dead in the water? (hole in cooling coil)

[Titleistman]

A couple of months ago my kegerator was being used a storage refrigerator. One day while I was golfing my wife and neighbor decided to make room by chiseling the ice off with a screwdriver.....yes, your guessed until they head a hissing noise. I can't remember what brand I have (it's from Sears), but the white sheet metal coil on the inside has a nice hole in it. Am I dead in the water or can I replace this? I know some who can recharge the gas, but is it worth the effort. I am kind of looking for a leisure winter project, but I can't find the replacement parts. Anyone know where to look?

[bard]

You may be able to braze the hole shut and recharge it.

[THE ICEMAN]

Yup, you're dead

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but, chances are you're dead.

There are a couple of variables... how old is the unit & what is the evaporator plate made of?

If the unit is newer than 1994 it is useing the new refrigerant w/ the new oil. The new oil in the system is polyolester oil. This oil, by nature, is hygroscopic meaning it sucks up moisture like a sponge. It can even pull moisture out of the air. Moisture & refrigeration systems don't mix. At the least it can cause restrictions in the system & at the worst it can cause an acid to form which would cause compressor failure.

If the evaporator plate is made of aluminum, (more than likely) it is very difficult to seal the hole. If you were to find a competent technician to seal the hole he would need to change the filter/drier, potentially change all the oil in the system & then leave the unit on a vacuum pump for an extended amount of time (24 hours or more). All that in addition to recharging the unit.

Bottom line... the cost of repair would more than likely approach 1/2 to full cost of a new unit.

IF you could get someone to seal the leak, there is an outside chance you could just have them recharge it & it would work. It is going to be your call.

As far as parts go you would have to give the model & serial no. to Sears & see what is available.

THE ICEMAN

[Titleistman]

update

Ok. I have a Sears kegerator that is pre-1994 or pretty darn close. I don't think it was oil since when the puncture happened the people present heard a hissing noise like gas. I order a evaporate assembly from Sears and a buddy of mine has some hooks on someone to recharge the system. I will give it a shot...and if this fails I will just buy a new system. My wife feels extremely bad so getting a new one won't take much effort.

Any suggestions on what to get with a reasonable budget if it gets to this point?

[THE ICEMAN]

The reason I made mention of the oil is because the oil circulates through the system (in small amounts) along with the refrigerant. I would have your friend at least change the filter/drier along with the evaporator. Let us know what happens & good luck.