I've worked on and installed many Ice Makers for people. Thats what took me back

Yeah, it's nice to comment on a subject that one's familiar with...

 

With 3 pages and #12's help with all the others. I obviously have nothing to add.

I often forget that what seems simple to me is not simple for other people. Strantor (and several others) remind me how little I know about their fields of expertise, so I shouldn't be surprised when people find my advice to be important. Still, I am (surprised). Oh well. Glad to be of service. You all turn around and help me when I get stumped.

 

I often forget that what seems simple to me is not simple for other people. Strantor (and several others) remind me how little I know about their fields of expertise, so I shouldn't be surprised when people find my advice to be important. Still, I am (surprised). Oh well. Glad to be of service. You all turn around and help me when I get stumped.

I just finished the read and #12 is right on.

Earlier I said I have nothing to add; I just read the hole thing tonight. #12 is correct I have added up all my "Likes" it was all #12's post's and fears. Designs of this type are designed as #12 stated the system was designed a specific way for a reason. Cheap and easy; this type of refrigerator was designed with one goal in mind. You can barely make Ice Cream freeze without freezing the food below.

Thats why they designed one refrigerator which operates on a level just above this one.

1. #12 is absolutely correct that this "Refrigerator" is not designed for and would need to be re-designed to fit your needs correctly. He is correct in saying you need separation. (Sorry about that) O.P.

2. If you want Ice and want a cheap refrigerator they make a "Spill over system" it was designed to have the freezer on top and an upper door and a refrigerator on bottom with a lower door. (From memory) don't know what they make today? But you most likely will be dumping them yourself. They are called Ice Trays.

3. With this split spill over system you would hit at least 5˚F to 10˚F this is the honey zone but; I would not know how many cubes per hr. It would prove to be more economical and practical using a "Machine Standard" like the "Spill over" or one built for the job.

4. Once you make Ice the skin of the ice must separate and that adds heat and heat the load to the entire system. Which is a lot of Math for me that I cannot do; and most likely the reason they didn't include an Ice Maker to this model.

5. Lastly, any heat load added to the system will affect both upper and lower temps and food might not be so good after a week or two.

Just buy a small fridge that will support an Ice Maker; or buy an Ice Maker.

#12 I just wish we could play with it more. Dual Compressors and a side box and you know.........nvm. lol

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. AAC

kv

 

Well ok on the feedback.
I have redesigned the fridge and it is working like I wished.
They way they made it, yes was not great.

I took a 1 and 3/8 inch thick piece of white styrofoam. Some nice strong stuff.
I covered with a sheet of mylar plastic cut from one of those emergency aluminum blankets.
I taped blanket on the edges where the styrofoam touched tightly the fridge sides.
It completely seals the fridge around those edges about 97%. and the forward edge fits right behind the freezer tray.
this fits directly under the freezer tray and still gives room for a standup tall bottle, nice.

I then using some Frost King foam weatherstrip sealed the freezer door to the inside edge all the way round.
Cold air can now only spill over the front edge.

This keeps the freezer at -3 to -5 *f and the fridge at 38 to 33* f, and I get plenty of ice.

with freezer tray pulled out, you can see the new shelf.

showing the foam sealing the door. foam slightly rolls over the door corner, idea is to deal door to inner fridge wall, and the evaporator.
I also rebent the ice level senser rod to a higher level, this lets the bucket fill up another inch of ice.

underside shot showing new styrofoam mylar covered compartment separator.

 

This one shows the freezer tray with the new shelf underneath.

This one shows the current temps, it works! I am very happy.
37 fridge and minus 5 freezer. I permanently mounted this indoor-outdoor digital therm on the fridge wall.
I do not understand why GE did not make it like this from the beginning?

 

Thank you for this report. It is a laborious job to do these experiments. I would only ask you to add the definition of the original machine (brand, model number, etc).

 

My next mod is to get a clear vinyl hose and plumb the freezer tray so that it drains out into the boats bilge. So just turns it off to defrost and let water run out with fridge door open.

 

So now the only question that remains is, is the fridge cold enough for beer? or will you be using an ice filled cooler for that?

 

Sure,
Ge is maker
model TA10SPBLAD
serial VG087134
mfg date 11/92

Size 10 cubic foot.
Width about 23, height about 58.5, depth about 18 inches.

I looked this up before and the net has no info on it. Compressor is Tecumseh made in Brazil, fridge is GE made in Kentucky

 

So now the only question that remains is, is the fridge cold enough for beer? or will you be using an ice filled cooler for that?

Yes, it will cool any drink you wish. My son in law does bring beer to the boat.
we will keep a foam cooler for fish bait.
I have had 2 episodes where the boat lost power with squid in it, and i takes months to get rid of the odor that absorbs into the plastic.
Learning how to clean that is another long story.

 

One last question (seriously), all fridges have heat dissipation tubing in the back, which I believe is called the condenser. Of what material is that tubing in your fridge made of? I know that most, but not all, are cooper. That's why I'm curious.

 

The back is made of steel tubing in a looping pattern with steel wire welded on.

GE made these cheap. I did a lot of work over the years to keep it working. One time I went to the boat and the charge had escaped, because stupid GE made the suction tube going to the evaporator from steel and a clamp where it touched the tube chafed a hole in the coating.

I replaced the entire suction line with 1/4 copper tubing and lengthened it by 2 feet. I also kept the inner capillary tube heat exchanger design, there was plenty left in a coil near the compressor wrapped many many turns around the lower suction tube.

I also added a large supco filter to the evaporator and extended the evaporator tubing about 8 feet longer, down around the base, up the side and back over to the original spun copper filter. That gives it better cool down of the refrigerant before entering the capillary.

 

The back is made of steel tubing in a looping pattern with steel wire welded on.

Oh my... I'm not sure that's a good thing... see, I had a GE refrigerator in my office whose back tubing was punctured due to rust and a little corrosion, even though the tubing is coated with protective paint. So when I called the technician I was told that those kind of fridges could not be repaired, since (unlike cooper) steel tubing cannot be easily welded and repaired. I'm a little concerned about yours, since rust and corrosion is always a factor in marine applications.

 

well the evap tubing gets warm, so in all these years it has never rusted.
All my added on lengths of 1/4 copper tubing were free, left overs from AC home replacements.

I was able to solder steel tubing to copper tubing using copper tubing couplers.
The secret is you must pre tin all your connections, and it must be really well tinned.

I recall using wire brush, sandpaper, files, etc... and phosphoric acid, and solder flux used for soldering copper pipes.
The couplers must also have the proper fit, not too tight or too loose.
I could have silver brazed them, but the normal solder worked and was cheaper. If it had not held, then silver brazing is the answer. Files work well for cutting tubing if you dont have a tubing cutter, just score all the way round and it snaps off.

 

My next mod is to get a clear vinyl hose and plumb the freezer tray so that it drains out into the boats bilge. So just turns it off to defrost and let water run out with fridge door open.

Confused. Ice makers don't pee. Are you talking about a drain for the defrost function?

when I called the technician I was told that those kind of fridges could not be repaired, since (unlike cooper) steel tubing cannot be easily welded and repaired.

BS. 15% silver solder works on steel.
Aluminum tubing is a deal breaker.

 

BS. 15% silver solder works on steel.
Aluminum tubing is a deal breaker.

That's valuable information, thank you.

 

well the evap tubing gets warm, so in all these years it has never rusted.
All my added on lengths of 1/4 copper tubing were free, left overs from AC home replacements.

I was able to solder steel tubing to copper tubing using copper tubing couplers.
The secret is you must pre tin all your connections, and it must be really well tinned.

I recall using wire brush, sandpaper, files, etc... and phosphoric acid, and solder flux used for soldering copper pipes.
The couplers must also have the proper fit, not too tight or too loose.
I could have silver brazed them, but the normal solder worked and was cheaper. If it had not held, then silver brazing is the answer. Files work well for cutting tubing if you dont have a tubing cutter, just score all the way round and it snaps off.

Wouldn't a copper (I've been writing it wrong all along) to steel weld suffer galvanic corrosion in the long term?

 

Wouldn't a copper (I've been writing it wrong all along) to steel weld suffer galvanic corrosion in the long term?

Well it is possible I suppose, if it gets wet. Galvanic current requires water to flow.
It has not in many years had any corrosion. As GE originally built the suction tube, it was steel soldered to a lower copper tube and then into the compressor.

 

Confused. Ice makers don't pee. Are you talking about a drain for the defrost function?

BS. 15% silver solder works on steel.
Aluminum tubing is a deal breaker.

yes, the defrost function. On the boat the fridge door cant open enough to pull out the freezer tray to dump the melt water. So you have to use a sponge. And if you go along time between defrosts, that try can overflow. And it makes a huge wet mess. to deal with.

My idea is run some 1/4 plastic hose down and out for a drain. I thought about punching through the inner fridge, but decided the door needs to be open, so just run the tube past the door and down into the bilge.

So simply drill 1/4 hole in back edge of freezer tray and glue in short piece of 1/4 tubing so it points out the back and leave a section of hose attached for a drain. I will make it so the tray can easily pull out and by locating hose along outer tray edge bring it to front of fridge. That way hose will slide with tray and tray will maintain useful functions.

 

Here in Australia you will find very little copper piping in a fridge. The condencer is Bundy tubing ( steel tube with a thin coating of copper). The only copper tube is the capillary tube & some of the suction line, the rest is aluminium plate for evaporator & aluminium tubing.