ice Box Cooling unit

[Brunet33]

I have a 1980 Catalina 30. Late this summer the ice box cooling unit stopped working, and nothing stays or gets cold anymore. Is this able to be fixed? If so, do I need a whole new one or can just replace afew parts?

Any help please!

Thanks!

[Vasco]

If we knew why it stopped working we might be able to answer your question. It might be a simple wiring problem or a failure of the control module or a loss of refrigerant. These are a few of the possibilities. What make, how old,? If you cannot troubleshoot it yourself it might be advisable to get a refrigeration mechanic to look at it.

[JimsCAL]

Could be something as simple as needing a charge of refrigerant or as major as a fried compressor. It will have to checked out by someone qualified.

[Brunet33]

The motor still runs, but is no longer getting cold.

[Vasco]

If the compressor is running and it's not getting cold then it's most likely a loss of refrigerant. Get it looked at by a competent person.

[badsanta]

The name of the boat has no relation to the type of refrigeration system installed. It can be fixed or depending on age may have to be replaced.

[JimsCAL]

Originally Posted by Vasco

If the compressor is running and it's not getting cold then it's most likely a loss of refrigerant. Get it looked at by a competent person.

Low refrigerant charge is the first thing to look at if the compressor is running but not cooling. A standard set of service gauges can do that by checking the high and low side pressures.

If its an old system it probably uses R-12 which is expensive and can only be bought by certified technicians. And its actually illegal for someone other than a certified technician to work on the parts of the system that could result in release of R-12 to the atmosphere.

[Brunet33]

Thanks for the info JimsCAL.... Who would you recommend me getting in contact for something like this? Who should I call?

[JimsCAL]

Originally Posted by Brunet33

Thanks for the info JimsCAL.... Who would you recommend me getting in contact for something like this? Who should I call?

It would be nice to find out if you have a low charge before you call in a refigeration technician. If you could borrow a set of service gauges (actually called a service manifold) you could check it easily. There should be two connections on the compressor unit that look like auto tire valve stems. Two of the hoses from the service manifold attach to those and allow reading the pressures. With R-12 and the compressor running, the high side (compressor discharge) should be about 150 psig and the low side about 50 psig. Both would be much lower if the charge is low. If you can't borrow one then you'll have to call in a technician to do the check. Ask your local marinas who they use.