Vintage Fridge is Giving Up the Ghost (vent)

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Lily left the valley
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Re: Vintage Fridge is Giving Up the Ghost (vent)

Post by Lily left the valley »

When it comes to recycling plastic, a common joke I've heard is, "How many plastic park benches does the world need, anyway?"

Just because something can be recycled doesn't mean it's a best practice or healthy. There's a reason more and more folks are jumping on the "life without plastic/vinyl" bandwagons.
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Mick_VT
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Re: Vintage Fridge is Giving Up the Ghost (vent)

Post by Mick_VT »

1918ColonialRevival wrote:
Mick_VT wrote:Nobody should use vinyl siding... It is a myth that it cannot be recycled though - a large amount is recycled every year in the US, though most people do end up throwing it in land fill instead of taking it for recycling


It can be recycled, but I've read that like some kinds of plastics, the expense and amount of energy needed to recycle it makes it hardly worth the effort. I have a feeling that in another 20 years disposal of vinyl siding will be difficult to say the least.


Places like this seem to suggest that it is not that hard. I do wonder about access to recyclers though: http://accuraterecycling.com/services/r ... yl-siding/
Mick...

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Willa
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Re: Vintage Fridge is Giving Up the Ghost (vent)

Post by Willa »

Mick_VT wrote:
Places like this seem to suggest that it is not that hard. I do wonder about access to recyclers though: http://accuraterecycling.com/services/r ... yl-siding/


When I googled things like "Vinyl Siding Recyclers, Canada" or "PVC Siding Recycling, Canada" all I got were a few links to plastic associations, who had some links to recyclers, none of whom specifically mentioned vinyl siding. The City of Vancouver had a link, which when followed fell under disposal of construction debris, with no recycling for siding offered. There was one siding manufacturer that had a spiel on their site how byproducts and offcuts from the manufacturing process were recycled, but nothing for renovating homeowners who want to recycle their former siding ! While recycling vinyl siding may be possible, the widespread practice seems few and far between. This is similar to plastic packaging that has the recycling logo. Certain numbers indicate a type of plastic most municipalities won't collect, even though it has the recycling logo.

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/publications ... number.pdf

Packaging that says it is recyclable "where facilities exist", actually means these facilities don't exist locally YET but if someone figures out how, this packaging can be recycled. Tetra Paks (ie juice boxes) are a classic culprit:

http://earthandmoney.ca/tetra-pak-recyc ... l-dilemma/

"Blue Vinyl" was released in 2002, so some of the info in the film is probably dated. I would have to rewatch it - but I seem to recall the woman who made the film calling many places to attempt to find a place that would recycle used siding, but this was an uncommon and mostly inaccessible practice. You'd think the vinyl siding industry would be right in the front lines, making their used product be recyclable, wouldn't you ?

Back to my late fridge: it kills me that a well made thing that lasted in use for close to 70 years has to be relegated to being unusable (until a local/affordable repair person can be located), and I have to buy an inferior product that is full of plastic parts that will become garbage within 10-12 years. This obsolescence only benefits the manufacturers but creates huge waste. Plus my aesthetic sensibilities are gravely offended by how poorly the replacements are designed (limited ability to recycle all of it) and how they LOOK. Bleah !

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Re: Vintage Fridge is Giving Up the Ghost (vent)

Post by phil »

an old fridge like that might use Freon. if released it's not going to hurt you but that stuff is whats causing the ozone layer to burn out and global warming melting the ice cap over Antarctica ( unless you "don't believe" in global warming lol .. :) so I think if you took it in they would try to recollect the Freon and then may be able to check the pump seals and recharge with a different refrigerant. one of the reasons they pick up old fridges for free is they dont want people releasing the stuff, it can be recollected.

or you could just use a peltier cooler. I think some of those new bar type fridges work like this , no compressor, silent operation. the technology takes electricity and converts it into cold without using refrigerants.. you could check pricing but maybe this is a way to rebuild the older ones, the unit is small by comparison to the compressor , coils etc.

so one way may be to patch up and recharge the old system and another way might be to rid it of the old technology using one of these modern devices.

https://tetech.com/product-category/air-coolers/

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Re: Vintage Fridge is Giving Up the Ghost (vent)

Post by 1918ColonialRevival »

Willa - you can probably search craigslist and find an older fridge for cheap that you can use in the meantime until this one is up and running again. No need to waste money on a new one that you know is going to be ready for the scrap heap in a few short years. Plus, the older one will be a lot better looking!

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Re: Vintage Fridge is Giving Up the Ghost (vent)

Post by Willa »

1918ColonialRevival wrote:Willa - you can probably search craigslist and find an older fridge for cheap that you can use in the meantime until this one is up and running again. No need to waste money on a new one that you know is going to be ready for the scrap heap in a few short years. Plus, the older one will be a lot better looking!


I already looked locally and either they were very junky - ie loads of surface rust and missing shelves, or the nice(r) one was missing a shelf and they wanted $ 500.00. I also have to pay someone to move the fridge, which was an expensive hassle the first time around (movers cost more than the fridge, because I need two of them). Sadly, the new piece of probable crap, on sale, including tax and delivery was less than $ 500.00. Of course there were nicer vintage fridges for sale but 4 - 6 hours away in each direction = nope.

BUT - I am keeping my eyes open for a local vintage fridge bargain and/or vintage appliance tinkerer for the Admiral. If I can find either, I can sell the new piece of crap locally, I guess ?

I gave up on the ice and cooler plan in the interim after I accidentally split the styrofoam cooler within the first 12 hours. I priced the cheapest new cooler v.s. a small used bar fridge. The Kijiji seller delivered the fridge that night and while it's ugly and has the ghosts of the former owner's spilled perfume it is cold.

p.s. Elderly cat has made a good recovery, which is a huge relief.

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Re: Vintage Fridge is Giving Up the Ghost (vent)

Post by Lily left the valley »

Willa wrote:p.s. Elderly cat has made a good recovery, which is a huge relief.
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Re: Vintage Fridge is Giving Up the Ghost (vent)

Post by Gothichome »

phil wrote:an old fridge like that might use Freon. if released it's not going to hurt you but that stuff is whats causing the ozone layer to burn out and global warming melting the ice cap over Antarctica ( unless you "don't believe" in global warming lol .. :) so I think if you took it in they would try to recollect the Freon and then may be able to check the pump seals and recharge with a different refrigerant. one of the reasons they pick up old fridges for free is they dont want people releasing the stuff, it can be recollected.

or you could just use a peltier cooler. I think some of those new bar type fridges work like this , no compressor, silent operation. the technology takes electricity and converts it into cold without using refrigerants.. you could check pricing but maybe this is a way to rebuild the older ones, the unit is small by comparison to the compressor , coils etc.

so one way may be to patch up and recharge the old system and another way might be to rid it of the old technology using one of these modern devices.

https://tetech.com/product-category/air-coolers/

Hummm, interesting stuff. There smallest unit uses only 24watts at 0c. That", only 2 amps, a descent solar panel could run that. But the area(volume) is quite small that it will cool.

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Re: Vintage Fridge is Giving Up the Ghost (vent)

Post by phil »

yea I'm not sure about the ratings but it looks like you'd actually need one of the larger ones and they are more money. It looks like one of those things that will come down in price as production ramps up. I think they would be a sweet way to convert a really old fridge though.

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Re: Vintage Fridge is Giving Up the Ghost (vent)

Post by Willa »

I spoke with Ed White today (vintage appliance repair guy). He agreed that it sounded like it was the compressor giving up, then asked how attached I was to the fridge ? A replacement would be in the $ 700 -800.00 range, including labour, not including the 6 hours travelling time to and from.

Anyone in the southwestern Ontario area need a non-working vintage fridge ? A cute one ?

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