Fixing a current chiller, need advice

[jmoney]

Hi guys, after a few days and some deductive reasoning (with the aid of the friendly RC community) I have determined that there is without a doubt, a leak coming from my chiller. The chiller is a 1/10hp current usa chiller, with dual stage temp control built in. Now the bigger question.

How do I determine where the leak is coming from?
Should I attempt to fix this by myself, or seek out a professional?

[reefkeepa14]

it depends, if you feel comfortable taking on the problem, then go for it. if you dont, best to just take it in. why take the chance

[jmoney]

If I can figure out where the leak is I'm sure I can fix it, right now I'm just having a bit of difficulty coming up with a way to detect it. Mostly because when I turned the chiller off it was still leaking, then when I turned the feed pump off the carpet went dry almost immediately. What has me guessing is that fact that I felt all along the chillers body and couldn't detect any moisture anywhere.

[billsreef]

Check the fittings first, they are typically the most likely thing to leak. Take some paper towel to make sure they are all dry first, then turn the pump on and check for moisture.

[jmoney]

the inlet/outlets are bone dry, they leaked over a year ago when I initially installed the system, but after a 2 days they were covered in salt creep, and have yet to be the source, i'm starting to lean that it is an internal leak.

[billsreef]

Sounds like you'll have to pull the casing off and track it down. Might be some internal fittings hiding under there, otherwise it could be a pinhole leak in the heat exchanger coil.

[jmoney]

would aquarium grade silicone be ok to patch it with, or what would you suggest?

[ceci1357]

If it is indeed a freon leak you need to take it to a professional, unless you are familiar with standard freon handling techniques and silver soldering. High pressure freon is dangerous as is the poisonous gas it creates when burnt.

[billsreef]

Originally Posted by jmoney

would aquarium grade silicone be ok to patch it with, or what would you suggest?

It's going to depend on where the leak is. So find the leak first and then we can figure out the best way to repair it

[billsreef]

Originally Posted by ceci1357

If it is indeed a freon leak you need to take it to a professional, unless you are familiar with standard freon handling techniques and silver soldering. High pressure freon is dangerous as is the poisonous gas it creates when burnt.

Since the leak is making the carpet wet and drys up when the water feed pump is off, I think he's talking about a water side leak, not freon A freon leak I would suggest a refridge repair guy take care of

[jmoney]

I just disconnected the chiller and started to take a look and the foulest smell imaginable is coming out of the chiller...so i'm guessing I have some kind of clog...lets start the the suggestions.

[billsreef]

How long did you have the water flow off? Just a few hours would have been long enough to cause some anaerobic decay of organics that would give you that sort of stench, without a clog.

[jmoney]

I'm starting to think we have a clog situation going on, I'm to afraid to break into this thing tonight, but if thats the case I really hope the chiller isn't ruined

[ceci1357]

I'm sorry about the advice, I thought we were talking freon and since I do that for a living my mind jumped. To rule out a clog temporarily hook the chiller to a garden hose outside or better yet set a small pump in a bucket and recirculate a vinegar solution through it after the clog is resolved to clean any calcium deposits out. While your doing that you might find your leak. Also, you might be experiencing condensation on the refrigeration lines that go from the compressor to the heat exchanger( evaporator). Some manuf. insulate them, some do not, so a roll of foam tape might solve your problem if its condensation.

[jmoney]

dont think its condensation because the leak persisted after the chiller was off, but not the feed pump