How do you deal with a leak in walk in freezer

[craig1]

Being a freezer I'm concerned about too little time on the vacuum pump. I don't need moisture in the system and a frozen txv orifice.

You don't need to open the system so you don't need the vacuum pump at all?

If the system has valves and ports in the right locations....
use a recovery machine to pump the condenser into the receiver, stop at about 2 psi. Braze the leak. Open the valves. Top up the system. Hand them a bill.

No vacuum pump needed, and down time of less than an hour.

I've fixed leaky condensers a few times like this, and evaps dozens of times (those are really easy since you can use the compressor to pump down.

[crymtide]

You can get that done quick.


Let them know to keep the door closed, isolate it, pull the charge, braze it up, quick vacuum and let 'et rip.

I like to have everything laid out, hooked up, ready to roll before I start. Manifolds and recovery machine hooked up, vacuum pump hoses ready, everything ready to roll

I use a box, tub, or bag filled with ice and surround the the recovery jug with ice to take away the heat of the recovery process. Seems to nearly double the speed of refrigerant recovery.

[jpsmith1cm]

I'll need to do some cutting around the return bend for room to braze, chop out fins. Lowering cooler temp not a bad idea. Being a freezer I'm concerned about too little time on the vacuum pump. I don't need moisture in the system and a frozen txv orifice.

If you're that worried about moisture, stick a new drier in it, too.

[DLZ Dan]

Might be hard to isolate being the condenser that needs repaired. I don't think he is going to get it all in the receiver. Even if he could how would he isolate it from the condenser without a service valve in between the two ?

Yeah, i just read it again..condenser return bend...then the 4 hour prediction would be right.

[Peztoy]

Customer wanted a quote. Now I wait.......less then a week.
It's blowing good bubbles.

[Timber]

Take all the time you need. All that frozen food would take a loooooooooooong time to thaw out, probably a few days.

[PMARS2345]

Timber is right, it takes a long time to thaw. Main thing as others the stated " keep the door closed". I've shut freezers down for 2 hours at a crack with people in and out of door without a problem.

[socotech]

I would repair the leak. As previously stated, I doubt it will take long enough to lose product. Even if it does, product was going to be lost when it went down again anyway. Just don't eat anything from that freezer.

[HeatMaker]

I had a walk in freezer go down at 9 pm once, the customer did not want to pay overtime to repair it. I returned at 7 am the next morning and it had warmed to 9*F. By the time the repair and proper evacuation were done, the box was at 21*F. Over 12 hours down, with the door closed, no lost product.

[Fridge Repairer]

So how long did it take you to repair the leak?

[Peztoy]

Customer has approved repair for wednesday. Said its still at 0*f.

[VTP99]

Customer has approved repair for wednesday. Said its still at 0*f.

It's a small leak or it's got one big receiver

[markettech]

You don't need to open the system so you don't need the vacuum pump at all?

If the system has valves and ports in the right locations....
use a recovery machine to pump the condenser into the receiver, stop at about 2 psi. Braze the leak. Open the valves. Top up the system. Hand them a bill.

No vacuum pump needed, and down time of less than an hour.

I've fixed leaky condensers a few times like this, and evaps dozens of times (those are really easy since you can use the compressor to pump down.

Really?

I don't know that I would agree with this - but obviously it has worked for you in the past.