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Danby DKC645BLS - broken control pad, "LE" error, freezing beer, etc

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  • Danby DKC645BLS - broken control pad, "LE" error, freezing beer, etc

    As the title states, my danby DKC645BLS that has been a beast for close to 8 years now but is starting to act funky. Recently it appears to run continually and never shut off causing it to be sub-32 degree temperatures on the readout, resulting in frozen beer and beer lines.

    From my research, the "LE" error comes if it gets colder than 15 degrees, so I have gotten that a few times. What I've been doing is unplugging it and plugging it back in, which turns off the compressor and sets the target temp to 41 degrees, which seems to be good for a few days (or until the unit has to run again)

    Prior to all of that, the front touch panel stopped working correctly, which I can live without.

    I've seen the external temperature controllers, but is there another way to repair this? What would be the most economical?

  • #2
    You could contact Danby and inquire if the components to repair this are available. Then compare that to the cost of an ETC. eBay may be source for parts as well.
    Malt is the soul of beer... and yeast gives it life..
    but the kiss of the hop is the vitality of that life!

    My three favorite beers: The one I just had, the one I'm drinking now and the next one I'll have.

    http://kegerator-social-network.micr...bygrouptherapy

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    • #3
      I have the same model and my display was trashed when I got it. I bought a replacement from: Link

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      • #4
        I have this model as well and just woke up to see the "LE" status and no control of the keypad. Further inspection shows that there was very little beer left in the keg, which is now frozen along with the lines. Was this a consistent issue for you or did this happen on any specific occasion. Did you replace that keypad/did it fix the issue entirely? I'd like to know that the controller pad is truly the issue before replacing. I don't understand why it would receive an input that is lower than its set point and decide to send an error code instewd of shutting down power to the compressor. I cold crashed a beer I had made and then removed it from the keggerator the night before, just wondering if a sudden change to the internal thermal mass could have affected something. Thanks for the help!

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        • #5
          Jshervinski,
          I've had a problem with a Haier that got super cold when keg ran dry, so it could be thermal mass vs applied cold, Danbys have a digital thermostat which might have some sort of fail-safe, have you tried to unplug unit and leave for a while (6+ hours)? If you see water on the floor of unit, back of cold plate may have frozen. Also can you define what "I cold crashed a beer I had made" means.
          KB

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          • #6
            Originally posted by KillianBoy View Post
            Jshervinski,
            I've had a problem with a Haier that got super cold when keg ran dry, so it could be thermal mass vs applied cold, Danbys have a digital thermostat which might have some sort of fail-safe, have you tried to unplug unit and leave for a while (6+ hours)? If you see water on the floor of unit, back of cold plate may have frozen.
            KB
            I'll leave it off for several hours and check it later tn but I'm concerned the cpu is bad because the buttons are not working properly, the compressor is working- just not shutting off, and the signal from the thermostat seems to be accurate. Yes, the back plate was frozen when I noticed this the first time.

            Originally posted by KillianBoy View Post
            Also can you define what "I cold crashed a beer I had made" means.
            KB
            I'm a home brewer and I wanted to get the yeast to settle out of the beer, so I put the beer in the keggerator to chill it and force the yeast to fall to the bottom. This is called "cold crashing".

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            • #7
              Jshervinski,
              Thanks for explanation, don't think throwing a warm keg inside caused the problem, the problem may have started before and just a coincidence.
              Danby owners have reported error codes after power outages others have just turned off unit and everything resets. If the cold plate is iced over, let all ice melt then turn on.
              It might be bad board but make sure all ice is melted before saying it is the board.
              If it still doesn't work right after waiting I'd bypass the board and get an External Temperature Controller instead of replacing board.
              KB

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              • #8
                Originally posted by KillianBoy View Post
                Jshervinski,
                Thanks for explanation, don't think throwing a warm keg inside caused the problem, the problem may have started before and just a coincidence.
                Well, I was thinking maybe it was caused by taking the cold keg out. Like you said, thermal mass vs applied cold made some sense, especially if the board runs a PID algorithm and calculates for thermal mass that's no longer there.
                Originally posted by KillianBoy View Post
                Danby owners have reported error codes after power outages others have just turned off unit and everything resets. If the cold plate is iced over, let all ice melt then turn on.
                It might be bad board but make sure all ice is melted before saying it is the board.
                If it still doesn't work right after waiting I'd bypass the board and get an External Temperature Controller instead of replacing board.
                KB
                That sounds like very good advice. I left it off since my last post until now and just plugged it in. The up and down buttons are working now, previously only the •F/•C button would work intermittently. I'll post again to see whether it's able to self regulate again. If not, I'll def look into an external temperature controller to manually control power. Any suggestions for a reliable, yet cost effective model?

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                • #9
                  Jshervinski,
                  Don't think the temperature controller is that fancy, it is just a sensor behind the cold plate telling compressor to go on and off, problem is when keg gets empty, it is more stainless steel than beer, once beer goes really low, it becomes a secondary cold plate, moisture inside turns to ice, which probably covered the sensor.
                  As long as you don't have the error code you should be fine, you could open the interior so it can dry out.
                  There are a myriad of different ways, cheapest is getting a Docooler ETC (search forum, the 1st thread is best), if you are electronically inclined. I would just use post #100 in the Danby sticky to bypass the board, get either the analog (cheaper) or digital (bells and whistles and sensor can be submerged) External Temperature Controller from MM.
                  KB

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                  • #10
                    Can anyone help with this? I am having the same error code "EE" and then a steady beep until I unplug the unit. The wiring from the board to the temperature sensor looks good and connections are solid. I bought an identical used unit to see if I could identify which part is bad, but after changed the face plate and board on the cover, and the main control board on the bottom by the compressor, neither one of these fixed the problem. The unit would turn on and run with no beeping or error codes, but will not cool at all? Could this be a refrigerant leak issue? Can refrigerant be added to these models? Thank you!

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