So my dumb ass left the outdoor fridge on during the great freeze and it hasn’t cooled since. Compressor runs but won’t cool.
I knew the refrigerant load was much lower on fridges so I watched a silly ass DIY YouTube video. Use a “specific” gauge and just add a little R134a until I saw 2PSI on the suction line. This is after you install the piercing valve so you can do this. Didn’t work for jack but now I’ve got an R12 valve installed at least.
So now it’s time to get serious. I find the compressor plate, see the required refrigerant load and design pressures so I just go rent a vacuum pump and get out my automotive gauge manifold. Hook up my gauges, well what do you know this thing seems to be just like a run of the mill car R134a system!
Pull vacuum and leak check, purge the lines after swapping the bottle back in, measure out and load up about 2.5 oz of liquid refrigerant, top off system with gas until I see 35psig on the suction line. Working like a champ now. But I do think the coil fan isn’t running and I’m trying to find a part for that. Anybody got any ideas.
But I think I just save myself a ton of cash and I didn’t even stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night 

 These freaking stainless outdoor fridges run around $1200 to $1500 bucks.
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