Detecting Freon Leaks: A Comprehensive Guide for Refrigerator Owners

I. Problem Diagnosis

Recently, a customer approached us with an issue involving their SubZero wine cooler, which had stopped cooling properly. In this article, we're going to explain how our expert team diagnosed and resolved the issue, restoring the wine cooler to its optimal functionality.

When our customer noticed that their SubZero wine cooler had a problem, they immediately contacted our service team, and our technicians scheduled a diagnostic to identify the underlying issue. The following steps outline our thorough diagnostic process:

Initial Assessment:

First, we checked for any obvious signs of damage or malfunction. The cooler's compressor was running, but it was not producing the expected cooling temperature.

Temperature Monitoring:

We used a precise thermometer to monitor the temperature inside the wine cooler. The readings confirmed that the cooler was significantly warmer than the set temperature, indicating a problem with the cooling system.

System Check:

The compressor was working; the temperature inside the compartments was 66 °F; the setup temperature was 55 °F.

Low side pressure (4.5 inHg) must be 5–10 psig.

The evaporator coil was freezing up only at the first coil. The sealed system had a refrigerant leak.

We needed to determine exactly where it was. This is a different but very important type of work that requires 2 to 3 hours to complete, and the results would determine the total price of the repair.

II. The First Stage Of The Repair

Detecting the Exact Place of the Leak:

With the customer's approval of the estimate, we began the work (service was provided by qualified EPA certified specialists).

It was required to check the leakage of Freon from the sealed system (nitrogen test).

The labor included:

Disassembly and subsequent assembly of outdoor and indoor equipment to access the evaporator coil and condenser coil to locate the place of the leak

Nitrogen leak test performed

The place of the leak inspection

Depending on the place of leakage, Estimate #2 is calculated to eliminate the leakage of Freon from the system by repair or by replacing parts, vacuuming the system, and filling it with new Freon

The day before the diagnostic, the unit was turned off and the stable pressure was 26,7 psig, but during the diagnostic, the pressure was 15,8 psig.

The sealed system was charged with refrigerant and nitrogen to increase the pressure. The unit was inspected with a leak-finding device and discovered a problem with the top evaporator's low-side aluminum-to-copper connection.

This type of connection cannot be improved, which is why the evaporator coil must be replaced.

Then, we needed an estimate for the top evaporator coil replacement.

III. The Second and Final stage of the repair

Then, based on all this information, we were able to create an accurate estimate to complete the job, and once the customer approved, we began the repair.

The labor includes:

• Disassembly and subsequent assembly of inside and outside panels to get to the evaporator coil and mechanical compartment

• Evaporator coil dismount

• Evaporator coil installation:

• Access valve installation

• Freon filter-drier replacement

• A nitrogen test was performed to exclude the possibility of refrigerant leaks.

• Vacuum-sealed system to 500-micron vacuum depth

• Charging by weight-sealed system with new refrigerant

• System test

IV. The Conclusion

Finally, our technician conducted a series of tests to verify that the repair was running smoothly. We monitored the temperature over several hours to ensure that the Wine cooler maintained the desired settings and operated without any issues. Thanks to our team's expertise and attention to detail, the SubZero wine cooler was restored to its proper functionality. The refrigerant leak was successfully repaired, and the cooler is now maintaining the perfect temperature for our customer's wine collection!