Mini-Frig Components

[JPaul]

As a non-frig Engineer, I have the task of locating mfg's in the US of Refrigerator components including compressors. Can anyone lead me to some competative local (US) vendors ?. It would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help.

[Gary]

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[Dan]

Are you an OEM buyer? Give me a hint: How much would you want to pay for a particular something or the other. Most of us in these forums are not factory people, but I would be happy to point you in the right direction, either through manufacturers, wholesalers, or OEM's.

Dan

[JPaul]

Originally posted by Dan
Are you an OEM buyer? Give me a hint: How much would you want to pay for a particular something or the other. Most of us in these forums are not factory people, but I would be happy to point you in the right direction, either through manufacturers, wholesalers, or OEM's.

Dan

Dan thanks for your reply. We are an OEM and are planning a new refrigerator product line. I need everything required for a refrigerator. As far as price is concerned, I need it at about a Taiwan price.

JP

[subzero*psia]

You came to the right board for help on design but pricing etc is probably not any of our specialties. Where you from JP?

[JPaul]

Originally posted by subzero*psia
You came to the right board for help on design but pricing etc is probably not any of our specialties. Where you from JP?

I'm from Chicago. I'm not looking for prices from anyone here just names of manufacturers in the United States that produce refrigeration components such as compressors etc. I thought I made that clear in my original post.

Thanks anyway. I will need some assistance in the near future on design also.

[zolar1]

How about making them easier for a service tech to repair? You ever try to replace an evaporator? With some of them, you might as well camp out at the shop...it takes forever to do some of them.

Also, why not use a REAL heat exchanger (cost about $20 each) and skip brazing the cap tube on the return line - it makes for faster service & replacement when needed as well as saves some Kw's. Related: avoid the glass tube defrost heater...use the type that resembles an oven heat coil.

Another thing...how about putting the defrost timer in the bottom front or an easy to get at place in the rear...those too can be a pain to try to replace/test.

Slow evaporator fans cause poor cooling...maybe design the ductwork to accomodate aging fans so that when they get slow, they can still do the job effectively. Some of those fans cost a left kidney just to buy (Are you listening Whirlpool?)

Sizing - I won't buy a fridge that I can't put a 2 litre bottle of soda upright on the top shelf (hint) or one that weighs so much it takes two men & a boy to move.

Maybe make the fridge so all service/repairs can be done from the back - no more dismantling the innards to get at the fan, evaporator, thermostadt, defrost timer, drain line, etc. An access panel in the rear would make things quite nice!

Just a thought...maybe use an evaporator that's 20% larger than the minimum needed? I assume you will be required to use R134a. With the larger evaporator, you might get the temperature down below zero deg F without running a fridge for 27 days straight (LOL)

Zolar

[Dan]

Good suggestions, Zolar. I got hung up looking for an American manufacturer of small compressors and found nothing. You picked up on the design aspect. Maybe that's where we can contribute.

You have made a good start, although I would disagree with some of your details.

If Jpaul would entertain ideas along this line, that would be great. But if we are talking about manufacturing something in Chicago, I don't see anything happening. And if it is to be mass-produced anywhere, you can forget niceties such as serviceability contrivances that add even a single dollar to cost of producing the refrigerator.

But things can be placed better and more conveniently for servicing without adding cost.

And there ain't nothing wrong with advice regarding where we put things on the shelves. There are only a few convenience stores with cups that fit into my cup-holders in the car, for example. They get all my business, simply because of that.

Dan

[zolar1]

Handleless doors can save a little.

Coils up the back should be cheaper than coil/fan combo underneath.

Perhaps make the outer door shell out of plastic instead of metal? It would save on shipping weight and you could get by with pivots/hinges that aren't as strong.

Plain white paint should be cheap.

Even if you couldn't afford a real heat exchanger, you could simply braze or soft solder the high and low sides together starting 6 inches from the compressor and for about 4-6 inches in length...I have done that before with good success. That would get you by with the cheaper compressors (smaller locked rotor)

Zolar

PS have you tried looking at Johnstone supply for compressors?

[JPaul]

Originally posted by zolar1
Handleless doors can save a little.

Coils up the back should be cheaper than coil/fan combo underneath.

Perhaps make the outer door shell out of plastic instead of metal? It would save on shipping weight and you could get by with pivots/hinges that aren't as strong.

Plain white paint should be cheap.

Even if you couldn't afford a real heat exchanger, you could simply braze or soft solder the high and low sides together starting 6 inches from the compressor and for about 4-6 inches in length...I have done that before with good success. That would get you by with the cheaper compressors (smaller locked rotor)

Zolar

PS have you tried looking at Johnstone supply for compressors?

Thanks for all the good advice. Tell you what, you design the hardware and placement within the box, let me know where to purchase the components stateside and I'll do the rest. I can not seem to find compressors or most anything mfg in the USA for Refrigerators.

[zolar1]

Are you proposing some sort of partnership perchance?

Zolar1@hotmail.com