I think the refrigeration unit in my 1993 H33.5 needs to be recharged. The Ice section is cold to the touch but no longer frosts up to keep the whole box cold. Can anyone suggest the best way to get to the nit that is buried below the aft starboard cockpit storage floor? Do you access throw the aft cabin wall?
charging the refridgeration unit
- Thread starter gahOhio H33.5
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Do you know how to handle refrigerant, all the tools and equipment needed to check out a refrigeration system? EVERY time someone tries to charge these little units they over charge them.
Suggestions,
First get the model number and make of the unit. The refrigerant used and how many ozs should also be listed on the nameplate.
Watch and listen to it run or try to run.
Your looking first to see if the condenser fan is running. Then you want to determine if the unit is "short cycling"
Refrigeration coils don't get real cold real fast and it can take up to a hour or more for frost to form.
If it has a 2 wire thermostat, disconnect it and put the 2 wires together to see if it stays on an runs continuous without the Tstat.
Suggestions,
First get the model number and make of the unit. The refrigerant used and how many ozs should also be listed on the nameplate.
Watch and listen to it run or try to run.
Your looking first to see if the condenser fan is running. Then you want to determine if the unit is "short cycling"
Refrigeration coils don't get real cold real fast and it can take up to a hour or more for frost to form.
If it has a 2 wire thermostat, disconnect it and put the 2 wires together to see if it stays on an runs continuous without the Tstat.
Consider this, too. Frost simply means that your box lid is leaking. You may no remember the days before "frost free" refrigerators. 
Unless you REALLY know what you are doing (and you didn't say, other than to ask about how to get to the unit) you might want to consider having a qualified refrigeration person do that for you. For maybe $100, you have to ask if it's worth messing the whole thing up, to you.
Unless you REALLY know what you are doing (and you didn't say, other than to ask about how to get to the unit) you might want to consider having a qualified refrigeration person do that for you. For maybe $100, you have to ask if it's worth messing the whole thing up, to you.
Usually when a refrigeration unit is low on refrigerant, it will freeze up, rather than not cool well. I think you have an issue somewhere else.
First I would do what Denise suggest.
Signs to watch for...When any a/c unit / freezer etc. starts to lose refrigerant the coils will start to freeze up first then as it loses just a little more it will stop freezing and cooling. Causing the compresser to heat up and damage the compressor if not caught soon enough. On boats the more you open and close lid or if you you have poor and failing casket sills on lid. The coils will suck in all that moisture and show up as frost causing for you to have to more frequently shut down and defrost the unit. I have triple silled my lid door...if you do the dollar bill trick it should not pull out.
If not already read...Read this posting which may help....
web page:
http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=143143&referrerid=113463
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