garycoombs
25-05-2010, 07:18 PM
Folks,
I am new here and have an intriuging little issue for you experts to ponder in relation to my 22 year-old Liebherr 3823-1 (or 38234 - label no longer that clear to read).
Yes I know I should probably bin it but if I can get going again for a few quid it can chunder away in the garage or one of my kids' student pads until it really does die. After all it has given us amazing service over the last 22 years, including being transported right across Europe in the back of a van!
Anyway, it was stumbling along OK as a fully functioning second fridge-freezer until the weekend when it appeared to fall over completely, so we dashed out and splased out on an ex-display Miele on the basis that 22 years is a good life and we would otherwise loose 110 litres of frozen goodies.
Everything rescued, the old unit went in the garage to thaw out before going off to the fridge graveyard but today I couldn't resist playing with it to see whether I could get it going - and I did, well, partially. The freezer is fine but not the fridge but only if I put the temp dial on zero to effectively turn off the fridge (shame I did not realise that on Sunday).
So, the story to capture your combined brain power.
A few months ago the analgue temperature meter sank to -40 degrees but as the compressor seemed to be turning on and off as usual i assumed the meter had broken but that otherwise all was fine and we would just live with it like that.
A while later the fridge began freezing things and becoming iced up on the back. I assumed there was a problem with the thermostat and on Saturday (coincidence?) I decided to see if I could still get hold of one so took the thermostat housing off to look at it and note down any part number etc.
Having uncrewed the unit I turned the knob and it clicked and the compressor kicked into action - hmm, seems to be working, thought I. Fiddling around for a while I convinced myself that the thermostat was working and assumed it had somehow got its wotsits in a twist. I put everything back together, thawed out the fridge turned it back on and checked that the thermostat was working - job done!
Sunday we woke up to the red warning light being on suggesting the freezer was too warm. The fridge was clearly too warm and the thermostat appeared not to be clicking or working any more - darn it!
After a couple of hours of fiddling testing and head-scratching it was onto the web to find a possible replacement machine before the shops shut.
Today, having turned it all back on in the garage with the fridge thermostat turned to zero the freezer fired up and is stable at -20 (according to a cheap fridge thermometer) but only seems to function normally if the fridge is turned off. The meter still shows -40.
Also, if the thermostat is turned on the sound of the compressor changes and I am not sure whether the compressor is actually turning off but it is a warm evening and there is nothing in the freezer, so the temp sensor could be having trouble.
Now that it is only a question of patching up an old machine for "fun" and/or to tide over the kids in their student pad I quite fancy getting it going again as long as I don't spend too much.
My gut feeling is that it is the thermostat but your thoughts would be appreciated.
How can I test whether it work (I can get access to a multimeter but do not own one)
If it is the thermostat can one still get parts?
I am fluent in German so can order there if I can find the part number.
See, I said, something to grab your combined attention :D
Cheers
Gary
I am new here and have an intriuging little issue for you experts to ponder in relation to my 22 year-old Liebherr 3823-1 (or 38234 - label no longer that clear to read).
Yes I know I should probably bin it but if I can get going again for a few quid it can chunder away in the garage or one of my kids' student pads until it really does die. After all it has given us amazing service over the last 22 years, including being transported right across Europe in the back of a van!
Anyway, it was stumbling along OK as a fully functioning second fridge-freezer until the weekend when it appeared to fall over completely, so we dashed out and splased out on an ex-display Miele on the basis that 22 years is a good life and we would otherwise loose 110 litres of frozen goodies.
Everything rescued, the old unit went in the garage to thaw out before going off to the fridge graveyard but today I couldn't resist playing with it to see whether I could get it going - and I did, well, partially. The freezer is fine but not the fridge but only if I put the temp dial on zero to effectively turn off the fridge (shame I did not realise that on Sunday).
So, the story to capture your combined brain power.
A few months ago the analgue temperature meter sank to -40 degrees but as the compressor seemed to be turning on and off as usual i assumed the meter had broken but that otherwise all was fine and we would just live with it like that.
A while later the fridge began freezing things and becoming iced up on the back. I assumed there was a problem with the thermostat and on Saturday (coincidence?) I decided to see if I could still get hold of one so took the thermostat housing off to look at it and note down any part number etc.
Having uncrewed the unit I turned the knob and it clicked and the compressor kicked into action - hmm, seems to be working, thought I. Fiddling around for a while I convinced myself that the thermostat was working and assumed it had somehow got its wotsits in a twist. I put everything back together, thawed out the fridge turned it back on and checked that the thermostat was working - job done!
Sunday we woke up to the red warning light being on suggesting the freezer was too warm. The fridge was clearly too warm and the thermostat appeared not to be clicking or working any more - darn it!
After a couple of hours of fiddling testing and head-scratching it was onto the web to find a possible replacement machine before the shops shut.
Today, having turned it all back on in the garage with the fridge thermostat turned to zero the freezer fired up and is stable at -20 (according to a cheap fridge thermometer) but only seems to function normally if the fridge is turned off. The meter still shows -40.
Also, if the thermostat is turned on the sound of the compressor changes and I am not sure whether the compressor is actually turning off but it is a warm evening and there is nothing in the freezer, so the temp sensor could be having trouble.
Now that it is only a question of patching up an old machine for "fun" and/or to tide over the kids in their student pad I quite fancy getting it going again as long as I don't spend too much.
My gut feeling is that it is the thermostat but your thoughts would be appreciated.
How can I test whether it work (I can get access to a multimeter but do not own one)
If it is the thermostat can one still get parts?
I am fluent in German so can order there if I can find the part number.
See, I said, something to grab your combined attention :D
Cheers
Gary