Many years ago I bought my first house, a real fixer upper, it had a fridge just like the one in the picture. It worked just fine. On the back it said it used sulfur dioxide for refrigerant. I'd never heard of that before. That fridge still ran after probably 50 years. I'm just curious if any of them are still left un-converted to freon. Yeah, they were heavy beasts too. TPTB said that SO2 was too dangeous to use, but actual facts are murky on that topic.Got 3 IH's and one 1930 Westinghouse, like the one pictured without legs. Except the tag on the back says it takes F-12.
I had a 50's GM side-by-side that I abandoned when I sold a house. That was one I never should've let go of, but we had to take the doors off the fridge to get it inside, and it felt like they were filled with concrete. I just didn't feel up to it at the time but wish I had kept it now.
It had a heated compartment in the fridge door where you put the butter so it would stay soft. Never saw anything like that before or since.
I'm pretty fond of grilled cheese sandwiches which you need soft butter to spread on the bread. The little Styrofoam container sits on top of my fridge and the butter stays just the right temp in it for spreading.Got 3 IH's and one 1930 Westinghouse, like the one pictured without legs. Except the tag on the back says it takes F-12.
I had a 50's GM side-by-side that I abandoned when I sold a house. That was one I never should've let go of, but we had to take the doors off the fridge to get it inside, and it felt like they were filled with concrete. I just didn't feel up to it at the time but wish I had kept it now.
It had a heated compartment in the fridge door where you put the butter so it would stay soft. Never saw anything like that before or since.
A couple years ago I sold one that my mom had. It was an old curved top from the 50s or so. My parents picked it up for free back when we lived in Winfield KS and my dad figured he would plug it in and see if it still worked and it did. So it has been to a number of different states from KS like NE, TN, MS, MI, and then to MO.Just wondering if anyone remembers the sulfur dioxide refrigerant types sold before freon. Any still working? Got pictures? 1930's GE? Some had a 'top hat' style condenser on the top.View attachment 107965
Just wondering if anyone remembers the sulfur dioxide refrigerant types sold before freon. Any still working? Got pictures? 1930's GE? Some had a 'top hat' style condenser on the top.View attachment 107965
I have one like this, it’s used for holding junk for the last 65 years.
R12 was Dichlorodifluoromethane, —It turns out that sulfur dioxide fridges run beautifully if the lines are properly purged and they’re filled with the stuff in the aerosol “air duster” cans. That’s what restorers are using nowadays to keep them going.
When I was young I would play around our family dump. The dump was 1/2 a mile or so from the buildings. There was an old refrigerator. I was messing around with it, I broke a line, gas came out that took my breath away. I couldn't breathe for a short time. I ran awa from the thing and was ok. I told my friend, lets get out of here. 65 years later I have my grandmas old GE exposed coil top refrigerator. I wonder if it has the nasty gas inside? StanMany years ago I bought my first house, a real fixer upper, it had a fridge just like the one in the picture. It worked just fine. On the back it said it used sulfur dioxide for refrigerant. I'd never heard of that before. That fridge still ran after probably 50 years. I'm just curious if any of them are still left un-converted to freon. Yeah, they were heavy beasts too. TPTB said that SO2 was too dangeous to use, but actual facts are murky on that topic.
Refrigerators from the late 1800s until 1929 used the toxic gasses, ammonia (NH3), methyl chloride (CH3Cl), and sulfur dioxide (SO2), as refrigerants. Several fatal accidents occurred
Who Invented the first home Refrigerator?
The first practical home electric refrigerator was introduced by General Electric (GE). Albert Marsh, a chemist working for GE, developed an improved electric heating element that was used in the first commercially successful domestic refrigerator called the “Monitor-Top” refrigerator. This refrigerator was introduced in 1927 and was designed by Ralph J. Hull. It featured a hermetically sealed compressor and used a refrigerant called sulfur dioxide (SO2).
Is sulfur dioxide a health hazard?
Despite its utility, the compound poses significant health risks, including respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological disorders when inhaled in excess.
I never seen the first home refrig. If I had one I would want it in my house or garage.
Too dangerous
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