How to Convert a mini fridge to a chest refrigerator

Step 5 Turn Fridge upright - Ignition

And by upright I mean on it's back - the new bottom :)

Before turning on, you'll probably want to let the compressor sit upright for a few hours, to make sure any oil settles back at the base. I'm not quite sure this is completely necessary as I believe the lubrication is in the refrigerant itself, but perhaps its best to play on the side of caution.

Now, plug your chest refrigerator in and turn it on :)

Comments

[Randy Lahey]

letting it settle is definately a good idea.  the compressor itself sits in an oil bath as seen here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxWoNjvLZWY&feature=related and that oil is what has to settle.

[Randy Lahey]

very good idea by the way.

[trebuchet03]

Thanks :)

As it turns out, it really doesn't matter in this modification - just as long as the compressor is upright during operation....

Why?

Looking at the orientation of the evaporator (and condenser) - gravity isn't going to allow anything to get back into the casing...

Oil shouldn't be able to get out of the HP side... and most compressors have a muffler connected to the suction inlet - so I'm not worried :) Even if some does escape via the suction side, it's going to get pulled through fairly quickly :)

This is mind, I didn't wait to fire up this refrigerator - and the compressor worked quite well until I stopped using it due to it being superfluous :)

[benner81]

It is definitely a good idea to let the compressor sit upright for a few hours to make sure liquid refrigerant settles where it's supposed to be. If you turn it on right away, it can be hard on the compressor.