Beverage-air condenser / thermo

[KillianBoy]

JeffSlay,

Your on the right track, this a link to a thread that had a picture:

http://www.micromatic.com/forum/us-e...=bm23+beverage

on the bottom of the pic, on right is evaporator fan and evaporator I think (where are the BM23 owners when you need them? I'm guessing here).

A glass of water in the unit will react like a glass of water and not like a keg of beer. If interior fan is working properly, and everything is cooling and beer doesn't fall below 34 degrees you should be fine. If beer is 36 tomorrow you may need to replace the thermostat, from what i gather it's fairly easy.

KB

[BrewGuru]

The BM23's use the same T-Stat as the BB and DD units - part #502-290B - list is about $50, you should be able to find it for $30 to $40 over the counter. Install is very straightforward.

[JeffSlay]

Ok, so I replaced the thermostat. Set it to 5, just like Beverage-Air says to start out at, and guess what? The unit is doing the same thing!! Compressor runs continuously. The unit will not shut off unless I turn the thermostat back to 3.

When I was replacing the thermostat, I noticed that there was a small amount of ice on the bottom of the evaporator on either side. I'm guessing that this is condensation that didn't make it to the drain tube and froze up?

After I turned it back on, with the compressor continuously running, the air temp gets down to about 28*, but took a while. Water is freezing inside, but beer temp only gets to 37-38*. I would assume if I let the unit run forever, the beer would eventually freeze as well, and my electric bill would increase significantly.

I am not very happy. I never buy anything used, and this is the reason why. The one time I do, I get screwed.

Any ideas?

[pvs6]

If the true 2nd pour beer temp. is ONLY 37-38 degree than what temp. are you seeking to achieve?

You thought that if you left it plugged in, it would freeze the keg. You already spent for a new thermostat once but maybe you got the wrong kind. If the compressor wants to run full time and the box temp will get low enough to freeze a keg like you suspect then isn't an External Temp. controller indicated? It would shut off the compressor when desired temp. was reached and you don't even have to hot wire or do anything to your present thermostat to allow the External controller to take over, just plug it in. That's just a thought. Here's another one, it might be low on freon.

[JeffSlay]

If the true 2nd pour beer temp. is ONLY 37-38 degree than what temp. are you seeking to achieve?

You thought that if you left it plugged in, it would freeze the keg. You already spent for a new thermostat once but maybe you got the wrong kind. If the compressor wants to run full time and the box temp will get low enough to freeze a keg like you suspect then isn't an External Temp. controller indicated? It would shut off the compressor when desired temp. was reached and you don't even have to hot wire or do anything to your present thermostat to allow the External controller to take over, just plug it in. That's just a thought. Here's another one, it might be low on freon.

First, I did not put a wrong thermostat in. I searched here on the forum, and also called Beverage-Air, to get the correct part number.

When I said that the beer ONLY gets to 37-38*, I meant that I would expect it to get colder with the compressor running constantly. If I could have it stay at 37* constantly that would be fine with me. But if water is freezing inside the unit, you would expect the beer to be just as cold, no?

I wanted to try to avoid an external temperature controller because that would cause the fan inside the unit to only run when the compressor is running, which would cause my tower to not be cooled all of the time. I bought a Bev-air unit, becuase I want it to function like a Bev-ar unit should.

[cubby_swans]

But if water is freezing inside the unit, you would expect the beer to be just as cold, no?

no. have a liquid thermometer that gets down to 30F in my kegerator when it's in there by itself, but when I have a keg in there, the beer never gets colder than 36.5F. And the keg is in there for 4-6 weeks with the unit door never opening. I have two fans for circulation in the kegerator, one of which is used for tower cooling.

[JeffSlay]

no. have a liquid thermometer that gets down to 30F in my kegerator when it's in there by itself, but when I have a keg in there, the beer never gets colder than 36.5F. And the keg is in there for 4-6 weeks with the unit door never opening. I have two fans for circulation in the kegerator, one of which is used for tower cooling.

Oh, ok. I just thought it was odd that that the beer doesn't get as cold as the temp inside the unit, or at least close to it, especially with my compressor running continuously.

[KillianBoy]

JeffSlay,

OK, I did mention about the water, a glass of water will react like a glass of water and not like a keg of beer, I’ve haven’t had any luck with measuring temperatures with a glass of water (most of the time turned to ice).

OK issues :

Compressor doesn’t turn off:
If new thermostat didn’t solve problem, then might be the relay, this is a part that a professional needs to install. Again if unit doesn’t turn off and is working properly, the cup of water you have should be solid ice and keg should be way under 30 degrees and on it’s way to becoming a beersicle. If you truly believe the compressor isn’t cycling off and beer won’t get colder then 37 degrees then it may be low on Freon, this also needs to be filled by professional. Another problem could be the sensor, you probably could replace that yourself.

External temperature controller

The 2 models that MM sells are the norm which uses the plug, there are also several that are on the market that replace thermostats on these units, with a small hole for the sensor could have replaced the Bev-Air thermostat and kept the fans running.

The thermostat would not have been the first thing I replaced if the compressor won’t turn off and temps won’t go below 37 degrees. My first guess would have been sensor, then if good, then check relay, if good then refill freon.

I would give the unit time to settle in, set at 4 and wait 24 hours to see if compressor turns off. Check beer temp.

KB

[BrewGuru]

Is the cap tube (capillary tube), which senses the temperature mounted in the correct location? Should be freely in the airflow of the back wall, sensing cold right off the evap... It needs to get down to cutoff temp in order to cycle the compressor off.

Check the position of the cap tube, if it is apparently mounted correctly, try this. With the unit running, let the compressor go for a couple of minutes, then take an ice cube and apply it to the cap tube of the T-stat. The compressor should cycle off once the t-stat senses this low temperature.

If this test works, the low refrigerant condition might need to be looked into...

You said the unit cycles properly with the dial set at 3? Or will only turn off when you back it down to three? In the former case, what temp do you maintain at 3?