SpudFiles

spudchucker wrote:Those little copper pipes hold a hell of alot of pressure if sch 40 1/2'' pvc can hold 400psi than I think that the small copper ones could hold 8x more. Did you see btbs death ray machine pistol that has some of that copper pipe on it but I forget how much pressure he puts in it.

He runs it at the pressure these compressors put out on their own.
If the pressure is boosted the way i understand this, a LOT more pressure than that will be put through those tubes. To be honest i dont know what kind of pressure those small tubes can handle, but at the ~40atm my compressor outputs, i barely feel safe.

You're plenty safe there is hardly any surface area on the inside of the pipes so not to much pressure pushing out on them.

I just found a 5 lb (I think) CO2 FE in my garage and got real excited about it. But then i looked at the sheet of paper clasped on it and it showed it hadn't been refilled since June of 1990. I don't see any reason that it would be less safe because of its age. Am I right or should I have it tested? I hope to get a fridge compressor soon and put it to use. Just waiting for our 18 year old fridge to crap out (knock on wood its not the compressor that goes)

Heres a pic

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daberno123 wrote:(knock on wood its not the compressor that goes)

If anything, it's the most likely candidate for failure. There's not a lot else that is really going to break in a fridge.

Ragnarok wrote: If anything, it's the most likely candidate for failure. There's not a lot else that is really going to break in a fridge.

This is my sad reality.

I hooked up my compressor, and fixed a minor wiring problem to get it running.(dirty connection)

It ran for about 8 minutes, doing little or nothing (the gauge on my storage tank did not move), then quit.

It now refuses to start. It "flops" a bit then the circuit breaker trips.(bad relay?)

I suppose I'll just have to get another one to try.

I'll post the results when/if there are any.

I experienced something like this several times

It now refuses to start. It "flops" a bit then the circuit breaker trips.(bad relay?)

I turned it on and it was working for about 5 seconds before it stoped... so I left it like that (it was constantly turning itself on and off) and returned after 10 minutes and it was working fine....

I concluded it was casued by low temperature [it was about 5 degree C ( 40 F ?) ] so I moved my compressor to room temperarture and since then everything is ok

Gippeto I think your compressor is dammaged and I don't think its the same thing as I described here.. it seems I am lucky that mine works so well - but mine refirgerator was working fine when my parents bought a new one so its most likely due to the fact that the compressor is virtualy the only part that can brake in a fridge (bc it's the only moving part)

I think so too. I'll just get another and try again. It just so happens that I have a spare one or two.

I think I might just dig out the angle grinder, and zip disk this one apart. Could be interesting and informative.

yes that's a great idea.. maybe it would answer some interesting questions:

I am not sure what is the pressure inside the fridge compressor casing... I am almost sure that these pumps are sealed but I have no idea whether the pressure inside the casing is 1 atm or is it affected by the pressure at the air inlet ? (most likely the later)

am almost sure it would work if the pressure inside the compressor and conseqently the pressure acting on the other side of the piston is the same as the pressure of air at the air input

remember there is oil inside make sure it won't make mess

Oh I just found out that all fridge compressors have problems to start if it's cold

POLAND_SPUD wrote: Oh I just found out that all fridge compressors have problems to start if it's cold

Nice to know, i was a bit worried that mine was about to pass on, as its having some difficulties starting these days. often just giving it a couple of minutes and try again works a treat.

Ok, it has been a busy morning. I dug out the angle grinder and cut open my dead compressor.

The results are here;

http://s245.photobucket.com/albums/gg76 ... ompressor/

For the curious, the bore and stroke are 1.25" X 1.20"

wow...

so... do I get it right? pressure inside the compressor case is the same as the pressure at the air inlet ?

Yours might be different, but mine had two outlets on the case.(visible on the cut off portion)

The case is pressurized (measures .120" thick).

The inlet is piped all the way to the compressor head.(this is the smaller diameter coiled tubing)