Recharging Kegerator

[Sjorge3442]

I know I know I know. Its been discussed a million times.

I'm looking to find out if anyone has ever had any luck recharging one. I got an Avanti BD6000 off of the list of craig a few weeks ago and to my dismay, the damn thing doesnt get cold (it was 15 degrees out when I bought it so it seemed cold)

Anyway, the compressor just runs and runs and runs. There seems to be a low-side recharge port on the line outside of the compressor which would be used to recharge the system. I have various AC recharge tools for automobiles and none of them fit the fitting. Who exactly would I call for this? Also, has anyone ever recharged one?

Is it possible to bypass the thermostat and other instruments in order to see if something along those lines is broken?

 

[augiedoggy]

you can use a saddleclamp and the stuff from the autostore but the saddleclamp sometimes cause more leaks. (Ive done it )

 

[Sjorge3442]

you can use a saddleclamp and the stuff from the autostore but the saddleclamp sometimes cause more leaks. (Ive done it )

So your suggestion is to clamp one of my adapters to the port and trying to force refrigerant into the system? Does that work?

 

[augiedoggy]

So your suggestion is to clamp one of my adapters to the port and trying to force refrigerant into the system? Does that work?

no a saddleclamp clamps to the line and puntures it and then stays mounted to that line permanently... like many use on water lines to hookup a ice machine to a fridge or a RO system under the sink.

 

[dyqik]

Call a refrigerator, or beverage equipment, maintenance technician, or maybe an HVAC servicing technician about the adaptor. These are the people who usually service this kind of device.

You'll want them to check for leaks (or to do it yourself if you DIY) as well as recharging the system - no point pumping refrigerant into it for it to stop working again a few days later after leaking all the gas.

 

[augiedoggy]

Call a refrigerator, or beverage equipment, maintenance technician, or maybe an HVAC servicing technician about the adaptor. These are the people who usually service this kind of device.

You'll want them to check for leaks (or to do it yourself if you DIY) as well as recharging the system - no point pumping refrigerant into it for it to stop working again a few days later after leaking all the gas.

yes... my assumption was that the OP would use the sealant kits developed for automotive systems to seal any slow leak... they work fine without problem in my experience as long as you run the compressor for a while right after charging with the stuff otherwise they can plug things up as they setup.. calling a repair service is going to cost you more than another minifrigde from craiglist since the average price is $50 for the fridge...

 

[dyqik]

Well, that's a full kegerator he's picked up, not just a basic minifridge, so it might be worth the call out, or they might be able to tell him where to get the adaptor required. Depends what he paid for it and the condition it's in.

But it might be cheaper to transfer the kegerator hardware over to a cheap minifridge.

 

[VladOfTrub]

The charging ports for domestic refrigeration are 1/4" male flare. The same fitting is on 25 and 30 Lb. cylinders and on reclaim cylinders. If you have a set of gauges, usually the hose that attaches to the charging cylinder is 1/4" on both ends. If the leak is on the low side and if the unit sat for awhile, losing most of the gas. When the unit is started, the compressor will suck in air through the leak. That's not good. You really need to have a set of gauges to see what's going on. The compressor may be running, it might not be pumping due to a mechanical failure. The cap tube or liquid line filter might be blocked, stopping the flow of refrigerant. Or, there can be a leak. If the cooler is located in an area that is below freezing, take it somewhere that is warm. Turn it off and let it warm up for several hours. Then, turn it on and see what happens. There may be a small amount of moisture in the system that froze in the cap tube. There's no sense bypassing controls, the compressor is already running. Because the system uses a cap tube metering device, the suction pressure is 1 to 5 PSIG at 10 to -10F saturation temp, sealant used in auto refrigeration systems shouldn't be used. Be aware, some manufacturers charge liquid into the high side between the condensor and metering device. The reason for doing it that way is to keep liquid out of the oil, low side valves, etc.. When the system is being charged at the factory it is in a low micron, deep vacuum. The compressor doesn't need to run when factory charged. Make sure the port is truly on the low side if you decide to screw with it.