Broken Chillers

[janderson8]

Up to this point my father has been able to work on chillers and repair them if they did not need a compressor. He would just rent the equipment to vacume them and refill them with the R134A and seal them as needed. As you know just renting the equipment is costly and buying the R134A in small ammounts is also costly. But the compressors are the most money.

So we are thinking of buying the equipment outright and getting a wholesale licence to buy the compressors at cost so we would be able to repair chillers for about half the price of buying a new one if you need a compressor. BUT we were wondering if there is much of a market here in Oklahoma to have a chiller repaired or just serviced so it function properly.

If you have a broken one or one that does not function as new PLEASE give me your feedback so we know weather or not it would be worth it.

[VCoo71]

i had an old CSL 1/4 HP that just didnt seem to be doing the job like it use to ....i just replaced it with a new JBJ 1/4 HP ...it wasnt cheap.....but it was needed!

charlie

[janderson8]

Charlie do you still have th old one??? If so would some on doing a service on it be somthing you would like to have done?

[VCoo71]

im not really sure exacty what it needs??? it would just run and run
but i can say it didnt preform like the like the new one does!

i had it running for over 3 years and had bought it used so i figured its time was up

charlie

[janderson8]

Charlie,

Would you mind if we took a look at it???

Jason

[VCoo71]

sure....it worked great for so long and dropping 750$ on a new one was kinda painful!

i will PM you my #

charlie

[janderson8]

Sonds good,

I could prob pick it up next time I am in Norman.

[janderson8]

Sonds good,

I could prob pick it up next time I am in Norman.

[VCoo71]

i would even bring up to you .....i would be intrested in seeing your tank also!

charlie

[janderson8]

Charlie,

Sounds good,

Do you still have the coloromieter?

[VCoo71]

i will bring it along too
give me a ring and we can set up a time for this weekend

charlie

[janderson8]

Sounds good I will call you tomorrow

[SoonerFan51]

I have an old 1/3hp chiller that probably needs recharging. Let me know if you want to take a look at it.

[janderson8]

Sure we will take a look at it and we will let you know the cost to service it before we work on it.

[MyMonkey]

I can attest to a market for selling refurbished chillers here. Oklahoma gets so hot and humid it seems heat is a constant battle in summer. If you can get the broken ones cheap and repair them for sale, I think that might just benefit each party. Naturally, I would suggest a %20 discount for those in the Legal Profession. :)

[VCoo71]

actually i have 2 broken ones now that i think about it
a smaller one either 1/6 or 1/10 hp i cant remember for sure
but i think the eletronic thermostat went bad on.....

i will have to let you check them both out

charlie

[janderson8]

Sounds good I will call you tonight to set up a time Sat.

Jason

[dugg]

There is no need to spend tons of money on a vacuum pump. An old refrigerator compressor and about $5 worth of fittings that can be purchased at either Johnstone Supply on SW. 15th. and Agnew, or at Oklahoma auto air just off of Reno and May Ave. will work great. I can post pics of mine for a refference if you need to see one. They are really easy to make.

[janderson8]

Dugg,

That is cool but I am wanting to do it right. I dont mind using a used compressor but as soon as you cut it out of the old system it was in it becomes filled with moisture and is contaminated. That moisture will shorting the life of the unit!!! And it can sorten it to one day or it can happen in a month. You must also understand that if my father or I are going to fix somthing for another person I want them to be happy and I would not be happy if I know that if some on jerry rigged a unit to fix mine. I hope you understand. And alot of times all that needs to be done to a chiller is to find the leak, fix the leak clean the system of any contamination seal it and recharge it. If you do this wron then you risk blowing up a perfect compressor that just needed to be recharged and cleaned.

[dugg]

Do it right or spend money? I have been working on classic car a/c units and home a/c units for 20 years. I have used this same vacuum pump for all 20 of them. A vacuum pump won't contaminate anything. It evacuates the system, it doesn't cirrculate through the system. A manufactured vacuum pump will cost you over $300 and will last just a few years before it needs replaced if you use it regularly. If you can find an old refrigerator or an old ice machine is even better, it will last forever + 2 days, and will pull a much better vacuum then anything you can go buy. I have made these for several people that use them commercially. Feel free to go spend all the money you want, i am just trying to save you a buck or two. Here is a pic of mine. It's not pretty, but it is an outstanding pump, and has been used several hundred times.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a151/dugg/100_1041.jpg

[MyMonkey]

How do you use that as a chiller? I am curious... Sounds like a good idea.

[dugg]

It's not for using as a chiller. It's used for vacuuming down a chiller to recharge it with freon when doing repairs. You have to create a vacuum on the system so it will suck in the new freon. The store bought vacuum pumps are $300 and up, and $300 only buys a cheap piece of junk, good ones can get really expensive.

[MyMonkey]

Ahh... Thanks. I was wondering. :)