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Post by joshuaharvey79 on Jun 23, 2020 7:37:09 GMT
Hi everyone. I have a 2012 sun odyssey 379. Since I bought the boat last year I have noticed the fridge cooling unit is running but doesn’t cool in the slightest. I presume this must mean there has been a leak somewhere and it has no gas left. I decided I will probably need to replace the whole unit.
I accessed the fridge cooling unit, which is in a really awkward place under the fridge, but can’t work out a way to remove it and then put in a new unit because of the difficult access in that such small place.
I Was wondering if anyone has ever removed the fridge unit from here on similar boats before and if you have any tips on how to actually do it easily.
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Post by panoramix on Jun 23, 2020 8:30:51 GMT
Replacing the complete unit is a very drastic way of solving your problem. However it's good for sales, but bad for your wallet. These cooling units can last very long with a bit of maintenance from time to time. Mine is from 2003 and still going strong.
From your description it is most likely your unit has lost some refrigerant R134a over the years. A technician can easily top up your unit (likewise a car airco system)
For topping up or problem identification it is not necessary to remove the unit from its base.
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Post by bratwurzt1 on Jun 23, 2020 11:33:36 GMT
We also have a 2003 S/O with a fridge that ran non stop. Just added some 134a, maybe 3 to 4 ounces and she’s running and cooling great. Start with the charge and see how that goes.
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Post by Mistroma on Jun 23, 2020 21:35:31 GMT
I read a very good article a long time ago, wish I could find it again. A few points did stick in my memory. - Air-cooled models had a surprisingly long lifespan in most cases (I think 20+ years was mentioned)
- Water-cooled models had a much shorter lifespan (Might have been as low as 7 years)
- Most technicians weren't familiar with models used in boats and tended to overfill when re-gassing
(mentioned as a bad idea)
N.B. I had thought about keel-cooling but the comment about lifespan (and cost) put me off the idea. You would think that improved efficiency would shorten run time and increase longevity. I think the problem was due to contact with salt water.
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Post by moonshadow on Jun 23, 2020 23:04:22 GMT
Keel cooked and water cooled are different.
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Post by Trevor on Jun 26, 2020 13:03:16 GMT
Hello joshuaharvey79,
Of all of the maintenance jobs on any equipment on a boat that requires professional attention it is the fridge. It is pointless topping up gas if the system has a leak. The reason it has no gas is because of a leak. The leak needs to be fixed prior to regassing.
Call in a marine refrigeration serviceman and you may be surprised how painless it is to get your fridge working again.
Regards
Trevor
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Post by jdl01 on Jun 26, 2020 15:07:57 GMT
Hi Joshua, I agree with Trevor's advice. Apart from that, my fridge access on a 2012 379 involved the following. Remove the garbage pail. Remove the starboard panel at floor level - 4 screws. My fridge unit sits on a flat panel on the floor which is held by 4 screws. Remove screws [ forward outboard one is a b___er ] and slide the whole unit half out - sitting under the starboard sink. The control module on the vitro-frigo unit will pop out and can be replaced with one that lets you run the fridge on either 110v or 12v. My fridge guy took my existing unit in trade and charged me a couple of hundred bucks for the upgrade. It has been the best upgrade I have made on the boat. The system automatically shifts to 110 v when the boat is hooked to shore power. Provisioning squabbles with the admiral are a thing of the past.
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keithwatson
Junior Member
Posts: 13
Jeanneau Model: 42DS
Yacht Name: Jay Jay
Home Port: Med
Country: Europe
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Post by keithwatson on Jun 29, 2020 7:52:55 GMT
I had same issue on 42 DS - replaced coolant which lasted a week then stopped working. Eventually engineer traced leak to ice box which he replaced. Now working fine. Ice box €150.
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