I noticed the other day that my kegerator was up at 21c. The freezer is still working but it is not cooling. I checked my fridgemate was still working and the temps have not been changed. Could it be that my freezer has run out of cooling liquid? I bought it second hand of ebizzle last year.
HELP, my beer is warm!!!
eric
It sounds like you've confirmed this already, but I'll ask to make sure. Check that the fridgemate is actually working by plugging a desklamp into its output and alternately sticking the probe in some ice water and holding it in your hand. Since you say the freezer is not working, I'll assume you can hear the compressor running, and it should be running all the time (assuming the fridgemate is working and the freezer's thermostat is working). It might cut out occasionally if it has a thermal or time limiter on the compressor, but if it's just based on the temp of the cabinet, which isn't going down, it should be always running. If the thermostats are both in good nick, but it's not cooling, it's probably lost all its juice or the compressor is borked. Either way, a fridge mechanic should be able to fix it, but just getting them onsite to look at the thing will almost always come out more expensive than picking up another, working model from fleabay, forums, garage sales etc. Actually getting them to fix it could easily cost more than buying a brand new one at k-mart or seconds world. It's a sad truth, but we live in a disposable society - things break, we throw them out and replace them. Isn't consumerism grand? Embrace it, and either stick it on the street for some other poor schmuck to pick up and discover the same thing (it can easily change hands four or five times this way before it ends up at the tip or someone who can fix it), or press it into service as a monster esky for parties. Alternatively, I know there's a bloke in Glebe who takes busted fridges, fixes them and donates them to the needy, or sells them very cheaply to fund his operation. If you give it to him he can probably sell you a better one for cheap, and you'd earn a few karma points in the process.
This story might make you feel a bit better (it made me feel better about my glass shelf disaster). I spoke to a fellow brewer who helped me get into the hobby . I've since left him well behind in terms of quality and process (he's a dedicated K&K man), but definitely not in quantity. He ramped up his operations for Christmas, and laid down many many batches. He didn't bother to build or buy a fridge controller, and used the cheap digital thermostats Jaycar sells (He manages one of their stores). Apparently he stuffed up his wiring and had the heat thermostat for his lamps and the one for the fridges on the same power board. Something went bang, and he had fridges blowing up for three days. The equivalent of 600 stubbies went down the gurgler.
Good luck!
EDIT: a quick
google told me that, when I heard about this bloke, it was probably an obituary. Ave Ernie Ridding, Ave. His story can still serve as inspiration, though.
