Did I kill my chiller?

[1000_smiles]

Hi everyone, I would appreciate any insight I could get.

I just picked up a used Custom Sea Life 1/5 hp drop in chiller.
To get it to fit in my car i bent the hose connecting the probe to the compressor housing.
As I did that I heard the sound of compressed air (refrigerant?) escaping from somewhere in the main unit.

Should I be able to bend the hose around? I was careful not to stress the fitting where the hose connects to the main housing, but could I have caused a leak or is it normal for the chiller to make a hissing noise when the hose is moved?
If I did cause a leak and there is now no refrigerant in the system, will I destroy the compressor by running it to check if it is still working?

Thanks for listening.

[scuzy]

i personally think you let all the refrigerant out of the compressor. Sorry think it's a goner.

[Zebodog]

If I were a betting man I'd say your chiller is hosed (pun intended!)

I am a little curious about the size of your car or the size of your aquarium if a drop in chiller won't fit in your car without modification, but that's another thread.

Running the compressor for a few seconds to a minute without refrigerant shouldn't cause permanent damage however the refrigerant acts as a lubricant for internal seals so I wouldn't do it for long.

[1000_smiles]

Thanks for the quick replies.

I barely bent the hose. Are these things that delicate? The previous owner had it stretched all the way out (6') so I curved it around.

The car is a Mini Cooper and they were getting out of the hobby, so I ended up with a 20 gallon aquarium and stand in the car at the same time.

[Zebodog]

They're not delicate but as with all things used, there really isn't an easy way to tell what kind of a "life" it had before it came to you. Saltwater is a pretty unforgiving environment.

[pyton]

sounds like the braising came loose. take it to a fridge repair shop and see if they can help you out.

[1000_smiles]

Well, so much for my 'bargain'.
I need to find a 1/4" driver and open the housing up to see if there is anything obviously wrong.
How much of the internals are repairable?
Am I going to pay someone $50 to tell me it is trash?

[scuzy]

well you might of just bad hose it may be repairable. A fridge repair guy should be able to tell you.

[1000_smiles]

Ok, I'll take it to a pro.
They had it running to show me it was working.
But when I touch it to take it home BAM!
Guess I don't know my own strength.