Date:         Mon, 12 Jun 2000 18:43:45 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@IBM.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@IBM.NET>
Subject:      Re: Thermostat for Dometic Fridge (fan), where to find?
Comments: To: ehall@TOGETHER.NET
In-Reply-To:  <39454ae4.5da8.0@together.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 16:41 6/12/2000, Ezra Hall wrote:
>Where do I purchase a new thermostat for the Dometic Fridge? This is the guy
>mentioned on the list to turn on at ~120-130 Deg F and turn off at ~110 deg
>F.

Dunno -- you're looking for a contact thermoswitch.  Standard industrial
part in many flavors, but not sure how to get one at retail.

>was clueless! Is there an efficiency improvement if I leave the rear fan on
>all the time when running the fridge?

Probably.

>I can't tell from http://www.rvmobile.com/Tech/Trouble/cooldoc.htm if the rear
>cooling fins need to be a certain temp or just cooled as much as possible.

The latter.


>  There have been a lot of postings lately with regards to the flame LED, mine
>doesn't work now, where is the thermocouple located? It worked prior to
>pulling
>the fridge just a week or two ago.

If the fridge works on gas, then the thermocouple is working.  See below...

>  If my memory serves correct, there is a solid
>wire from the combustion chamber to the mechanical thermostat which conducts
>heat from the flame to this mechanical gas flow valve (the one which rotates
>and sets the flame strength). I assume when no heat is conducted through this
>solid wire the gas flow valve doesn't turn on, that is why one has to hold the
>"primer" down to initiate gas flow until heated.

Good guess...the "solid wire" is a coaxial thermocouple.  One end sticks
into the flame and the other end screws into the gas valve.  When the t/c
is in a flame, it generates a few millivolts which (astonishingly) is
enough to hold the gas valve open after you open it by pushing the
button.  The connection to the LED panel is a single wire from the gas
valve, goes (IIRC) to an inline plug a foot or so away from the LED panel
connector.

david

David Beierl - Providence, RI
  http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"