Easiest way to blow $130

[BuffaloHop]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1467226352.260746.jpg

 

[ThatVideoKid]

Oooooooooo that hurts

 

[SpahrBrewing]

Oh don't worry, it looks like it'll buff right out!

But yeah, that sucks. You could try some J-B weld on it. http://www.jbweld.com/products/steelstik-epoxy-putty-stick

More than likely will work, just make sure you let it cure long enough.

 

[PlinyTheMiddleAged]

Bullseye!

Dang, that hurts. Better luck next time. I guess the good news is that you could just open the top and see exactly where the lines are. If you buy the exact same model to replace it, then you'll know where it's safe to cut.

 

[BuffaloHop]

Oh don't worry, it looks like it'll buff right out!

But yeah, that sucks. You could try some J-B weld on it. http://www.jbweld.com/products/steelstik-epoxy-putty-stick

More than likely will work, just make sure you let it cure long enough.

I don't think I could get it recharged with freon though

 

[BuffaloHop]

Oh don't worry, it looks like it'll buff right out!

But yeah, that sucks. You could try some J-B weld on it. http://www.jbweld.com/products/steelstik-epoxy-putty-stick

More than likely will work, just make sure you let it cure long enough.

Not sure that would work lol then you have to get the freon filled

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Smoking crack was the first thing that came to mind..,and I've never smoked crack..I have issues

 

[SpahrBrewing]

It's doable to charge it with freon. Just depends on if you want to or not.

 

[day_trippr]

The hole would have to be brazed closed, then a service port attached somewhere, a vacuum pulled, then the refrigerant injected.

Unless you know someone, you're looking at a couple hundred bucks.
And unless the tech could move that line away from the hole, you'd still have a problem.

Also, I would not count on a replacement unit having that line in exactly the same place.

All in all, a big bag of Suck. Sorry...

 

[Peruvian802]

Did you just cut and hope or did one of the more well known processes to locate the cooling lines fail you?

 

[bionut]

You can buy a compression fitting with the correct diameter and fix it without brazing. Don't know how much a refill would cost...

 

[m1k3]

Smoking crack was the first thing that came to mind..,and I've never smoked crack..I have issues

that's what I thought. then I saw the photo and it did look it! then i scrolled down.

sorry!

 

[Jaybird]

OUCH! Take the fridge back and tell em it broke

Cheers
Jay

 

[Bobby_M]

Note to others attempting this. Drill a small hole from the inside first, then poke around with a screw driver to remove insulation and find the lines.

 

[IdiotBrewing]

Bullseye! That's the sort of thing I do. I find a beer or two helps.

 

[Saboral]

It would actually be a pretty simple repair. Order a service port off amazon. Go to harbor freight and buy a manifold and vacuum pump (about 100 with coupon). See if you can borrow some nitrogen.

First install the service port per instructions. Evacuate the system with nitrogen to try and blow out any bits of metal etc..

Braise a metal repair in that area of the line. (Materials and torch available at Home Depot)

Use manifold and vacuum to pull vacuum on lines. Let it sit for 24 hours and make sure vacuum holds.

R-134 is available at most automotive stores or online. Connect to manifold to recharge, bring pressure to spec.

Done.

 

[Saboral]

Oh and for follow up, find other people with broken fridges and freezers. Use your newly acquired tools and skills and .....profit

 

[YeastMode]

Go to harbor freight and buy a manifold and vacuum pump (about 100 with coupon).

To go futher down this road, I have actually used this $20 vacuum device to pull a vacuum when I did a car ac repair a couple years ago and didn't have my normal vacuum pump. As long as you have access to a compressor, it would be perfect for this type of job. Shoot, I would even spend $100 on a compressor before spending $100 on a vacuum pump.

http://m.harborfreight.com/air-vacuum-pump-with-r134a-and-r12-connectors-96677.html

That said, I would probably just buy a new fridge. Probably still cheaper than fixing it.

 

[mongoose33]

Bad news....thanks for the cautionary tale.

What I can't figure out is how you cut the one side of the line and not the other.

 

[ThatVideoKid]

The holesaw probably wasn't perfectly level

 

[WarEagleBrewer]

Oh man! This doesn't help my feelings. I'm about to poke a few holes in mine.....this has solidified in my mind the need to check for any lines first. My deepest sympathies....

 

[Stillraining]

Note to others attempting this. Drill a small hole from the inside first, then poke around with a screw driver to remove insulation and find the lines.

Bobby: Question...Are all coolant lines off center to the outside? Just curious as your comment seems to dictate so. Thanks

 

[Bobby_M]

Well the coils are always near the outside skin because they are the hot pressure side of the cooling loop. If they were inside the insulation, none of that heat would escape properly.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

What ever happened to making a paste of what I think is rubbing alcohol and baking soda(double check that).Smearing on the top of fridge with the fridge running.The warm lines dry the paste showing exactly where they are.I did that for my first keg and got the info here 7 years ago.I haven't seen it mentioned in years.Should be a sticky so things like this don't happen

 

[BuffaloHop]

What ever happened to making a paste of what I think is rubbing alcohol and baking soda(double check that).Smearing on the top of fridge with the fridge running.The warm lines dry the paste showing exactly where they are.I did that for my first keg and got the info here 7 years ago.I haven't seen it mentioned in years.Should be a sticky so things like this don't happen

Unfortunately I just heard about that.. Too late. Live and learn

 

[k1ngl1ves]

Just cut a big rectangular hole in the back and install a "window shaker" a/c unit.



Problem solved!

 

[SGTSparty]

Can you post a picture of the whole fridge so others can see where you attempted to cut on the unit? Maybe this tragedy can avoided for someone else.

 

[BuffaloHop]

can you post a picture of the whole fridge so others can see where you attempted to cut on the unit? Maybe this tragedy can avoided for someone else.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1467464826.217236.jpg

 

[passedpawn]

I did something very similar when trying to bend the ice tray out of the way. I heard a "pfffsssst", knew I'd broken the refrigerant line, and tossed the new fridge 5 minutes later. Ugh, I could have created a thread with the same title as yours.

 

[Island_Dan]

Thanks to this thread, I cut from the inside out on my fridge and dug through the foam before going the whole way through. Sucks about your situation. If you don't have contacts to fix it, sell it on Craigslist as broken to get $50 back. A refrigeration guy will buy it and fix it for nothing.

 

[Pariah3j]

Dang man, that sucks - what brand/model is it ?

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I'd have personally considered a hooker or cocaine first, but your idea works too.

 

[Stillraining]

Well the coils are always near the outside skin because they are the hot pressure side of the cooling loop. If they were inside the insulation, none of that heat would escape properly.

Good to know thanks!...I know there is a thread somewhere explaining how to mix up some backing soda or something to find the lines but I haven't located it yet.

Edit: Ah,,, I see JohnyRotten already alluded to it.

 

[dnslater]

You can find parts diagrams for many fridges online which show an explode view of where the lines are located.

 

[Atbrobst]

I cut the evaporator line in mine cutting out the plastic. I am in the process of fixing it. Jb weld putty the cut. Got a bullet piercing valve to gain access to the low pressure line. You can rent a vacuum pump at auto zone for free.