Bar Type Bottle Chiller TOOOOO Warm

[Chris W6]

Hi Guys

We recently got hold of an older type double door under counter bottle chiller cabinet (commercial / pub type). Stainless Steel body and interior.

The machine was juggled about a bit during delivery, as it had to go up a flight of stairs. When switched on it cooled to about 13 degrees in about an hour, but then took a further 3 hours to come down to 8 degrees where it stays. Though the compressor continues to run.

We thought maybe the gases had been mixed up a bit so turned the chiller off for 24hrs to settle before turning it back on. But is still only gets to 8 degrees.

If you turn the thermostat down the compressor does cut out, so i guess thats working.

Was guaranteed that the fridge operated at 2 degrees but we have clearly been ripped off. The same chap swore on his life that machine running at 2 degrees that morning, and said that if the compressor was running it was fine, but have read about slow leaks.

Can you guys offer some advice ? apart from shooting dodgy chap. Joke

Chris

[Gary]

Start with a thorough cleaning, especially the condenser (where the heat comes out) and fan.

[nike123]

Also, make sure that air circulation is unobstructed by furniture, walls and similar.

[Andy AC]

Take the screws off the back cover (down the bottom) and give the condenser coil a brush / vac. If that doesn't cure it get a fridge man in.
However if it is an infrico, just call a fridge man straight away

Andy

[spimps]

Older ottle coolers don't run as cold as your average fridge,that's why they have a different bthermostat all their own.
Who wants beer at 2c out of a bottle,they tend to run closer to 5 degrees.
Danfoss and ranco produce a seperate thermostat for bottle coolers.
Wine would be ruined if kept at low temps,it's a living thing(apparently)have fitted rooms out as wine stores and the temps they should be stored at are surprisingly high =15c.
Basically a bottle cooler will produce stuff at the same temp as the average beer from the pumps comes out at excluding the extra cold types.
Always telling pub landlords not to store milk etc in them as they don't run as cold as normal fridges.
BG

[spimps]

The danfoss bottle cooler stat is the no 8,have just checked
DANFOSS 077B7008 NO.8 BOTTLE FRIDGE COLD -1/-8.5 WARM +11/+6 CAPILLARY: 2000MM 2 CONTACTS
it cuts out on an evap temp of -9c whereas the fridge stat cuts out at -21c so big difference,these are the evaporator surface temps not air temps.The bottle cooler wouldn't be capable of attaining that low evap temp under load and would fry the comp in a matter of time.
Hope this helps
BG

[spimps]

Had a call to a pub a couple of weeks ago who had bought a double door one from an auction,looked a nice piece of kit.
Compressor ran but no cooling,had a look,checked system no gas,put some OFN in and there was a hissing from underneath.
Condenser on this(infrico I think) was underneath,the helpful chef had got two pieces of wood to raise the cooler up a couple of inches which had a couple of nails stickin up so the wood was fastened to the condenser.
new condenser fitted by which time it would have been cheaper to buy a brand new one and the Chef had moved on

[Magoo]

Hi Chris.
I am thinking that with slow performance and lack of temp, that the condenser is recirculating air and restricted, try installing a louver vent to either let air in or out. If jammed under bar the back vent is blocked off.
magoo

[spimps]

Make and model required for a reasonably accurate diagnosis.Are you running it empty to test or full?
They are designed to fit tightly into bars with no gaps side or top and are fitted with a condenser fan to pull the air through so no extra ventilation should be necessary,is the condenser fan working?

[acnerd]

Just another thought ...... when manhandling up the stairs .... was the door in anyway pulled skew? It could be a simple case of the door not making good contact with the door seal and leaking cold air?

[thebigcheese]

spimps
confused about your condenser evap thingy. if he put wood under neath the unit how did it damage the evap????

on an other note bar coolers always need ventilation around them and condensers well cleaned or they over heat

[spimps]

Sorry about that,I'm old,tired and confused.

Should have read condenser all through,probably confused by the fact that the condenser looked more like an evaporator,no paint and very light weight alloy just like an evaporator.
Thank you I have now edited.
Did you have a make and model ?

[spimps]

Bottle cooler ventilation certainly for double doors is almost 100% pulled round by either tangential or blade fan.Condensers apart form the cheap imports cannot usually be seen without removing the lower panel at rear.
There is a need for a couple of inches gap at the top but the sides require no space so can be placed side by side or in cupboard fittings as bar owners and designers maximise display space.
There's quite a few who use push pull ventilation for condenser cooling ie half of the bottom strip under a door is the air intake and the other side the vent with a fan doing the work somewhere near the compressor.
Change quite a few fans almost bread and butter
work!
Lots of cheap stuff cheap stuff about like husky and polar and many more.