Oops, Broken Gas Pipe on Figoboat Fridge in Croatia...any Ideas?

[monte]

OK so, long story short, Jen was stung by a wasp and in my mad panic to get some ice on it I pulled a chunk of ice out of the back of the fridge along with the gas pipe...it went fshhhhhhhhhhhhhh, so I guess I cracked the pipe. So what now? I guess I can try some kind of epoxy patch and have it re gassed? I turned off the fridge for now. Hopefully the gas isn't dangerous...
Anyone know of a refrigeration mechanic in this area? We are headed toward Split, about halfway there now from Dubrovnik.
Thanks
Monte

[Fiveslide]

I would think soldering the crack would be better than epoxy.

I've never attempted that type of repair but many refrigeration systems are plumbed with copper tubing and soldered connections.

[Fiveslide]

If it is one of those really, really tiny high pressure lines you will probably just block it with whatever you use to patch it and it won't work anyway.

[sailorchic34]

If you broke a hole in the plate surface that might be repairable with a good epoxy. Sort of like repairing a hole in a radiator, by just blocking the one tube with solder. The plate evaporator is at a lower pressure then the high pressure line. On the suction side of the expansion orifice.

If its in the line to the plate evaporator then that's going to be tricky. Way easy to block the pipe with solder / epoxy. Maybe put a metal patch on the outside and solder that.

[Rapanui]

Split is the place. I would go to one of the charter companies and ask them who to go to. They have this sort of problem all the time.

[monte]

thanks, found a guy in Korcula, unfortunately it broke on the pipe which is not repairable so he's ordered a new freezer. Should be in in about 3 days, 300 euro later.....