Refrigerator

[KZW]

I'm looking for sage council and advice.

I have a Waeco (Adler/Barbour) Cold Machine model PB201-134 (air cooled compressor). It was installed in the then new boat by the dealer for the original owner in 2005. It isn't functioning correctly. The evaporator will only get cool - will no longer freeze ice and only one side of the evaporator does get cold (cool). Bottom line is the beer is just slightly under room temperature and that is a serious problem!!!

Waeco was purchased by Dometic some years ago.
They make an evaporator that looks exactly like mine:

ColdMachine VD-150 Small Vertical Evaporator | West Marine

Check out our ColdMachine VD-150 Small Vertical Evaporator and more from West Marine!

www.westmarine.com

They make a compressor that looks like mine (hard to tell as it is buried in the far starboard stern, outboard of the fuel tank, under a tray (starboard stern hatch adjacent to the helm seat. I think they must have built the boat around it:

CU-100 Air-Cooled ColdMachine Compressor | West Marine

Check out our CU-100 Air-Cooled ColdMachine Compressor and more from West Marine!

www.westmarine.com

I've been unable to find anyone local that is even willing to look at it. I don't know what component went bad, evaporator, thermostat, or compressor - and don't know how to test it. Replacing the components looks like a $1,500 price tag, plus labor. They advertise do it yourself but the question of freon is an issue. I don't know how to proceed here.

Any thoughts?

 

[JK_Boston_Catalina310]

First, I doubt it was installed by the dealer. They were factory installed.

Let's start with the basics.

What is the thermostat in the box set at?

After that, turn the refer off at the breaker, have someone turn the unit on while you have your head in the laz. Did the compressor turn on and stay on? What about the small cooling fan?

Now, you might need an inspection mirror for this, what is the LED light on the small panel at the front of the compressor doing after the unit has been left on for 5-10 minutes?

 

[smokey73]

You don't have to stick with the Dometic. The brand I bought for my Refrig replacement was ISOTEC and comes with the freon already charged in the compressor unit an in the evaporator. It was easy to install, is very efficient (the newer Dometic may be just as efficient too). I did it in an easy 4 hours since I could use the existing 12 volt electrical run and it was a short run through existing routing holes for the temp sensor and copper lines. With your location it may be much harder, but then do you have to put it in the original location? Both my Refrig and Freezer compressors are located under the port settee in the main salon with room to spare. It has ducting for the ventilation.

On your existing unit make sure you have not obstructed the ventilation flow and the ventilation fan is working. Also, with that location, have you ever cleaned the evaporator coils? Mine were caked with "dust bunnies" on the freezer evaporater coils. After I cleaned them the system worked much better and I didn't replace it. Check that before you drop big bucks.

 

[Whatfiero1]

+1 check fan. I have a 30 yr old domestic and fan went out and unit tried but didn't get cool it's a 12 volt computer fan $5 part but tough to change

 

[rukidn]

Follow Jesse's compressor/electrical troubleshooting advice first. Does the compressor run all of the time? If one side of the evaporator is cold, other not, I'd suspect low refrigerant, which means a slow leak. Generally, when low the lower portion of the evaporator will frost and the top will sweat when low but still enough to work some.

My 2004 evaporator developed corrosion leaks 3 years ago in the tube feeding the evaporator and I repaired with a product called Red Epoxy. It's held two years, but now leaking again, such that I have to add refrigerant every few weeks. I'm now ready to replace my VD-150 over the winter on the hard. (BTW West Marine will price match Defender or others).

The R-134A refrigerant is readily available at auto parts stores. This fridge takes very little. I have all of the equipment including a leak detector, but I now take the following shortcuts so I don't have to haul it all to the boat. Make sure you don't introduce air by bleeding the hose before tightening the connection. You can add a little ONLY while the compressor is running, wait until the system stabilizes and observe the frost on the evaporator. Continue the cycle until the evaporator is frosted all the way to top and charge will be about right. This will work a while depending on the size of your leak.

This compressor is pretty tough, so if leaking, I'd suspect the evaporator. My tubes are pretty corroded where they enter the evaporator along the forward wall of the fridge.

Good luck and let us know what you learn. /Ed

 

[leo310]

Had the same problem I just replaced the unit with a Nova Kool unit for $1100 CAN or $750 US. I did the install took a few hours also install a electronic controller by the fuse panel so we can see what the temp is or adjust it.

 

[Mechone]

Had the same problem I just replaced the unit with a Nova Kool unit for $1100 CAN or $750 US. I did the install took a few hours also install a electronic controller by the fuse panel so we can see what the temp is or adjust it.

I'm replacing my fridgoboat with a nova cool this winter, I believe I have a small leak in the evap, and it's R12
I'm going with the RT-6 which gives me a good size freezer and a bigger cold plate area.I already installed a digital controller a few years ago ,that's how I knew I had a problem

 

[SycloneDriver]

Make sure the voltage at the unit is up to spec. when it is running. My dock neighbor went through all kinds of hell with his refrigeration unit. He replaced the control board at least once and recharged the system. He finally discovered he had a charging/battery issue.

 

[KZW]

First, I doubt it was installed by the dealer. They were factory installed.

Let's start with the basics.

What is the thermostat in the box set at?

After that, turn the refer off at the breaker, have someone turn the unit on while you have your head in the laz. Did the compressor turn on and stay on? What about the small cooling fan?

Now, you might need an inspection mirror for this, what is the LED light on the small panel at the front of the compressor doing after the unit has been left on for 5-10 minutes?

The thermostat will turn the compressor on and off.
The setting on the thermostat, low or high, doesn't seem to change anything
The compressor appears to turn on. I've been unable to hear any fan activity, but the marina is not a quiet environment
I've tried a mirror. I've not detected any LED light, either on, or off.

Evaporator picture: It only gets cold on the side adjacent to the wires/pipes. The rest of it stays room temp

Compressor Picture. Mine is similar, not exact. I will take another look with the mirror through the hatch for the LED. It is rather dark in there, one would think an illuminated LED would show up.

 

[smokey73]

On the compressor near the "larger black square" heat exchanger there should be small fan (its pretty quiet). There may or may not be ductwork from that point to a place with a fresh air supply. Those fins can collect a lot of dust bunnies. Where yours is located Idoubt if it has ever been cleaned and that could significantly reduce the ability to exchange heat. That is where the heat removed from refrigerator is rejected to the atmosphere. On my freezer compressor coils, they were really fouled with what amounted to almost a felt like subtance which was the damp dust bunnies.

I have no idea why they would put the compressor in such an inaccessable location? Seems like a bad idea to say the least.

 

[Tally Ho]

If you decide that you need to replace the parts, new ones are pre-charged with Freon. You don’t do much other than run the lines, pierce the fittings as you hook them up and you are done. (Ok..maybe a little simplified). But you don’t need to charge the Freon system.

I think this episode of “Refitting Athena” on the Sail Life channel deals with hooking up his new fridge...

YouTube

Greg

 

[KZW]

Follow Jesse's compressor/electrical troubleshooting advice first. Does the compressor run all of the time? If one side of the evaporator is cold, other not, I'd suspect low refrigerant, which means a slow leak. Generally, when low the lower portion of the evaporator will frost and the top will sweat when low but still enough to work some.

My 2004 evaporator developed corrosion leaks 3 years ago in the tube feeding the evaporator and I repaired with a product called Red Epoxy. It's held two years, but now leaking again, such that I have to add refrigerant every few weeks. I'm now ready to replace my VD-150 over the winter on the hard. (BTW West Marine will price match Defender or others).

The R-134A refrigerant is readily available at auto parts stores. This fridge takes very little. I have all of the equipment including a leak detector, but I now take the following shortcuts so I don't have to haul it all to the boat. Make sure you don't introduce air by bleeding the hose before tightening the connection. You can add a little ONLY while the compressor is running, wait until the system stabilizes and observe the frost on the evaporator. Continue the cycle until the evaporator is frosted all the way to top and charge will be about right. This will work a while depending on the size of your leak.

This compressor is pretty tough, so if leaking, I'd suspect the evaporator. My tubes are pretty corroded where they enter the evaporator along the forward wall of the fridge.

Good luck and let us know what you learn. /Ed

Without step-by-step instructions, (and I'm not soliciting such), I think this beyond my capability. I was once told (by an airplane mechanic) I should only use tools under supervision. This was when he was assisting me changing the headers on my motorboat (now long gone).

If you decide that you need to replace the parts, new ones are pre-charged with Freon. You don’t do much other than run the lines, pierce the fittings as you hook them up and you are done. (Ok..maybe a little simplified). But you don’t need to charge the Freon system.

I think this episode of “Refitting Athena” on the Sail Life channel deals with hooking up his new fridge...

YouTube

Greg

Thank you! I've book marked the URL

 

[KZW]

On the compressor near the "larger black square" heat exchanger there should be small fan (its pretty quiet). There may or may not be ductwork from that point to a place with a fresh air supply. Those fins can collect a lot of dust bunnies. Where yours is located Idoubt if it has ever been cleaned and that could significantly reduce the ability to exchange heat. That is where the heat removed from refrigerator is rejected to the atmosphere. On my freezer compressor coils, they were really fouled with what amounted to almost a felt like subtance which was the damp dust bunnies.

I have no idea why they would put the compressor in such an inaccessable location? Seems like a bad idea to say the least.

I would be surprised if either of the two previous owners ever checked. I will look into it tomorrow evening when I check for the LED with the mirror.

 

[KZW]

"You don’t do much other than run the lines, pierce the fittings as you hook them up and you are done."

Don't the lines need to be purged before coolant is inserted?

 

[Mechone]

"You don’t do much other than run the lines, pierce the fittings as you hook them up and you are done."

Don't the lines need to be purged before coolant is inserted?

the lines come already hooked up to the evap and are pre -charged , the compressor comes pre -charged. They have parker fittings on the lines and compressor that pierce each other and seal when you hook them together. No charging or gas needed ,just hook up your 12volts and your ready to go

 

[smokey73]

On mine, both the compressor and its lines and the cold plate, and its lines were already pre-charged with refrigerant and once you put everything in place, ran the copper tubing and such you just hooked them up together and you were good to go.

 

[KZW]

the lines come already hooked up to the evap and are pre -charged , the compressor comes pre -charged. They have parker fittings on the lines and compressor that pierce each other and seal when you hook them together. No charging or gas needed ,just hook up your 12volts and your ready to go

That confuses me because the lines shown with the evaporator (picture in my post above) are not hooked to anything. I gather from this the coolant doesn't go into those lines.

 

[smokey73]

The lines you show in your picture are the ones I refer to as lines your run from the evaporator to the compressor. They are precharged and you just hook them up to the compressor.

 

[MikeHoncho]

They have valves in the couplers on both ends. When you screw them together the valves are compressed and opened allowing flow of refrigerant through the system. They are suppose to allow for several connecting and unconnecting without effecting the coolant levels. I’m not confident this concept would work with replacing the evaporator in a system with already low refrigerant system.

 

[SycloneDriver]

The picture of the compressor unit you posted has a separate fuse for the fan, maybe the fuse failed. My money is on fan.
Depending on the angle and location, you might be able to aim a strong fan at the compressor, just as a test. Maybe use a leaf blower to chase out the dust bunnies.