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Re-gas a 12v fridge


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45 minutes ago, OldGoat said:

I have A Batts-LEC fridge freezer on the boat which runs beautifully - BUT the thermostat is pretty rubbish (it doesn't always cut out when it should.....

 

I wonder whether (given that the OP says the motor is running too long) it may be a 'stat problem and not the compressor setup?

There was no mention of whether the unit was too cold OR not cold enough which leads me to think that the stat: could be the issue.

It's worth having a look - tweek the stat control and see if and where on the setting dial it clicks into operation. Takes but a few minutes and could save some money...

Where did you get that from?

I can find no answer to my question as to whether or not the compressor would run at all.

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  • 6 months later...

I have the same problem with a Waeco CR110 under counter fridge freezer. The compressor constantly runs but the fridge isnt cooling. I replaced the thermostat unit but this hasnt made any difference so am led to believe it

is the refrigerant  that needs recharging. Research tells me it is R134A thats needed but am having a devils own job to find an engineer to refill it. The boat is in Staffordshire and Im in Cheshire. If anyone has a tame engineer that can help me out please let me know.

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Just now, Seajays said:

I have the same problem with a Waeco CR110 under counter fridge freezer. The compressor constantly runs but the fridge isnt cooling.

 

Is this a new installation ?

 

This is EXACTLY what happened to my Waco fridge when I installed it new.

It worked fine with the batteries on charge, or with the engine running.

 

I deduced it was a volt drop problem.

 

The cabling that was suitable for the previous fridge was not big enough for the Waeco so I had to run thicker cables from the bus-bar to the fridge. Once new (thicker) cables were installed it worked perfectly with engine on or off.

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I believe that R134A has been banned and not allowed in new things, maybe thats why you cant find someone to regas it. When my fridge did the same it went to the scrappy.

Edited by Loddon
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18 minutes ago, Seajays said:

I have the same problem with a Waeco CR110 under counter fridge freezer. The compressor constantly runs but the fridge isnt cooling. I replaced the thermostat unit but this hasnt made any difference so am led to believe it

is the refrigerant  that needs recharging. Research tells me it is R134A thats needed but am having a devils own job to find an engineer to refill it. The boat is in Staffordshire and Im in Cheshire. If anyone has a tame engineer that can help me out please let me know.

We've just been through all this with our Shoreline Larder Fridge. Electrics, voltage, compressor all find so diagnosis was a leak and cost of even trying to find out where leak would have been around £140 (Shoreline would have collected fridge) and even then might a) not have been able to fix at a sensible cost or b) unable to find leak. Rather than go that route or just go ahead and buy a new 12v larder fridge at the £550+, we've switched to a 230v larder fridge which cost under £140. We run 230v on the boat anyway and have a 230v table top running freezer separately and when out cruising batteries seem happy enough, so this seemed the best choice.

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10 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Is this a new installation ?

 

This is EXACTLY what happened to my Waco fridge when I installed it new.

It worked fine with the batteries on charge, or with the engine running.

 

I deduced it was a volt drop problem.

 

The cabling that was suitable for the previous fridge was not big enough for the Waeco so I had to run thicker cables from the bus-bar to the fridge. Once new (thicker) cables were installed it worked perfectly with engine on or off.

The Waeco fridge freezer was installed when the boat was new 6 years ago and has worked perfectly up until now. I wondered if it was something to do with the age of the 5 x 110amp leisure batteries but have been advised that if the fridge is still not working when hooked up to the shoreline I should discount this theory. Having also changed the full thermostat unit that just seems to leave the refrigerent that needs re-gassing. Whenever I ring anyone there is a sharp intake of breath as soon as they realise its for a boat although those "in the know" seem to be saying that its no different to regals that any other domestic fridge freezer. 

2 minutes ago, Jo_ said:

We've just been through all this with our Shoreline Larder Fridge. Electrics, voltage, compressor all find so diagnosis was a leak and cost of even trying to find out where leak would have been around £140 (Shoreline would have collected fridge) and even then might a) not have been able to fix at a sensible cost or b) unable to find leak. Rather than go that route or just go ahead and buy a new 12v larder fridge at the £550+, we've switched to a 230v larder fridge which cost under £140. We run 230v on the boat anyway and have a 230v table top running freezer separately and when out cruising batteries seem happy enough, so this seemed the best choice.

I can now appreciate the hoops you had to jump through but want to explore all avenues until I finally give in :)

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6 minutes ago, Loddon said:

I believe that R134A has been banned and is certainly not allowed in new things, maybe thats why you cant find someone to regas it. When my fridge did the same it went to the scrappy.

Rightly or wrongly I was informed that although its to be discontinued R134A is still available and is used in the unit. 600A is the new one but apparently there can be fire issues with this one and thats why the marine industry prefer to use the existing product

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24 minutes ago, Ronaldo47 said:

When I needed a refrigeration engineer for our home freezer around 4 years ago, I found one in my copy of Yellow Pages!  The latest  (2020-21) paper copy of the local  phone directory we still get from BT lists a couple.

Yes Im searching the classified but just thought there may be a knowledgable guy out there that could put it right in a jiffy.I live in hope !! :)

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2 hours ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Grab a supermarket fridge engineer and get it done as a foreigner!  Ask your local convenience shop owner who does his fridge repairs.

Could be worth a try, yes

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1 hour ago, Seajays said:

Could be worth a try, yes

Its a long way away but I have been told that there is a place in Braunston that fixes fridges and probably does plenty of boaters frdiges but i dont know the name of the company....sorry

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30 minutes ago, markeymark said:

Its a long way away but I have been told that there is a place in Braunston that fixes fridges and probably does plenty of boaters frdiges but i dont know the name of the company....sorry

It's Daventry Refrigeration or Fridge Company you're probably meaning (found that by searching on here a few weeks ago). I rang them and they were very nice and said they'd ask Brian (original owner of company but now really retired) and I'd have to get the fridge to them. They didn't call back so I assumed he'd said he wasn't doing them any more.

Edited by Jo_
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We had a Shoreline Fridge about 2009 around 5 years later it stopped cooling I took it to Shoreline who said there was a leak somewhere in the hidden pipework (modern fridges don't have that radiator thing on the back but it is all buried in the side somewhere) as the pipework is hidden the  leak is untraceable. The leak was unfortuantely one of those things that happen for no obvious reason. Wherupon they sold me a new fridge.

 

Now another 5 or 6 years has passed and the second fridge has expired with the same symtoms.

 

I  have had various fridges in houses over the years and all have lasted longer than 10 years. I am beginning to be a little suspicious that these converted fridges have some inbuilt issues that cause them to start leaking after a just  few years particularly after they have not been used for several months as was the case in both instances here. Perhaps a gasket in the filler point?

 

So if anyone know a fridge engineer near Hertfordshire  I will spend a little money investigating before going off to buy a 230 volt fridge and inverter!

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The normal method of gassing a fridge involves crimping,  folding and brazing or silver soldering the filler pipe once the gas is in. No gaskets involved.

 

I suspect the problem is in the Danfoss mechanical unit, if only because the evaporator and condenser pipework etc. are not disturbed in the conversion.  Not all of these Danfoss units  originate from the European factory.

 

N

 

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12 hours ago, BEngo said:

The normal method of gassing a fridge involves crimping,  folding and brazing or silver soldering the filler pipe once the gas is in. No gaskets involved.

 

I suspect the problem is in the Danfoss mechanical unit, if only because the evaporator and condenser pipework etc. are not disturbed in the conversion.  Not all of these Danfoss units  originate from the European factory.

 

N

 

 

Or  use a line tap valve to add more gas.

 

https://www.airconspares.com/diversitech-refrigerant-gas-removal-line-tap-valve-1-4?gclid=Cj0KCQjw3f6HBhDHARIsAD_i3D-IALwAgO7DyPmwrrs1JeRPve0rn6iMcwfgFr4I841PGPv_Ag3S3f4aApjwEALw_wcB

 

Pointless exercise until the system has been proven to have no leaks or the new gas will also leak out.

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42 minutes ago, Phoenix_V said:

but which one that is the question

As we have an inverter that will power it I went for a normal 230v larder fridge and later added an ice maker for the G&T 😎

I won't mention converting a 230v freezer to a fridge but it does work very well and uses less electricity than all but the most expensive fridges.

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16 hours ago, Seajays said:

Ok both, thanks for trying. I might try caravan & RV  people next in case they have anyone in mind

Yup, tried that as well as one of the huge independent RV/caravan/mobile home dealers is only down the road. But they have their own in-house people for maintenance and fixes and not interested in outside work - indeed at the moment so busy they can't even cope with their inhouse demands!

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6 minutes ago, Loddon said:

As we have an inverter that will power it I went for a normal 230v larder fridge and later added an ice maker for the G&T 😎

I won't mention converting a 230v freezer to a fridge but it does work very well and uses less electricity than all but the most expensive fridges.

A lot will depend on the hole it came out of and whether a standard domestic fridge with a freezer compartment would fit. Looks like I will have to drag it out and take a look

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