Hi, all,

The plot thickens, of course - nothing seems simple with this
evacuation/recharge...

"Gogarty" wrote in message
...
How come Wilbur has not weighed in on this thread?

So far as I know the Danfoss compressors for marine fridges have only one
service port on the low side. When new it is sealed with a cap and black
gloop. Remove the gloop and the cap and you find an R34a-specific snap
coupling which mates to your vacuuum pump or charging manifold. I managed
to
set things up without a manifold or guages using a fitting that allows me
to
inject refrigerant directly into the low side port. You can vent excess
there
too with an Allen wrench pushing on the valve. Mine has been running
flawlessly (knock, knock) since I evacuated it and carefully injected
refrigerant using the frost line as a guide.


The gloop is a shrink-wrap. I had to slice it and peel it back from the R12
(!!) fitting on the high side when the factory installation charge was a bit
high (very careful about making up the joints, avoiding the factory-presumed
losses during that process) to vent it.

As Richard pointed out, there's a separate tap on the top left of the
compressor. VecoNA, the US distributor for Frigoboat, tells me that's ok to
use as a service port. I sliced that and removed the cap, only to find that
it was an R12 male, also.

Bob Williams, of SALT Service in Marathon, my vendor on installation (my own
box and installation), presumes there should be a low-side service port, but
visual (with a mirror, as it's under a low shelf with lots of stuff I'd have
to remove to be able to actually stick my head under there) and tactile
inspection shows the low side to not have a service port.

Perhaps the later versions have 134a taps; mine doesn't. I'm reluctant to
use the type of adapter Neal showed in his pic due to the inability to purge
the supply line. The slightest bit of moisture into the system can lead to
ice later; the folks I've been talking to, after they (all) reiterated that
nobody should try to do this on their own but having been convinced that
I'll do it, merely cautioned that the lines be fully purged. With an open
end, such as an R12 hose, vs the 134a air-hose type of snap-on, you just
open the valve a crack, let a bit out, and then close to a trickle while you
attach the cap before opening again to supply.

I've been able to find an adapter for the pump end which would convert a 12
pump to 134, but it doesn't have a Schrader depressor in them, preventing
use on the compressor. I'm hopeful of finding the same in 134-to-12, and
buy a 12 hose, but haven't yet, other than online, which will involve
shipping delay. My preference actually would be to have a hose fabricated,
but the only game in town is on vacation; I'd have to go either to Stuart or
Vero, assuming that hosemakers in one of those actually can do it. (My only
hose makeup experience was to make a new propane hose; I don't know if
they'd have the ends for AC/refrigeration...)

L8R, y'all

Skip, keeping a sharp eye on Emily - What are you doing about that, Neal?...


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