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I have a chest freezer that I got free. I planned on fixing it and turning it into a keezer or a fermentation chamber. It does not cool but the compressor is running and gets warm. I thought it was the relay. Try to find a relay for an old freezer. I was going to test the compressor by bypassing the relay momentarily. This seems inheritantly dangerous. Is there any way to safely test a compressor without a relay?

If the compressor is running, it doesn't seem like an electrical problem at all.

Chances are, your freezer might be too low on refrigerant to be able to start cooling. Check to see what refrigerant it has and how much it uses on the label, as you can buy top-up kits from Canadian Tire that might be able to get your freezer back up and running.

Often times, there is a port off the compressor that might be capped and it looks like a small air-line fitting (or large tire valve) to add refrigerant. The Canadian tire kit has gauges to help you figure out how much pressure the system is running and is a great aid in reviving those old units without too much hassle.

Hope that helps a bit,
Pepper

Thanks pepper I thought either the compressor valves weren't seating or it wasn't getting enough amperage to start compressing as I didn't hear the click buzzing sound typical of these compressors when they are under load. So I think the compressor motor is running but not compressing.