[Julie303]

We have an Adler-Barbour BD-50 Cold Machine that has worked well over the past 6 years. Lately, the condenser seems to run a little longer than it used to, which translates to more energy usage over a 24-hour period. Is this a symptom of loss of refrigerant? Does anyone have any thoughts about removing the speed resistor on this unit.

 

[mitchbrown]

Most likely the problem is loss of refrigerant.

but could be

Are you operating in a warmer area?? has anything happened to the weather stripping around the doors? is the fan on the condenser still working? is it dirty?

Not sure what a speed resistor is but probably not a good idea to remove any parts.

 

[Multihullgirl]

Richard Kollmann is the guru of such things. Here's his page:
Kollmann Marine

 

[SchockT]

Longer cycle times COULD be caused by a loss of refrigerant, but there are plenty of other factors that could also cause that symptom. It could be something as simple as the thermostat being set lower than it used to be, or the thermostat sensing probe being out of position . (If the probe is meant to sense evaporator temp and is no longer touching the evaporator plate for example.) If the longer cycle times are a result of a drop in system efficiency then it could be a plugged condenser coil, dirty condenser fan or both.

I am not really sure what you mean by a "speed resistor".

 

[hellosailor]

All electronics, including thermostat circuits, also change as they age. So one has to ask, have you used a thermometer to make sure you are setting the same temperature as you think you are getting?

 

[aeventyr60]

Try cleaning the spade connectors on the control unit/brain. I noticed a sharply higher amp draw and a weird on/off cycle. Cleaning up the spade on the brain and replaced the connector ends fixed the problem.