Did I just ruin a fridge?

[Trouble-Brewing]

So I was pulling apart a SANYO 4433 to use the guts to make a bigger fermentation chamber/kegerator and right before I got it all out I bent and cracked a coolant line. Am I screwed and out a fridge or is there a way to fix it? I was reading a thread on here that someone mentioned you could fix it with stuff from Home Depot or Lowes but never explained it, is that true? If so what all do I need? Everything else I am reading is telling me I am **** out of luck, any help would be great.

 

[ChshreCat]

So I was pulling apart a SANYO 4433 to use the guts to make a bigger fermentation chamber/kegerator and right before I got it all out I bent and cracked a coolant line. Am I screwed and out a fridge?

Short answer... yes.

Long answer...

It's fixable, but more expensive than just getting another fridge.

 

[Finster]

I dont know a whole lot about refrigeration systems, but if its the tubing itself that cracked, I would think you'd be able to braze it. Or even splice it back together with a compression fitting. The system would have to be recharged though.

I read in one of Yuri's threads that he was able to recharge his kegorator using R134 he bought at wall mart. Maybe thats something to look into.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/diy-chilled-conical-keg-fermenter-123770/index6.html

I know there are laws pertaining to the proper draining and recharging of refrigeration systems but if its broke and already drained, I dont see the harm in trying to repair it.

 

[Bumbler]

In short - the fridge is toast.

Option 1. Buy a new one.

Option 2. Call your local community college/tech inst. with a HVAC program. More than likely they will fix it for cost + a small charge. Definitely cheaper than buying a new one just to rip it apart again. They will do it right and get the proper refrigerant charge. When I was in school we did it all the time for the public. That's how we raised money for our activities.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

In short - the fridge is toast.

Option 1. Buy a new one.

Option 2. Call your local community college/tech inst. with a HVAC program. More than likely they will fix it for cost + a small charge. Definitely cheaper than buying a new one just to rip it apart again. They will do it right and get the proper refrigerant charge. When I was in school we did it all the time for the public. That's how we raised money for our activities.

Now THAT is a good idea! It would make the project more interesting for those guys too rather than just a regular fridge repair if the set up is half in place before they arrive.

 

[Trouble-Brewing]

So after doing a little more research and getting some stuff at walmart I am going to try to get it to work again. I figure $20 worth of stuff is worth a try and if it doesn't work then I will take it to the local community college. I will let you know how it turns out. Thanks for the replys

 

[Trouble-Brewing]

So I got it up and running again, I ended up pulling out most of the coolant lines and replacing them. I built a new housing out of some old plywood and some 1.5" styrofoam insulation. I just finished putting on a layer of 1/4 plywood on it to clean it up. Hopefully tomorrow I can get some stain on it and take some pictures for you guys. I still need to get some molding and shower board to finish it up but its getting there. I am pretty happy I didn't break it

 

[devilishprune]

I'm interested in what you used to get this up and running again. I imaging doing something like this for myself in the future (the build, not the breaking), and would love to see some pics of the setup!

 

[Homercidal]

I too am quite capable of breaking coolant lines in my freezer, which I am going to try and modify to accept a couple of buckets. Please pass on your experience so I have a plan when I break my freezer.

 

[Trouble-Brewing]

Sorry the pictures really suck I will try to get some clearer ones soon. So you can actually see whats going on. Edit: New pictures added

To fix the fridge I got some R134a and a dispenser with a gauge from walmart. The dispenser came with a quick connector with a schrader valve. Then I got a brass fitting that threaded to the connector (think it was a flare fitting but I just took the to the size reference board and tested what size and type of threads fit, I will try to find the box) threaded it to the connector and brazed it to the fill tube, which is usually kinked shut.

I broke the condenser coils in a few spots so I replaced it with some new flexible copper of the same diameter and length. I just cut the tube close to the compressor and the expansion valve (the expansion valve is the cylinder shaped thing with cone ends) and brazed in the new section.

I ran the evaporator coil, inside the new box and screwed it to the side. I might still throw a fan in there, I have to do some more tests after I get it all sealed up. Should hold 2 1/2 barrel kegs or 1 1/2 barrel and 2 cornys.

 

[Finster]

Nice work. You'll have to let us know how it runs when
you get it fired up.

 

[Trouble-Brewing]

Got some more work done tonight. I put some trim on the coffin and test fit the hardware, still need to do a little more trim work but I ran out of wood. I found some slate laying around at my parents and am thinking about using it for the bar top. Still has a few hours left in it but its getting there.

 

[ChshreCat]

Curious... how much did the fix cost you all together? Not the project itself, just what you spend on supplies to repair the fridge and refill the refrigerant.

 

[conpewter]

Very cool that you were able to fix the fridge, I wouldn't have thought that would work, glad it did!

 

[Trouble-Brewing]

Refrigerant $10
Dispenser and connector $15
Brass fitting for connector $4
25' of copper tube $22

So I bought about $50 in new parts and had all the tools and stuff around the house. If you don't already have a torch and that kinda stuff it would start to get expensive pretty fast. If you take care not to break the evap. line in more than one place it would be a lot cheaper. Its not really all that hard to fix once you get going, hardest part of the whole process was probably the brazing. The connections have to hold almost 250 psi on the high side of the compressor so you have to have some faith in your work

 

[Dwain]

Trouble,
Thanks for the info. Did you just add the amount of refrigerant by the compressor label? Also, you just added the refrigerant, no flushing or pulling a vacuum? - Dwain

 

[Trouble-Brewing]

Well I intended to not flush it and just go with it but I ended up kinda flushing it because I wasn't happy with one of the connections so I redid it. So it is pretty much not flushed, might have gotten a little air out but I doubt all that much. I thought about rigging my vacuum brake bleeder up to it but decided not to. As for adding the refrigerant I went by the low side pressure rating on the compressor sticker. I didn't weight it out but judging by how the can feels I think I got it about right.

I got a little more done tonight. Put some more color on the bottom and cut some shower board to cover the insulation on the inside. I hung the door and plugged it in and everything sounds perfect. I will throw a thermometer in there and let you know how it does. I should have time to work on the bar top and coffin trim tomorrow.

 

[Trouble-Brewing]

So its been running for a few days now the panel is frosted and on the opposite side of the box it is down to 40. I think I am going to rig up a little fan to move the air around while the compressor is running, hopefully that will cut down the run time on the compressor.

I got some tap handles from work and will probably pick up a partial keg of something to put on the 2nd tap tomorrow. I have a black ipa I made on tap right now and its been poring pretty good. Pretty stoked I was able to fix it.

 

[Trouble-Brewing]

So I have been getting some questions on the fix and if its holding, it is. My only complaint is the compressor seems a little small for the size of my box which makes sense. I never got around to adding a fan but think it would help quite a bit, but as it is it pours me cold beer and looks alright doing it. I will probably make a new irish coffin at some point so I can fit a pitcher under there and add a third tap as well.

Here are the questions:
Did you add the gas on the high or low side? On my fridge there was a crimped tube on the tank of the compressor which is the low side. I cut off the crimped part and added my shrader valve there

Did I add the gas with the can inverted like it said?
The can and connection/gauge system I have said to keep it upright, I would just follow the directions on your can.

Did I add the gas with the compressor off?
I added let it pump added, let it pump ect. until I got a steady 140 psi. which is what the spec for the low pressure side of my compressor was. This came out to about 2 oz of refrigerant and my spec sheet on the back of the fridge said 1.9 oz so I figured I was good.

What was the initial pressure you added?
140 psi, the low pressure spec on the back of my fridge. My fridge had a sheet on the back with a wiring diagram, pressure specs, coolant type and a bunch of other important stuff which made things easier.

Since the original fix I added JB weld to the connections because i was worried about leaks due to a rise of the temp in the fridge. I have recently discovered this is because the compressor runs really hot when the fridge is pushed back against the wall. If it gets some air the fridge stays cool. If any one is going to add a new evap line I suggest they secure it well, mine rattles and is annoying when the compressor is on.

If anyone has any other questions just ask

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Did I just Ruin a Fridge?

Yup.

 

[Trouble-Brewing]

Yup.

Lies

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Lies

Nope.

 

[abugg]

Here are the questions:

Did I add the gas with the compressor off?
I added let it pump added, let it pump ect. until I got a steady 140 psi.
which is what the spec for the low pressure side of my compressor was. This came out to about 2 oz of refrigerant and my spec sheet on the back of the fridge said 1.9 oz so I figured I was good.

What was the initial pressure you added?
140 psi, the low pressure spec on the back of my fridge. My fridge had a sheet on the back with a wiring diagram, pressure specs, coolant type and a bunch of other important stuff which made things easier.

Was the 140 psi measure when the compressor was off and the high and low side equalized? If so, what was the pressure when the compressor was on?
When you say the "spec" of your fridge, can you tell me exactly what the wording they used was?
For example, my fridge lists "Minimum equlized pressure @ 70 F" as 29 psig, which is a lot lower than your 140psi.
Thanks!
See my specs below.

 

[Trouble-Brewing]

I measured 140 with the compressor on, not sure if thats what your supposed to do but thats how I did it. On my spec sticker it just say high and low and the pressure ratings, no temperatures. It is a lot less detailed then yours. If you plan on pulling a vacuum on the lines I would just put your charge can on a hop scale and put in the correct amount, 1.8oz from your sheet. Sorry for the delayed response