Shop Time w/T.W. Friends. Where is your wallet…..poll

I’m not sure. Herbert (Refrigiration guy) is 73, super smart, and came and checked on it. He tells me all kinds of stuff that I can’t remember. It was running fine when he got here, he told me if it froze up again to check this loading valve (kinda like a thermostat in a car) the temp would be hot on 2 of the 3 sides if it was messed up.



He adjusted the superheat to 26° and it looked like this when he left at 5:00 and at 7:30 when I took this picture.



I just went and checked it and the temp went from 42° to 48° and it looked like this again. The txc valve has a small orifice in it that does something or another. I forgot but that’s what’s froze up.



I checked the loading valve temp like he said and it was fine. I don’t know what’s going on with it but have faith that Herbert will figure it out after sleeping on it tonight.

 

Here’s to hoping everyone’s coffee is strong on this fine Monday morning!

 

I may have to drink my next cup straight with no additives. Our cooler is still jacked up and I'm trying to diagnose it from work through the refrigeration man who thinks I know what I'm doing (I have no clue about refrigeration) and my wife who is at the store. This was this morning, worse than yesterday. He said he had to go work on an older lady's heat system and he would come check it out



If I wasn’t bald already I’d pull my hair out. Nobody wants 60° drinks on a Monday morning.

 

Sorry it’s off to a rough start!
I’m no expert but either the expansion valve seems to be toast or the refrigerant level is off. I hate refrigeration systems too I’m a mechanical type of diagnostic person, when you throw gas pressures or electrical currents into things I tend to get lost easier.
Good luck!

 

I wish I could help out more but I'd have to agree with what @Gregthespy said. I'd treat it like the AC in a car and check the refrigerant levels on both the high and low side for an imbalance of coolant. Irregularities like that tend to cause havoc in those systems. If you have a black light, you might be able to check to see if you have a leak somewhere if the coolant is impregnated with a UV dye. I'm not sure about household or drink machines in your case. If your guy recommended replacing that expansion valve, I'd lean that way and trust his judgement since I'm just a keyboard warrior sitting in my underwear. It's the internet, everything's true on the internet.

-J

 

Herbert put his gauges on there for over an hour yesterday and everything was fine until about 8:00 last night. I agree with it freezing up my first thought is it could be low on freon but after he put his gauges on it the pressures were fine. Hoping he can get there soon and figure it out. I've always told my wife I will work on anything except automatic transmissions and A/C systems

 

My wife and I’s 10 year wedding anniversary is Friday. She’s been wanting a wooden watch, maybe some day, thanks to @wilcam47 for the wooden ring idea. I made 3 because I didn’t know what wood happen when finishing them. We have metal working tools and sandpaper. Used a scrap piece of hickory. First one is complete.

 

Very cool! Nice work and congratulations on the 10 year mark!
I inherited a wood lathe with tooling about 4 years ago and played around with it making a few bowls. It’s fun, but I never find the time to work on it.

 

I took carpentry my 4 years of high school, back then we had every wood working tool we could get. The 4 years I was there the shop teacher never let us use the lathe. His best friend lost his arm in one and he wouldn't let us use it. One guy in our class cut the end of his thumb off with a miter saw but we all got to use the saw after that. I've always wanted a wood lathe but never have gotten one.

 

nice!

you gotta make time...

 

Here’s a few pics of the only items I’ve made on the lathe.
I agree, it’s an intimidating machine to use, at least on a metal lathe you have the tool held in a controlled environment.
The wood for these came from a tree that was victim of a hurricane.

 

Those are beautiful

 

Why didn’t I think about this years ago? Used an old grease fitting to store my hose out of the way my lock n lube came in today

 

You sir, are a god damn genius!!!

 

Brilliant!

 

For the record I saw that idea in the lock n lube book that came with the new grease fitting connector

 

Ohh... I was thoroughly impressed... I take it back!

 

Herbert (refrigeration guy) just called me from out store phone, glad I didn't answer with something silly like "hey baby" or something I usually say

He said he unplugged one of our condenser fans (has 2) so the compressor will build enough head pressure to boil off the refrigerant at the valve where it keeps freezing up. He said we can do one of two things, put a switch that cuts the fans off until it builds enough head pressure or drain the system and replace that little valve outside on the unit IF we can find the valve (it's 22 years old). After he told me this he said "what do you think?".

Here's what I was thinking, I'm thinking everything you just told me I have no idea what you said that's why I'm at the machine shop and you're working on our refrigeration unit but here's what I said.....

Let's do the simple fix first, can you get a switch and put on to cycle the fans? He said yes have a good day.

He's such a nice guy and we've had some good in depth talks about life and family while he's been working on this. I almost feel like he is trying to teach me how to work on it even though I don't want to learn it

 

USPS said they tried to deliver my package Saturday at 9:24, they never come that early. They left it today, it’s not the first time they’ve “attempted” a Saturday delivery our mailman is just lazy and doesn’t come on Saturday’s.

 

And you can keep your grease gun greased