Results 1 to 16 of 16
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Somerset
    Age
    69
    Posts
    4,758
    Rep Power
    46

    My Plant wont work! Or spot the leak!



    Check out the attached Guys!
    Made me smile .
    GrizzlyAttachment 11986



  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    england
    Age
    49
    Posts
    3,874
    Rep Power
    46

    Re: My Plant wont work! Or spot the leak!

    Time for a new coil!
    Mostly found in Oxfordshire, UK :)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Somerset
    Age
    69
    Posts
    4,758
    Rep Power
    46

    Re: My Plant wont work! Or spot the leak!

    Quote Originally Posted by monkey spanners View Post
    Time for a new coil!
    I doubt it, I suspect that I will be blanking off and brazing up passes first!
    Grizzly

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    England
    Age
    59
    Posts
    1,537
    Rep Power
    36

    Re: My Plant wont work! Or spot the leak!

    .

    So you were skiving off drinking coffee and you slipped, spilling the coffee.
    That explains the black stain so where is the leak?



    Rob

    .
    .. ... -. .----. - / -- --- .-. ... . / -.-. --- -.. . / --. --- --- -..

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Somerset
    Age
    69
    Posts
    4,758
    Rep Power
    46

    Re: My Plant wont work! Or spot the leak!

    Quote Originally Posted by Rob White View Post
    .

    So you were skiving off drinking coffee and you slipped, spilling the coffee.
    That explains the black stain so where is the leak?




    Rob

    .
    Should I be changing my coffee supplier then?

    If only Rob!
    I was actually compiling a list of issues, 1 side of a ruled sheet of A4 Paper Long!
    It has given the back office something to discuss with the customer.
    We shall see if we get permission to repair it?
    Grizzly

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Norway
    Posts
    1,044
    Blog Entries
    4
    Rep Power
    31

    Re: My Plant wont work! Or spot the leak!

    At least it left a little tattletale for you

    with refrigerant loss, the last place you would check is the coil itself, since it's just a piece of pipe. The elbows sure, but I'd have to see oil smear like that before it occurred to me to use soapy water on the coil

    Also I am reluctant to use the soap/water mix on the coil, because the soap we use (Zalo) makes the coil sticky once it dries, so if I use it I'll have clean the coil afterwards

    Luckily never found a leak in the middle of a coil, but I had one customer who had problems with high discharge pressure.
    When I stopped the system the discharge pressure corresponded with the ambient temperature after a few minutes so I figured it wasn't air in the system.
    Upon closer examination of the condenser, I couldn't see the beam from my flashlight through it even though the coil was only about 2 inches thick, and when I pulled my hand across it the aluminum fins just disintegrated into fine dust
    -Cheers-

    Tycho

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    England
    Age
    59
    Posts
    1,537
    Rep Power
    36

    Re: My Plant wont work! Or spot the leak!

    Quote Originally Posted by Grizzly View Post
    Should I be changing my coffee supplier then?

    If only Rob!
    I was actually compiling a list of issues, 1 side of a ruled sheet of A4 Paper Long!
    It has given the back office something to discuss with the customer.
    We shall see if we get permission to repair it?
    Grizzly
    You can also see by the leak that it is brand new, less than a few days old
    and the customer is prepared to throw money at you to repair it.



    Rob

    .
    .. ... -. .----. - / -- --- .-. ... . / -.-. --- -.. . / --. --- --- -..

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    NTH.QLD Australia
    Age
    62
    Posts
    1,762
    Rep Power
    32

    Re: My Plant wont work! Or spot the leak!

    Oil residue on the floor indicates a significant leak. A progressive oil and debris build up on the coil has me thinking this leak initially started some days/ weeks earlier on a pass through the end plates.
    To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Somerset
    Age
    69
    Posts
    4,758
    Rep Power
    46

    Re: My Plant wont work! Or spot the leak!

    Hi Mike.
    You are probably correct there, as the customer had been having temp issues for a long time prior to our being asked to attend for the first time.
    But don't worry it's just Rob and his humour, He's on a wind up
    Brilliant!
    Incidentally the saga continues!
    Grizzly

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    England
    Age
    59
    Posts
    1,537
    Rep Power
    36

    Re: My Plant wont work! Or spot the leak!

    Quote Originally Posted by Grizzly View Post
    Hi Mike.
    You are probably correct there, as the customer had been having temp issues for a long time prior to our being asked to attend for the first time.
    But don't worry it's just Rob and his humour, He's on a wind up
    Brilliant!
    Incidentally the saga continues!
    Grizzly


    In our industry we get to work on some lovely bits of equipment
    and the best are from the owners who run everything into the
    ground and then expect you to repair it for a couple of quid.

    Just gotta love em

    Regards

    Rob

    .
    .. ... -. .----. - / -- --- .-. ... . / -.-. --- -.. . / --. --- --- -..

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    NTH.QLD Australia
    Age
    62
    Posts
    1,762
    Rep Power
    32

    Re: My Plant wont work! Or spot the leak!

    Quote Originally Posted by Rob White View Post


    In our industry we get to work on some lovely bits of equipment
    and the best are from the owners who run everything into the
    ground and then expect you to repair it for a couple of quid.

    Just gotta love em

    Regards

    Rob

    .
    Oh?.... Today i found someone who works in a similar environment. Sigh...

    Thanks Rob.
    To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    NTH.QLD Australia
    Age
    62
    Posts
    1,762
    Rep Power
    32

    Re: My Plant wont work! Or spot the leak!

    Having another look at your Pic Grizzly.....the oil migration and debris accumulation doesn't seem consistent with an end plate leak. The debris is thick somewhere around 18 inches to the right of the return bends.
    A leak on a straight run seems unlikely....but not impossible.

    Looking forward to your pictures or comments.
    Regards, Mike.
    Last edited by mikeref; 27-02-2015 at 10:07 AM. Reason: Nah.Cancelled another comment.
    To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Somerset
    Age
    69
    Posts
    4,758
    Rep Power
    46

    Re: My Plant wont work! Or spot the leak!

    Quote Originally Posted by mikeref View Post
    Having another look at your Pic Grizzly.....the oil migration and debris accumulation doesn't seem consistent with an end plate leak. The debris is thick somewhere around 18 inches to the right of the return bends.
    A leak on a straight run seems unlikely....but not impossible.

    Looking forward to your pictures or comments.
    Regards, Mike.
    Hi Mike
    Been out to site with 2 other colleagues Just.
    Leak confirmed 4th tube up from bottom where the tube from the return bend clears the galvanised end plate that it passes through.
    Someone has brazed the other side of the end plate recently!!! Anyways back in the morning to repair!

    Grizzly

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    UK
    Age
    55
    Posts
    1,920
    Rep Power
    29

    Re: My Plant wont work! Or spot the leak!

    that's not an old linde pack is it mate
    have had a number of them go just behind header stabiliser plate
    pita to repair if it is but pays the bills

    have repaired over 30 Searle coils in last few years
    going on the returns as they meet the tube

    HT7 Leak 1.jpgHT11 leak 1.jpg
    If the World did not Suck, We would all fall off !

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Somerset
    Age
    69
    Posts
    4,758
    Rep Power
    46

    Re: My Plant wont work! Or spot the leak!

    Hi chillerman.
    Picture 2 is nearest but it's the other side if the plate, I.e. Going into the bundle away from the return.
    If poss. I will get a picture of it tomorrow.
    The pack is Russell (Gloucester) I think as the data plate is very faded!
    But you are correct as usual the returns are quite a common failure area. Especially as manufacturers have skimped on materials more and more to-date..
    Grizzly

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    UK
    Age
    55
    Posts
    1,920
    Rep Power
    29

    Re: My Plant wont work! Or spot the leak!

    Yeah know what you mean about skimping mate
    These pack coils seem to be paper thin

    One of the first I did was a blind braze, stuck me head up to see if I got it and found a huge hole
    Had to make a bed of scrap wood on two sets of steps to lay on whilst I gently rebuilt the hole I made ffs what a day that was
    If the World did not Suck, We would all fall off !

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •