Help With My Sick Keezer

[mbg]

My keezer has served me well. Yesterday I pressure transferred two beers into kegs. The lid was open for maybe an hour but nothing different than what I have done in the past. I did notice a large hunk of ice near the front/top/inside of the freezer. I knocked it off and closed the lid and moved on. A few hours later I checked the temperature and it was 65F and seemed not to be moving. The compressor is running. I saw online to try first to shut it down and let it sit for 24 hours to let it thaw out in case it is internally froze up. I did this and fired it up this morning and in 7 hours it gone from 70F to 62F. It's only reducing about 0.5F per hour right now.

I see lots of help for units that have stopped working but not much for ill performing ones. This is a Frigidaire/Electrolux FFC13C3AW3 chest freezer - think 13 to 15cuft. Any help appreciated.

 

[day_trippr]

Given the symptoms and especially the ice build up near the top I'd put my money on loss of refrigerant. You could try recharging it with the proper refrigerant but the odds are it's going to leak out over time again. I kept my 2nd keezer alive for almost 6 months doing transfusions like that until I got my 3rd keezer up and running...

Cheers!

 

[mbg]

Given the symptoms and especially the ice build up near the top I'd put my money on loss of refrigerant. You could try recharging it with the proper refrigerant but the odds are it's going to leak out over time again. I kept my 2nd keezer alive for almost 6 months doing transfusions like that until I got my 3rd keezer up and running...

Cheers!

Thanks - I checked the run capacitor and it's fine. Checked the compressor for shorts and none. The relay seems fine too. Just as a last resort I ordered a relay/cap for around $15 and will try it tomorrow. The freezer just seems to be cold in the front top. I suspect you are right about the refrigerant.

This is sad because if the new cap doesn't fix it or I can't find one on clearance near by I may give up the hobby. I'm retired and pushing 70 and have more than enough hobbies. My kids are older and out of the house and they use to help empty the kegs. I can still enjoy crafts beers - just not my own. (problem is I have 10 gallons of cloned Zombie Dust that I need to figure out what to do with. They just got kegged so maybe take the heat from my wife and stick them in our basement fridge for a few weeks and then bottle them.)

 

[IslandLizard]

Just to hint to an alternative keezer, I have been using an upright freezer for over a decade.
Faucets come through the door. It can house 5 standard ball-lock corny kegs, or 4 pin-locks, on the floor. There's ample space left above the kegs for bottles etc, or possibly even a few short kegs.

I picked one up locally for $100 off CL, and I have seen them offered on Facebook Marketplace too.

Alternatively, regular old-fashioned top-freezer model refrigerators are very suitable too. Most of those can house 6 kegs on the floor. I've seen those offered for free. Just make sure they work.