Did you know that a refrigerator may need refueling? I am sure that now you will assume the existence of some unusual refrigerators, which do not need to be plugged in and run, for example, on a gasoline engine, which needs to be refilled periodically.
In fact, this is not the case, and even your refrigerator, which is now working properly in the kitchen, cooling and freezing food, may one day require refueling.
The refrigerator is topped up, of course, not with gasoline but with another ingredient, which is necessary for normal cooling of all refrigerator chambers.
We are talking about freon (refrigerant), which is present in every refrigerator; without it, the work of a full domestic refrigerator is impossible.
If the volume of freon in the system is insufficient, the refrigerator must be charged with freon. To fill the refrigerator with freon, just call your local refrigerator repairman in Surrey or another city.
How to understand that the refrigerator needs refueling?
Various factors can lead to the need to fill the refrigerator with freon. Sometimes they are quite obvious and are associated with a violation of the tightness of the cooling circuit.
Sometimes the need to fill the refrigerator with freon is hidden and hardly noticeable to us, but one day it will manifest itself in a more obvious and explicit form.
In the latter case, monitoring the device’s operation carefully and considering the slightest deviations from the norm is necessary.
The main reasons why you need to fill the refrigerator with freon:
Compressor repair – repair or replacement of the compressor in the refrigerator almost always requires subsequent refilling of freon since the dismantling of the old unit violates the tightness of the system and freon leaks from the circuit;
1. Mechanical damages
crack or splinter on the refrigerating circuit tubes will lead to freon leakage. The refrigerator will gradually lose the ability to cool the chambers normally;
2. Factory assembly defects
Improperly joined pipes, poor quality pipe metal, and poor quality joints, and their treatment soon after the refrigerator purchase can cause refrigerant leakage from the cooling circuit.
What indicates a freon leak in the refrigerator?
The temperature inside the chamber is higher than the user settings – without enough freon in the cooling circuit, the refrigerator will be unable to maintain the optimum temperature. As a consequence, the temperature in the refrigerator and freezer will be higher than necessary;
The compressor runs non-stop or with rare shutdowns – in order to compensate for the increase in temperature in the chambers, the compressor constantly runs at high speed. So the wear of the compressor increases significantly, and there is a possibility of its overheating and combustion;
An alarm indicator is triggered, and an error message appears on the display – many modern refrigerators are able to notify you of improper operation.
It is most convenient when the design has a display on which an error code is displayed; thanks to this, it is possible to understand the problem at which node.
It is impossible to ignore a freon leak for a long time because very soon, the situation with cooling will worsen. One day, normal room temperature is formed inside the refrigerator, and the compressor will simply stop.
Freon filling safety rules
Although there is a small amount of Freon in the refrigerator system, which rarely exceeds 200 grams and sometimes does not even reach 100 grams, which is a perfectly safe volume even if the refrigerant leaks, we will be dealing with a whole cylinder of refrigerant when we charge the refrigerator. Don’t forget that freon is essentially a gas!
Basic safety rules when refilling the refrigerator with freon
A freon cylinder should not be close to the fire (for example, on a hob); smoking is not allowed – freon is not felt in a small concentration but in large quantities when heated, it can decompose and cause irritation of the mucous membrane, it can make it difficult to breathe, affecting the human respiratory system;
The room where the refrigerator will be filled with freon should be well ventilated – with a high concentration of freon in the air the oxygen level drops sharply.
If you inhale such air, a person begins oxygen starvation, and a feeling of suffocation may occur.
In the presence of good ventilation, freon very quickly disappears; you can not heat the cylinder; there is a marking indicating the maximum permissible temperature for their heating.
Remember that the freon cylinder is under high pressure, and overheating the cylinder is fraught with fire and explosion.
Therefore, in no case should freon be heated with a burner during refueling; this will not lead to a positive outcome;
Final Thoughts
You can not fill the cylinder with freon completely – if you do not purchase a cylinder with freon but fill it with an already existing empty cylinder, you should remember that it is not allowed to fill the cylinder to the eyeballs.
Remember that freon is a gas that tends to expand when exposed to certain temperatures.
To know more, read our article Why Does My Refrigerator Have A Chemical Smell? and How Long Does Gasoline Fuel Last In Storage?