Drcpwen Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 When I plug in the compressor deck in to the on board plug it pops a breaker and shuts down the machine. I'm pretty sure the compressor is shot but I want a 2nd opinion. When I put the ohmmeter terminal on the compressor casing and the other terminal on either of the two plug prongs it makes a complete circuit. I don't know much about HVAC but I think that means the compressor is shot. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cvending Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 Sounds like a dead short in compressor. Pull it and repair/ replace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tismael56 Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 I have a Wittern/USI CB500sa right now and the compressor is shot aswell. You're right in saying the compressor is bad since the terminal has a path to ground. On mine the decals were shriveled up indicating that it got really hot and probably caused a short inside. My advice is to either have a technician repair the compressor or get a new cooling deck. On a side note, Does anyone know who I can take a cooling deck to in order to have them replace the compressor? I have called about 10 different places including Small and Large Appliance Repair businesses, HVAC businesses, and vending repair technicians but no one replaces compressors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZVendor Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 Sure they do, just not on vending machines. Even though they are simpler to work on than a refrigerator they are still foreign to them. Call vending machine operators (your competition) and ask who they use. When you find one ask what freons they use. R134a and/or R401a, known as MP39, are correct answers. Your compressor is 134a but MP39 works fine in it. If they use Hotshot or R12 those are wrong answers and they should also not put your old freon back in the new rebuild. They have to recycle it. Ask what the low side pressure should be on a properly installed and functioning soda machine. Correct answer is 18-20lbs. They should not even talk about the high side pressure because it isn't measured. Do they weigh-in their freon or do they use a pressure gauge when building a system. Either way is fine but they must not add freon only until "it sounds right" or "until they get a frost line." What other parts are replaced? A new filter/drier is required and a condenser fan is recommended though yours is a special order so it probably won't be replaced. When you go to pull your unit out of the machine (from the front) be aware that there is a green ground wire screwed to the back of the compressor base that has to come off first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southeast Treats Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 13 hours ago, tismael56 said: On a side note, Does anyone know who I can take a cooling deck to in order to have them replace the compressor? In what part of the country are you located? You might check with Vendor's Repair Service in Orlando or Atlanta, they might be able to ship you a replacement deck but the usually want a core in exchange. https://vendorsrepair.com/contact.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tismael56 Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 @AZVendor Yeah, I hate how they braze fridge compressors on and off all day but magically they cant when it comes from a vending machine haha. I called one person who does vending repair in my area but says he does not work on wittern cb500s, just Royal and Dixies. On top of that, he wanted to charge me 880 and 980 for swapping out a cooling deck for a DN501e and Royal 660 respectively. AZ, how much is a reasonable charge for someone to fix this cooling unit, lets say just replacing the compressor? @Southeast Treats I live in Northen VA and i did some little repairs for a competitor when I was just starting out and she told me there was a shortage of good techs here in NVA. Thanks for the tip, Ill check Vendor's Repair Service. The info you guys posted is very helpful. Do you think its worth it to fix this machine? I got it for free but the front decal/design is all scratched and you can see it becoming flaky. I contacted VendNet but they said the machine is obsolete and I cannot get a replacement so I dont know where to get one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orsd Posted March 28, 2020 Share Posted March 28, 2020 For a machine with a decent deck design (Royals, DN, and Vendo) the cost of repair for me should be no more than the cost of a good rebuilt deck from Vending Works. About 350-400 shipped. Closer to 450 if you want a brand new compressor. If you call up a commercial refrigeration tech that is used to working on restaurant equipment a new compressor will typically run 6-800. A compressor from Johnstone is like 2-300 and add markup and a couple hours labor and you'll hit 6-800. Which is why I never get someone to replace just a compressor, I just buy rebuilt decks. They are easy to put in, should take no more than an hour for a first timer. (I can do one in 20 min). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drcpwen Posted April 1, 2020 Author Share Posted April 1, 2020 Thanks to all for the help. I swapped it for a rebuilt deck in a few minutes. It was a very easy process and fairly inexpensive. Thanks, Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corvus Corax Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 I use a tech that used to work for Pepsi Baltimore. Usually $100 to $150 for a repair job. The caveat, you have to pull the compressor and bring it too him. I don't think he does shipping, but he might be open to it. I like to keep a few repaired compressors on the shelf ready to swap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tblake05 Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 On 3/20/2020 at 1:02 PM, tismael56 said: The info you guys posted is very helpful. Do you think its worth it to fix this machine? I got it for free but the front decal/design is all scratched and you can see it becoming flaky. I contacted VendNet but they said the machine is obsolete and I cannot get a replacement so I dont know where to get one. My opinion, Yes. They are great machines (especially the MDB ones). I have had literally 0 problems with mine and I own 3. The front decal you can find on ebay all day long for 25.00. Alternatively you could design your own using a JPG file and have one printed out of semi-transparent plexiglass from places online (run a google search). Just measure the dimensions of yours inside the machine. One of our accounts suggested we put their business name on it, so we had one made up. Looks nice, and is one of our best accounts. Glad I did it. When you weight the cost of scrapping it and buying a new machine, factory in deliver cost, removing the old one.... My vote is to replace the cooling deck in yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tismael56 Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 You're right, the machine is in very good condition beside those 2 main things so Ill probably just have to get a rebuilt cooling deck then. Where do y'all get them for the least price but good quality? And as for the decal i meant the decal surrounding the keypad and bill acceptor. Its black plastic but its all cracked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZVendor Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 Vendnet no longer shows that decal for the early 3189 or the panel for the later 3500 so you are screwed by Vendnet there unless you can search online for other USI/Federal dealers that might still have one. As for the compressor, it's very doubtful that anyone would have a core of your cooling unit to rebuild and send to you. There weren't really enough of them made to create demand for the cooling units so you have to find someone local to rebuild it for you. If you still haven't found someone to do so then you are in a tiny burg or you aren't looking hard enough or asking the right people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tismael56 Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 11 hours ago, AZVendor said: Yeah tough luck I guess. I think I found somewhere local to rebuild the deck so im going to go with that. With the current situation however, ill have enough time to fix up some other machines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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