refregerator freon leak

[Frederick]

The refrigerator (Adler/Babour) of my P-42 1991 is leaking small amounts of freon close to the connection of the tubing and the evaporator inside the box. (found with a leak detector I was able to borrow.)Have anyone tried to take the freon-tubing out of a P-42 to fix a leak or replace it.If so please advise.

 

[Terry]

Fredrick, sorry but not yet. We also have a ...

1991 P42. Both reefers work fine and do a good job of keeping the beers cold. I had to recharge the freezer last year and it has been fine ever since, over twelve months on all the time.We just love the boat. Sails like a dream, very comfy and easy to solo. It gets lots of compliments. Hunter did a good job on this model.Anything else I can help you with just let me know.TerryS/V Belle-Vie

 

[Ron]

Can Be Fixed

I am a AC and refrig. tech. Most leaks can be fixed with either soldier or epoxy depending on where they are. If it is in copper tubing you soldier, in aluminum you epoxy. But... you need some AC tools to do it. If you are using epoxy you need to put a couple of pounds of vacumm on the system to draw the epoxy inside forming a mushroom head (inside the aluminum tubing or aluminum evaporator). If the leak is in copper tubing you need to soldier with silver soldier. Either way you then need to put a -29.92 inches of mercury vacumm on the system to see if it holds. This requires a vacumm pump. You are probably using R-12 refrigerant which is super expensive and has been replaced by many others that are much more resonable in price. I use R-414B which is a drop in (nothing to change out except the freon), but you need an EPA certificate to buy it.So, I hope this helps. Bottom line is; Yes, you can fix it... Ron

 

[Frederick]

compound to stop leak?

Thanks Ron.I am using R-414B (Hot Shot) too what works very well for me.My problem is that where the copper tubing(s) enter/are connected into/on the aluminum tubing (3 inches from evaporator) there is a very slow leak requiring to service (put new freon in) my system every 4 month. I hoped there is some epoxy or compound I can put on to stop it from leaking.

 

[Steve Dion]

Replace the tubing?

By the time you mess around trying to fix it won't it just a cheap to get a new piece of tubing? You are going to need to recharge the system anyway.

 

[Fred Ficarra]

Fred(erick) The refer system seen on my web

site was mostly built by me. Do what Ron says. You need to get the gas out of the system and that sometimes means a vacuum pump, depending on the job. I bought mine on ebay. Now if you just have a loose coupling, try tightening it.