I Hit A Gas Line

[mark.farrell1]

Well I hit prob the only gas line in my fridge drilling in the side to install the beer line. My question is is there any home remedies to plug the hole. This completly sucks arse as my fridge is now turned off and my kegs are slowly getting hotter, but i will still keep drinking them as i am dedicated to the consumption of my brew.

thanks heaps

 

[amita]

Well I hit prob the only gas line in my fridge drilling in the side to install the beer line. My question is is there any home remedies to plug the hole. This completly sucks arse as my fridge is now turned off and my kegs are slowly getting hotter, but i will still keep drinking them as i am dedicated to the consumption of my brew.

thanks heaps

Bummer!!!!!! : :angry:

 

[troydo]

the only fix is a new fridge...

Regassing and pipe repair costs more

 

[Adamt]

You can probably buy a new fridge on the internet (that's a home remedy). I've heard having fridges regassed is as expensive as a new fridge, not taking into account the damaged gas line.

Ouch.

 

[mickoz]

Well I hit prob the only gas line in my fridge drilling in the side to install the beer line. My question is is there any home remedies to plug the hole. This completly sucks arse as my fridge is now turned off and my kegs are slowly getting hotter, but i will still keep drinking them as i am dedicated to the consumption of my brew.

thanks heaps

You are buggered. All your gas has gone (probably to make another hole in the ozone layer). You need to get a fridgey to come around and patch the hole, purge the system with dry nitrogen, possible replace the drier\filter and regas for you

Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings.

Mick

 

[davewalk]

Well I hit prob the only gas line in my fridge drilling in the side to install the beer line. My question is is there any home remedies to plug the hole. This completly sucks arse as my fridge is now turned off and my kegs are slowly getting hotter, but i will still keep drinking them as i am dedicated to the consumption of my brew.

thanks heaps

Bad luck Mark'

Did exactly the same to a brand new fridge after searching everywhere for a freezerless bar fridge that would fit 2 kegs.
Must have only just weakened the side of the pipe as it took a few weeks to go warm. Knowing that the warranty had been invalidated, I called a fridge mech who rudely told me that he wouldn't even bother coming to my house to look at it as he charges more than the fridge was worth.
Funnily enough, and unbeknown to him and I, an employee of my business was using him in our work but won't be any longer. That's probably the only satisfaction I got but have now got a good looking bar fridge that takes up space. Anyone know of any use for both of our fridges?

 

[Adamt]

Tip it on its side and use it at a party esky. Much better than a bathtub!

 

[kevnlis]

I have an old 520L fridge which blew a compressor. I like the fridge a lot and got a quote to repair... $400... I gave it a miss, but I can't bear to part with it. I think I will use the ice bottle trick and try to use it as a third brewiing fridge

 

[davewalk]

Tip it on its side and use it at a party esky. Much better than a bathtub!

Nice idea but a bit heavy to take to a party.

 

[goatherder]

Use it to keep the rats away from your grain stash.

 

[J.T]

Mark, If your lucky enough to know a fridgy, It wouldnt take that much to fix. If you cut a hole in the side of the fridge so they can get to the pipe to weld it up. They should be able to weld it up, vac it out and gas it up in an hour or so.

Your trouble is that any refrigeration business will be that flat out at this time of year, they prob wouldnt come for such a small job.

 

[Kenny the plumber]

If you can find some one to weld the damaged line you can get a regas kit aprox $35 from some appliance parts suppliers they sell them over the counter!! you may also have to weld a fill point to the supply line near pump they sell these to $5. These kits also work supper for fixing car aircons

 

[mark.farrell1]

If you can find some one to weld the damaged line you can get a regas kit aprox $35 from some appliance parts suppliers they sell them over the counter!! you may also have to weld a fill point to the supply line near pump they sell these to $5. These kits also work supper for fixing car aircons

Nice thanks

can you buy those kits online

cheers

 

[J.T]

If you can find some one to weld the damaged line you can get a regas kit aprox $35 from some appliance parts suppliers they sell them over the counter!! you may also have to weld a fill point to the supply line near pump they sell these to $5. These kits also work supper for fixing car aircons

Id be careful with anything like that. Legally they probably shouldnt sell them over the counter.

Now that the gas has leaked out, moisture (in the air) has got into the system. This needs to be removed via a vaccuum pump, before recharged with gas. Domestic fridges are also quite picky about the amount of refrigerant that you use, too much you will flood the compressor, too little and it wont work properly. It is usually weighed in, and measured in grams.

Car airconds are a bit different in that you can add extra without major problems

 

[ausdb]

If you can find some one to weld the damaged line you can get a regas kit aprox $35 from some appliance parts suppliers they sell them over the counter!! you may also have to weld a fill point to the supply line near pump they sell these to $5. These kits also work supper for fixing car aircons

Nice thanks
can you buy those kits online

You cannot buy refrigerants in Aus unless you are a licensed person http://www.arctick.org/index.php

Davewalk it may have felt nice to sh$tcan the guy who wouldn't come out because he said his time was worth more than the fridge was worth, well unfortunately it is true of most appliances these days. He was in reality trying to save you money, it may appear to only be a small hole but by the time you have cut the side out of the fridge to get at the damaged pipe (either inside or outside) he would then be trying to braze steel bundy tube or worse aluminium, there is precious little copper inside domestic refrigerators now and neither of those items above is easy to fix when it is buried in the midst of foamed in insulation. You would then have the issue of repairing the damage done to the appearance of the fridge which would leave it decidedly second hand looking and probably end up costing more than the fridge was worth originally. Maybe you should have paid him for a service call so he could have told you the same thing to your face?

 

[OzBeer_MD]

Dunno if it helps for next time, I used a soldering iron from the inside and melted a hole whist at the same time 'feeling' for any plumbing, when it was "all clear" I got out the drill to do the metal.

 

[mickoz]

Unless you vac it out and purge with dry nitrogen and also maybe fit a new dryer you are asking for trouble. Any moisture inside the pipework will block capillaries as it will freeze making the fridge useless. If you are going to fix it get someone who knows how to fix refridgeration equipment.

Mick

 

[Phrak]

I feel your pain!
I had a similar thing happen to my old 350L chest freezer. Not through my own doing, but because I had left it switched off for a few months. I really would have rather repaired it cos it's got a lovely stainless steel interior that's a dream to keep clean when used as a fermenting fridge.

Anyway, called a few fridgies who basically told me the same thing - it probably had a rusted line which had leaked the gas, and it wouldn't be worth repairing.

Bitterly disappointed That was 3 months ago now. still trying to figure a way to salvage it for something.