America likes COLD BEER

kimelmore · Jun 2, 2016

You have to start with a leak check. Looks like an old unit so you may not even be able to get it serviced since new regs require 134 Freon. Check with a local car dealership and see if they can hook you up with a good Airconditioning guy. Sometimes that sort of thing gets farmed out to an independent. If you hear a hissing noise it's most likely a leak and a big one. That can be a major headache. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Rick D · Jun 2, 2016

Double down with kimelmore. Get a refrig guy out. I had to ultimately replace one of my units (1994) that a tech tried to recharge with 134A. Not compatible. Ruined the unit. They tried to fix it by using R409A but it was already toast. I understand 409A may also be banned. However, I also understand R49 may be a drop-in replacement. This stuff is not simple however, and you need a skilled refrigeration tech to trouble shoot it. It cost me $1500 to find that out. See this thread and good luck!: http://www.refrigeration-engineer.com/forums/showthread.php?9041-R12-to-R22-or-R409

Benny17441 · Jun 2, 2016

How recently did you have it working? Does it have any tag at all indicating the type of refrigerant used? If the compressor is running it must have some refrigerant in the system. If the refrigerant is R-12 it requires a licensed technician to work on it. If it uses R-134 you are in luck and may tinker on it yourself. Freon is not cheap and you do not want to buy a large cylinder of it but R-134 is available in small cans at Walmarts or any automotive parts store. It might be worth a shot to have a technician look at it but I would not invest to much money on a unit with no parts availability and a short anticipated remaining useful life. Perhaps parts from American makes could be adapted and a technician may be able to advise you on that. Good luck.

sailnewbie · Jun 3, 2016

Trying blowing out the condenser fins, as dirt can get trapped and definitely not cool as it should, check around on the unit it should say what freon it takes, being older it's probably r12 or r22, which only licensed tech can do it, if it's 134 add little amounts at a time with a thermometer inside and once it hits it's coldest and steadys stop as to much will reverse the cold and turn to heat, and then will result in vacuuming down the whole system and starting over, hope that all makes sense

whatfiero · Jun 3, 2016

Hissing sound is the orfiss or expansion valve there is barely a pound of Freon in unit yes try cleaning both coils soapy water and water hose blast it off is coil getting cool at all may need help getting cold put some block ice in there get space cold and see if refer can keep up on weekend check polarity at unit dc units can run backwards which would make ice box heater box and condenser coil a cooling coil

Kermit · Jun 3, 2016

I doubt you'll ever get a European fridge to keep your beer cold. Europeans seem to like warmer beer. And you're aiming to please Americans.

cb32863 · Jun 3, 2016

Kermit said:
I doubt you'll ever get a European fridge to keep your beer cold. Europeans seem to like warmer beer. And you're aiming to please Americans.

That's not really true. From what I recall, British beers are made to be served at a warmer temp, not necessarily warm. Everyone else likes it cold. Lagers are made to be served cold, lots of German lagers out there. That's where the marketing guys at Coors came up with "Frost Brewed". It's a Lager, Lagering is done in the mid 30 degrees F. All Lagers are done this way. Pilsners, serve'em cold. Ales the same. IPA's probably a little warmer but, that again is a British thing. Added all those extra hops to help preserve the beer in India. Hence, India Pale Ale..... IPA

justsomeguy · Jun 3, 2016

Kermit said:
Europeans seem to like warmer beer.

Good beer doesn't taste nearly as bad warm as the swill that's sold as beer in the US.

Justin_NSA · Jun 3, 2016

The Europeans that I have met around the world all believe that cold suppresses the taste. I notice the difference in taste between an ice cold beer vs. a cool one. Assuming I'm drinking real bear, not Bud or Coors. Refreshing and taste don't mean the same thing. Cold is more refreshing but not always as tasty.
I used this to advantage when our Marine squadron deployed on carriers. When we ran out of real milk and started on sterilized milk, colder was better as it hid the taste of sterilization.

alexco38 · Jun 3, 2016

If it's British, may be made by Lucas Industries. The main reason British drink warmer beer.

Justin_NSA · Jun 3, 2016

alexco38 said:
If it's British, may be made by Lucas Industries. The main reason British drink warmer beer.

Bumper sticker on an XKE V12 Jag: "ahhh, but when it runs"

kloudie1 · Jun 3, 2016

Still some R-12 available but at $24 a pound or so..http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/321711104943?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true The unit looks like a "re-brand" where a European manufacturer supplied the unit to a big yachtworks with the works name on it.. or supplied it to Jenneau.. since the boat vintage is 1985 ish, my bet is on F-12 as the refrigerant. The hiss you hear when the compressor is on is probably as whatfiero says, the refrigerant going through the orifice tube or expansion valve. May only be low on coolant after all these years.. finding a knowledgeable and honest guy to look at it and top off the charge might be difficult. Not sure about this, but I think that the older systems are not illegal nor is the refrigerant.. F-12 is prohibited in new things, but yours is probably not new. It is probably fabricated of "off the shelf" components, so replacing parts with equivalent ones wouldn't be a problem IF you can find a service guy who can do that instead of selling you a new one.. at some point, the cost of repair/retrofit may be very close to the cost of a new unit; at that point, you are better off with the new stuff ..

Gunni · Jun 3, 2016

F13 with Unobtainium 232? I think it is time for you to hit the books. http://www.kollmann-marine.com/

Justin_NSA · Jun 3, 2016

Casagf66 said:
I love how this post has really become about beer, however it is making me very thirsty!

Well the thread is labelled "America likes COLD BEER"

Gunni · Jun 3, 2016

A number of years ago I went sailing in the Baltic with a Swedish couple. The wife was ex-pat British and had prepared a great lunch for us. As we gathered around the saloon table she said that knowing I was American, she had brought along some cold beer. How nice. I stifled a chuckle as she lifted a board on the sole and pulled a bottle from the wet-bilge. Cold beer is apparently 60 degrees F in Sverige!

sailnewbie · Jun 3, 2016

Cannot mix freons, kinda like a house furnace can run on propane or natural gas as long as it has the right orfice, same with freon. I have changed r12 to 134 but requires draining system and oil out of the compressor and flushing and changing orfices and vacing down system then refilling with 134, not hard but time consuming. Cheaper than buying new system but who knows how long the old compressor will last, could be doing it all over again in a week, 1 year or 10 years. Happy cold beer Friday!

kloudie1 · Jun 3, 2016

Correct.. 134 stops the F-12 lube oil from working.. it is a very good solvent for the old oil type. That is how come ya have to drain most of the old oil and replace with a syn oil whose viscosity is not degraded by the 134.. another thing is that 134 reduces the capacity of the old systems and the compressor requires more power to drive.

kito · Jun 3, 2016

This post brings back some memories. Back in the early 80's I used to go out on my brothers boat on the Mississippi and he would invite some of his British friends from work. We always had a cooler of ice cold Old Milwaukee. Those English guys had their Old Milwaukee's sitting in the sun until it was the right temperature to consume . They never brought their own so they must have liked it.

America likes COLD BEER

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