Date:         Mon, 23 Apr 2001 21:18:22 -0400
Reply-To:     George Averill <averill@ldl.net>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         George Averill <averill@ldl.net>
Subject:      Lighting the Fridge - this works for me every time
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;

What one needs to remember when lighting the fridge is that once the air you pump into the firebox is burned (as evidenced by a pop) there is no more air and the gas by itself will not burn down there.  The only way air gets in is to go down the air shaft which comes out the same place the burned gas exits (two tubes next to each other).  Fresh air is pulled in by the draft that is created by the pilot burning.  Unless the pilot light is burning burning, no air will be pulled in; the burner box is completely sealed up.  The pop is caused by having too much gas and not enough oxygen (air) in the burner box when you start clicking.

I have found that I can unscrew the water drain cap inside the van, beneath the fridge, and then blow air in through the drain hole using a plastic air pump; the kind that is used to inflate baloons and such.  This beats pumping and pumping and pumping the little built in pump.

. Here is the procedure -
1.  Turn on the gas.  Set the knob to the light position, and hold in the button to purge air out of the gas line and get the gas going into the burner.
2.  Let go of the button.
3.  Pump air in through the drain hole using the plastic pump to blow out the gas that entered when you were purging the lines of air.
4.  Start clicking the clicker, and keep clicking it rapidly as you press and hold in the button again.  This results in more oxygen and less gas in the burner so the pilot lights.
5.  Keep holding in the button for about a minute after the pilot lights.
Works for me!

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