Refrigerator induction motor: peak current draw

[eccerr0r]

Re: Refrigerator induction motor: peak current draw

Ah cool never would have recognized those acronyms, i'll have to go look.
Strange that motor is only 1/5 HP, and 16.4A@120VAC is a lot more than 1/5 HP...

[kaboom]

Re: Refrigerator induction motor: peak current draw

Ah cool never would have recognized those acronyms, i'll have to go look.
Strange that motor is only 1/5 HP, and 16.4A@120VAC is a lot more than 1/5 HP...

Sounds like LRA. FLA, or actually RLA since this is a hermetic, is probably from 2-5A. It'll be on the lower end of that if it's got a run cap, which will turn it into a PSC motor and also reducing the current drawn for a given wattage draw.

An example is how it could pull 4A w/o a run cap yet consume ~180W- 1.5A if unity power factor.

With a run cap compensating the phase shift, it'll consume that same 180W, but at quite a bit lower current.

LRA= Locked Rotor Amps
FLA= Full Load Amps
RLA= Rated Load Amps (Not "Run Load Amps!)- Applies to compressors.

Don't mistake for "Run load amps" because an HVAC compressor does not always "run" at full load/current.

Rather than jumble what others have already said, here's a link:
http://hvac-talk.com/vbb/showthread....RLA-verses-FLA

[eccerr0r]

Re: Refrigerator induction motor: peak current draw

An example is how it could pull 4A w/o a run cap yet consume ~180W- 1.5A if unity power factor.

With a run cap compensating the phase shift, it'll consume that same 180W, but at quite a bit lower current.

Ah, so it is possible if the run cap is fried, it would consume more apparent power as its PF would go down. Or would it simply not turn over anymore with a weak or bad run cap?

[delaware74b]

Re: Refrigerator induction motor: peak current draw

The 1/5-hp motor is the condenser fan motor (the one on top of the a/c unit). It also draws the 1.1 amps on 240 volts. Most outdoor central a/c units(except the Sanyo and Mitsubishi) are 240-only units.

The 16.4 amps rating is only for the compressor. Also, the minimum circuit size is calculated at 125% of the 16.4 amps (compressor) + 1.1 amps (fan motor) = 20.5 amps. NEC allows next breaker size (25 amps on #10 copper).

GE = garbage electric. I'd never own any of their side by side or french door refrigerators. Quality and electronics so bad they've contracted LG or Samsung to make them for GE. Add insult to injury, LG and Samsung pulled all 3rd-party technicians' certs for repairs. They want to do their own warranty and out of warranty repairs. Good luck if you have Lg or Samsung appliances. The only thing I have seen reliable from GE is their motors. I wish I had taken pictures of their electronic ballasts I replaced a few years ago. Cap failures, blew the covers off the ballasts, Chinese made for GE.....

[lti]

Re: Refrigerator induction motor: peak current draw

I tried to repair a dead GE microwave (made in 2008) last year. It was made in China by Daewoo for GE. It was replaced by another GE microwave.

[berniedd]

Re: Refrigerator induction motor: peak current draw

Maybe you need more than a 1KW generator. I remember in the early 2000s when we had a power blackout for 4 days. On day 3, I desperately needed the ref (220 watts) to cool the food I'd stashed in there. So I connected it to my 1500-watt single phase generator (no other appliances connected, just the ref). After 15 minutes, I turned 'em both off. When power was restored later, the ref wouldn't start. The compressor was found to be shorted, and I had to get it replaced.

[eccerr0r]

Re: Refrigerator induction motor: peak current draw

Figured out exactly why? People have been running generators for refrigerators for a long time. Unless the generator was screwed up and sent 220V to the refrigerator or something like that causing the compressor motor to overheat, that doesn't make sense to me.

[delaware74b]

Re: Refrigerator induction motor: peak current draw

That's odd to lose equipment like refrigerators on a generator unless there was some problem with voltage or frequency regulation.

I had operated 2 21cu ft top-freezer refrigerators and a small upright freezer on my 3KW (continuous) 120-volt-only generator for 6 hours and never had and issue. In fact, I still have one of the refrigerators and the freezer.

[kc8adu]

Re: Refrigerator induction motor: peak current draw

not long ago they were rebadged motorolas!
as good as electronic ballasts got.
now they are all shit.

I wish I had taken pictures of their electronic ballasts I replaced a few years ago. Cap failures, blew the covers off the ballasts, Chinese made for GE.....

[sam_sam_sam]

Re: Refrigerator induction motor: peak current draw

Running refrigerators on a generator can be done how ever is hard on the compressor and if that compressor is on it's last leg it will finish it

If you need to Running refrigerators on a generator and have the time to do it put a hard start kit on the compressor that will help a lot

[dcmeigs]

Re: Refrigerator induction motor: peak current draw

It seems people here have strong opinions on refrigerators here. There is a general agreement that GE fridges are crap and the local appliance parts shop encouraged me to buy either a Samsung or LG because their parts business on those brands was so strong they were putting his kids through college. I visited a consumer web site and not a single manufacturer ranked higher than a single star.

Soooooo, I need a new fridge and don't want to buy a POS. Which manufacturer is making a good product these days?

[delaware74b]

Re: Refrigerator induction motor: peak current draw

Best refrigerators made right now are Whirlpool or Frigidaire (or Kenmore models that start with 106- or 253- model prefix.

To add insult to injury, Electrolux bought GE's entire appliance division this year and Maytag was bought out by Whirlpool a couple years ago. So, Maytag is now 90% Whirlpool parts with a Maytag name plate.

[dcmeigs]

Re: Refrigerator induction motor: peak current draw

Thanks. The fridge I have now is a Whirlpool and it is in its 14 year now. It's having trouble starting and I have again replaced the start relay with a 3in 1. It's located in Phoenix and has spent months at a time running in an un-air conditioned house during the summer when I'm away. All in all I have no complaints. I'll shop for another Whirlpool.