Waeco CR-110 12v Fridge Faulty - Need Advice Please

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GAJ52

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I have Waeco CR-110 fridge that was fitted in my boat 5 years ago, so its now out of warranty.

Its just started playing up, the main compartment only cools to about 16 deg while the ice box is still cold enough to make ice. Dometic who didn't appear very interested gave me the nearest service guy who is well out of my area and can't help.

Has anyone else had a similar problem and got it fixed, as the only other option is a new fridge at about £800.

BTW my location is Penton Hook Marina at Chertsey

Glen
 
I'd say it's short of refrigerant. Get it sorted before it starts to overwork the compressor, as it will run forever trying to bring the fridge down to temp. Any mobile fridge engineer should be able to fix it.

Another option is a bit cheap and nasty, but see if the fridge has a service port that's compatible with a car air-con top up can. If so, very carefully add a little gas at a time until it works. Add a bit, see if it works, repeat as necessary.
 
Hi,

from a little fiddling with refrigerators it appear to me that the compressor is very durable and is not likely to fail, while the thermostat and refrigerant filling are the weakest links in a boat.
A lot of vibration may cause a small crack on the refrigerant tube and a leak.
The thermostat is quite open and may seize up due to corrosion. Your old friend penetrating oil may save the day once again. Try change the temperature setting. If the wheel is stuck I suspect this. Remove the wheel and the housing (if possible) and inspect and clean. You can get a new thermostat quite cheap on the web, but it may not be quick and easy to change.

If the thermostat is the problem then the compressor should run too seldom
If the refrigerant filling is the problem should run too often

Also check if the fridge door gasket is ok

Jan
 
Many thanks for your reply.

I think I read somewhere that this is a sealed unit with no means to add refrigerant, I may be wrong which is one of the reasons I requested help from someone that's had a similar problem. I would hate to employ the services of a service engineer only to be told topping up is not possible.
 
We had probs with ours, have you moved it lately as they need to be level.

You can do a quck check of this by simply putting water in the ice tray or on a saucer inside, and see if it is even all around.

Alan
 
Good point about a small crack in the tube, my boat does vibrate quite significantly with both engines at idle. The thermostat rotates quite freely throughout it complete range. I'll try and get the fridge out and check the tubes where visable.
 
GAJ52 said:
Many thanks for your reply.

I think I read somewhere that this is a sealed unit with no means to add refrigerant, I may be wrong which is one of the reasons I requested help from someone that's had a similar problem. I would hate to employ the services of a service engineer only to be told topping up is not possible.
Click to expand...

All fridges are sealed, some have service ports and some don't. Topping up is absolutely 100% possible on either though. If i has a port you could add some gas from Halfords etc, if not you'll need to get an engineer out. He can evacuate the fridge, fit a service port and re-gas. All assuming it is just in need of a re-charge, rather than having a leak, bit fridges running on R134a refrigerant do need periodic servicing. Five years from new seems a bit short though.

Any refrigeration engineer should be able to do this for you, even a decent car air-con engineer.
 
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PaulRainbow said:
All fridges are sealed, some have service ports and some don't. Topping up is absolutely 100% possible on either though. If i has a port you could add some gas from Halfords etc, if not you'll need to get an engineer out. He can evacuate the fridge, fit a service port and re-gas. All assuming it is just in need of a re-charge, rather than having a leak, bit fridges running on R134a refrigerant do need periodic servicing. Five years from new seems a bit short though.

Any refrigeration engineer should be able to do this for you, even a decent car air-con engineer.
Click to expand...

Thanks again. I'll take the fridge out and have a look.
 
Happy Dayz said:
We had probs with ours, have you moved it lately as they need to be level.

You can do a quck check of this by simply putting water in the ice tray or on a saucer inside, and see if it is even all around.

Alan
Click to expand...

Doesn't need to be that level, or it wouldn't work on a boat.
 
Unfortunately loss of refrigerant from any fridge is a difficult problem to fix properly. Just topping off will merely delay the problem for another day, and how long that day is away will depend upon the severity of the leak.

Any decent fridge engineer should be able to find out if the system is short, but avoid those who just want to top it up. Not only is this illegal they are not really helping you.

Finding a small leak on a small fridge can be time consuming, and to degas, pressure test, find a leak, then if feasible seal the leak, re-pressure test, then evacuate, then re-charge is not just 2 - 3 hours work.

So consider how much you earn for your days work, and then expect the fridge engineer will expect to be paid a reasonable sum also for his skill and not least equipment.

Yes there is a guy down the pub or in the yard that will do all this for £20 or £30. But in my industry the standard rate is £400 - 600 /day equating to an hourly rate of ~ £50 - £75 and expect a minimum charge of at least 4 hours, plus materials. You can see just 1.5 days fiddling with your fridge makes renewal a more attractive proposition.

I do have the advantage I can fix mine, and properly legally, but when my fridge at home gives up, I go to Curries.
 
Very good point, thanks for your advice. I've seen a new Waeco CRX-110 on the web for about £750, maybe I should just bite the bullet and replace it.
 
superheat6k said:
Unfortunately loss of refrigerant from any fridge is a difficult problem to fix properly. Just topping off will merely delay the problem for another day, and how long that day is away will depend upon the severity of the leak.

Any decent fridge engineer should be able to find out if the system is short, but avoid those who just want to top it up. Not only is this illegal they are not really helping you.

Finding a small leak on a small fridge can be time consuming, and to degas, pressure test, find a leak, then if feasible seal the leak, re-pressure test, then evacuate, then re-charge is not just 2 - 3 hours work.

So consider how much you earn for your days work, and then expect the fridge engineer will expect to be paid a reasonable sum also for his skill and not least equipment.

Yes there is a guy down the pub or in the yard that will do all this for £20 or £30. But in my industry the standard rate is £400 - 600 /day equating to an hourly rate of ~ £50 - £75 and expect a minimum charge of at least 4 hours, plus materials. You can see just 1.5 days fiddling with your fridge makes renewal a more attractive proposition.

I do have the advantage I can fix mine, and properly legally, but when my fridge at home gives up, I go to Curries.
Click to expand...

You trot this out with every fridge problem and it just isn't necessarily correct.

Back in the days of R12, when it was short of gas it was always a leak. Today, with R134a that isn't always the case. If it was every car over a very few years old would be getting a new air-con system.

It's also totally untrue that it is illegal to top up. It's certainly true that it's illegal to vent to atmosphere, but there is noting illegal about adding refrigerant to an existing system.

Not everyone charges £400 a day and your "industry" is not domestic or marine refrigeration. How do you imagine domestic refrigeration engineers exist ? What's wrong with the guy in the yard who'd look at it for £20-£30 ? Answer = nothing at all if he knows what he's doing.
 
I had a problem with my Waeco CR-40 last year and all Waeco could say was to send it back (to Germany) ya right !

I suggest you ask around and see if there is a local refrigeration repair or service company nearer as many look after large commercial projects, most Waeco fridges use
a Danfoss compressor and you will find most refrigeration companies are used to them. a local company helped me, only problem was I had to take to fridge to them off the boat
BUT they sorted the problem for £75 including completely re gassing it!
 
PaulRainbow said:
It's also totally untrue that it is illegal to top up. It's certainly true that it's illegal to vent to atmosphere, but there is noting illegal about adding refrigerant to an existing system.

Not everyone charges £400 a day and your "industry" is not domestic or marine refrigeration. How do you imagine domestic refrigeration engineers exist ? What's wrong with the guy in the yard who'd look at it for £20-£30 ? Answer = nothing at all if he knows what he's doing.
Click to expand...

Topping up is certainly not illegal in the UK.

I have a large canister of R134A which I use to top up all my families cars when they start to not cool the car very well. This has always been successful over the years apart from one of my current cars where I topped it up to the recommended pressure but it started locking-up the compressor and I realised that the system would need to be vented out.

I found a small local specialist a/c workshop who checked the system and explained that the condenser had a small leak and hence the original problem in what was only a 4 year old car. I don't normally ever use garages for anything and could have fitted the condenser myself but I decided not to vent off the contents so paid the a/c chap to do it.

He had the car for 2 or 3 days and the total bill including new condenser, de-gassing and re-gassing and all labour was £250 so I was happy with that.

Two years later and it's still running fine.

Richard
 
PaulRainbow said:
You trot this out with every fridge problem and it just isn't necessarily correct.

Back in the days of R12, when it was short of gas it was always a leak. Today, with R134a that isn't always the case. If it was every car over a very few years old would be getting a new air-con system.

It's also totally untrue that it is illegal to top up. It's certainly true that it's illegal to vent to atmosphere, but there is noting illegal about adding refrigerant to an existing system.

Not everyone charges £400 a day and your "industry" is not domestic or marine refrigeration. How do you imagine domestic refrigeration engineers exist ? What's wrong with the guy in the yard who'd look at it for £20-£30 ? Answer = nothing at all if he knows what he's doing.
Click to expand...
It is not a case of trotting this out - it is an attitude to refrigeration that it is OK to top off systems when this is illegal. I didn't write the rules, just follow them. The fact we have a nationwide car maintenance industry ignoring the F Gas Directive and EPA 1990 is a major shame, but doesn't make it right. Besides these systems use compressors with (leaky) shaft seals. The majority of boat systems are hermetically sealed, so the analogy with the poor systems used in cars is irrelevant anyway, although those systems using instant connectors should din my view be outlawed, as all such connections will leak to one extent or another.

Despite what you say, it is illegal to add refrigerant to any system known or suspected to be leaking - this is clearly set out in law. So if the gas has gone it must have leaked. I assume you do not hold F Gas Qualification, otherwise you would know this.

I am never going to agree with you on this. Nor why marine fridge engineers should be taken as cheap. Fridge just like engines are not cheap to apply anyone's labour to. I do accept they are disproportionate to their base value compared with a marine engine. Why industrial labour rates should be at variance with those charged for domestic or semi commercial systems baffles me, unless of course you accept you are simply getting what you pay for.
 
superheat6k said:
Despite what you say, it is illegal to add refrigerant to any system known or suspected to be leaking - this is clearly set out in law. So if the gas has gone it must have leaked. I assume you do not hold F Gas Qualification, otherwise you would know this.
Click to expand...

Generally best not to make assumptions.

I'm sure you're aware of the process, others reading this may not be. When a system has an issue like this the basic procedure is to evacuate all of the refrigerant and leave the vac pump running for 30-40 minutes (domestic/marine refrigeration and automotive air-con). You then leave it sitting for another 30-40 minutes and check that the vacuum hasn't reduced. If it hasn't, you refill the system with a measured amount of refrigerant.

To say that just because the refrigerant is low means that it has leaked out and is hence illegal is twisting the regulations. If the system holds vacuum then it doesn't have a detectable leak and it is therefore perfectly legal to recharge it.

On the other hand, if it won't hold vacuum, it's taken less than an hour to diagnose a leak. It's then a case of deciding of that leak is worth pursuing or if it's best to replace the unit.

To even suggest that anyone in the domestic/marine refrigeration or air-con business has a minimum charge of 4 hours is just madness. A quick Google suggests £40-£50 would get someone out to take a look.
 
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