My Adler-Barbour refrigerator developed a slow leak that required I add 134a
refrigerant every couple of months. Finally, it got so bad that I had to add
more every couple of days.

When I opened the top-loading ice box that contains the evaporator I could
hear an audible hiss when the unit switched off. I traced the hiss to a
couple or three small pinholes in the aluminum tubing behind the small
vertical evaporator just downstream of where the aluminum is fused to the
copper tubing.

I suppose silver soldering the pinholes shut would have been the
professional solution but that would have involved removing the evaporator
which would entail unsnaking the several feet of copper tubing which runs
through the bilge and a couple of lockers from one side of the boat to the
other - then re-routing the tubing and having to vacuum the system and
recharge it after reconnecting the tubing, a real pain in the butt.

So, as a stop gap measure, I got out a roll of inch-wide professional
electrical tape and wrapped the offending tubing tightly somewhat stretching
the tape and overlapping the leaks by several inches on either side and
continuing to wrap until the tubing with is about a quarter inch diameter is
now about half an inch.

This was last week and, to date, the system is maintaining its proper
charge. So, those of you who might have a slow leak in your Adler-Barbour
may wish to use a soap solution on the tubing that connects to the back of
the evaporator as if mine developed leaks it could well indicated a defect
in materials or workmanship that is not uncommon to this particular small
vertical evaporator.


Wilbur Hubbard