refilling an inline chiller

P-Nut

Non-member
Will any fish stores around here do it? Or are any BRS members capable of giving me a hand?

I am trying out a chiller that my neighbor is trying to sell me.

The chiller is a delta star, the controller works, the fan works, but nohing is getting cold. I think the compressor needs to get refilled.

Can anyone help?
 
I do not think there are any Fish stores capable of refilling a chiller. I believe they are like an air conditioner and filled with refrigerant.

I would be concerned about how low on refrigerant it is. If it is to low, then moisture and dirt can get into the system. If that happens, then you would need to seal the leak and vacuum out the system. I do not own a chiller, but do they have a pressure gauge on them?
 
No pressure gauge.

I will post pics later.

Can I juat take it to an AC place and have them refill it?
 
You may want to check the cooling fill adapter if it looks like the ones on a bicycle tube you should be able to find a fill kit at Wal-Mart same as on most vehicles ,,,,,, worth a try.
 
Here goes nothing:

If you can find the manufacturers service manual it will tell you exactly how much refrigerant and how much oil the system contains and what kind of each. If you can not find it then there's a plate on the compressor that will tell you the model number, power consumption and hopefully refrigerant type for it. Problem with using the data on the compressor is that some compressors were made for different types of refrigerant depending on the application and a certain type of refrigerant might destroy the seals in it so it's gamble.
Most commercial A/C contractors will have the means of refilling a system; on some of them it involves desoldering / resoldering a fill port; those are definitely not a DIY job as the solder is actually a silver compound, requires MAP gas (preferably with oxygen) and even experienced users are known to mess up the job from time to time.

If the system has a fill port than you can try and find a retailer that will sell you a DIY kit for that type of port / refrigerant.

I would go with a certified / experienced contractor as the chances of messing up the compressor are significant if you do it yourself.

Most of these compressors take something else than r134 found in the car systems; most likely R22 or R404a. Also, the amount of oil depends on the design of the system and is the most common cause of failure for compressors.
 
Here goes nothing:

If you can find the manufacturers service manual it will tell you exactly how much refrigerant and how much oil the system contains and what kind of each. If you can not find it then there's a plate on the compressor that will tell you the model number, power consumption and hopefully refrigerant type for it. Problem with using the data on the compressor is that some compressors were made for different types of refrigerant depending on the application and a certain type of refrigerant might destroy the seals in it so it's gamble.
Most commercial A/C contractors will have the means of refilling a system; on some of them it involves desoldering / resoldering a fill port; those are definitely not a DIY job as the solder is actually a silver compound, requires MAP gas (preferably with oxygen) and even experienced users are known to mess up the job from time to time.

If the system has a fill port than you can try and find a retailer that will sell you a DIY kit for that type of port / refrigerant.

I would go with a certified / experienced contractor as the chances of messing up the compressor are significant if you do it yourself.

Most of these compressors take something else than r134 found in the car systems; most likely R22 or R404a. Also, the amount of oil depends on the design of the system and is the most common cause of failure for compressors.

+1 to that!

I am AC certified and unless you know what you are looking at and how to trouble shoot and repair it, you could cause more damage than good.
 
+1 to that!

I am AC certified and unless you know what you are looking at and how to trouble shoot and repair it, you could cause more damage than good.
I agree. I am looking for someone that can do it.

Now...is it really worth the trouble? It is an 8 year old chiller, it looks good and clean, but for $200 - $250 more I can buy a brand new chiller. This one brand new is $1000, the seller wants $300 and includes a nice controller that works fine.
 
Here are some pics

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IMO, I would keep looking. You could get it working, but for how long before it breaks again. If it let air in the system, acid could have formed in the oil and lines and could cause problems later down the line. Also, I would imagine that chillers, just like AC's, get more and more efficient each year. The newer chillers may work more efficiently. Just my opinion.
 
Hmmmm this gets me thinking now.... I currently do not have a chiller on my tank and it would probably be a good idea to have one by the time summer starts??

At my work we have a bunch of chillers hooked up to hydrolic presses. These are used to chill and pump water through copper tubings winding inside of the hydrolic oil tank to keep the oil cool so it doesn't get too hot and thin.

Would these work just as well? If so I will bring one home
 
seems like it has all the info needed for somebody competent to bring it back online, the question is if it's worth to you to pay somebody who knows what they are doing to have a look at it / refurbish it.
the refrigerant is R-134, available at almost every store as car recharge. look up the oil for this compressor (model number on the label) just in case. The manufacturer might be able / willing to help as well in regards to service procedure / oil volume.
If it would be me I would at least purge the system and clean it before recharge.

Here are some pics

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seems like it has all the info needed for somebody competent to bring it back online, the question is if it's worth to you to pay somebody who knows what they are doing to have a look at it / refurbish it.
the refrigerant is R-134, available at almost every store as car recharge. look up the oil for this compressor (model number on the label) just in case. The manufacturer might be able / willing to help as well in regards to service procedure / oil volume.
If it would be me I would at least purge the system and clean it before recharge.

If you purge the system, you have to do it right. You need to vacuum down the system to expel any contaminats. (I.e. Water, dirt, etc) You should also have a gauge set and maybe a micron gauge. (for leak checking and helping to fill)
 
I can refill. licensed refidgeration tech. Pm me if your interested I have everything needed

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I agree. I am looking for someone that can do it.

Now...is it really worth the trouble? It is an 8 year old chiller, it looks good and clean, but for $200 - $250 more I can buy a brand new chiller. This one brand new is $1000, the seller wants $300 and includes a nice controller that works fine.

Probably it will cost you a similar amount or more to bring it to live than the difference you need to buy a new one.
 
It has a leak in the a/c lines I can test and diagnosis whether its worth it or not but would have to have it for a day or two. Imo coming for a guy who can fix it its not worth it.. your looking at at least 100-150$ in parts alone and not to mention if the coil is leaking its no good. Save yourself the headach buy a new one/ or working one

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It has a leak in the a/c lines I can test and diagnosis whether its worth it or not but would have to have it for a day or two. Imo coming for a guy who can fix it its not worth it.. your looking at at least 100-150$ in parts alone and not to mention if the coil is leaking its no good. Save yourself the headach buy a new one/ or working one

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+1 to that! Could not agree more!
 
It has a leak in the a/c lines I can test and diagnosis whether its worth it or not but would have to have it for a day or two. Imo coming for a guy who can fix it its not worth it.. your looking at at least 100-150$ in parts alone and not to mention if the coil is leaking its no good. Save yourself the headach buy a new one/ or working one

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Thanks for the info. I will just buy a new one.
It could be an easy $50 fix or a $250 fix and then I have no idea for how much longer it would work.
 
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