on the compressor, if it is near the LRA ( locked rotor amp) rating, the compressor may be locked down, have a bad capacitor, need a start capacitor, or be miswired. It's possible that it sounds like it is running, but not pumping, either because bad valves internally, or a locked rotor. I can help you diagnose any of these.

 

[Kaz]

I'm not going to waste too much time on this one. It was free, and it was free because my source often times has factory prototypes that could very well go out to a trade show or ad shoot non-functioning as they are destined to be destroyed anyways. I also got a chest freezer and a top mounted compact freezer/fridge that both work. I don't suspect wiring,as the STC does exactly what it should do, cut the compressor in and out at set point. It doesn't sound locked, but I'll try to put an amprobe on it see what I find. Thanks for the suggestions