Fridge box

[furlin]

Hi would appreciate thoughts on what refrigerant is needed to top up a Danfoss BD35F fridge -R304a seems to no longer be an option in the UK, fridge from 2006 never been touched since installation cooling, but not getting very cold  - no frost on the little icebox

Big Q - Is a new fridge cheaper (though far less environmentally-friendly) than finding a fridge engineer who will come to the boat?

thanks, 

[zaphod]

Most marine fridges use R134a which is still in use.

It is likely a simple fix. It wouldn't hurt to have it checked out by a refrigeration tech if you can find one.

[Charlie-Bravo]

Budget isotherm kit £350-450 complete with everything, but, a fridge tech might just recharge ….. and charge less ( how much I don’t know) and if it works you will have saved a bit , but mostly will have saved your time and effort pulling the old one out and installing the new, which will no doubt have a ‘challenge’ along the way, and take 3 times longer than estimated, as most things do.

Worth a tech visit I recon

You know they start with the fridge, and then build the boat around it !

CB

[Trevor]

Fridges are a very strange part of boating. You can buy a little fridge for camping so cheaply that is absolutely beautiful, BUT it is not built into your boat. To have one built into the boat or to fix one costs for the labor of the fridge mechanic. Labour is expensive so fixing the fridge sometimes costs more than a new one.
Such is the joy of owning a boat…🤣

[cpetku]

SailBlue (?) did a write up on the fridge. Also lots of info from danfos. Mine stopped getting cold a couple of years back. My fix was to disconnect the quick fittings and allow a little backflow from the capilary tube to clear any potential blockages then install a filter/dryer kit inline. Don't be afraid of loosing all charge, the quick disconnects are designed to prevent this. The backflow process was simply pressing in on the correct nipple for a second. Adjusted refridgerant level based upon frost line (after slightly overcharging with R134A). Freezer hasn't worked this well in years. The moral, probably no need to replace, but either do a lot of reading or hire a good tech. With regard to EPA concerns, its amazing that in the electronics industry one can buy R134 as a troubleshooting aid and freely discharge it into the air. Once it's in a fridge, it's a controlled substance. If you need to release a significant amount, it needs to be recovered to stay legal. Another peeve is until recently, the self service cans didn't have an automatic seal. Once opened, they always bled into the environment (supposedly illegally).

[Don Reaves]

Can you give some more information about the inline filter/dryer you installed? Does it use quick disconnect fittings, or does it have to be installed professionally? My fridge hasn't worked since early last year, and getting replacement parts from Frigoboat is harder than (well, put anything you like in this blank space!)

[cpetku]

Quick disconnects and very easy to install.

www.go2marine.com/Frigoboat-Filter-Drier-with-Frigoboat-Fittings

I actually found a new one on ebay for about $140.

The use of the disconnects makes replacing any part of the system relatively simple with limited risk for moisture entering the system. Remember when evaluating charge, one has to monitor the frost line. However if there's a blockage there won't be any frost line. That's where I got away with a quick press of the valve on the capilary tube side to clear my blockage then hook everything back up and verify charge. Added the filter a week later and now my biggest issue is the mound of ice keeping the freezer door shut. I used the same R134A as on my car (I had to change a condensor on the car this year).