How not to defrost the cabin fridge..

[gerryb]

The guy in the slip next to ours wanted to defrost the freezer compartment on his '05 270 chapparal. So... he asked his brother to scrape the ice off the walls with a knife. He apparently scraped a bit to hard and jammed into the copper coils. Yes, punctured it too. I feel bad for the gus - really nice guy with great family. Incidentially, he feels bad that he didn't buy a Sea Ray but that's another story...

I told him that he may have to shop around and get a replacement unit. I've seen them for $600-$800. Dealer quoted him $1,500 parts and labor. Would it be feasible to see if a repair shop can braze the puncture and recharge the system? Would have to pull the system out and find a place that would do it of course... Any thoughts from the board?

 

[skolbe]

Why would he feel bad for not buying a Sea Ray????

Chap's are nice boats. Replacing the fridge is easy other than writing the check.

 

[xravenx]

IF, it is copper, which I doubt because of cost, yes, it can be brazed (silfosed). But, I really doubt it is copper, it is probaly aluminum that can not be brazed. Oh, and don't waste your time with those snake oil aluminum epoxys. Refrigerant (Freon is a brand name) carries some compressor oil with it, epoxys just won't stick.

Oh, one thing you may want to check........the evaporator that was damaged may be available as a seperate part and may come with copper connections.

John

 

[jrcinnh]

Pulling the fridge might not be as easy as it sounds. There are more than a few boats that have the fidge installed before the deck is attached. In some you cannot get the fridge through the door easily. Sometimes a bunch of boat disassembly is required.

On a lot of fridges you can buy the whole replacement refrigeration system and install it in the existing chassis.

 

[Robski97]

Ravens correct, The evaporator coil 99 % of the time is aluminum. NEVER USE any sharp objects to defrost the refrig. Turn the unit off and use a hair drier... LAy some towels to catch the excess water.

There is epoxy for this type of repair but it is not worth it . If any moisture got into the refrigerant system ur done anyway. So the lost money and time trying to fix it us fruitless... odds are water did get in especially if the puncture is on a horiz section. Its just not worth it .


Rob

 

[xravenx]

Hi Rob,

What Rob added is also correct.............. Changing just the evaporator coil, (if available) without the proper tools and equipment is definetly not a DIY job. However changing the whole refrigeration assembly is, it beats trying to get the entire refrigerator thru the door of your cabin.

John

 

[Skuza]

What about that "Alumaloy" stuff on them infomercials??? Supposed to work on all types of metal with a propane torch!

 

[wkearney99]

Find out who makes the fridge and find their local distributor/repair depot. The only problem will likely be getting it out of the cabin. Most units have a frame around the door that can be removed. I had to take mine off a Nova-Kool to get it out the cabin door, and even then it was a VERY tight fit. Have rags handy to avoid leaving gouges. There's no way it will cost that much if he handles the remove/replacement himself. I had to have the power supply replaced, two leaks fixed and the coolant replaced and it was around $300 (reimbursed by the factory).