Hey guys, our so-low chest freezer just bit the dust, anyone have any recommendations for a budget-friendly freezer that can reach at least -40C, ideally -80C? Don’t need anything super huge, I’m just not super hot on getting another one of these so-low units because they are (according to the service technician that came by today) basically unserviceable if it needs anything more than a recharge.
Also interested here - currently have a so-low 12cuft. Prefer chest style as well since they maintain cold temps better than standup units.
I’ve heard that before.
I don’t believe it.
we had a guy at the last university I worked for who worked on all our -80’s, when he retired we couldn’t find another qualified tech within 100miles. So I think it’s a technician skill issue not a so-low engineering issue, but I didn’t go get my refrigeration technicians license (my boss did instead), so I’m not actually certain…
@Xtractek might have more insight, as he was refurbishing -80’s for a while (bringing in a tech from over 100 miles away!)
I know @SidViscous has experience with cascade systems…
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I’ll try and get the brand off the huge -40 chest freezer I picked up used off of craigslist. It has been set for -45C (which it can’t achieve) for 5 years now…which I believe means the compressor has essentially been nailed on.
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A cheap hack is to get a R-290 refrigerated chest freezer and either replace the thermostat with one that will control to -40 or just pull the existing thermostat’s temp probe out from the interior wall and let it be ambient. It will keep cycling down to the -40s and stay there. I’ve heard of them lasting for a long time while doing this.
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We have one 21cuft -86c Harris/Revco left out of the units we were refurbishing for a few years. It’s had a significant amount of work done and should have a long lifespan. $6k + freight. Eugene Oregon.
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The technician said that the condensing coil and another coil (can’t remember off the top of my head been a long day) were essentially welded to the interior of the freezer, which was then fully sealed in with insulating foam and walled off, inaccessible without ripping the thing apart. A light refrigerant leak was causing expansion/contraction of a pipe with oil in it, causing it to crack and start leaking. Small amount of refrigerant, decent amount of oil leaking out of a sealed compartment via the lines running to the coils inside. Said it was basically toast, gonna limp along for a few more weeks getting warmer and warmer before crapping out entirely.
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Gotcha. Dammit.
Least I learned something…
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Did they say why that was the case? Are the compressors too expensive to replace or something?
up two posts…
can we get propane freezers in the US now?
Last I looked that was an EU thing and the US was chicken.
edit: never mind. looks like US said ok to 290 in 2011. not sure why I thought otherwise.
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-80s typically use two refrigerant loops and two tiers of coolant to achieve their temps.
Um, yeah…
…and the post you replied to was about a -40C freezer.
Right above it, when discussing a -80 freezer, and how finding someone to work on them was non-trivial imo (because they have two compressors) I state
So does that mean you didn’t know that a cascade system was one with two compressors?
Or ?!?