I cannot believe it but while drilling a hole in the wall of my icecream fridge I punctured a pipe and so the gas leaked out >:( >:( >:( >:( :'( :'( :'(. I need to get this fixed. Anyone know where I can go. :-[
The ice-cream man?
I tried getting mine fixed and it seems unless it is something simple they don't think it is worth it :(
No you don't understand I will not accept that it cannot be fixed >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
Simply drop the temperature of the gas so it turns into a liquid then pour it into the hole and put sellotape on the hole.
Use the fridge to cool ddown the gas...... Oh wait :-\
dempsey. u need to hav a lookat the pipe u drilled....is it standard 6 ml, 8 ml 10ml, if so u need a repair on that first.
second....to re-gas u need to look for a fitting like a bicycle valve...if there is one then its regasable....if its a commercial fridge its nearly regasable.
I know a fridge man and he has all the connectors to fit most fridges / ac systems may be able to hook up.
other option is drop into the camper club clonee and Bill luptons son the camper engineer has a fridge regass system as well I believe but check with him.
look up motorcaravanclub.net for the number if u wanna go that way..
either way best of luck
another hole in the ozone layer ::)
Note to all drilling fridges,
1) Pilot hole through skin
2) Nail or dart then to have a rummage around for pipes, if you find one back to point one.
best way to fix that, a new one on done deal!
is the broken pipe is accessable and repairable with a compression fitting it shouldnt be a big deal to do a regas.
Had my car ac regassed for 25 euros by a mate whos a qualified and full-time refregeration engineer.
the main dealer wanted 80 euros ( i suspect they let gas out so my ac would fail) and I had a thorough pressure test done and there are no leaks.
Theres a place in swords who does a full ozone friendly degas, flush and regas for 50 euros.
So its not an expensive job to regas.
if the fridge is worth a few bob its prob worth repairing so I dont fully agree with Ciderhead.
Thanks Bren your a star yes this is a commercial fridge. It is an ice cream fridge the type where you look down into it after you slide back the lid. It holds 4 corneys and a pub size gas bottle. I am building a timber cabinet around it to make it look good as well as functional. The hole was a 3mm pilot hole I drilled on the corner of the fridge casing and was the last one I was drilling.
Quote from: DEMPSEY on July 16, 2013, 09:52:49 PM
The hole was a 3mm pilot hole I drilled on the corner of the fridge casing and was the last one I was drilling.
I've seen that fridge, it was a beauty Doh :(
Oh what a balls, sorry to hear about it :(
Do most fridges have pipes through the sides, or is it just chest freezers? (been meaning to drill some holes for temp probe and healtbelt wires, etc)
My precious is on its way to Artane :'( Like the 6 million dollar man "we can rebuild him" :)
Quote from: LordEoin on July 17, 2013, 10:56:33 AM
Oh what a balls, sorry to hear about it :(
Do most fridges have pipes through the sides, or is it just chest freezers? (been meaning to drill some holes for temp probe and healtbelt wires, etc)
Yeah, there is a way to find out where the tubes are by using corn starch from what I remember, you make a thin paste, paint it on the area and then let it sit and dry a while, you will see the areas with the pipes drying faster and hence it will show them up.
I drilled a hole in aluminium pipe >:( >:( >:(. Does anyone know a welder for aluminium.
would Sugru work as a patch?
Quote from: DEMPSEY on July 17, 2013, 10:10:05 PM
I drilled a hole in aluminium pipe >:( >:( >:(. Does anyone know a welder for aluminium.
There are plenty of good welders around who repair alloy wheels. The potholes keep the busy. Ask at your local motor factors and I'm sure you'll find someone? Good luck.
Quote from: DEMPSEY on July 17, 2013, 10:10:05 PM
I drilled a hole in aluminium pipe >:( >:( >:(. Does anyone know a welder for aluminium.
can u not get at the pipe to replace a section with compression fitting and olives ( cost 2 euros)?
apparently you cannot use a compression fitting on these aluminium pipes too soft. On to the manufactures of the fridge ATM.
ok can accept that, ive a camper fridge that got broke ( not by drilling but during a refit) and it was a 6 mm steel pipe.
Trying to understand how light alu can be welded? it melts at seriously low temp?
I recall seeing some super dee dooper aluminum welding stuff at a motorcycle show.
Maybe a post on biker.ie might illicit a response.
Test in progress for fridge repair. I will pressurise the keg in the morning once the Sugru has cured and see what PSI it can take.
(http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/9538/1wgi.jpg)(http://imageshack.us/a/img600/8753/6ttf.jpg)
Thanks Shiny,you know in the interest of science you need to keep building the pressure up until it fails so as to gett a true result
Its up to 20 PSI and holding this morning. I wasn't able to turn the regulator higher without getting a wrench. So I will go a little bit higher later, as it gets higher I'm getting more and more reluctant to blow it off. :o
So far it looks like it will do what you are hoping it to do as long as the fluid flowing underneath doesn't eat away at it?
Posted on the Sugru site about using it and they said no :(. Here is a picture of the exposed area.
Heres the lad...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiThO-UQIWE
That's nasty. On the bend too! It's going to be very difficult to weld without doing damage to the surrounding area.
How about building it up with JB weld? That stuff sets very hard, I'd imagine it would be as strong the aluminium?
Maybe test it out on an off-cut of copper or something first?
is that a flattened aluminium pipe?
What size is the hole ( drill bit size)
Can it be rounded back into a round pipe carefuly with a pliers?
So no-one looked at alutight then?
The youtube post above?
Quote from: johnrm on July 24, 2013, 10:55:16 PM
So no-one looked at alutight then?
The youtube post above?
I have can this be got here in Ireland,do you know anyone who has used it.
Brendan yes the pipe is slightly flattened as per all these pipes in fridges. The hole is 3mm.
Comments after the clip mentioned that it is available.
Googling alutight brings me here...
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=24304
They suggest it is the same stuff as durafix...
http://www.durafixbaltic.eu/MSDS%20safety%20sheet.pdf
@Dempsey: Brian how are the alu tubes connected in the rest of the fridge?
Welded?
Compression?
Adehsive jointing?
I am a bit surpised someone went to the TROUBLE of using alu as opposed to the prevailing choice: Copper!
When you see how rest of plumbing is joined up it may give you a clue as to best repair.
You may be able to cut out a larger length of pipe to go back to round tubing.
Quote from: Will_D on July 25, 2013, 10:20:45 AM
@Dempsey: Brian how are the alu tubes connected in the rest of the fridge?
Welded?
Compression?
Adehsive jointing?
I am a bit surpised someone went to the TROUBLE of using alu as opposed to the prevailing choice: Copper!
When you see how rest of plumbing is joined up it may give you a clue as to best repair.
You may be able to cut out a larger length of pipe to go back to round tubing.
Thats wat Ive been hinting at for the last 2 weeks...
replace a section with 6mm copper and an insert (available from any hydraulic/ engineering supplier e.g ted johnson, Bradshaws) if the pipe is softish.
other option Round off the damaged section and use tec 7 and a small high quality jubilee ( like the old days) I have one ona 4 bar pipe for the last ten years! Use tec 7 and a clip then gas with compressed air to check for leaks, it can be / would be flushed with Nitrogen I think before regassin.
Its not rocket science its a hole in a pipe ;D
dempsey, did u check the filling port yet, if so send me a pic with dimensions.
They don't use copper when building fridges AFAIK. I pulled apart an undercounter fridge to redesign it as a better spaced fridge for corneys and it has the same slightly flat aluminium pipe. Googled it and have being to all the sites on offer now thinking of going down the road of JB Waterweld, alot of guys have used it on JBK. :-\
Here is some pictures of the guts,
Pic. 3 shows a fair amount of copper doesn't it?
Looks like they then soldered aluminium into the copper sleeve. Should be able to replace the ally with copper.
BUT: Is it worth it? Just do what Tube suggests!
No you don't understand,I have built a lovely cabinet to wrap this freezer in. It hold 4 corneys and a pub gas bottle and is all on wheels. I will not accept that this cannot be repaired >:( >:( >:( :'( :'(.
Can this be re-gassed WHEN I fix this hole.
As this a mix of Aluminium and copper tubing/components, why not just replace the aly with copper. It looks like the aly is being used as the expansion side of the heat exchanger and could all be replaced with soldered copper bent where you need it and then its just a case of pressure test and re-gas.
What is the compression side heat exchanger made of (the bit thats in the fresh air to cool the compressed gas)?