smithy09 50 Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Hi all. Just tapping ionto the knowledge bank on Crew! I need to get my refrigeration system re-gassed and a small amount of copper pipe-work done. Can anyone reccomend some good tradesmen that are local to Bayswater? Thanks for your help. Link to post Share on other sites
Marshy 30 Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 He's Not so "local" to Bayswater but have seen him do work around west haven and im sure he would travel happily. But can reccomend Ross Colebrook from Ocean Air. Mum and dad always used him for the Farr1020 and he has looked after alot of the Half moon bay boats so could be worth a call and he would either be able to reccommend someone or do it himself http://www.oceanairrefrigeration.co.nz/ Link to post Share on other sites
Farrari 4 Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 He's Not so "local" to Bayswater but have seen him do work around west haven and im sure he would travel happily.But can reccomend Ross Colebrook from Ocean Air. Mum and dad always used him for the Farr1020 and he has looked after alot of the Half moon bay boats so could be worth a call and he would either be able to reccommend someone or do it himself http://www.oceanairrefrigeration.co.nz/ +1. I had Ross service my boats refrigeration just prior to Christmas and the service was excelent. Link to post Share on other sites
smithy09 50 Posted January 16, 2012 Author Share Posted January 16, 2012 Thanks guys. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 As an estimate what would a service or re gas cost on average? Link to post Share on other sites
Farrari 4 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 As an estimate what would a service or re gas cost on average? I don't know about averages but mine was just over $300 inc GST. This included two visits, 1.5 hrs labour, a filter and a gas topup. Ross pointed me in the right direction RE an electrical problem with the freezer clutch, hence the two visits. Link to post Share on other sites
1paulg 22 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Smithy - I have a job registered with Fridge Tech on the North Shore ph 415 1456 - they were recommended but havent used them personally before...they are waiting for another job to come in from Bayswater to make it worthwhile - could be worth a try- would like to think they will be down there in next couple of days (they were there just y/day -bugger!)... Link to post Share on other sites
smithy09 50 Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 Smithy - I have a job registered with Fridge Tech on the North Shore ph 415 1456 - they were recommended but havent used them personally before...they are waiting for another job to come in from Bayswater to make it worthwhile - could be worth a try- would like to think they will be down there in next couple of days (they were there just y/day -bugger!)... I'll give them a call. I tried Total refrigeration to start, but they have not come back. If these guys cannot do it, I will go to Ross Colebrooke.. Link to post Share on other sites
smithy09 50 Posted January 19, 2012 Author Share Posted January 19, 2012 The guy fro9m Total turned up. Unimpressed so far. I will report back.... Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 If you want to get anything done, resign yourself to being a nuisance Link to post Share on other sites
Mothership 6 Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 ...I will report back.... Unless you make too much of a nuisance of yourself and end up in an old fridge at the bottom of the marina. Link to post Share on other sites
smithy09 50 Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 All he wanted to do was charge the system and find leaks. Anything outside that narrow band of work was put firmly in the "too hard" basket. I wanted some off the copper tubing re-routed away from areas where it can get banged or caught by stuff being stowed nearby.. Way too hard.. The compressor brackets were a bit dodgy and the compressor was making a funny noise, and he was saying "can't work on it with it like that"... He flat refused to run the compressor to charge the system because of some loose brackets which he could tighten up just to charge it... (I couldn't stay around as I had kids to look after). So all he did was find and fix the leak, change the drier (didn't ask him to do that) and pressure test .. I went back today, fixed all the brackets, put new bolts in, cleaned off the greasy hand prints left everywhere, and now I have to get them back to charge the system properly... I've had some really good service from marine people in Auckland: Norths, Doyles rigging, Boatspray, but this little experience has brought me down to earth with a bang... Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 544 Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I have often wondered if I should learn more about refrigeration. I hear nothing but horror stories with fridge work. Either not being able to get someone, to poor work, through to unbelievable costs. It sounds like not many fridge repair guys + excess work = poor outcomes. It is just not that hard. I had my little fridge unit gassed by a Blenheim company. I took it into them even. It says on the side it takes 135g of Gas. They billed me for a KG and a couple of hrs work. I went back to the front office and said, umm you seem to have made a mistake. After an argument from a very rude office girl, they corrected the account and I went away happy with the outcome, but won't ever go back there again. The next time fridge job was the car aircon and I was told it was $650 to fix. I said stuff that and got hold of the Gas and fixed it myself. Then I went into the bigtime refridgeration and fixed the plant on a big cool room. That was when I learnt all about the driers. Then I installed and got running a huge water cooling plant. So what I learned after all that, It ain't that hard. Smithy, it was probably a good thing he replaced the drier. It can cause big problems if it happens to have moisture in the system. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I think there must be some very suspect substances contained in the refrigerant that these guys use which seriously interferes with their ability to do their job once and properly. I have spent the equivalent of the Greek foreign debt attempting to sort out my fridge issues and have been absolutely unimpressed with the assorted non performing idiots in this industry that I have encountered.Smithy, I also agree with your comments about Total and should warn against using these muppets.There are few more contractors that I can add to this list but the last contractor I used was Ocean Air and fingers crossed the system is still working but I had sell the foredeck hand to pay the bill .The thing that pisses me off the most is that unlike my industry these so called professionals provide a service with little or no guarantee that their unreliable hit and miss not to mention excessively expensive services will continue to work any more longer than it takes them to scuttle the length of the marina to zoom off and spend their ill-gotten gains. If you have been lucky enough to encounter a company that has arrived on time as agreed and reliably fully sorted your problems at a reasonable cost count your blessed. Link to post Share on other sites
smithy09 50 Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 I have often wondered if I should learn more about refrigeration. I hear nothing but horror stories with fridge work. Either not being able to get someone, to poor work, through to unbelievable costs. It sounds like not many fridge repair guys + excess work = poor outcomes. It is just not that hard. I had my little fridge unit gassed by a Blenheim company. I took it into them even. It says on the side it takes 135g of Gas. They billed me for a KG and a couple of hrs work. I went back to the front office and said, umm you seem to have made a mistake. After an argument from a very rude office girl, they corrected the account and I went away happy with the outcome, but won't ever go back there again. The next time fridge job was the car aircon and I was told it was $650 to fix. I said stuff that and got hold of the Gas and fixed it myself. Then I went into the bigtime refridgeration and fixed the plant on a big cool room. That was when I learnt all about the driers. Then I installed and got running a huge water cooling plant. So what I learned after all that, It ain't that hard. Smithy, it was probably a good thing he replaced the drier. It can cause big problems if it happens to have moisture in the system. Funny enough Wheels, I know a fair bit about it myself and regularly have to fix cooling systems and charge them offshore. However I am no expert, don't have any gas or gauges, and didn't know what sort of gas was being used in the system. I figured, as it was an easy job, that getting the ëxperts"in would be the logical way to do things.. Might have to invest in some gas and gauges and a vacuum pump I think! Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 544 Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Yes Smithy, I quite often see gauges on Trademe and think hmmm should I??? Well if anyone needs some R12 anytime, I have a cannister of that. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I know more than one long term cruiser who funds his travels by carrying the gauges etc with him. Link to post Share on other sites
marinheiro 366 Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Apart from Ross other good guys are 1. Bill Penny 0274 749565 -he does my work, and 2. Dave Nigh, you will see his blue ute around Westhaven alot both experienced old school Link to post Share on other sites
smithy09 50 Posted January 22, 2012 Author Share Posted January 22, 2012 Thanks Marinheiro! Link to post Share on other sites
smithy09 50 Posted January 23, 2012 Author Share Posted January 23, 2012 OK, I had another tech in from Total today and he was a lot better. Steve is his name. He re-routed the tube for me, ran the compressor (which I had fixed) and charged the system which now works well. Just have to see the bill now. Interestingly, the first tech was from Liverpool and had not been here long. The second is a Kiwi.... The boss has been informed of how bad the first guys was and this will be followed up by an email.. I'll let you know what the bill looks like! Link to post Share on other sites
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