REFRIGERATION Help:
http://www.kollmann-marine.com
In particular, the thread:
http://www.kollmann-marine.com/phpBB...=29&highlight=
Offers a few things to check out yourself, prior to calling the
Refrigeration Sevice Tech’. These handy tips could save you a lot of
money, by providing the preliminary information the Tech’ may require before coming to your
boat.
Excerpts:
Boat refrigeration
repair costs are now very expensive because the ground rules regarding refrigerants have changed and there are few qualified
service techs. In most cruising areas it is impossible to find a one who is familiar with your type of refrigeration system. A knowledge of what questions to ask when contacting a
service tech will pay big dividends. A service technician today will cost from $60 to $80 per hour plus travel time. An average service call can cost $250 or much more if he has to make a repeat visit.
If you can perform a few simple checks of the system yourself before looking for help, you might be able to solve the problem yourself. When checking your refrigeration system, you should look for the following:.
• The condensing unit located on the outside of the box disposes of the process heat of refrigeration by a fan coil, a static air coil or a
water tube coil. For a
refrigerator to perform correctly the
cooling medium air or
water must lower the temperature collected in these coils. By touching a condenser coil you will be able to see if they are being cooled. They will feel warmer than body temperature but not hot. Air cooled condenser coils do become restricted with dust and water cooled condensers collect sea growth and require an annual
cleaning. Static air condenser coils may require an additional fan in warm climates to remove the excess heat.
• The part of the refrigeration unit that is inside the
refrigerator that gets cold is called the evaporator. There are two types of evaporators used in boat refrigerators: a thin plate, generally
aluminum and painted white, or a tank type filled with a solution that is know as a holding plate evaporator. The exterior surface of the thin plate evaporator is the best indicator of how the system is performing:
• If the evaporator stays warm in the box there is an
electrical problem or a refrigerant problem. If the
compressor is running and there is no
cooling, then the trouble will be a lack of refrigerant flow. If the thin plate evaporator has a coating of frost covering 100% of the service area, this would indicate that there is enough refrigerant in the system. If the thin plate evaporator is only partially covered with frost then the system is low on refrigerant.
• Large holding plate boat refrigeration systems use a different type of refrigerant flow device with a
storage tank to store extra liquid called a receiver. On these systems the refrigerant charge of a system can be monitored by viewing the liquid flowing through a sight glass. Reading the sight glass correctly takes experience especially with some of the new blended refrigerants. It is not necessary for the glass to be full of liquid for the system to
work properly. When you see the glass half liquid and half gas, the amount of the refrigerant charge is not causing a performance problem.
• Most of the larger systems use low pressure switches. This means when the refrigerant is low the
compressor will cycle off and on repeatedly.
If all of the above items check OK but the box does not get cold enough, the thermostat control may be stopping the compressor too soon.
If you don’t feel confident in doing the above checks or checks don’t show the problem then you might have to ask for help but there are some things you should know about your refrigeration system before seeking help:
• Who manufactured the refrigerator system?
• The approximate age of the system.
• Type of compressor and the model number.
• What type of refrigerant is in the system; R12, 134a, 409B, 404A, R502, R414B, Hot Shot, or some other type refrigerant?
•
Current history of problems and corrective action.
1. Questions you should ask a repairman before hiring him.
Do you have _____ refrigerant which is the type refrigerant in the system today?
Do you have experience with a _____________ refrigerator?
Do you have an electronic leak detector?
2. Be careful of a repairman if he gives these types of a comments ...
And more ...
I highly recommend the site!
Regards,
Gord