Stuck valve?

[gcforest]

I'm a commercial winemaker with limited refrigeration knowledge. I believe I have a stuck valve on a French made champagne bottle neck freezer. There's no pressure in the capilary tube to trigger the cut-in contact. If I manually close the contact, the compressor starts. I've tried open and closing, and tapping the valve. Is there any way to unstick a valve short of draining the refrigerant (404A) and taking the valve apart?

[NH3LVR]

I did not know there was such a thing as a champagne bottle neck freezer.
The things I learn on this Forum!
Need a little more info.
I assume that this is the Liquid Solenoid Valve.
What type is it? Sporlan, Danfoss......? Does it have a manual opening stem? Is there a Filter Drier installed? Could you be low on charge?

[Brian_UK]

Yes, interesting idea that..

Found this description of WHY they freeze the neck...
http://www.prestonpeak.com/storyof_serisier.html

Might help understand why.

[chillin out]

Are you sure there is pressure behind the valve?

Are you sure there is any gas in the system?

Sounds to me like it's got no gas in it.

Chillin:) :)

[old gas bottle]

sounds like you have gone as far as you can,you need a engineer and telling them you make booze will gaurentee a que outside in notime !

[Rubba]

hi- does anyone know if this system can be pumped down?then he could check the valve?does sound like theres no gas though.what about the sight glass?