Can someone reccomend a competent marine reftigeration service in tampa area?

[sailingcamelot]

I am at the end of my rope! I bought a frigoboat icebox conversion kit a year ago and did my own installation. It worked great for about 6 months but now it leaks Freon and will not hold a charge. I need a competent serviceman in the tampa area who can find and repair the leak. I have already spent over $100 on a serviceman who did not solve my problem.

[skipmac]

Have you tried Peterson Marine?

Peterson Marine
445 Douglas Rd E
Oldsmar, FL 34677

(813) 854.2252

They sold me my Frigoboat and have been very helpful with advise on the phone for my installation but no experience with them on repairs.

[sailingcamelot]

I also bought my frigoboat conversion from Peterson Marine and installed it myself. No complaints with them at all. They are in Odessa and I am located southshore/Ruskin area. Peterson's service charge is by the hour from the time they leave their shop until the get back. I may well call them but "It ain't gonna' be cheap". Thanks for your reply.

[NSboatman]

Absolutely! I just had a great experience with Wolfgang and Steve at cool breeze marine ac and refrigeration, up in Tarpon Springs. they say they service Tampa area.

look em up and give em a call: COOL BREEZE MARINE A/C & REF.

tell em that Ben from Antares (the steel boat in Mar Marina) sent you, and let them know we made it home safe - and the ice cream stayed frozen all the way!

can't get a better set of guys than those two, honestly. straightforward and efficient work, good quality and they honor their word. not the cheapest in town, but you get what you pay for. No hesitation in recommending them at all - they tackled some gnarly installation issues on my boat and did it when they said, for what they said, and it worked, and continues to work.

good luck

[sailingcamelot]

Thanks! I will give them a call.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by sailingcamelot

I also bought my frigoboat conversion from Peterson Marine and installed it myself. No complaints with them at all. They are in Odessa and I am located southshore/Ruskin area. Peterson's service charge is by the hour from the time they leave their shop until the get back. I may well call them but "It ain't gonna' be cheap". Thanks for your reply.

Maybe a good excuse to take a day cruise up to the north end of the Bay.

[sailingcamelot]

True. I've got a lot more time than money. Social Security don't pay all that good.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by sailingcamelot

True. I've got a lot more time than money. Social Security don't pay all that good.

I understand quite well. I'm about two years from being in the same situation.

Have you tried DIY repair? Frigoboat Info and Richard Kollman are both on the forum and very helpful.

Don't know about you, but I charge myself a lot less than the other guy charges me.

[sailingcamelot]

Yeah....I work real cheap compared to what others charge me. I am pretty handy and can fix most things around the boat myself. But, this one is out of my league. All I really wanted was cold beer and maybe some ice cream aboard for the wife. So far, it has been a disappointment. Looks like I am going to take a trip either up to the north end of the bay or to Tarpon and get this darn thing working again.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by sailingcamelot

Yeah....I work real cheap compared to what others charge me. I am pretty handy and can fix most things around the boat myself. But, this one is out of my league. All I really wanted was cold beer and maybe some ice cream aboard for the wife. So far, it has been a disappointment. Looks like I am going to take a trip either up to the north end of the bay or to Tarpon and get this darn thing working again.

Since I have a new frig and plan to be cruising I have been learning all I can about trouble shooting in case I have to do a fix down the road. Seems like most of the basic diagnostics aren't too difficult but the repairs may need tools that, while not horribly expensive, aren't cheap and you might only need once.

Good luck with the fix. Let us know how it works out.

[sailingcamelot]

Found out today that Autozone will loan a refrigeration vaccumn pump and gauges at no charge to D.I Y. All you have to do is buy the R134a from them at $10 a can. Very interesting.....

[skipmac]

You've got the tools so you're halfway there. Now all you have to do is find and fix the leak.

[sailingcamelot]

Been reading Richard Kolliman this afternoon. 50/50 mix water & soap in a spray bottle=leak detector. It is worth a try.

[sailingcamelot]

Very busy weekend! Found the leak. A friend who can braze much better than I do fixed it for me. Pulled a vacumn on the system and it held. Time to charge the system. Discovered that the loaner gauges from Autozone do not have the fittings on the compressor end of the low side and high side hoses to hook up to my compressor. Looked for adaptors today but no luck so far. Any ideas?

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by sailingcamelot

Very busy weekend! Found the leak. A friend who can braze much better than I do fixed it for me. Pulled a vacumn on the system and it held. Time to charge the system. Discovered that the loaner gauges from Autozone do not have the fittings on the compressor end of the low side and high side hoses to hook up to my compressor. Looked for adaptors today but no luck so far. Any ideas?

Saw an ad today for a gauge set at Harbour Freight for $40. Hard to see in the picture but it looked like there were several adapters in the kit.

So where was the leak?