Glacier Bay Fridge/Freezer Help

[BigAl.NZ]

Hi Folks,

I have a Glacier Bay Inc. (now out of business) Fridge/Freezer. The fridge works great. Freezer doesn't even try to get cold.

They both run off the same pump which is obviously going. I am really suspicious that its something electrical.





Perhaps the contacts labelled 1 and 3 are fridge/freezer?

See in the attached photos I can see the relay - but it looks like only one relay? Shouldn't there be 2?

And beyond that I am not sure what to check next? Suggestions?

Cheers

AG

[TJ D]

Originally Posted by BigAl.NZ

Hi Folks,

I have a Glacier Bay Inc. (now out of business) Fridge/Freezer. The fridge works great. Freezer doesn't even try to get cold.

They both run off the same pump which is obviously going. I am really suspicious that its something electrical.

Attachment 161133

Attachment 161134

Perhaps the contacts labelled 1 and 3 are fridge/freezer?

See in the attached photos I can see the relay - but it looks like only one relay? Shouldn't there be 2?

And beyond that I am not sure what to check next? Suggestions?

Cheers

AG

I think that your best bet is to probably go to rparts.com and give them a call. My GB (since replaced) packed it in a few years ago, and they helped me to diagnose over the phone, and then sold me the parts I needed. At that time, they still had a decent stock of GB stuff.

It would be a very good place to start, anyway.

[BigAl.NZ]

Thanks - I have left a message for rparts.com and emailed them - might be away for Christmas break. I want to correct my original post - its the fridge thats not working (freezer is ok).

I also read somewhere that the GB wont try to cool the fridge until the freezer is at target temperature.

Now for some reason my freezer is at -9 deg F. So it takes a long time to get there - if this is true - the fridge may actually work but its not kicking in because the freezer takes so long to get to target temp?

Anybody know if its true that fridge wont kick in until freezer at temp?

Cheers

AG

[GordMay]

Hope this helps.

November 1, 2010:
Pacific Sea Breeze Marine assumes the support of all Glacier Bay Marine Refrigeration Systems!

➥ Pacific Sea Breeze Marine Products - Support of Glacier Bay's Marine Refrigeration Systems

[BigAl.NZ]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Hope this helps.

November 1, 2010:
Pacific Sea Breeze Marine assumes the support of all Glacier Bay Marine Refrigeration Systems!

➥ Pacific Sea Breeze Marine Products - Support of Glacier Bay's Marine Refrigeration Systems

Good find - but unfortunately there wasn't much on there site. I might have to ring them.

Thanks

[Russ]

Try Pacificseabreeze.com
Nice kid rebuilds old ones. I traded mine for Frigoboat with Danfoss compressor. No regrets. Russ

[Ferrari]

My Glacier Bay fridge / freezer/ could only run one system at a time, using a priority demand configuration. It would turn off the fridge if the freezer called for cooling.
Yours probably has a similar setup.
I finally dumped it for a much more efficient and quieter Dometic set up and it was without doubt, the best thing I ever did for our yacht.
There’s a reason GB are out of business.
F

[TJ D]

Just for info-Rparts is a part of Pacific Seabreeze. It's the same outfit. Good luck!
TJ

[BigAl.NZ]

Originally Posted by Ferrari

My Glacier Bay fridge / freezer/ could only run one system at a time, using a priority demand configuration. It would turn off the fridge if the freezer called for cooling.
Yours probably has a similar setup.
I finally dumped it for a much more efficient and quieter Dometic set up and it was without doubt, the best thing I ever did for our yacht.
There’s a reason GB are out of business.
F

Hi,

You were 100% correct. The GB Freezer gets to temperature first (about an hour) then the GB Fridge comes down to temp - so there is actually nothing wrong with the system.

Might upgrade on of these days but it goes for now.

[waterman46]

I have the GB electronic ECM system (can't remember the model name now and I am 12000 miles from my boat) but I had a problem last year, for the first time since I installed it in 1999. I called GB support at 8316007878 and spoke to the original designer. He was very helpful in fact even after we discussed the problem for a while he later called me back to give me more info.

Where are your control panels? My system has separate control panels for the fridge and freezer so I can read temperature and make settings or just turn on or off each individually as desired. Not sure why yours is not similar. There has to be a way to disable the frezzer since often you want to save the power and cool only the reefer.

GB ECM was a very efficient and rugged sustem IMHO and in my experience. Keep it if, as you say, it is OK now.

[Ferrari]

My GB also had separate thermostats controls for the fridge freezer, but only one motor. A huge noisey DC unit using 14amps which would trip the standard breaker on startup until a larger one was installed. One motor needs only one relay, so Freon (coolant) is directed to fridge or freezer by mechanical valve, wired to prioritize the freezer. This needs a relay to close the valve to the fridge when the freezer calls. This is probably the one in the photo.
I agree “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.
Good luck
F

[boatbod]

If the system only had a single compressor but two holding plates, there are probably solenoid valves somewhere in the refrigerant circuit. You need to find out if a solenoid coil has gone bad, or if the control box is acting up.

[Ferrari]

I upgraded my GB system some time ago but kept the controllers. Now I’d like to tweak the set point and cut in/out but no longer have the instructions.
Is there anywhere to download them?

[waterman46]

Glacier Bay documents are in Pacific Sea Breeze website. the manual you want is the following, and look around page 45 or so for the setting of those thermostat controls:

http://www.pacificseabreeze.com/docu...tionManual.pdf

BTW I'd be extremely interested in what you replaced your GB system with and how it worked out.

[Ferrari]

Thanks for the info.
Our GB system was a little too ambitious running both fridge and freezer plus aircon in the saloon.. Aircon would stop if either the fridge or freezer kicked in..
Switched to Dometic which has worked great and is sooooo quiet!