I am frustrated :(

I picked up a side by side fridge on CL to use for a fermentation chamber for my beer that I am brewing and it after spending hours cleaning the hell out of this thing (to make it remotely usable) It wont cool at all :( Figures right! The lady says that it was running before they remodeled their kitchen but who knows...i find it hard to believe she would blatantly lie, but you never know I guess.

I cant tell if the compressor is running at all. It kinda vibrates, but i am not sure if that is from a fan or something. How else can i tell it is running?

The coils in the back of the freezer do not get cool to the touch at all. They are totally room temperature no matter how long i leave it on and the fridge has been in the same spot for going on three days.

The fan at the top works, and the one beside the condenser words as well.

When i unplugged the thermostat in the fridge (from the connector) the unit would not power on. I then plugged in the connector again but unplugged the two wires going to the thermostat ( i believe - one wire in one out with the metal piece that reads the temp in there) and it would not turn on. I crossed those two wires and it turned on.

How can i tell if the compressor is running? I dont really hear anything (fan noise back there is pretty loud just from it running so i cant tell)

please help.. there is precious beer to be brewed. I had such big plans for this thing. I will be so upset if it is the condenser or a refrigerant issue :(

OH! another oddity - the light in the fridge side works but the freezer does not. I guess that could be the door switch that is bad, but doesnt that usually stay on the whole time not never come on?

I am confused by the coils in the back of the fridge getting hot.

How does the unit cool then? Or are the condenser coils the ones under the fridge (or on the back sometimes)?

I can kinda feel the condenser vibrating and it does get warm. When my chest freezer stars cooling, i can hear it for sure. I dont get that with this unit at all. Is that normal?

I transported it on its side, but it stood for almost 2 days before it was plugged in.