... my boat also an '86, Tartan 40. Not sure when the ED system went in, I think it was original, I know the compressor was subsequently changed out from R12 to 134a. Let me ask you ...

What kind of annual maintenance do you do other than check & change the belt ? Do you ever check the slurry mix level in the Plate ? Unfortunately, either my Plate was mounted incorrectly, or the location for the Fill Plug was not followed because my Fill Plug is on the SIDE of the unit, so you can't check or fill it, or perhaps a bunch may come out ! I would think the Holding Plate is best installed empty, and then the slurry added once it is place, because the darn thing would be quite a bit heavier full of slurry, and the Plate easier to maneuver inside the Box and fasten if empty. And I would think it would be best to initially pull down the system with the Fill Plug off, so you can see exactly how much expansion there will be and get maximum level of slurry in the Plate, for maximum efficiency.

How often you you check your refrigerant charge, and how do you do that ... do you do this by using a gauge set ? Or do you simply watch the Sight Glass on the RFD ? Feel your Plate, or see what the frost level is on the Plate ? Look for signs of heat on the Condenser, touch tests and looking for frost or heat throughout the system, and so on. Cleve tells me the only way refrigerant can leave the system is by way of a leak. I talked to a technician who regularly works on Sea Frost units and he tells me that's not the case. He says refrigerant will eventually seep out in small quantities from some fittings, and also permeate through the short rubber hoses from the Compressor (used because of vibration near the engine) before they go to copper. I have tried to use my gauges, but haven't quite figured this out, there's lots of variables. I'm wondering why there are not in-line gauges, like a Racor Fuel Filter, installed with the system that one can watch & monitor daily. I also wonder why Sea Frost does not have some kind of low-refrigerant switch that will cut off the compressor in the event of insufficient charge.

Do you check the compressor oil, and how do you do that ? I do clean my Condenser as Cleve instructs once a year with muriatic acid dilution. Other than the touch & sight tests at season start-up, that's all I do every year.

Where is your V/U or Valve Unit located ? Mine is outside the Box, but I wonder why it is not inside the Box ? I think this is where the refrigeration starts and the coldest temperatures in the system, so shouldn't it be in the Box ? And for me, outside, even though I have insulated well the Valve Unit and the copper tubing here, I still have an ice-melt & condensation maintenance issue to deal with.

Sorry for all the questions Dave, whatever insight you have would be appreciated. You have been fortunate to get many years of service, so you must be doing something right !

Thanks, cheers, John