Kegerator Issue

[broffi_1027]

Hey everyone,

I have a Danby Dual Tap kegerator that my wife got for me for my birthday 2 years ago, so the factory warranty has expired and I have contacted Danby with my issue but they have not responded yet, so here I am seeking help from fellow homebrewers.

Here it is...

I noticed earlier today that my kegerator seemed to not be as cold on the inside as before and that it didn't seem to be running. I removed the kegs, found a little bit of standing water around the drain hole area so I cleaned that up.

I unplugged the machine and pulled it away from the wall so I could check it out. The compressor and other components are cool to the touch. The drain pain that sits directly above and is attached to the compressor was full of water and I noticed what looked like a wad of white gum formed over the underside of the drain hole. I scraped at it with a screw driver and it was hard and crusty, seemed to be calcium build up. I cleared the hole with some warm water and pbw and there are no obstructions in the drain hole now.

I plugged the machine back in and it seems as if it's not turning on now.

Can anyone tell me if it seems like something may have blown out or if it needs anything replaced to get it back in working order before my St. Patrick's Day party coming up soon?

Any and all help will be appreciated.

Thank you in advance 🍻

 

[mredge73]

The water you found is from the coils thawing out after it quit working...
I cannot comment on the calcium build up, I don't know how that could have happened.

If the compressor and fan (if it has a fan) is not kicking on you could either have a bad thermostat or bad compressor.
Check the thermostat first, if it is only 2 wires like most jump them together (unplug power first) and see if it kicks on.
If the compressor still doesn't kick on then there may be a relay or solenoid that needs to be checked if you are handy enough to find them.
If you have voltage at the compressor terminals but no obvious signs of operation the compressor is done and the only way you will have it working for your party is to get a new one.

If you have a fan it needs to kick on when the compressor kicks on, if not it will need to be replaced.
If the coils are developing frost then the fan also needs to be replaced as you are not getting proper air flow across them.

 

[broffi_1027]

The water you found is from the coils thawing out after it quit working...
I cannot comment on the calcium build up, I don't know how that could have happened.

If the compressor and fan (if it has a fan) is not kicking on you could either have a bad thermostat or bad compressor.
Check the thermostat first, if it is only 2 wires like most jump them together (unplug power first) and see if it kicks on.
If the compressor still doesn't kick on then there may be a relay or solenoid that needs to be checked if you are handy enough to find them.
If you have voltage at the compressor terminals but no obvious signs of operation the compressor is done and the only way you will have it working for your party is to get a new one.

If you have a fan it needs to kick on when the compressor kicks on, if not it will need to be replaced.
If the coils are developing frost then the fan also needs to be replaced as you are not getting proper air flow across them.

I just put a fresh keg of beer in last week when it was still working and there wasn't any frost build up inside. When I plug it now, I don't hear anything. It's always been an extremely quiet unit and I don't see a fan anywhere below.

I'm gonna take another look when I get home from work. I will try the thermostat wire trick and see if that does anything.

Thanks 🍻

 

[broffi_1027]

The water you found is from the coils thawing out after it quit working...
I cannot comment on the calcium build up, I don't know how that could have happened.

If the compressor and fan (if it has a fan) is not kicking on you could either have a bad thermostat or bad compressor.
Check the thermostat first, if it is only 2 wires like most jump them together (unplug power first) and see if it kicks on.
If the compressor still doesn't kick on then there may be a relay or solenoid that needs to be checked if you are handy enough to find them.
If you have voltage at the compressor terminals but no obvious signs of operation the compressor is done and the only way you will have it working for your party is to get a new one.

If you have a fan it needs to kick on when the compressor kicks on, if not it will need to be replaced.
If the coils are developing frost then the fan also needs to be replaced as you are not getting proper air flow across them.

I had put a fresh keg of beer in the kegerator early last week after cleaning the inside out and I did not see any built up frost at the time. I connected the keg and shut it. I even pulled a couple pints on Friday and all was good and cold.

Danby got back to me today and they weren't much help at all. They just told me to unplug it for 5 minutes and then plug back in. I did that and nothing changed.

I'm not sure if there's a fan, I don't see one and to honest, I don't recall ever hearing it. The unit has always been incredibly quiet since being purchased new nearly 2 years ago.

I unscrewed the thermostat cover to see if it is just 2 wire, like you mentioned and It looks to be a 3 or 4 wire (I attached a pic below, you could probably tell better than I can). I haven't jumped or cut any wires yet to give it a test.

Thanks for the input so far. I hope it's a minor fix.

Thanks 🍻

View attachment 1489000145890.jpg

 

[broffi_1027]

I had put a fresh keg of beer in the kegerator early last week after cleaning the inside out and I did not see any built up frost at the time. I connected the keg and shut it. I even pulled a couple pints on Friday and all was good and cold.

Danby got back to me today and they weren't much help at all. They just told me to unplug it for 5 minutes and then plug back in. I did that and nothing changed.

I'm not sure if there's a fan, I don't see one and to honest, I don't recall ever hearing it. The unit has always been incredibly quiet since being purchased new nearly 2 years ago.

I unscrewed the thermostat cover to see if it is just 2 wire, like you mentioned and It looks to be a 3 or 4 wire (I attached a pic below, you could probably tell better than I can). I haven't jumped or cut any wires yet to give it a test.

Thanks for the input so far. I hope it's a minor fix.

Thanks 🍻

 

[broffi_1027]

Oop... forgot the pic

View attachment 1489000951545.jpg

 

[day_trippr]

Short the Black (AC hot) to the Red (switched AC hot).
That should fire up the compressor.
The green wire is the safety ground and can be left alone...

Cheers!

 

[broffi_1027]

Short the Black (AC hot) to the Red (switched AC hot).
That should fire up the compressor.
The green wire is the safety ground and can be left alone...

Cheers!

Thank you kindly. I'll give it a go in the morning. I hope it does the trick.


Cheers🍻

 

[mredge73]

Yep, 2 wire as expected.
Short them, if it fires up and gets cold you will need to replace that thermostat.
I suggest going with a digital thermostat, the new Inkbird thermostats look nice and are relatively cheap.

 

[broffi_1027]

Yep, 2 wire as expected.
Short them, if it fires up and gets cold you will need to replace that thermostat.
I suggest going with a digital thermostat, the new Inkbird thermostats look nice and are relatively cheap.

I was planning on doing that exactly with the exact digital thermostat you recommended. Haha.

Thanks again 🍻🍻🍻

 

[broffi_1027]

So I shorted the black and red thermostat wires together and plugged in the unit. It made no audible start up sound, but I left it plugged in for 2 hours to see if would chill and it did not. I don't have a voltage meter to test the compressor terminals so I'm not sure if it's a dead compressor, fan or relays.

My wife mentioned checking our home warranty to see if they'll cover is since it is basically modded refrigerator.

I'll keep looking for solutions until I ultimately decide whether or not to call a repairman or just drop the cash on a new one.

Thanks again 🍻