Mini Fridge Saga Help please

[Efacsen]

I need a mini fridge in my room - they seem to be going out of fashion in favour of chillers etc and so not easy to find

At last my little fridge was delivered today and there is my food for the next 5 days waiting to be put away

In the process of un-packing it the styro-foam surrounding the coolant pipe was removed

I'm not convinced that this was the correct thing to do - the instruction booklet is no help and there is contradictory advice online

Please does anyone know if this is right or wrong - and if wrong will it be dangerous to switch on/use the fridge??

I’ve never seen any fridge with polystyrene on the pipes or anywhere near the compressor. Where was the online info saying that the foam should be left on the pipe? How could that be unsafe?

This is it but not the same make as my fridge - there was nothing for the make I've got except the instruction manual which I've already got

https://www.haierappliances.com/support/support-content/37428

Take a photo, save it to your device. In the post go to 'add image' and you upload the image from your device and it'll show up in your post unless it is too large I suspect.

You can't copy and paste an image into a post as you write one though, no.

Ah right so cold but not as cold as a fridge. Never knew there was any such thing.

Are you in the USA or UK? I think your terminology of mini fridge may be confusing people. This is generally what is meant by a mini fridge in the UK, they are tiny and are used for keeping drinks cool. Not sure what you mean by chiller.

The inside of one.

@goneaway2 re terminology

My appliance is just a very small fridge 45cm x 45cn x 51cm - variously called mini fridge, table top fridge, compact fridge

Your picture is of a chiller or cooler which is for chilling drinks [or make up] runs at much higher temp ie 10-18 degrees so not intended or suitable for refrigerating food

I only mentioned chillers/coolers in relation to them being more popular and how difficult it was to find the one I wanted and bought to store food

I think i would say small fridge op. "The term "mini fridge" is indeed used inaccurately to describe many low quality coolers that "chill" drinks with a fan.

Unless you spent a lot of energy ripping off something that was supposed to be permanent, I’d say you’re safe to go.
The coolant pipe is quite fragile and away from the rest of the machine so they put protection on it for transport.
If you’ve read the instructions you’ll have seen it needs a certain time for the coolant gas to “rest” before you switch it on.

I bought a 50x 50 mini fridge this summer between my old one breaking down and the new one arriving so my memory’s fresh. I got rid of it for half price because it held so little (not even 1.5litre bottles as a drinks fridge).

Thanks

I really just want to know if a vital part has been removed or if it was just packing - packing usually comes in moulded pieces which you just take not tightly encasing things

It's important to me because it's the majority of my food for next week and I can't get to the fridge in the kitchen atm Buying it was a stop-gap just to cover the next few days and if I hadn't got it I would have done a different shop of non refrigerated food

Also I'm upset about my son being so angry with me

What is the make and model of your fridge?

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Typical back view.

Why don't you just contact the manufacturer to ask? Or if the same fridge is available on amazon you could post a question on the q&a on the amazon product's page.

I think people here will just be guessing without knowledge of the model you have.

I didn't actually see it being removed - the pieces that came off weren't tiny and had to be picked off - came away in medium sized lumps pretty easily

I've had one before too when my fridge-freezer died -went to Oxfam electricals cos it was just in the way not being used

Previous one had a 'naked' coolant piping but was quite a while ago so maybe progress

That photo is from a current LG model on sale.

I tried phoning last night - permanently engaged until lines closed at 8pm will try again when they open at 8am

Model is Mini fridge/table top fridge Simple Value DF1-06 from Argos

Thank you that's pretty much what it looks like!

There is one here on an eBay listing. if you scroll the photos you can see the white insulation foam on the pipe. This is not polystyrene but it is insulation. You should be able to buy it in any DIY shop in the plumbing section. Send your angry young adult out to buy some, it might cool him off.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/403889977627?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5339016704&toolid=10049&customid=FG_IE

Has the white insulation been taken off?

If it had to be picked off in lumps then it wasn't supposed to be removed.

Thank you that's exactly it

No trips to DIY stores - he's already gone to work then straight from there he's away on holiday - like many people he doesn't get a lunch break

I understand why he's angry - it doesn't help in solving this

Insulation seems a strange thing to put on something you want to radiate heat

That's my feeling

Also no instructions in the manual to remove before use

Who took it off, your son? Why has this made him angry with you?

You can still use the fridge as long as it's maintaining temperature, it'll just be less efficient

Well hopefully you can get someone to purchase and attach the insulation foam or that you can get it online and do it yourself. I think the fact that it is held on with cable ties would strongly suggest it shouldn’t have been removed.
I don’t understand the bit about radiating heat, perhaps the pipe radiates heat and the insulation captures and dissipates it and thereby prevents the wall behind the fridge getting hot and burnt as such (peeling paint, scorching the wall etc). I am not a plumber/electrician/scientist, I am just speculating.
best of luck with it.