Repairing your Koolspace refrigeration unit...as easy as 1-2-3

If you've owned a Koolspace/VintageKeeper wine cabinet for over 1 year, chances are you're familiar with the unit not keeping its temperature. With the help of a local hvac guy here in Austin, I figured out a way to service the refrigeration units much cheaper than to buy a new one.

Here's how to do it:

1) Call a local hvac guy.

2) Tell him to install a tap on the refrigerant line (the units are effectively small window units, so the HVAC guy will have no problem doing this).

3) Ask him to figure out which coolant your system uses.

4) Have him replenish your coolant (in my case, it was 134a and he filled to 15-20 psi pressure)

5) Make sure he sets you up to where you can do this yourself (if you're technically inclined).

6) The HVAC guy charged me $110 per unit to do this (as opposed to $350 for a new unit).

7) If you do use 134a, go to the auto store (i.e. Autozone) and buy some coolant with pressure gauge and some fittings (my stuff cost $30 all-in).

8) Now, when your unit begins to fail because it's low on refrigerant, you can refill it yourself.

This is a brilliant thing to do for those who are tired of having to buy new units, especially now that the units install differently than they used to. My first refill lasted nearly 4 months on one unit and still is strong on my other.

If you have any questions on this process or would like to comment, please post your comment here.

Good luck!