new kegging system and kegerator setup! good and bad

Well I'm finally done with bottling. What a relief. I bought the brew logic two keg system from midwest and got it yesterday. Got a tank filled today on my way to work. Tonight I hooked everything up, santized my keg, and put it into my GE 4.3cf modified kegerator.

So that's all the good stuff. On to the bad.

I of course had to bend back the freezer section of the fridge to clear a corny keg. I can fit two inside now. But upon firing up the fridge for the first time (I have never tested the thing, I know, my bad) it made some hissing and popping sounds. The compressor has been running for awhile and the sound continues. I was under the assumption that since it did not hiss when I bent back the freezer compartment that I hadn't caused a leak. But now I am beginning to think I did after all. Is the freon not under pressure until the compressor gets going?

It's getting cold and I'm still going to try it out. Im only out $20 if this kegerator fails, so it's not that big of a deal. Should I start looking for a new fridge (keezer is the goal) ASAP? Or should I just RDWHAHB?

I'll bet it's fine. I remember my fermentation freezer hissing and popping like mad the first time I fired it up. I figured it was a result of being on its back during the move from the previous owner. It was a $50 craigslist find a couple years ago and still runs like a Swiss watch.

that's reassuring to hear. I transported it on it's side as well, so maybe that is the cause. I gave it enough time for the oil to settle I thought but I didn't realize it would make noise!

Whenever a refrigerator of any kind is transported, it should be allowed 24 to 48 hours to sit upright to allow any oil migration to return and settle. Being a new unit, the compressor valves should have kept any oil from leaving the compressor on the high side (discharge) but one can never be certain.

When you bent back the freezer section, did you by chance kink either of the lines? If so, you may not have a leak, but a restriction which could cause hissing noise, since the refrigerant will be inder high pressure and would tend to flash off a bit at the point of restriction. If the unit is cooling, you may be good, but might hear such noise for ever.

You should know in a short time whether or not you have a leak, because the unit will most likely frost up around the evaporator prior to actually entering it. You may have adequate cooling for awhile, but shortly thereafter, you will start to lose you cooling ability as the refrigerant leaks out more.

Good Luck.

Salute!

There don't appear to be any obvious kinks. But I would be willing to bet it changed the diameter of the tube which may be causing the hissing. It's still working fine today, but still noisy.

It's been sitting for about 4 weeks after I transported it, so I'm sure the oil has settled.

Thanks for the help guys.