Hoover Optima HF41A 001. Freezer at -21 DegC, Fridge at 12 DegC

Hi,

This looks like a great forum!

We've had this fridge for about 10 years, and really don't want to replace it. It's given us some problems over the years.

We used to have a problem where the fridge was fine, and the freezer wouldn't stay frozen. Re-gassing and unblocking the freezer drain tube fixed this.

About 3 years later the reverse started happening. The freezer would be too cold and the fridge wouldn't work. Same guy came out and checked it, said the gas was fine. He might try changing the circulating fan in the freezer, and/or the circuit board.

I changed the motor myself (I'm quite handy), and the replacement spun no faster than the old one. As suspected, it hasn't made any difference.

The circuit boards are really expensive, so I'd rather explore further than replace as a matter of course.

Searching this forum I found someone had similar symptoms with a filter dryer. I'm not sure if my fridge has one or where I'd find it but it sounds like an opportunity.

I'd be really grateful of any guidance from this community.

Any help would be great. :)

I've moved your thread to the 'Domestic' section.
Hopefully, one of our domestic specialists will be along soon to give advice.

Filter drier? : Yes your FF does have one, but with all due respect you may be 'quite handy' but you are never ever going to be in a position to change the filter drier trust me. Fortunately for you, it is pretty unlikely that this is the cause of the problem anyway. I am not a Hoover engineer, and so the make and model mean nothing to me. You mention a PCB - which is a tad rare for a cabinet so old - are you sure it has one? What we really need to know is does it have one compressor motor or two (look around the back), and is it a self defrosting fridge only section, or fridge and freezer both auto defrost?

Thank you for moving the thread and sorry for posting in the wrong area. Fridge doctor I'm grateful for the advice, thank you.

The fridge has one compressor, the freezer is auto-defrost. The fridge I am not sure about.
Neither are icing up at present. There is no vent or similar between the freezer and the fridge.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fridge doctor

Filter drier? : Yes your FF does have one, but with all due respect you may be 'quite handy' but you are never ever going to be in a position to change the filter drier trust me.

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They just braze or solder in, yes? If it helps, I can do that (and more). Please forgive my earlier modesty.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fridge doctor

You mention a PCB - which is a tad rare for a cabinet so old - are you sure it has one?

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I believe it is Part No. 91201410
(I posted a link to a part with pictures but the system won't let me add links until I've made 15 posts)

Just to clarify matters, if the freezer is self defrost, then the fridge section most definitely is also.

OK, now let's look at the facts. The equipment is 10 years old and the compressor by your own admission has run at least for some part of this 10 year period 'short of gas' which means that on top of a fairly hard 10 year life the compressor has also been subject to excessive overheating.

The layout of a FF with one compressor, is that there are two sections (freezer and fridge), and two evaporators (one for each section). As far as the refrigeration circuit is concerned, the two sections are treated as one. The freezer coil is largest and always fed first, the fridge coil is an 'add on' and will get refrigerant after the freezer coil has flooded.

A refrigeration compressor is in effect a small engine, it has a cylinder and a piston. If you had a 10 year old car that had been used daily you surely would not expect it to get up hills as quickly as it did when new? Wear & tear takes it's toll, and in the case of a compressor it is invariably the final part of the circuit (fridge) which suffers because the pump quite simply is no longer efficient enough to circulate the refrigerant around ALL of the system.

My very strong suspicion in your case therefore is that the compressor is failing. There are a couple of tests you can carry out to verify this.

1/ Pull the cabinet away from the wall and put your hand on the compressor. If you are unable to keep your hand on it, then it is overheated (due to not having been able to stop on the thermostat). This is obviously not a good indication.

2/ Buy a cheap digital thermometer and find a way of attaching the probe to the FRIDGE section evaporator or back wall of the fridge if no evaporator is evident (cable ties can be useful - but if all else fails, dry off the area and duct tape the probe). Now, with the fridge thermostat turned to it's coldest setting, monitor the temp of the evaporator during running over a period of say 15 minutes. A 'good' system will achieve -25 degrees C on the plate. The thermostat actually needs the plate to reach at least -12 before it will even think about stopping the compressor even on the 'warmest (No.1) setting'.

So if, as I suspect you are not getting near these figures, your compressor is stuffed. Whether you consider replacement is economically viable or not, is of course your choice.

Dear CalmEddie,

I am awaiting your response