I have an older chest style freezer in the garage and it worked last time I tried, about a year ago. I plugged it in yesterday, and nothing happened except an indicator lit on the front. I tipped it about 45 degrees to get a better look at the electronics, and the compress started up, although it doesn't sound quite right. If I tip it back the noise stops.

Any ideas of troubleshooting? I guessed the compressor was seized. I'm letting it run for a few hours to see if it gets cold.

Thanks!

 

... So has it cooled down yet? An initial guess would be that the lubricant, which is normally mixed with the Freon, needs to be redistributed within the system, particularly in the compressor. If it appears that the cooling effect is insufficient, then it may be that some of the freon/lubricant mix has leaked out.

 

Checked it after a few hours, and now the compressor isn't running even when tipped. It just makes a humming noise. I've recharged car A/Cs, can this be done with freezers? But, it looks like the freezer is toast.

 

... Adding Freon to the freezer looks like a questionable proposition. If the freezer is not cooling, then it may have a leak in the system, which would have to be located and repaired.

 

Yeah, it's junk now. Thanks.

 

Does it have a capacitor in the wiring? Have you looked at the factory wiring diagram? Are the condenser coils covered with dust?