DIYbanter - refrigerator running all the time

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refrigerator running all the time

I just moved into an apartment that has a 14 year old Gibson
fridge. The refrigerator is running all the time. I told the
landlord about it and he brought his repairman to look at it. At
that time, the fridge was coming on every 5 minutes, running for
4 minutes, shutting off for 5 minutes and then back on again. I
timed this fridge and wrote down the times which I explained to
the landlord before he brought his repair guy in. Now, a few
days later and the time of on/off running time has reduced to
only 2 minutes between on and off and then 2.5 minutes between
off and back on again.

The landlord says that there's nothing wrong with it the way
it is and that it is an modern efficiency refrigerator. How
efficient is an appliance that's running 12 hours out of every
24 hour day??? I tried to explain to him that when I moved out
to his apartment that I brought exactly the same electrical
fixtures that I had in my previous apartment( monthly bill's
were $27/month average, also the same exact electrical company)
and that my first 2 bills at this current landlords apartment
were close to $100. Now admittedly in this current landlords
apartment there is baseboard electrical heat which does cost a
bit more. But this early move in period was prior to the real
heating season kicking in which is kicking in now.

I've put a fridge thermometer in both the top freezer and the
bottom fridge and the temps are barely acceptable with the
freezer set to the coldest and the bottom fridge control seems
to have no effect on the temp as I've turned it down until it
nearly is in the off position. This bottom control seems not to
be functioning properly as a control for setting temperatures.
What is a tenant to do?? Help!!!!

maybe it's running out of freon so the compressor comes on more and more
often and the freezer doesn't get as cold as it should

maybe the apartments don't want to pay for a real appliance repair person to
look at it so they send their repairman who's already on the clock anyway

wrote in message
...
I just moved into an apartment that has a 14 year old Gibson fridge. The
refrigerator is running all the time. I told the landlord about it and he
brought his repairman to look at it. At that time, the fridge was coming on
every 5 minutes, running for 4 minutes, shutting off for 5 minutes and then
back on again. I timed this fridge and wrote down the times which I
explained to the landlord before he brought his repair guy in. Now, a few
days later and the time of on/off running time has reduced to only 2
minutes between on and off and then 2.5 minutes between off and back on
again.

The landlord says that there's nothing wrong with it the way it is and
that it is an modern efficiency refrigerator. How efficient is an
appliance that's running 12 hours out of every 24 hour day??? I tried to
explain to him that when I moved out to his apartment that I brought
exactly the same electrical fixtures that I had in my previous
apartment( monthly bill's were $27/month average, also the same exact
electrical company) and that my first 2 bills at this current landlords
apartment were close to $100. Now admittedly in this current landlords
apartment there is baseboard electrical heat which does cost a bit more.
But this early move in period was prior to the real heating season kicking
in which is kicking in now.

I've put a fridge thermometer in both the top freezer and the bottom
fridge and the temps are barely acceptable with the freezer set to the
coldest and the bottom fridge control seems to have no effect on the temp
as I've turned it down until it nearly is in the off position. This bottom
control seems not to be functioning properly as a control for setting
temperatures. What is a tenant to do?? Help!!!!

A 14 yr old frige is not high efficiency, in fact it is only 25% as
efficient as new friges that were mandated by gov standards that took
effect in 2000 and 2004. Your lanlord is cheap tell him you want a new
frige or you will call in your own repairman and deduct it from the
rent. Electric heat in the midwest is almost 3x the cost of gas for my
area.

wrote in message
...
I just moved into an apartment that has a 14 year old Gibson fridge. The
refrigerator is running all the time.

The refrigerator is crap and as long as it work, the cheap landlord is not
going to replace it. Soon it will not be working at all.

The landlord says that there's nothing wrong with it the way it is and
that it is an modern efficiency refrigerator.

Yeah, sure.

How efficient is an appliance that's running 12 hours out of every 24 hour
day???

It isn't. Period. But he is not paying hte electric bill.

Now admittedly in this current landlords apartment there is baseboard
electrical heat which does cost a bit more.

A lot more.

What is a tenant to do?? Help!!!!

You know the landlord is a cheap SOB. Start looking for a new place as I
doubt you will be changing his ways.
Ed

I've put a fridge thermometer in both the top freezer and the
bottom fridge and the temps are barely acceptable with the
freezer set to the coldest and the bottom fridge control seems
to have no effect on the temp as I've turned it down until it
nearly is in the off position. This bottom control seems not to
be functioning properly as a control for setting temperatures.
What is a tenant to do?? Help!!!!

Hrm.. I wonder how soon until it completely breaks down HINT - HINT

I wonder if it would run better with the thermostat set for coldest and the
door left open...

....or a 100watt bulb left on inside...

etc.

Look up temperature guidelines at the federal Department of Health and
Human Services or somewhere similar. If they are outside the healthy
range, tell the manager. If he doesn't fix it, tell him your will call
the health department.
Clean the coils thoroughly. I bet that will fix the problem.

Actually, the landlord handed me a small wire brush and said I
could clean the coils and the recessed area where the fridge
normally sits, or he'd come back later to do it. I did clean
the coils and that filthy recessed area where the fridge was and
he didn't even thank me for that effort. Since I had just moved
in, I would not expect a new tenant have to deal with what the
landlord did not do, nor the previous tenant. I was wondering
why the previous tenant was so quiet when I looked at the
apartment, now I think I know why. The health department, here,
do not stick up for people with complaints against landlords.
Nothing has fixed the problem, only moving to yet another
apartment is there any hope. Is there such a thing as a good,
fair, landlord? I'm a partially disabled veteran and moving is
really hard on me as I only have one good shoulder to bear the
brunt of the physical side of moving. Wish I'd never gone in.

wrote:
Look up temperature guidelines at the federal Department of Health and
Human Services or somewhere similar. If they are outside the healthy
range, tell the manager. If he doesn't fix it, tell him your will call
the health department.
Clean the coils thoroughly. I bet that will fix the problem.

wrote in message ...
I just moved into an apartment that has a 14 year old Gibson fridge. The
refrigerator is running all the time. I told the landlord about it and he
brought his repairman to look at it. At that time, the fridge was coming on
every 5 minutes, running for 4 minutes, shutting off for 5 minutes and then
back on again. I timed this fridge and wrote down the times which I explained
to the landlord before he brought his repair guy in. Now, a few days later and
the time of on/off running time has reduced to only 2 minutes between on and
off and then 2.5 minutes between off and back on again.

The landlord says that there's nothing wrong with it the way it is and that
it is an modern efficiency refrigerator. How efficient is an appliance that's
running 12 hours out of every 24 hour day??? I tried to explain to him that
when I moved out to his apartment that I brought exactly the same electrical
fixtures that I had in my previous apartment( monthly bill's were $27/month
average, also the same exact electrical company) and that my first 2 bills at
this current landlords apartment were close to $100. Now admittedly in this
current landlords apartment there is baseboard electrical heat which does cost
a bit more. But this early move in period was prior to the real heating season
kicking in which is kicking in now.

I've put a fridge thermometer in both the top freezer and the bottom fridge
and the temps are barely acceptable with the freezer set to the coldest and
the bottom fridge control seems to have no effect on the temp as I've turned
it down until it nearly is in the off position. This bottom control seems not
to be functioning properly as a control for setting temperatures. What is a
tenant to do?? Help!!!!

This is Turtle.

50% as you say run time is not bad for a older type refrigerator. The run time
can very from 90% down to 10% run time depending on the temperature of the room
the refrigerator is in. So older models can have a 50% run time and be good and
the newer models can have a 90% run time and still be good to go. The clocking
of the run time to see if a refrigerator is working properly is not a very good
test at all.

Now you said you was going to check the temperature of the freezer and
refrigerator sections for the right temperature and that is a very good test to
do. Get you a outdoor thermometer or a refrigerator themometer from Walmarts
$2.99 and get the freezer temp. and the refrigerator temp. . You should
maintain in the freezer area -5ºF to +5ºF and then in the refrigerator area
+33ºF to +39ºF . In the refrigerator area it it is Below 32ºF or +40ºF or
above is not acceptiable at all. In the freezer area you should have -5ºF to
+5ºF and could get to +10ºF in some cases during a defrost time and there is not
too much product in the freezer area to hold the temp down while it defrost. If
the freezer area is just about full, you should not see the +10ºF temp at all
and should stay in the +5ºF to +5ºF range.

Now 99% of the time if you have a problem with the refrigerator you will see in
the refrigerator area the temp. getting above the +40ºF range and mostly in the
upper +40ºF range and maybe into the +50ºF range.

Post back with the temperature of these two area with door closed for a hour or
so and no new product put in the refrigerator area in the last 12 hours. You can
give the run times too if you like. Here is your true test and let use know the
problem for the temp.s will show it all.

TURTLE