Refrigeration Help

[Katch66]

I have a vintage Dr. Pepper beverage cooler that I keep on my patio for beer and soft drinks. It was a barn find and has been in use for several months. Initially I had a guy replace all the wiring due to dry rot and he also replaced the fan and compressor starter. It worked great and kept a constant 34 degrees.

Recently we had a power outage and when the power was restored the cooler was not working. As soon as you plug the cooler in it trips the breaker regardless of the outlet used. I looked at the wiring and see nothing obviously wrong. What could be causing this issue?



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[Katch66]

Pic of cooler.

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[waterdog]

compressor locked up, just a guess?

[thegrouse]

Internally grounded compressor or a shorted wire

[txoutdoorsman24]

Yep yep on both posts. Prob not worth the money to replace the compressor. Might find one cheap enough to justify it. Good luck

[Katch66]

Is there any way that you can test the compressor?

[Uncle Saggy]

After a power outage it could be a number of things.... but either way
Heck yes it’s worth repairing, that’s a damm cool cooler

[waterdog]

Is there any way that you can test the compressor?

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4NSnX3jykQ"]How to Test the Compressor on your Refrigerator - YouTube[/ame]

[bowhntrmatt]

Test continuity from the compressor terminals to ground. You should have none. If you do, the compressor is internally shorted and need to be replaced. Most of the time if it’s instantly tripping a breaker, this is what it is.
If it tries to run a couple seconds and then trips the breaker, the compressor could be locked up. Check the starting amp draw when you plug it in. It will be really high until it trips the breaker. A new start capacitor could solve your problem if this is it, but still might mean a new compressor.

[Katch66]

Test continuity from the compressor terminals to ground. You should have none. If you do, the compressor is internally shorted and need to be replaced. Most of the time if it’s instantly tripping a breaker, this is what it is.
If it tries to run a couple seconds and then trips the breaker, the compressor could be locked up. Check the starting amp draw when you plug it in. It will be really high until it trips the breaker. A new start capacitor could solve your problem if this is it, but still might mean a new compressor.

It immediately trips the breaker.

Thanks for the video Waterdog. It seems like a very simple process to check the compressor.

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[Katch66]

Thanks for the help guys. The tests indicate that there is an internal short in the compressor. When I get a replacement compressor do I need to match the horse power of the current compressor or does it get more specific than that? Due to the age of the cooler, I don't think that the original compressor will be available. Could a compressor be removed from a freezer or refrigerator and installed in the cooler?

[thegrouse]

Thanks for the help guys. The tests indicate that there is an internal short in the compressor. When I get a replacement compressor do I need to match the horse power of the current compressor or does it get more specific than that? Due to the age of the cooler, I don't think that the original compressor will be available. Could a compressor be removed from a freezer or refrigerator and installed in the cooler?

You will need to go back with an exact replacement. They are sized by load and evap temperature. Sometimes they have a new model that supercedes the prior but one should be available. When you figure the price of the compressor, refrigerant, drier and labor you may be better off looking for a replacement unit. If you are hell bent on changing it there are many here that can guide your efforts.

[double bogey]

What is the model # of the compressor, and which refrigerant. I would assume it is R-12.

[Uncle Saggy]

Keep in mind that being an electrical failure that the refrigerant and oil may be burnt, which means that the system will need a
Clean up before replacing the compressor.
Post up a pic of the compressor and/or unit tag.