Recharging my fridge HELP

Jabs

Jabs

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My fridge worked perfectly all summer, continuously for six months.
I turned it off for about a month then nothing. Compressor runs but one degree of cooling.

It's a Frigoboat with a keel cooler.
I've attached gauges to the one port on the compressor and I've got about sixty psi, so I tried hooking up refrigerant and it won't take any!

I'm at a complete loss to know what to do.

Any ideas gratefully received!

Thanks

Tony
 
Jabs said:
My fridge worked perfectly all summer, continuously for six months.
I turned it off for about a month then nothing. Compressor runs but one degree of cooling.

It's a Frigoboat with a keel cooler.
I've attached gauges to the one port on the compressor and I've got about sixty psi, so I tried hooking up refrigerant and it won't take any!

I'm at a complete loss to know what to do.

Any ideas gratefully received!

Thanks

Tony
Click to expand...

My Frigoboat fridge had the same symptoms and was diagnosed as having lost some coolant. I contacted a local professional for a re-gas but he said it is very difficult to find and repair the leak and no point in re-gassing before doing so. He recommended i go and buy a new fridge.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk
 
Mine, also a Frigoboat with keel cooler, did this last summer; an engineer came and said most likely moisture in the gas has frozen and blocked the system, a common fault he said. He dried it out (took about an hour connected to his pump) then re-gassed it. Has worked perfectly ever since. Cost about £90.
Boat was new to me a year ago. Engineer found a moisture-removing gadget installed next to the pump but not connected. He reconnected it and left it that way.
After that, I spoke to the previous owner, he said he'd put that unit there and used it to clear a problem, then left it disconnected but couldn't explain why.
 
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Generally, any work done on recharging refridgeration systems which have lost their gas, requires that a vacuum pump is connected to remove any air and water vapour. Once the pressure has been reduced to a fraction of a mbar, the pump is isolated and the gas valve opened.
 
Standing pressure of 60 psi suggests your unit is quite warm, and if the unit is warmer than the supply cylinder then the pressure in the cylinder will be lower.

You do not mention what gas you are using, but if R134a then 60 psi is quite high as a standing pressure. However, 60 psi is a bit low for R22 / R407C and way to low for R410A. If you system is direly short then perhaps the port you have chosen in the discharge port, normally the upper and smaller pipe off the compressor.

As the system runs the suction pressure will fall, allowing the gas from the cylinder to charge into the system. The suction is the tepid or cold pipe, the discharge is the hot pipe when running.

The notion of moisture within the system causing a blockage is quite possible. As the liquid refrigerant passes through the expansion tube or valve its temperature plummets, this allows any moisture to freeze, and this can block the pipe.

As already mentioned if it has leaked and if you do not find and fix the leak it will simply leak again. The only way to get moisture out will be to degas it entirely and evacuate to deep vacuum, below 5 torr and with the unit generally at least 10oC or warmer.

Much of this requires a qualified engineer to attend to if it to be done legally BTW, and degassing by venting is definitely illegal, as incidentally is charging gas to a system known or suspected to be leaking.
 
superheat6k said:
Standing pressure of 60 psi suggests your unit is quite warm, and if the unit is warmer than the supply cylinder then the pressure in the cylinder will be lower.

You do not mention what gas you are using, but if R134a then 60 psi is quite high as a standing pressure. However, 60 psi is a bit low for R22 / R407C and way to low for R410A. If you system is direly short then perhaps the port you have chosen in the discharge port, normally the upper and smaller pipe off the compressor.

As the system runs the suction pressure will fall, allowing the gas from the cylinder to charge into the system. The suction is the tepid or cold pipe, the discharge is the hot pipe when running.

The notion of moisture within the system causing a blockage is quite possible. As the liquid refrigerant passes through the expansion tube or valve its temperature plummets, this allows any moisture to freeze, and this can block the pipe.

As already mentioned if it has leaked and if you do not find and fix the leak it will simply leak again. The only way to get moisture out will be to degas it entirely and evacuate to deep vacuum, below 5 torr and with the unit generally at least 10oC or warmer.

Much of this requires a qualified engineer to attend to if it to be done legally BTW, and degassing by venting is definitely illegal, as incidentally is charging gas to a system known or suspected to be leaking.
Click to expand...

Just been to the States and see that they have finally seen sense, cans of 134a back on the supermarket shelves along with access guages! Plus I would like to know who is actually going to administer the law in the UK about gassing systems? And who is going to let them know!
Stu
 
Jabs said:
My fridge worked perfectly all summer, continuously for six months.
I turned it off for about a month then nothing. Compressor runs but one degree of cooling.

It's a Frigoboat with a keel cooler.
I've attached gauges to the one port on the compressor and I've got about sixty psi, so I tried hooking up refrigerant and it won't take any!

I'm at a complete loss to know what to do.

Any ideas gratefully received!

Thanks

Tony
Click to expand...

The common port setup on boat fridges is for the service port to just be on a short stub, sticking out of the compressor. That being the case, it's a low pressure port but as it's been standing the pressure would be the same throughout the system. 60 PSi after 6 months standing does not suggest a leak. When you switch the fridge on and the compressor runs, the pressure should steadily drop, if it does not you almost certainly do have a blockage (could be a failed compressor, but very, very doubtful).

If you do have a blockage the only hope is to get someone out to fix it. Anyone who does domestic refrigeration or car air conditioning will be able to do it.
 
Thanks to all
It is R134a and ambient is 20c
I've exhausted all my possibilities so need an expert with a vac pump!

I just wish there was an option to replace it all once with professional
Kit!
Seems I have issues every season!

Does everyone?

Tony
 
Although you can buy a manifold kit and a small vac pump from Amazon for a total of £100 the problem you have is it is illegal to discharge fridge gases into the atmosphere and you will have to get rid of the 60psi already in the system if you wish to vac it down.
 
Jabs said:
My fridge worked perfectly all summer, continuously for six months.
I turned it off for about a month then nothing. Compressor runs but one degree of cooling.

It's a Frigoboat with a keel cooler.
I've attached gauges to the one port on the compressor and I've got about sixty psi, so I tried hooking up refrigerant and it won't take any!

I'm at a complete loss to know what to do.

Any ideas gratefully received!

Thanks

Tony
Click to expand...
Ok youve got guages, what pressure when stopped? and what pressure when running? That info will tell us what port you are connected to, the hi pressure or lo pressure or whether the darn thing is working at all!
Stu
On my Bene and others Ive looked at there are two access ports, Danfoss compressor. Curious you only have one.
 
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I`ve got exactly the same set up repeating the same fault. I`ve fixed it three times... Its not difficult...and requires no special tools or equipment. Here`s what to do.
Let your fridge system completely thaw out.....then look for low points in the capillary tube...this is where, most likely, any moisture will collect. My low point is just inside the fridge box under the fridge plate.
Put a cereal bowl or similar of as hot as you can bear to touch water near the low point. Have a wash up sponge or similar handy.

Set your fridge going...you should be hearing a sort of rattling noise from the fridge plate. Feel that the capillary tube is getting cold.....in fact...its probably going to freeze quite quickly. Dip the wash up sponge in the hot water and wrap it around the capillary tube.....you may have to keep replacing the water in the sponge as it gets cooled off quite quickly. Keep this up for about 15 minutes and the water should gradually turn into vapour and be redistributed around the system but not in quantities sufficient to cause a blockage...
This really DOES work. Let us know how you get on.
 
NOHOH said:
I`ve got exactly the same set up repeating the same fault. I`ve fixed it three times... Its not difficult...and requires no special tools or equipment. Here`s what to do.
Let your fridge system completely thaw out.....then look for low points in the capillary tube...this is where, most likely, any moisture will collect. My low point is just inside the fridge box under the fridge plate.
Put a cereal bowl or similar of as hot as you can bear to touch water near the low point. Have a wash up sponge or similar handy.

Set your fridge going...you should be hearing a sort of rattling noise from the fridge plate. Feel that the capillary tube is getting cold.....in fact...its probably going to freeze quite quickly. Dip the wash up sponge in the hot water and wrap it around the capillary tube.....you may have to keep replacing the water in the sponge as it gets cooled off quite quickly. Keep this up for about 15 minutes and the water should gradually turn into vapour and be redistributed around the system but not in quantities sufficient to cause a blockage...
This really DOES work. Let us know how you get on.
Click to expand...
Love it, unconventional, but works! Looking at the Penguin site I think you can buy pre charged driers and could put one of those in the system to catch the moisture!
Stu
 
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