Cavalier CSSC-8-64 P Water Condensation - Gasket/Door Latch HELP!

[chuggybear]

Hello,

I have recently had some trouble with my CSSC-8-64 P Cavalier Coke Machine.  It had been running fine for the 2 months that I have owned it up until last week.  A few days ago, I opened up my machine and found a pool of water sitting in the bottom of the refrigerated section of the machine underneath the evaporator.  The drip pan under the machine was also full.  The compressor was still running as normal and shutting off when appropriate.  However, there was also a layer of ice underneath the evaporator and icing occurring on the evaporator itself.  So I cleaned it all up, shut the machine off for a day and left the door open to let everything dry out.  After that, I turned it back on, and a day later, the exact same problem again. 

It is creating tons of water.  I cleaned it back up and this time turned the thermostat so that it wouldn't get as cold.  It seems as if a ton of condensation is in the machine, soaking my beer bottles labels.  The glass door constantly has condensation inside the glass panels. 

Does anyone have any ideas on how I can fix this? 

The evaporator fan is always running, as it is supposed to, but I don't know how to determine if it is running at full strength.  Is there some way I can test this?

The compressor and condensor fan turn on and off together as they are supposed to as well.

After reading here on the forum, I thought it might be a gasket leak.  I did a test where I put a piece of paper between the gasket and cabinet door and latched it.  I could pull the sheet of paper out easily only at the top of the machine.  If i put pressure on the door, I could not remove the paper.  I read the manual and it stated that if this was the case, then adjust the door latch catch in to tighten the door.  Does anyone know how to adjust this latch?  I believe if I could just keep the door latched tighter, it would hopefully fix my problems.

If I need to replace my gasket, I will do so, but where can I purchase the gasket material to replace the old stuff?  Also, I took some pictures showing the issues that I am having.  One picture is from the side of the machine and it shows that when the machine is completely locked, the bumper on the door is not flush to the machine.  I can push on the outside of the machine to make it fully touch.  Again, is there anyway to make it latch any tighter? 

Finally, this appears to have happened before to this machine.  The last photo shows my inside door where the instructions have fallen apart due to water damage.

Thanks for any help you can provide!

[Creighton]

First thing I would do is fill the machine with product. Second is sort out how to tighten the latch and review the condition of the gasket. Pictures of these items will help. I don't own an example of this machine but one part of the latch should adjust. Cardboard strips can be used short term stop the exit of cold air.

Not good that this has occurred after 2 months of joy. Bit of history on the machine could yield some clues.
Creighton
 

[MoonDawg]

      Before doing adjustments or changing gaskets, I would test those areas first.
      Use 2" masking tape to block any air leaks from around the main door and bottle door, and watch for change.
      My suspicion is the fan motor is not spinning fast enough to keep up with the ice.

[SIGNGUY]

I'm sure you just have a bad seal.. anytime you get moisture inside your machine is due to an air leak.... somewhere air is getting in the machine and then of course condensing , causing your puddle.
most likely it's your main door gasket which ultimately should be replaced, but secondly it could be the bottle door gasket too.

both are adjustable., but I am not familiar enough with this model to suggest how.. I'm assuming it's a matter of adjusting the latch strike, and on the bottle door adjusting the screws that hold the hinge on.

try what Glen suggested to diagnose and you'll then know for sure.

another fix is put an extra run of foam tape inside the edge of the old gasket to provide a second layer of defense.

good luck!

[chuggybear]

Thank you for the responses!  The only history I have on the machine is that I bought it on Craigslist in January.  The guy who was selling it hadn't even used it, but received it instead of payment for another debt.  It had a few things wrong with it, but nothing major at the time.  It was missing shelves which I replaced, the marquee didn't light up and needed a replacement bulb.  The coin mechanism needed a good cleaning but did start working.  However, it was clearly an outside machine as tons of leaves were in the compressor section and cigarette butts and cardboard were shoved into the coin deposit slot blocking it up.  Also rust has destroyed one of the leveling legs so it wobbles just a bit.  But the machine ran nice and cold and did a great job of keeping my beer and water cold since January to last week.

So back to the problem.  It has been cold here in Memphis up until last week when the weather went crazy.  The temperature changed from 32 to 75 and back to 40 within a couple of days.  So I am wondering if that is playing into the problem. 

When the condensation started the machine was full of beer and water, but I pulled the beer out of the machine when the labels started getting soaked and I had to turn it off to clean it up.  I moved them into my regular fridge so that they wouldn't get skunked from being warm in the machine.  But I can certainly put them back in there.

Also, I don't have masking tape, but will go out and get some and tape off the seals around the cabinet and bottle door.

Next, I turned the machine back on last night around 11 PM and no big pools yet.  Just a tiny one right at the evaporator.  Photos are at the end of the post of everything requested.  I can take pictures at different angles if necessary.  Just let me know. 

Thanks for all of your help!  I am just a newbie trying to keep a machine alive!

[MoonDawg]

        Here in California I have a condensation problem whenever humidity is high.

[chuggybear]

So I finally got the doors taped up and am waiting to see if there are any changes. In the mean time, what should the gaskets look like?  The following is picture of mine. Should it be tear drop shaped like it is? Or should it be round at the top like a half circle.

Thanks everyone!

John

[collecture]

        Here in California I have a condensation problem whenever humidity is high.

Same here in Arizona. My 81A is running 24/7 currently. The condensation jar will fill with humid weather, but be bone dry otherwise.

I've read in some manuals to take a strip of paper around the perimeter of the main door gasket and see if it can be slipped freely between the gasket and body anywhere. Or a feather drawn around the outside may provide clues.

Like John said, some weather stripping might provide a second layer of defence.

Good Luck! Always a bummer when the daily driver is down!!

[chuggybear]

So I taped the edges of the machine and the bottle door.  I left it that way for a couple of days.  When I opened the door, there was still tons of water on the inside of the machine.  Glen, what do I need to do now to check the condensor fan?  Do I pull that whole unit out and replace the fan motor?

Thanks,

John

[MoonDawg]

        Pull the cover off first, and add a few drops of oil down the shaft.