can you store a refrigerator on it's side

[ian]

sorry, this is off topic a little, but i figure this is a knowledge group.

i keep hearing people say that you should not store a refrigerator on it's side;
it must be kept upright.

is this true for modern refrigerators?
the manual does not explicitly say it's forbidden.

thanks, ian

 

[[email protected]]

sorry, this is off topic a little, but i figure this is a knowledge group.

i keep hearing people say that you should not store a refrigerator on it's side;
it must be kept upright.

is this true for modern refrigerators?
the manual does not explicitly say it's forbidden.

thanks, ian

I had a fellow buy a used refrigerator from me that was in fine working
condition when he did so. He placed the refrigerator on its side when
hauling it home, and called not long after getting home to tell me it
would not get cold. I heard from him the next day that the unit was now
working properly and he said he had heard the oil in the freon line will
gravitate to a different location preventing the flow of freon if a
'frig is placed on its side. Once placed upright again,after a period
of time the oil moves back to the compressor area and the unit will work
fine. I don't know if this is true, but that is what happened in my case.

Ken

 

[Alain Beguin]

"[email protected]" a écrit le/schreef op/wrote on 29/09/2003

I had a fellow buy a used refrigerator from me that was in fine working
condition when he did so. He placed the refrigerator on its side when
hauling it home, and called not long after getting home to tell me it would
not get cold. I heard from him the next day that the unit was now working
properly and he said he had heard the oil in the freon line will gravitate to
a different location preventing the flow of freon if a 'frig is placed on its
side. Once placed upright again,after a period of time the oil moves back to
the compressor area and the unit will work fine. I don't know if this is
true, but that is what happened in my case.

Ken

That is correct, indeed.
We always tell the customers to wait a few hours after tranportation.
This to allow the oil to get down below again.

Al

 

[Mike Berger]

You can sometimes truck a refrigerator on its side, provided you let it
sit upright for a few hours before plugging it in. Otherwise the coolant
may flow out of the compressor and it'll get damaged when you run it.

I'd be reluctant to store one on its side for any length of time. The coolant
might end up sitting in places where it was not expected.

 

[Sam Goldwasser]

Yes, you can store a fridge on its side but let it stand upright for
24 hours before attempting to run it. The guy below may have been
lucky - It's possible for the compressor to be damaged trying to
pump incompressible oil.

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[Jerry G.]

Never store a fridge or freezer on its side for any extended period of time.
This is sometimes done during transport, or it may be tilted on its side
while being carried.

It is best to leave it sit for more than 4 hours when it has been put on its
side for only a few minutes. If it has been more than this, and has been
trucked on its side, it would be best to leave it sit for about 24 hours.

If oil gets pumped around the freon system, this may damage the compressor,
and other parts of the system.

--

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sorry, this is off topic a little, but i figure this is a knowledge group.

i keep hearing people say that you should not store a refrigerator on it's side;
it must be kept upright.

is this true for modern refrigerators?
the manual does not explicitly say it's forbidden.

thanks, ian

I had a fellow buy a used refrigerator from me that was in fine working
condition when he did so. He placed the refrigerator on its side when
hauling it home, and called not long after getting home to tell me it
would not get cold. I heard from him the next day that the unit was now
working properly and he said he had heard the oil in the freon line will
gravitate to a different location preventing the flow of freon if a
'frig is placed on its side. Once placed upright again,after a period
of time the oil moves back to the compressor area and the unit will work
fine. I don't know if this is true, but that is what happened in my case.

Ken

 

[James Sweet]

You can sometimes truck a refrigerator on its side, provided you let it
sit upright for a few hours before plugging it in. Otherwise the coolant
may flow out of the compressor and it'll get damaged when you run it.

I'd be reluctant to store one on its side for any length of time. The coolant
might end up sitting in places where it was not expected.

It shouldn't, some of the oil will naturally flow through the whole system
as a vapor, if there were low spots the oil would tend to condense there
over time anyway. Definitly good to let it sit for a while before plugging
it in though.

 

[Sam Goldwasser]

I agree with everything except the "for any extended period of time" part.
If the oil migrates, it will have done so in a few hours.

There is normally some trace of oil throughout the sealed system so having it
sit in parts where there usually isn't much shouldn't matter.

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Home Page: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Site Info: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: The email address in this message header may no longer work. To
contact me, please use the Feedback Form at repairfaq.org. Thanks.

 

[Bill Webb]

I have also heard that refrigeration units should not be run below
certain temperatures since the coil contents may condense into a
noncompressible liquid and damage the compressor. The documentation for
our central A/C warns that it should not be run for at least 12 hours
after a power failure, to allow for a small internal heater to warm the
compressor and its contents.

Any truth to this, or simple butt-covering?

 

[Cher]

why would you want to?
seems like more efficient use of space standing up!