Fix my beer fridge!
December 10, 2020 1:31 PM Subscribe
Save beer, fix fridge, we all win. Can I use the compressor/start relay combo I found (ZHB35-120P15) to replace the one I removed (ZHB60-120P4.7)? And what do those numbers and letters mean, anyway?
OK, so I have a Danby mini fridge I use for beer. It stopped cooling. So, in the spirit of keeping my beer cold, I got an Insignia mini fridge where I could also put my wife's wine, so she would agree to the new purchase.
But, the Danby is fairly new.. maybe 5 years. And I am stingy about just tossing things that should be relatively cheap and simple to fix. A search led me to the start relay. Which I managed to pry off. But it seems Danby has to be difficult, and the part is fairly hard to find. I am assuming from the build that it is a combination start relay and compressor overload relay.
It is part ZHB60-120P4.7. I have no idea what any of the numbers mean because I did not pay attention to my electrical engineering friends.
Can i use ZHB35-120P15 to replace this? I found that part. The only 4.7 versions I can find are on eBay and will take weeks to come from China.
Likely the 15 part is also coming from China, but it can be here Saturday, instead of February.
They look identical.
OK, so I have a Danby mini fridge I use for beer. It stopped cooling. So, in the spirit of keeping my beer cold, I got an Insignia mini fridge where I could also put my wife's wine, so she would agree to the new purchase.
But, the Danby is fairly new.. maybe 5 years. And I am stingy about just tossing things that should be relatively cheap and simple to fix. A search led me to the start relay. Which I managed to pry off. But it seems Danby has to be difficult, and the part is fairly hard to find. I am assuming from the build that it is a combination start relay and compressor overload relay.
It is part ZHB60-120P4.7. I have no idea what any of the numbers mean because I did not pay attention to my electrical engineering friends.
Can i use ZHB35-120P15 to replace this? I found that part. The only 4.7 versions I can find are on eBay and will take weeks to come from China.
Likely the 15 part is also coming from China, but it can be here Saturday, instead of February.
They look identical.
Best answer: I just guessing from the part numbers but the 120 in both is good since it means they both are designed for 120 volts.
But the P15 and P4.7 I am guessing are initial ohm values of of the PTC (positive temperature coefficient) resistor in the starting circuit. They way it works is that the PTC resistor connects the start and run circuit which gives a kick to start the motor, but the current through the PTC heats it up which increases the resistance to thousands of ohms which disconnects the start current.
So the 15 ohm and 4.7 ohm won't provide the same starting current and have different timing for heating up and disconnecting the start circuit.
posted by JackFlash at 2:13 PM on December 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
But the P15 and P4.7 I am guessing are initial ohm values of of the PTC (positive temperature coefficient) resistor in the starting circuit. They way it works is that the PTC resistor connects the start and run circuit which gives a kick to start the motor, but the current through the PTC heats it up which increases the resistance to thousands of ohms which disconnects the start current.
So the 15 ohm and 4.7 ohm won't provide the same starting current and have different timing for heating up and disconnecting the start circuit.
posted by JackFlash at 2:13 PM on December 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
The PTC resistor is pretty easy to test if you have an ohm meter. Measure the number of ohms between the start terminal and the run terminal. It should be 4.7 ohms at room temperature. If you have infinite ohms, you know the PTC has failed.
posted by JackFlash at 2:18 PM on December 10, 2020
posted by JackFlash at 2:18 PM on December 10, 2020
Response by poster: The P15 is this one, for reference. Versus the P4.7 I found.
I don't know anything about ohms and what they do, so JackFlash has explained a little on why this likely won't work.
posted by rich at 4:10 AM on December 11, 2020
I don't know anything about ohms and what they do, so JackFlash has explained a little on why this likely won't work.
posted by rich at 4:10 AM on December 11, 2020
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posted by H21 at 2:08 PM on December 10, 2020 [1 favorite]