National Homebrew Club Ireland

Hi there,

Just last night I set up my two line beer chiller and tested whether it's still chilling. I left it over night and took a temperature reading of the output water and it's no longer chilling. The compressor and fan both appear to be working or at least the make noise when switched on. I was wondering if anybody can offer any assistance in servicing or trouble shooting the cause of the problem? Even a link to some self help instructions would be a big help as I have not found anything useful on either Google or YouTube.

Many thanks,

Shanna

Have you dropped a probe into the cooling water, is there a digital output or just a black box?
You may have frozen the block, is the stirrer working shine a torch in to see
They are very simple thermostat agitator cooling bank and only have a few components I've had a agitator go on mine, simple fix.
See fellas using them for chilling wort. It's very hard on the unit for that sort or extreme
But in the words of a former hb shop don't mess with it if you are not confident in what you are doing

I measure the temperature of the water using a thermopen, I also used the thermopen to measure the temp of water pushed through the coil at output and its the same as the input water temperature.

Its a black box no digital. Where is the agitator located? I had used it previously to pre chill water to chill wort but that should be no different than chilling beer as normal as the temperature differentials should be very similar.

Shanna

the stirrer is often the problem as you describe what's wrong. Start there.

Quote from: DEMPSEY on September 08, 2018, 12:20:25 PM
the stirrer is often the problem as you describe what's wrong. Start there.

Ok so now I know what to start to look at where is it located? 😏

Shanna

Agitator is in the bath

So I took the lid off and flicked the switch. I see a red fan wheel that sits on top of the insulated water bath and that moves freely I also see movement in the water bath itself. Unfortunately there is no movement from the main fan or no noise from the compressor. The wiring appears to be intact although there is obvious signs of corrosion on the compressor unit as it's ancient. I can only conclude that the compressor unit is knackered.

Shanna

Next step is to disassemble the housing around the fan and clean the fan fins. After that is to check the relay for the compressor to rule out it being burnt out. A YouTube video I watched suggested checking if there is a port for venting refrigerant gas and if so check if there is still refrigerant in the compressor. If that suggests the compressor housing is cracked.

Shanna

Disassembled the fan and cleaned the blades. No obvious problem with the bearings as it moved freely. Traced the wiring back to the compressor capacitor and then I noticed guys of bakalite chips on the bottom of the unit. Further investigation revealed a massive crack in the side. Not sure if it's the root cause but I suspect it can't be good. See picture I took of it.

The capacitor is also wired in to the compressor so it's likely to the cause of the issue.

Shanna

So capacitor has eventually worn out and basically blown up. This is more than likely due to the tolerance going outside the range and the compressor or fan motor running hot that eventually caused it to bulge and burst. Contents of said capacitors are cancer causing also so lucky I was wearing gloves. Also found out that the capacitors are dangerous to handle and need to be properly discharged as they store charge and a discharge could kill you. Off now to try and find a replacement.

Shanna

Quote from: CH on September 08, 2018, 07:12:17 PM
Should have said as they were so cheap I bought a second

Was that a 2nd capacitor or a 2nd chiller?

My tapatalk is having a meltdown

Just typed out a big reply there about electrical safety and it's disappeared and responses posting twice, oh well we all know the drill on electrical stuff.

In case you need reminding, this guy is my hero
https://youtu.be/rr7bPmGTQUk

I bought a second capacitor they are about a tenner buy quality I bought 16microfarads from local electrical shop it was a tenner

Yes i take the point about the capacitors. I got electrocuted as a child by a dodgily wired wall lamp. It was a nasty experience that I have no desire to repeat. I remember my secondary school physics about how dangerous they are. Unfortunately the capacitor was labelled in German with the word kondensator (translated to capacitor). Hoping that I can pick some up in a electrical wholesaler soon.

Shanna

After some research on YouTube I figured out how to check the compressor for continuity. This should rule out electrical problems with it. I also visually inspected the relay for signs of burning or arcing and thankfully there are none the time

Waiting for a new capacitor now and fingers crossed it will be the only thing wrong,

Shanna

Quote from: Shanna on September 08, 2018, 05:50:54 PM
... Contents of said capacitors are cancer causing also so lucky I was wearing gloves...

Shanna

I did not know this was a thing. Learn something very useful everyday on here.