Is my freezer behaviour normal?

[Terry Pinnell]

Yesterday I installed a small freezer in the garage to supplement our
kitchen fridge/freezer. It's a BF200.HD bought here:
https://www.easyequipment.com/undercounter-freezers/best-frost-bf200.html
and the PDF guide 'manual' that came with it is here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bqu46ppgl6x7mpv/Freezer%20manual%20ad728.pdf?raw=1

I also found a PDF on the specific XR04CX controller in this freezer,
which I've uploaded here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dv704dk8h120l7j/Freezer-XR06CX.pdf?raw=1

I was lucky to get any freezer at all, but it's way more complicated
(OK, versatile) than I'd have preferred. I simply want it to maintain
-18C, as our Bosch kitchen unit does, and do whatever clever defrosting
it's capable of with no attention from me.

But after some 12 hours usage I'm not confident it's behaving as it
should. So I'm seeking assurance on a few specific points please:

1. It seems to be 'cycling' much more frequently than I'd expected. For
much of this morning it was coming 'on' (compressor and/or fan audible)
roughly every 8 mins, then 'off' again after 5 mins. During that time
its display would rise from the set -18C to -14C and its green 'defrost'
icon would be displayed too.

2. From the 'Default Setting Values' table, its 'interval between
defrost cycles' (id) appears to be set to 6 hours, which seems an
incredibly short period! I'd have thought days or weeks, not hours?

3. Similarly, the default defrost time (Md) appears to be 30 mins. How
can that possibly be enough? Doesn't defrosting require reducing the
temperature to 0C?

I'd much appreciate any comments from those with experience of similar
products please.

Meanwhile I've transferred my Soft Scoop Chocolate Ice Cream tub from
kitchen to garage, and will check tomorrow to see if its consistency has
noticeably softened.

Terry, UK

 

[Carl]

"Terry Pinnell" wrote in message
news:mtrp7f5khlsolfe358shjeahir6v28sv2p@4ax.com...

Yesterday I installed a small freezer in the garage to supplement our
kitchen fridge/freezer. It's a BF200.HD bought here:
https://www.easyequipment.com/undercounter-freezers/best-frost-bf200.html
and the PDF guide 'manual' that came with it is here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bqu46ppgl6x7mpv/Freezer%20manual%20ad728.pdf?raw=1

I also found a PDF on the specific XR04CX controller in this freezer,
which I've uploaded here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dv704dk8h120l7j/Freezer-XR06CX.pdf?raw=1

I was lucky to get any freezer at all, but it's way more complicated
(OK, versatile) than I'd have preferred. I simply want it to maintain
-18C, as our Bosch kitchen unit does, and do whatever clever defrosting
it's capable of with no attention from me.

But after some 12 hours usage I'm not confident it's behaving as it
should. So I'm seeking assurance on a few specific points please:

1. It seems to be 'cycling' much more frequently than I'd expected. For
much of this morning it was coming 'on' (compressor and/or fan audible)
roughly every 8 mins, then 'off' again after 5 mins. During that time
its display would rise from the set -18C to -14C and its green 'defrost'
icon would be displayed too.

2. From the 'Default Setting Values' table, its 'interval between
defrost cycles' (id) appears to be set to 6 hours, which seems an
incredibly short period! I'd have thought days or weeks, not hours?

3. Similarly, the default defrost time (Md) appears to be 30 mins. How
can that possibly be enough? Doesn't defrosting require reducing the
temperature to 0C?

I'd much appreciate any comments from those with experience of similar
products please.

Meanwhile I've transferred my Soft Scoop Chocolate Ice Cream tub from
kitchen to garage, and will check tomorrow to see if its consistency has
noticeably softened.

Terry, UK

Put some 3/4 full gallon jugs of water in, one or two at a time. Thermal
mass is your friend when it comes to getting stable freezer operation .
Load it up to simulate what you think the normal contents will be, then see
how stable it runs.

--
Regards,
Carl Ijames

 

[RheillyPhoull]

On 27/03/2020 5:49 am, Terry Pinnell wrote:

Yesterday I installed a small freezer in the garage to supplement our
kitchen fridge/freezer. It's a BF200.HD bought here:
https://www.easyequipment.com/undercounter-freezers/best-frost-bf200.html
and the PDF guide 'manual' that came with it is here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bqu46ppgl6x7mpv/Freezer%20manual%20ad728.pdf?raw=1

I also found a PDF on the specific XR04CX controller in this freezer,
which I've uploaded here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dv704dk8h120l7j/Freezer-XR06CX.pdf?raw=1

I was lucky to get any freezer at all, but it's way more complicated
(OK, versatile) than I'd have preferred. I simply want it to maintain
-18C, as our Bosch kitchen unit does, and do whatever clever defrosting
it's capable of with no attention from me.

But after some 12 hours usage I'm not confident it's behaving as it
should. So I'm seeking assurance on a few specific points please:

1. It seems to be 'cycling' much more frequently than I'd expected. For
much of this morning it was coming 'on' (compressor and/or fan audible)
roughly every 8 mins, then 'off' again after 5 mins. During that time
its display would rise from the set -18C to -14C and its green 'defrost'
icon would be displayed too.

2. From the 'Default Setting Values' table, its 'interval between
defrost cycles' (id) appears to be set to 6 hours, which seems an
incredibly short period! I'd have thought days or weeks, not hours?

3. Similarly, the default defrost time (Md) appears to be 30 mins. How
can that possibly be enough? Doesn't defrosting require reducing the
temperature to 0C?

I'd much appreciate any comments from those with experience of similar
products please.

Meanwhile I've transferred my Soft Scoop Chocolate Ice Cream tub from
kitchen to garage, and will check tomorrow to see if its consistency has
noticeably softened.

Terry, UK

As Carl says, you have to have a load in it for stability. The larger
(when pulled down) the more stable.

 

[Terry Pinnell]

RheillyPhoull <Rheilly@bigslong.com> wrote:

On 27/03/2020 5:49 am, Terry Pinnell wrote:
Yesterday I installed a small freezer in the garage to supplement our
kitchen fridge/freezer. It's a BF200.HD bought here:
https://www.easyequipment.com/undercounter-freezers/best-frost-bf200.html
and the PDF guide 'manual' that came with it is here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bqu46ppgl6x7mpv/Freezer%20manual%20ad728.pdf?raw=1

I also found a PDF on the specific XR04CX controller in this freezer,
which I've uploaded here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dv704dk8h120l7j/Freezer-XR06CX.pdf?raw=1

I was lucky to get any freezer at all, but it's way more complicated
(OK, versatile) than I'd have preferred. I simply want it to maintain
-18C, as our Bosch kitchen unit does, and do whatever clever defrosting
it's capable of with no attention from me.

But after some 12 hours usage I'm not confident it's behaving as it
should. So I'm seeking assurance on a few specific points please:

1. It seems to be 'cycling' much more frequently than I'd expected. For
much of this morning it was coming 'on' (compressor and/or fan audible)
roughly every 8 mins, then 'off' again after 5 mins. During that time
its display would rise from the set -18C to -14C and its green 'defrost'
icon would be displayed too.

2. From the 'Default Setting Values' table, its 'interval between
defrost cycles' (id) appears to be set to 6 hours, which seems an
incredibly short period! I'd have thought days or weeks, not hours?

3. Similarly, the default defrost time (Md) appears to be 30 mins. How
can that possibly be enough? Doesn't defrosting require reducing the
temperature to 0C?

I'd much appreciate any comments from those with experience of similar
products please.

Meanwhile I've transferred my Soft Scoop Chocolate Ice Cream tub from
kitchen to garage, and will check tomorrow to see if its consistency has
noticeably softened.

Terry, UK

As Carl says, you have to have a load in it for stability. The larger
(when pulled down) the more stable.

Thanks both. It was about 60% loaded during those tests, but only for a
few hours. Will check again very shortly.

Rheilly: What do you mean by "when pulled down"?

Any insights from anyone on my questions about those defaults please?

Terry, East Grinstead, UK

 

[RheillyPhoull]

On 27/03/2020 4:17 pm, Terry Pinnell wrote:

RheillyPhoull <Rheilly@bigslong.com> wrote:

On 27/03/2020 5:49 am, Terry Pinnell wrote:
Yesterday I installed a small freezer in the garage to supplement our
kitchen fridge/freezer. It's a BF200.HD bought here:
https://www.easyequipment.com/undercounter-freezers/best-frost-bf200.html
and the PDF guide 'manual' that came with it is here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bqu46ppgl6x7mpv/Freezer%20manual%20ad728.pdf?raw=1

I also found a PDF on the specific XR04CX controller in this freezer,
which I've uploaded here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dv704dk8h120l7j/Freezer-XR06CX.pdf?raw=1

I was lucky to get any freezer at all, but it's way more complicated
(OK, versatile) than I'd have preferred. I simply want it to maintain
-18C, as our Bosch kitchen unit does, and do whatever clever defrosting
it's capable of with no attention from me.

But after some 12 hours usage I'm not confident it's behaving as it
should. So I'm seeking assurance on a few specific points please:

1. It seems to be 'cycling' much more frequently than I'd expected. For
much of this morning it was coming 'on' (compressor and/or fan audible)
roughly every 8 mins, then 'off' again after 5 mins. During that time
its display would rise from the set -18C to -14C and its green 'defrost'
icon would be displayed too.

2. From the 'Default Setting Values' table, its 'interval between
defrost cycles' (id) appears to be set to 6 hours, which seems an
incredibly short period! I'd have thought days or weeks, not hours?

3. Similarly, the default defrost time (Md) appears to be 30 mins. How
can that possibly be enough? Doesn't defrosting require reducing the
temperature to 0C?

I'd much appreciate any comments from those with experience of similar
products please.

Meanwhile I've transferred my Soft Scoop Chocolate Ice Cream tub from
kitchen to garage, and will check tomorrow to see if its consistency has
noticeably softened.

Terry, UK

As Carl says, you have to have a load in it for stability. The larger
(when pulled down) the more stable.

Thanks both. It was about 60% loaded during those tests, but only for a
few hours. Will check again very shortly.

Rheilly: What do you mean by "when pulled down"?

Any insights from anyone on my questions about those defaults please?

Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Ahh! sorry. Pulled down means the set temperature is reached.
Cheers ....Rheilly

 

On Thursday, 26 March 2020 21:49:52 UTC, Terry Pinnell wrote:

Yesterday I installed a small freezer in the garage to supplement our
kitchen fridge/freezer. It's a BF200.HD bought here:
https://www.easyequipment.com/undercounter-freezers/best-frost-bf200.html
and the PDF guide 'manual' that came with it is here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bqu46ppgl6x7mpv/Freezer%20manual%20ad728.pdf?raw=1

I also found a PDF on the specific XR04CX controller in this freezer,
which I've uploaded here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dv704dk8h120l7j/Freezer-XR06CX.pdf?raw=1

I was lucky to get any freezer at all, but it's way more complicated
(OK, versatile) than I'd have preferred. I simply want it to maintain
-18C, as our Bosch kitchen unit does, and do whatever clever defrosting
it's capable of with no attention from me.

But after some 12 hours usage I'm not confident it's behaving as it
should. So I'm seeking assurance on a few specific points please:

1. It seems to be 'cycling' much more frequently than I'd expected. For
much of this morning it was coming 'on' (compressor and/or fan audible)
roughly every 8 mins, then 'off' again after 5 mins. During that time
its display would rise from the set -18C to -14C and its green 'defrost'
icon would be displayed too.

such frequent defrosts aren't normal

2. From the 'Default Setting Values' table, its 'interval between
defrost cycles' (id) appears to be set to 6 hours, which seems an
incredibly short period! I'd have thought days or weeks, not hours?

once a day has been common for years. Once per 6 hrs is quite workable.

3. Similarly, the default defrost time (Md) appears to be 30 mins. How
can that possibly be enough? Doesn't defrosting require reducing the
temperature to 0C?

increasing it to 0C, which is done with a heater of 100s of watts. It's onlt the evaporator that's heated of course, not the food cavity.


NT

I'd much appreciate any comments from those with experience of similar
products please.

Meanwhile I've transferred my Soft Scoop Chocolate Ice Cream tub from
kitchen to garage, and will check tomorrow to see if its consistency has
noticeably softened.

Terry, UK

 

Thanks, understood. The defrost and compressor icons are almost identical so I may have been mistaken with some of my timings.

I’ve now dusted off an old add-on for my DMM I’d forgotten I had, a temperature sensor. After checking its accuracy on my Bosch fridge/freezer, that’s making methodical diagnosis a bit easier. The ‘stable’ display (I.e. all quiet after a long period of compression, with no door opening) was reading -13 when actually mid shelf was at -18. I’m trying to use its (rather complex) program mode to recalibrate.

For practical reasons there’s only about one inch space at the back, against a wall, and at the top under my workbench. Is that OK?

Terry

 

[Rick C]

On Tuesday, March 31, 2020 at 5:01:48 AM UTC-4, terry...@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks, understood. The defrost and compressor icons are almost identical so I may have been mistaken with some of my timings.

I’ve now dusted off an old add-on for my DMM I’d forgotten I had, a temperature sensor. After checking its accuracy on my Bosch fridge/freezer, that’s making methodical diagnosis a bit easier. The ‘stable’ display (I.e. all quiet after a long period of compression, with no door opening) was reading -13 when actually mid shelf was at -18. I’m trying to use its (rather complex) program mode to recalibrate.

For practical reasons there’s only about one inch space at the back, against a wall, and at the top under my workbench. Is that OK?

I doubt that. If the coils are in the back you need more room for the air to circulate around. I guess there's nothing you can do about the space above other than raise your work bench. How about space on the ends? Can the workbench be pulled out from the wall a few inches?

--

Rick C.

- Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
- Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

 

[Winfield Hill]

Terry Pinnell wrote...

Yesterday I installed a small freezer ...
I also found a PDF on the specific XR04CX controller
in this freezer, which I've uploaded here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dv704dk8h120l7j/Freezer-XR06CX.pdf?raw=1

I was lucky to get any freezer at all, but it's way more
complicated (OK, versatile) than I'd have preferred.

I'd say you're fortunate to have a programmable controller.
Once you learn to use it, and tune it to your situation,
you'll be better off than the rest of us.


--
Thanks,
- Win

 

On Tuesday, 31 March 2020 10:01:48 UTC+1, terry...@gmail.com wrote:

> Thanks, understood. The defrost and compressor icons are almost identical so I may have been mistaken with some of my timings.

that could explain it

I’ve now dusted off an old add-on for my DMM I’d forgotten I had, a temperature sensor. After checking its accuracy on my Bosch fridge/freezer, that’s making methodical diagnosis a bit easier. The ‘stable’ display (I.e. all quiet after a long period of compression, with no door opening) was reading -13 when actually mid shelf was at -18. I’m trying to use its (rather complex) program mode to recalibrate.

For practical reasons there’s only about one inch space at the back, against a wall, and at the top under my workbench. Is that OK?

Terry

not really, if that's where the hot heat exchanger is. A small fan could fix that but you'd then need to clean back there annually. If the hot bits are on the sides, less common, then that's where the airflow is needed. And of course the compressor needs airflow.


NT