My ancient Beverage Air BM23 rebuild

[geejay]

Yesterday (June 4 2015) I got an almost free Beverage Air BM23. It's the old kind with wood grain vinyl, and R12.
Today (June 5 2015) I turned it on. The compressor seems to run (but gets too hot to touch). The fan beside it is loud and crappy sounding. The fan inside sometimes doesn't work, and when it does it is very slow.
I'll post more info as I acquire it.
This forum has been a big help on learning about this machine.
cheers
GJ

[geejay]

Compressor model number AE1343A?

Compressor is an AE1343A, I will guess.

It says AE 130AT-014 E-04 71 858230 AE1343A.

[THE ICEMAN]

Welcome to the forum,

Sounds like you will need to replace the evaporator fan motor (the one inside). Typically what happens is the unit will sit for a time while not being used with the door closed & the inside can get very humid if it was not aired out. This can cause the bearings on the evaporator motor to rust which is why you are seeing the motor turning slow & stopping.
The condenser fan motor (the one by the compressor) can sound "crappy" for a long time before it gives out. Your call as to whether to replace.

You are correct on the compressor model number. It is normal for the compressor to run hot to the touch.


THE ICEMAN

[pvs6]

Once again I'm sustained with the nourishment of knowledge Iceman brings to this table.

Do BM compressor's run hotter that non-commercials?

[geejay]

The stock evap fan has been replaced by the previous owner with a Radio Shack fan (Model: 273-241 Catalog #: 2730241 ).
This evap fan is also hooked up so that it blows air directly into the kegerator, rather than into the evap coils. That seems backwards to me.
I'm running the kegerator now to see if the evap coils get cold.
Iceman, thanks for the welcome and for the helpful info.

[PointPleasantNJBeerguy]

evap fan pulls air through the grate and blows it across coil and down back wall of unit

[geejay]

After running the kegerator an hour (with the evap fan disconnected), the evap coils are not much cooler to the touch.

I do have ice forming on the coil to the left of the evap unit (it leads into the top left of the evap coils).

The drip tray is rusted out. I'm guessing the door gasket hasn't sealed for a long time, causing massive ice buildup, and/or the condensation drain tube is blocked.

[PointPleasantNJBeerguy]

Ice forming on the coil after an hour of running is probably a sign of a low refrigerant charge. (I am no refrigeration tech but I did stay at a Holiday inn last night)

[THE ICEMAN]

PPNJBeerguy is correct. The ice pattern you are seeing more than likely indicates a low refrigerant situation which means there is a leak in the system. You will need to get someone that services that type of unit specifically, not simply an A/C guy. More than likely the leak is in the evaporator area.

As for the rusted pan, that happens over time with those older units. You can go about it a couple of ways... You can try to find a new one or you can remove the rusted one, clean it down to bare metal & try to seal the inside of the pan with something similar to this... Pan-Spray or even that stuff they sell on TV might work.

[geejay]

Beerguy & Iceman, thank you for your insight on this.
Iceman, when you said I "will need to get someone that services that type of unit specifically," do you mean specifically services "vintage" BM23 with R12? Would it be more cost effective to have it converted to R134 then to find R12?
There is a service valve near the compressor; I'm assuming that is not stock and someone (temporarily) recharged it.

[THE ICEMAN]

Beerguy & Iceman, thank you for your insight on this.
Iceman, when you said I "will need to get someone that services that type of unit specifically," do you mean specifically services "vintage" BM23 with R12? Would it be more cost effective to have it converted to R134 then to find R12?
There is a service valve near the compressor; I'm assuming that is not stock and someone (temporarily) recharged it.

While in the same family, low temp refrigeration & A/C are two different animals. You will need to find someone that does low temp service & not A/C exclusively. The company I work for specializes in low temp such as coolers, ice machines, walk-ins etc. There are also companies that do nothing but A/C & companies that do both. You want someone that is familiar with low temp. Any low temp company worth anything would be familiar with an R12 unit. There are replacement refrigerants for R12. Having it converted to R134a is not a cost effective solution. The oils needed for the two refrigerants are not compatible.

Yes, the service valve is an add on so the unit has been worked on before. Your options are to simply have it recharged or have the serviceman leak check the system & see if he could find a leak. If you choose to just recharge, it could last a year, a couple of months or a few weeks - difficult to say.


THE ICEMAN

[geejay]

Iceman, what do you think of recharging it with OZ-12, HC-12a or Duracool 12a?

[THE ICEMAN]

Iceman, what do you think of recharging it with OZ-12, HC-12a or Duracool 12a?

I would stay away from them, too dangerous. They contain flammable ingredients such as propane or butane. If you should get an errant spark, even a static spark, you have big problems.

The R12 replacement we use most often now is called Hot Shot-2. Ask the serviceman about it & what he would recommend if he does not use it. Also, there are a number of leak sealants available now that are easily injected into the system, you may want to inquire about it. The initial cost is not cheap but they seem to work so they are cost effective in the long run.


THE ICEMAN

[geejay]

It took a lot of calling around, but I found a place that has Hot Shot-2. I'm deep in the middle of nowhere.
I'm thinking of buying a new evaporator and having it installed at the same time. Looks like an ~$100 part at partstown. I was quoted $300 to install the evaporator and refill with Hot Shot-2. Might have a new compressor installed also (didn't get a quote on that). Service guy won't use leak sealants.
Are the new compressors compatible with Hot Shot-2, or do I need a special one?
Any other parts I should go ahead and replace while it's torn open?

[PointPleasantNJBeerguy]

You will be pissing into the wind putting the amount of money that a reefer guys gonna charge to install a new compressor. Probably $600 range.
And most service guys wont recommend using those tracer dyes. They shorten the life of the equipment if I remember correctly..