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</head><body text="#000000">John,<br>
<br>
My guess is that the problem is with the refrigerator compressor motor
or its supporting components. Motors such as these draw far more than
the usual current as they start; once they are at running speed, the
current draw decreases to normal. (It's why your lights might dim a
little bit when your central A/C kicks on, for example.) <br>
<br>
Also, some motors are "capacitor-start", using a capacitor to give the
motor an extra "kick." There's usually a centrifugal switch that takes
the capacitor out of the circuit once the motor is up to speed.<br>
<br>
If a motor never gets up to speed, it will continue to draw too much
current and overload the circuit; eventually the breaker will trip (how
fast depends on the degree of overload; it's not like a fuse that blows
instantly). <br>
<br>
The motor might not get up to speed because<br>
<ul>
<li>The capacitor has gone bad (open or shorted)</li>
<li>The motor winding has failed in some way</li>
<li>The motor shaft has seized due to failure of bearing lubrication
(my Mech. E. dad explained to me that so-called "oilite" bearings—made
of sintered bronze—are impregnated with oil under pressure at
manufacture. They last a long time with no attention but eventually
lose their lubrication, resulting in great friction. He had his own
trick for extending the life of a motor by <span style="font-style:
italic;">temporarily</span> re-lubing such a bearing. Even a ball
bearing will eventually fail as the grease it is initially lubricated
with eventually dries out.)<br>
</li>
<li>The refrigerator's compressor, driven by the motor, has seized,
probably for similar reasons.<br>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Or, if the centrifugal switch fails, the motor might be running at
full speed but the capacitor may still be in the circuit, continuing to
draw excessive current.<br>
</p>
<p>Ken Pogran<br>
</p>
<p>P.S. I trust you know that to reset a tripped breaker, you first
move it to the OFF position and then to the ON position. <br>
</p>
<span>John P. Rudy via LCTG wrote on 8/26/24 11:14 AM:</span><br>
<blockquote type="cite"
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<div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The extra refrig (with a
freezer compartment) is in the garage and both it and the separate
freezer go to the same outlet box.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p
class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p
class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">3 days ago the refrig
stopped being cold but the light was on so there was power. I didn’t
look at the breaker then.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p
class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">I removed everything
from the refrig/freezer and set the dial from6 to 9 and left for the
weekend. When I returned last night everything was cold.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p
class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p
class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">This morning it was
warm and the light was off. One breaker was in the middle and I tried
to reset it to the left but it wouldn’t hold. I connected the refrig to
another circuit and then returned to the breaker and this time it did
reset. I returned to the refrig and cleaned the coils. I haven’t
pulled it out to try to find the fan. Then the refrig stopped again.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p
class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p
class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">I returned to the
circuit breaker and was able to reset it. That worked for 20 minutes
and then it flipped. I reset it again and all has been fine for a half
hour. I’ll check it again in an hour<o:p></o:p></span></p><p
class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p
class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">No water and no damage
to the cord.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The first time the
refrig stopped and the light was on the separate freezer was working.
When the breaker flipped, both stopped (of course)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p
class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p
class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">It is an aged Amana
refrig<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p
class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div
style="border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in
0in"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
Steve Isenberg <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:smisenberg@gmail.com"><smisenberg@gmail.com></a> <br><b>Sent:</b> Monday,
August 26, 2024 10:56 AM<br><b>To:</b> John P. Rudy
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:jjrudy1@comcast.net"><jjrudy1@comcast.net></a><br><b>Cc:</b> Lex Computer Group
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:lctg@lists.toku.us"><lctg@lists.toku.us></a><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Lex Computer &
Tech Group/LCTG] refrig<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p
class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet
MS",sans-serif;color:#0B5394">1. What changed between (when it was
working and not tripping the circuit breaker) and (now when circuit
breaker trips)?<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;color:#0B5394">2.
Does the breaker trip as soon as you plug in the refrigerator or reset
the circuit breaker?<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p
class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet
MS",sans-serif;color:#0B5394">3. Has it been exposed to water
(e.g., flooded basement)?<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p
class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet
MS",sans-serif;color:#0B5394">4. Could the power cord be damaged?
(rodents might chew on it)<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p
class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet
MS",sans-serif;color:#0B5394"><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p
class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet
MS",sans-serif;color:#0B5394">For #1 I'm wondering if you moved it
to a new spot or plugged something else in on the same circuit, and then
the problem started.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p
class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet
MS",sans-serif;color:#0B5394">For #2 if it happens immediately when
you plug it in or reset the breaker, this would make me think there
might be a short in the refrigerator (which leads to #1, when did this
start?)<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;color:#0B5394"><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></div><p
class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class="MsoNormal">On
Mon, Aug 26, 2024 at 10:48<span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span>AM John P. Rudy
via LCTG <<a href="mailto:lctg@lists.toku.us" moz-do-not-send="true">lctg@lists.toku.us</a>>
wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote
style="border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in
6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0in"><div><div><div><p
class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">I have an old
refrigerator. The circuit breaker has tripped 3 times today. Any
suggestions?</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p
class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">I know I can buy a new
refrigerator</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p
class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">John</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p
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