Keezer Not Cooling - Repair or Replace?

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Nagorg

Nagorg

If a frog had wings...
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I bought my keezer used and its worked great for about 6 years. However, I suddenly noticed it running constantly and the temp creeping up. It does cool but wont bring the temp down below ~46-48 degrees.

There was a small amount of frost built-up from an extended power outage about 2 months ago and I removed that thinking it could be causing a problem.

I know nobody has a crystal ball and someone would need to check it out to be sure but.....

Does anyone have any experience repairing chest freezers or thoughts on repair -vs- replace? I can get a new chest freezer for ~<$300.00 but I'd have to build a collar, etc...

I'd appreciate any insight..
 
Sounds like you need to charge/top off the system to repair it, you would have to install a valve to charge it. Mine ran off very little charge when I had this issue I think it only used 70 grams so you got to be carful to not overcharge the system other than that it's a fast and easy fix.

Valve
https://www.amazon.com/Supco-BPV31-...iercing+valve&qid=1564581976&s=gateway&sr=8-9

Manifold
https://www.amazon.com/Enviro-Safe-...s=r22+to+r134&qid=1564582091&s=gateway&sr=8-4

R134a w/ leak sealer
https://www.amazon.com/FJC-9140-Sto...34a+leak+stop&qid=1564582129&s=gateway&sr=8-3

here is a how to video





Good luck
 
How did you remove the ice buildup? You may have scratched the surface of the evaporator and caused a leak. Adding refridgerant as OG-wan suggests will work for a while but it will leak our again unless you fix the leak (if it has one). A service call is likely about $80 to $100 and might be worthwhile if the problem is simple.
 
beermanpete said:
How did you remove the ice buildup? You may have scratched the surface of the evaporator and caused a leak. Adding refridgerant as OG-wan suggests will work for a while but it will leak our again unless you fix the leak (if it has one). A service call is likely about $80 to $100 and might be worthwhile if the problem is simple.
Click to expand...

I unplugged the keezer and let temps raise until the frost started to melt. I then removed it, no scratches...

I hear you on the service call and that would be great! But if its much more than that, I might as well buy a new chest freezer and build a new keezer.

I'm not an appliance repair person but since it is cooling, it seems to me that freon might be the problem. I'd even pay an appliance person to do that work but not sure they would if it requires modifying the thing in order to do it. The sucky thing is I have to pay them to tell me if it can be fixed or not. I get that they need to be paid for their time but that service call would be almost half the cost of a new chest freezer.

Wish I had friends in the appliance repair business... I know I do a lot of "pro-bono" computer work for friends and family. lol
 
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How big of a freezer do you currently have? My keezer died last year and rather than try to repair a decade-plus old model, I decided to just go new.

I had about a 7-cu ft freezer, upgraded to what is about a 9 cu ft freezer. The 7.1 cubic foot freezers can be had for around $200. If you go to the larger size like I have, you're in that $300+ range.

You kind of have to weigh the possible cost of a service call that doesn't work versus then still having to buy a new freezer, having wasted the cost of the service call.

IMO, if you're not strapped for cash, go new. If it's an issue, take a shot at either the smaller freezer or the service call. My kids are gone from home, so finances are more relaxed now than they were 15 years ago, so if money is dear, I get it.

BTW, check out the build notes in my sig below. Shows how to build a collar w/o gluing it to the freezer mouth.
 
Thanks for clearing that up @day_trippr ! It sounds like a freon problem then. I did speak with an appliance repair guy that basically said the same thing, there arent a lot of parts with these things.

@OG-wan Kenobi , one of those links you posted was for what looks like leak sealant. Does that charge the system with freon too? If not, can I even buy that stuff??
 
I've had the same issues over the years. Parts cool off/cool down, metal contracts and then there is a small opening allowing freon to leak out. Good luck finding it.

Happened to my chest freezer a few years ago when we lost power. Power was off for at least 1 day. Power back on, freezer is running, but never getting cool.
 
Home freezers and fridges don't leak freon little by little over time. If is low on Freon it has a leak. Charging it again without fixing it is a temporary solution at best. Fix it or f'k it.
 
Get a new one for your kegs, use the old one as a fermentation chamber. Maybe it will last for another 6 years if it only has to cool down to 62F for Ales and the 50's for lagers.
 
I'm gonna try fixing it. Getting the R134a that has sealant and leak detector in it. If it works, great. If not, its cheaper than the service call.

Wish me luck and thanks for all the info. Me fixing it has a higher WAF than me building a new keezer... :p
 
I just unplugged it to stop the compressor from running and give it a break while I wait for the parts from Amazon.

When lifting the lid, I noticed a small amount or frost/ice has built back up in the same spot (on the back wall near the top) I removed it from. Does this tell anyone more about what the problem might be? Could it be that there is some problem inside the freezer wall near that area?

upload_2019-7-31_19-22-25.png
 
A classic symptom is localized icing at the top of the evaporator loop. It has something to do with the vapor pressure being so low the refrigerant immediately "flashes". Given more time/even lower refrigerant level the icing will further localize in one of the corners, then eventually disappear with the total functional demise of the unit...
 
day_trippr said:
then eventually disappear with the total functional demise of the unit...
Click to expand...

Well, its worth a try and at least I'm getting a chance of extended life for my money instead of just being told "no-go" and sign here!

If it doesnt work then I'll bite the bullet on a new chest freezer and know that it went down fighting... lol

FWIW, I dont need a fermentation chamber. I already use an upright freezer with my conical. This is a keezer or bust mission!
 
Good luck!

When I see some of the gorgeous keezers built by HBT members I totally get the motivation to save the core and thus the considerable investment in time and materials...

Cheers!
 
Nagorg said:
Thanks for clearing that up @day_trippr ! It sounds like a freon problem then. I did speak with an appliance repair guy that basically said the same thing, there arent a lot of parts with these things.

@OG-wan Kenobi , one of those links you posted was for what looks like leak sealant. Does that charge the system with freon too? If not, can I even buy that stuff??
Click to expand...


That's a sealer, just showing you an option (don't use to much you will clog your system)

You can also use the dye and then try to hunt it down

You can also just charge it and see how long it last it literally only takes a few seconds to top these things off
 
I know it isn't really the same but my pickup had an a/c coolant leak, I used one of the sealing/coolant cans and that lasted through 2 summers and reappeared. The next time it lasted only one summer, the third time it lasted a couple months, and the last time, it was maybe 2 weeks. My mechanic then did a leak test and found a hole in a replaceable line. Problem fixed, but it did require fixing the hole with more than sealant.
 
OG-wan Kenobi said:
That's a sealer, just showing you an option (don't use to much you will clog your system)

You can also use the dye and then try to hunt it down
Click to expand...

I havent ordered the R134a yet. Figured I'd pick some up at a local auto repair shop, looked online and they have it in stock.

That can you pointed me too looks like it is Freon and sealant and dye, all in the same can. I found other brands offering the same thing but you can also buy plain Freon.

I figure there has to be a leak somewhere so I'm inclined to get the can with sealant in it too. But I sure dont want to "clog my system". I guess I could try plain freon first and if it leaks out too quickly I could try the sealant next time...

So now the question is; seal or no seal??? Any input?
 
You can always add it but once it's in your not getting it out. Try just hitting it with a very small charge of R134a and see how that does you it may resolve everything. If your having an issue again than start adding sealer or just top it off again with some R134a with dye and see if you can find the leak to fix it down the road. The stuff is dirt cheap so you really got nothing to lose and this will get you up and running again. Once the valve is installed it only takes seconds to recharge the system. Just remember to hold the can upside down when charging so your getting the oil in the line and more is not better so baby steps with the charge until she's running right.
 
You install it on the suction line so it pulls the oil into the compressor

(The copper line that gets cold)
 
OG-wan Kenobi said:
You install it on the suction line so it pulls the oil into the compressor

(The copper line that gets cold)
Click to expand...


Yeah, I gathered that from the video. Guess I'll have to let it run a bit to figure out which one that is based on temprature. Was hoping someone "in the know" could tell me which one it *should* be based on that diagram. I'm guessing its the "Heat Exchanger" and not the "Discharge" line.

The "non-appliance repair" person in me thinks it should be the "Charge Tube". That would make sense to me sense I'm charging the system with freon... But that was not mentioned in the video...
 
Nagorg said:
Yeah, I gathered that from the video. Guess I'll have to let it run a bit to figure out which one that is based on temprature. Was hoping someone "in the know" could tell me which one it *should* be based on that diagram. I'm guessing its the "Heat Exchanger" and not the "Discharge" line.

The "non-appliance repair" person in me thinks it should be the "Charge Tube". That would make sense to me sense I'm charging the system with freon... But that was not mentioned in the video...
Click to expand...


It's not the charge tube


run the unit for a little while and its the cold line ,not the hot line this is the easiest way to make sure you got the right line, these are all built a little differently

More than likely it will be the copper tube on the left but that's not a sure thing by any means it's just more common. That discharge line should be the high pressure line (hot)


My Guess is those 2 lines tie into each other and the other is your hot side

Inkedupload_2019-8-1_17-42-42_LI.jpg




Like this

InkedIMG_0542_LI.jpg
 
I just bought a Kill-A-Watt so I could find which appliance is running up my electric bill and tracked it down to my Kegerator. I was just on Craigslist to look for a replacement when this thread popped up. Awesome timing guys!
 
A big THANK YOU to @OG-wan Kenobi for the tip. I installed the bullet piercing valve today and was able to add R134a refrigerant. So far so good; my keezer is now cooling again. I dont know how long this fix will last but its defiantly working for now and has bought me some time at least.

My system was pretty low as you can see below. I might need a tad more refrigerant but its way better than before!

upload_2019-8-3_19-45-35.png
upload_2019-8-3_19-47-2.png
 
**I also want to let folks know that the new cans of R134a are "Self-Sealing" and you cant use them with the specific "piercing valve" hose that was referenced in the link from @OG-wan Kenobi without an adapter. There are newer self-sealing taps available but the gauges are graduated differently. I'm not up to speed on how to "know" the proper amount of freon, maybe someone can elaborate on this for others.. Just be aware of the different types. At first I thought I had a defective can of R143a. But when I went to the auto-supply shop, they filled me in on the difference!

View of the physical difference for the R134a cans:
upload_2019-8-3_19-57-27.png


upload_2019-8-3_19-58-40.png


upload_2019-8-3_19-59-20.png
 
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Glad to hear your up and running again. I got the same manifold and used what I thought was a new can and didn't have an issue, good to know for future reference. If she dies on you as you now know you can charge her really quick so it's not a big deal.
 
Buy a new one. Get another 6 years out of it and plus you get another chance to build a collar or make the improvements you've always wanted. They're cheap on CL or even brand new.
 
I'm going to keep this thing going for a while. I'll probably build a new one to my liking eventually but at least now I don't have to feel rushed.

It's funny how this one started having problems about the time I needed to keg my latest batch. Luckily I was able to keg and store them in a spare fridge while I sorted out the low freon..
 
Thank you for the detailed posts! I'm going through the exact same thing with the exact symptoms as you have. I did the video, installed the piercing valve and tried to add refrigerant. I couldn't figure out why it wasn't taking in more, I thought maybe it was just full. But now I realize I need that adapter you describe and I wasn't actually adding anything today to the coolant system! I'll pick up one of those adapters tomorrow and try again. hope it works.
 
be interesting to hear from OP how the recharge is holding up...modern freezers and refrigerators are pretty much disposable...
 
Yeah it's called engineered obsolescence. So many things now are made over in China for as cheaply as possible that it costs more to get it fixed by someone here than buy a new cheap one from China that will also fail sooner than later. I find it very sad to be honest, but this is a homebrew board and not a place for me to go full on tree hugger and complain how badly I think we're sh!tting on the planet so I'll bite my tongue...
 
odie said:
be interesting to hear from OP how the recharge is holding up...modern freezers and refrigerators are pretty much disposable...
Click to expand...

Still rocking since last post. For me, this "fix" is holding and is well worth the minimal investment and effort!
 
VirginiaHops1 said:
Yeah it's called engineered obsolescence. So many things now are made over in China for as cheaply as possible that it costs more to get it fixed by someone here than buy a new cheap one from China that will also fail sooner than later.
Click to expand...

PM me with any dull knives you might be about to throw away...

-DIY'er
 
How did you determine the correct fill? Pretty easy with a large system in a car. Not so easy with a small capacity system.
 
I weighed the can and watched how much went in, by reweighing the can. On the back of the freezer it said capacity was 3.5 ounces. I went for adding in 2 ounces as my target. That's a total guestimate for how much was needed though. The proper way would be to rent the ac vacuum from an auto parts store, remove everything and then add back in 3.5 ounces.
 

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