Isotherm - Asking to much of it

[BlindDate]

I’ve been round-and-round for 18 months with my Isotherm YC130 refrigerator. Is it tired and needs to be replaced, or am I expecting too much from it in the south Florida summer environment? (It also doesn't do much better in the FL winter)

To date I have monitored interior temperatures with a temp gun. Inside temps are mid to high 50 at the furthest position from the freezer, and only slightly cooler elsewhere. I have tried an internal circulation fan, defrosting, placing a temporary 5” fan inside the cabinetry to force air around the back of the unit, and even installed a vent in the cabinetry immediately behind the compressor fan. Any of these steps accomplishes only the smallest of improvements. Electrical supply seems good as my Victron monitor reports 13 V + consistently. Door seal seems good. So far we have used the boat for only a few days at a time, so the marginal cooling of the frige and a large cooler have been sufficient. However, we plan to start using the boat for a week or more at a time, and this cooling is our biggest headache right now.

Reports from other Isotherm owners in south FL would be very helpful.

[Bill O]

Did you call Isotherm to see if there is a problem w/the unit?

[BlindDate]

I have not, but I figure they wouldn’t be of much help. More than that, I’m mostly interested in real-world, current day experiences, not a company line answer. Put another way, assume I did not own a unit, but was considering one. In the real world what performance should I EXPECT to receive……..?

[Bill O]

It's a refrigerator and should work better than you are reporting. Talk to the tech people to try to troubleshoot your unit.

[rgleason]

It sounds to me like you may have lost some refrigeration gas. A tech with a gauge will be able to tell you and recharge. It does not sound like there is a big leak.

[Stu Jackson]

Uhm...insulation???

[OzeLouie]

With what appears to be a 130 litre cabinet with minimal cabinet insulation, front opening, with possibly restricted condenser heat dissipation and an underpowered 2cc compressor (BD3.5...) operating in a warm environment, it is likely to fail but still should be better than you describe.
Things to check for a start:
1, On maximum cold setting is the compressor running continuously? If not bridge the two thermostat wires (or bridge the bottom and third from bottom terminals on the compressors MDM) Allow to run for a few hours to test.
2, Is the freezer evaporator frosting all over or just cold wet? If only part frosted then it is short of gas and if just cold wet it is either totally out of gas or the condenser is too restricted. Suggest remove if enclosed and run in 'the open air'.

[Sorcery61]

Originally Posted by BlindDate

I have not, but I figure they wouldn’t be of much help. More than that, I’m mostly interested in real-world, current day experiences, not a company line answer. Put another way, assume I did not own a unit, but was considering one. In the real world what performance should I EXPECT to receive……..?

I had a unit on Sorcery and in the eastern med in mid summer (*50 C) it maintained a very cold fridge
Some days I had to wait to drink a beer as it was so cold it hurt my teeth
Check the state of charge of unit 134a gas
Something is not right
Was incorrect gas used in past
Is there moisture in system
Vacuum of old refrigerant and after proper disposal recharge following Isotherm specs

[Sorcery61]

Remer that there are relatively few actual compressor manufacturers
It is unlikely to be the unit if the electrical tests are all okay

[zstine]

So, the thermostat is all the way cold and you only get down to 50! That's crap. If you addressed ventilation, then maybe you need more refrigerant.

The gauges are on amazon for under $40 (same for a refer as it is for a/c, may need an adapter or 2). You can borrow a vacuum pump from Autozone if needed, probably not if you aren't replacing components and opening the system. Watch YouTube to learn and it is very easy DIY job. Hiring a tech will cost a lot more than the tools! The only thing I couldn't DIY cheap was recovery of the old 134a, but you can certainly check the state of fill (pressure) and add more refrigerant if needed... You really don't even need the gauges if you just want to add refrigerant. You can just use the same fill setup for a car A/C with an adapter. All parts are sold at Autozone for like $20. Gauge set (if you want it) is much cheaper on Amazon.

[Dougtiff]

Buy a 1 lb. Can if 134A at a auto store, connect to the system, charge watching the frost line, should stop at exiting the box, no gauge set required, (understand the procedure, i.e. bleeding air out of hose, wct.)

[sailingchiro]

I do agree, go to Autozone or Oreillys and purchase their can with guage, last recall $34.

But, why is it low, leaking? They make this dye you can put in and with a special light (remember the black lights) that will show where it is leaking. It shows up as yellow or flourescent green. I think. My schrader (sp) valve was leaking.

[MikeHoncho]

Did it use to work better.

[Richard Kollmann]

Blind Date, If you tell your doctor your feel bad hearts and want an answer you will get the same amount of twenty theories you are getting now.

Set thermostat full cold or better yet by pass it letting compressor run continuous for around 6 hours. Now provide as much visual information as you can. How warm is compressor?, Temperature in Box, describe frosted areas everywhere in system, Is there condensation anywhere on exterior of box?, Most important information is amperage draw of unit if possible?, Amperage draw should be between 5 and no higher than seven.

Survey theories like you are getting are unproductive as you can see, they always produce no results. The above requests for information will get YOU INTELLIGENT RESPONSES.

[RSB333]

Our ISOTherm is new this year. Added 5 inches of foam insulation to the floor of the old icebox. I get 42 degrees at the medium setting on the thermostat.

RSB333