HELP!!! I have a hole in the condenser (evap)

[macman1125]

ok, I have made the biggest mistake by being impatient. I was tired of the ice buildup in my Kenmore Beer Meister (13 years old) and started chipping away with a screwdriver and accidentally poked a hole in the condensor (evaporator) The core is two pieces of aluminum with some chambers hollowed into the alluminum. After trying to get a replacement core I have found out they are no longer available. I have contacted a few appliance guys and can't locate at all or they want $200-$400 to try and fix.

Can anyone help me get a replacement part or tell me how I can fix myself. Please HELP me, thanks!

[psychodad]

This isn't a do-it-yourself project unless you've been trained to repair refrigeration equipment. There are a lot of skills and equipment involved with these types of repairs. 200 to 400 dollars to fix something that old seems a little high for me. I'd investigate salvaging the tower, lines, coupler, co2 tank, etc. and converting a small fridge or freezer. Other than that, start pricing new kegerators.

[THE ICEMAN]

As psychodad mentioned, it is not a do-it-yourself job.

There are two big problems, the first is that the evaporator is aluminum. It is next to impossible to repair a leak in aluminum. It can be done but your average service tech generally can't do it.

The other problem is moisture. If your unit is indeed 13 years old (R12 was phased out in '94) it is using an oil in the system that is hygroscopic - it sucks up moisture like a sponge. To get moisture out of the system can be quite involved. Given these two things, I can see why it would easily cost that much.