Fridge woes

Bouba

Bouba

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Hi everyone…my boat has a 12v fridge about ten years old. It used to be very efficient…but lately I have to turn it up high and it still won’t freeze.
The user manual said clean the fan and fins which I did with a compressor and vacuum cleaner…it didn’t work
Any suggestions ?
 
Bouba said:
Hi everyone…my boat has a 12v fridge about ten years old. It used to be very efficient…but lately I have to turn it up high and it still won’t freeze.
The user manual said clean the fan and fins which I did with a compressor and vacuum cleaner…it didn’t work
Any suggestions ?
Click to expand...
Sounds like it may require re-gassing. Problem is why has it lost the gas to start with ?
 
Boathook said:
Sounds like it may require re-gassing. Problem is why has it lost the gas to start with ?
Click to expand...
I know how to get a car air conditioner re gassed….but are there people who can visit your boat to do it ? And does the fridge have the ability to be re gassed ?
 
I have been regassing my systems myself.
A/C is more difficult to get the correct refrigerant but a simple fridge will probably be using R134A which is available in most car spares shops (eg Halfords in the UK stock it).
So, check your fridge to see what refrigerant it uses.
Fridges are made as cheaply as they can so there usually isn't a port where you can add/top up the refrigerant.
However, during the manufacture, they will have charged the fridge with a short pipe that they the seal.
On our drinks fridge, we cut the seal and added a Schrader Valve so that we could top the refrigerant up ourselves.
Like this:-
2026-03-11_19-37.resized.png

It is then a matter of having a set of pipes and gauges etc - and the "know how" to recharge the fridge.
I thought ours had a leak but after recharging it, it has worked well for the last 3 years.
So I will just add more refrigerant if it needs it.

Ask around - there is a guy in our marina who does this kind of thing in his spare time as long as he can get the refrigerant.

Other than that, you have to "bite the bullet" and buy a new fridge - marine fridges are eye wateringly expensive and you probably won't find a domestic fridge that fits your physical dimensions. If you can find a domestic fridge that fits - BUY IT - and run it with an inverter. IMO, marine fridges are a complete "rip off" - you can get FAR better/efficient domestic fridges.
 
Hurricane said:
I have been regassing my systems myself.
A/C is more difficult to get the correct refrigerant but a simple fridge will probably be using R134A which is available in most car spares shops (eg Halfords in the UK stock it).
So, check your fridge to see what refrigerant it uses.
Fridges are made as cheaply as they can so there usually isn't a port where you can add/top up the refrigerant.
However, during the manufacture, they will have charged the fridge with a short pipe that they the seal.
On our drinks fridge, we cut the seal and added a Schrader Valve so that we could top the refrigerant up ourselves.
Like this:-
View attachment 207646

It is then a matter of having a set of pipes and gauges etc - and the "know how" to recharge the fridge.
I thought ours had a leak but after recharging it, it has worked well for the last 3 years.
So I will just add more refrigerant if it needs it.

Ask around - there is a guy in our marina who does this kind of thing in his spare time as long as he can get the refrigerant.

Other than that, you have to "bite the bullet" and buy a new fridge - marine fridges are eye wateringly expensive and you probably won't find a domestic fridge that fits your physical dimensions. If you can find a domestic fridge that fits - BUY IT - and run it with an inverter. IMO, marine fridges are a complete "rip off" - you can get FAR better/efficient domestic fridges.
Click to expand...
Done some research and the parts are cheap




Have asked a local electrician to come and see…hopefully he can do the job because as usual I don’t want another awkward to access job even if the work might be straight forward.
Hurricane, did you vacuum the tank ?
Ps…the bullet piercing valve was only €14
 
Boathook said:
If your compressor is separate to the fridge it may well have a refilling point, a bit like the one Hurricane showed in post 8. Worth doing some looking ....
Click to expand...
The compressor is separate but it looks as Hurricane describes just a sealed cheapie…not like a car air conditioner system
The piercing bullet valve looks like a quick and easy way to add a regassing point
 
Latest update…a technician is coming tomorrow morning
So fingers crossed…the replacement fridge in the boat catalogue is €1300 😳
 
Hurricane said:
If he is an electrician, you will probably have the wrong guy.
You really need an Air Con man who is prepared to work with a fridge.
Click to expand...
The office called him a plumber…I think if you work in a port on an island…you probably develop into a Jack of all trades
Anyhow…we don’t know if he’s coming to work or just look. We were planning to sail before lunch
 
Bouba said:
The office called him a plumber…I think if you work in a port on an island…you probably develop into a Jack of all trades
Anyhow…we don’t know if he’s coming to work or just look. We were planning to sail before lunch
Click to expand...
In the raw definition of a "plumber" - he probably won't know what to do either.
To do refrigeration work properly, is quite a specialised person.
 
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