I have a 1992 Hunter Passage. Module failed on compressor and no replacement so upgrade time. Question is - has anyone replaced the feed lines from compressor to evaporator and what technique or procedure did you use to accomplish this. The lines appear to hide behind the refrigerator into the engine room and I am concerned if possible to feed the lines without ripping out a wall or other fixed parts.
Freezer evaporator replacement
- Thread starter reotime
- Start date
We recently replaced our evaporator plate (not a Hunter). The tubing connecting the evaporator to the compressor is part of the evaporator itself - a couple feet of a single aluminum tube soldered to a longer length of copper tube that breaks out into two separate tubes. One tube is the gas return line and the other the liquid capillary feed line.
The aluminum part of this is very fragile and prone to kinking, particularly where it connects to the plate. Be careful with this. The copper part is much more amenable to bending, although you never want to bend and rebend it much because it can crack.
I don't know the exact design of your system in your boat, but in general, you would pull a trace line out with the old tubing and carefully pull the new tubing in, while gradually fitting the evaporator plate into the box as the tubing advances. If there are tighter bends, you would have to get a hand in those places to carefully make the bend happen. It will likely be a two person job.
Once in place, it is just a matter of connecting the connectors on the ends of the tubing to the compressor connectors. They are different connectors, so you can't get them backwards.
Mark
The aluminum part of this is very fragile and prone to kinking, particularly where it connects to the plate. Be careful with this. The copper part is much more amenable to bending, although you never want to bend and rebend it much because it can crack.
I don't know the exact design of your system in your boat, but in general, you would pull a trace line out with the old tubing and carefully pull the new tubing in, while gradually fitting the evaporator plate into the box as the tubing advances. If there are tighter bends, you would have to get a hand in those places to carefully make the bend happen. It will likely be a two person job.
Once in place, it is just a matter of connecting the connectors on the ends of the tubing to the compressor connectors. They are different connectors, so you can't get them backwards.
Mark
Have to leave but have been through all of this on our 1991 P42. I'll catch up with you later today. You can still find the modules and cost much less than replacing the entire system.
http://www.kollmann-marine.com/ has been my Go-To guy for refrigeration. He has excellent help instructions for troubleshooting your system and stocks replacement modules. You can even send in your old module and have him check it out.
Oops, I somehow missed that the only thing wrong is a bad electronic control module. Yes, these are still available for older systems. As mentioned, Kollmann Marine is a good source, and I think r-parts still sell them.
Mark
Mark
Original 1991 freezer system still works on our P42. Refrigerator system Control Module died many years ago and replaced it. Evaporator and compressor were still good. System worked just fine up until 2015 when the compressor died so replaced the entire system. A chore getting the old stuff out, but here is an article that I wrote about the project. https://hunter.sailboatowners.com/mods.php?task=article&mid=45&aid=8342&mn=42
Purchased the AB system through Defender for around $1,400. That included the compressor, thermostat, condenser and their larger evaporator box. Evaporator box was a tight fit, but it all works. Chose not to purchase the evaporator plate; almost twice the price of the box. Besides would have had to bend the plate 90 degrees to match the original. Just too risky.
Original system used R-12 refrigerant.
Purchased the AB system through Defender for around $1,400. That included the compressor, thermostat, condenser and their larger evaporator box. Evaporator box was a tight fit, but it all works. Chose not to purchase the evaporator plate; almost twice the price of the box. Besides would have had to bend the plate 90 degrees to match the original. Just too risky.
Original system used R-12 refrigerant.
So question for you regarding the 1 1/2 inch hole from refrigerator to engine room. What did you use to reseal the holes and how thick were these holes through to the engine room? Was the location of the holes on the top back of the refrigerator box? I am replacing the freezer evaporator and not sure if easier to just go straight through the refrigerator box into the engine room. Fewer bends to the tubes. Key question is what did you use to reseal the holes.
AB used to sell direct, but no longer. Call them and ask what dealers carry the control module. I paid $350 for ours a few years ago from a Seattle marine dealer.
As a foot note, could not remove the old feed lines to and from the compressor, so I cut them off on either side of the box and bored a new hole on the front top side of the box for the new lines.