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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
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    South Africa
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    Fluorescent Dye.



    Hello to everybody and a very happy new year it has been long since I was here.

    I have a small fridge in one of my animal sheds which is used for keeping animal medicine and vaccinations inside it. It is a normal very small fridge which has a small ice cupboard at the top. The fridge leaked it's gas about 3 years ago so I fitted a valve and put in more gas. It worked for a few months then needed more gas. Then it was empty again a third time so I put in some fluoresent dye and more gas so I can find the leak and fix it fully.
    The problem is that it has now stopped leaking for over one year. Can the yellow dye have fixed the leak? I can't see any yellow stains anywhere on the pipes or weldings or anywhere inside the fridge. I am not sorry it is fixed but I would just like to know the answer for myself
    The fridge is using R12 gas and the compressor is 1/12th HP. I'm not sure how old it is but I have it for about 15 years but I bought it already used.

    Thank you for your answers.



  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    england
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    Re: Fluorescent Dye.

    I don't know about it sealing leaks but then again i have not used dye in such a small system before.

    Did you use the correct ultra violet lamp and goggles to check for leaks?
    We had a custome who used a uv security lamp but i think the light is a different frequency so the dye doesn't glow, same with the special goggles, without them to filter the light the leaks are impossible to find.

    Jon

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
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    Re: Fluorescent Dye.

    does it have a line tap valve or a schraeder valve. is there s rubber seal in the valve cap?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
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    ISRAEL
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    Re: Fluorescent Dye.

    Its about time to get a new fridge.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    South Africa
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    Re: Fluorescent Dye.

    Quote Originally Posted by monkey spanners View Post
    Did you use the correct ultra violet lamp and goggles to check for leaks?
    We had a custome who used a uv security lamp but i think the light is a different frequency so the dye doesn't glow, same with the special goggles, without them to filter the light the leaks are impossible to find.
    Jon
    Yes, the glasses and the light came in the box together with the bottles of dye.

    Quote Originally Posted by install monkey View Post
    does it have a line tap valve or a schraeder valve. is there s rubber seal in the valve cap?
    I put on a clamp around valve onto the spare compressor suction pipe which was just welded closed off. All the orings and seals are there and I tested it with soapy bubble water as well. The fridge was leaking gas before I fitted this valve so the leaking must be somewhere else.

    Quote Originally Posted by chemi-cool View Post
    Its about time to get a new fridge.
    You might be right but this one isn't even 20 years old yet. It would be a shame to throw it away when is still a teenager.
    Anyway the leaking has stopped at the moment. If it starts to lose more gas I may look to buy new one, the R12 is not very easy to find now and I want to keep some for my other fridges.

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