So my Monogram fridge stopped working. Called fridge guy who came out and charged with R-134a. 30 days later it no longer chills. I put some R134 with UV dye in it, and I don't seem to be able to see a leak. That's bad because it means it's probably in the evaporator coils, which are difficult (impossible?) to get to.

So, first question. Here's the coolant diagram that came with the unit: How the heck does that work? There's only a single line that goes to the evaporator. Huh? That means there's no cycle through the evaporator. Could someone please clue me in on how this functions?

So, what are my options here? How hard is it to tear into the case to get at the evaporator? Can I just hang a different refrigerator's evaporator in the back of the unit and just solder it it (i.e. completely bypass the failing evap). If so, how would I find an evaporator that would work right?

In general, I'd simply say this is too much of a repair, and just buy a new unit, but the damn thing cost nearly $2000 and it's only 5 years old. Save the small refrigerant leak it's mint. I'd hate to scrap something like this over such a small problem!