Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 06:31:06 -0700
Reply-To: Malcolm Stebbins <mwstebbins@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Malcolm Stebbins <mwstebbins@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Fixed Propane Fridge
In-Reply-To: <1c1.e463e04.2c8085c7@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
I will respond to SEVERAL posts (Frank, Kim, Shawn),
in this ONE email. And I will refer to my photos at:
http://photos.yahoo.com/mwstebbins Just m2cw.
--- Frank Condelli <RAlanen@AOL.COM> wrote:
> Shawn, you need to use air from an air compressor
to blow air
> into the drain at the bottom of the fridge. 100 ~
120 lbs. This will clear out
> the combustion chamber and tubes………
Frank: I’m not as optimistic about this as you are.
If one looks at my photos one can see all of the CRUD
in the combustion chamber. If one just blows air in
there, one may disturb the crud. Now that disturbance
MAY cure the problem temporarily, but it MAY make
things worse as the crud may land in/on the burner
grill or the air hole or piezo lighter stem. IMHO one
should clean out the chamber and the jet and clean off
the piezo lighter probe and the heat sensor. This is
a DIY project. If I can do it, anyone can do it.
===============================
--- Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM> wrote:
> I push in the propane button, (light starts
> flickering). I turn on the
> thermostat. I turn on the propane supply, I push in
> the little button.
> Voila blue flame in the sight glass.
>
> I release the little button. Blue flame goes out.
> Yah, that sure seems
> to be a pressure regulator issue. Drat
Kim: Just be to sure, do you hold the “little button”
in for 10 seconds after the flame lights??? The heat
sensor (in the combustion chamber) needs a few seconds
to heat up to send the signal to the control unit
(Auto shut-off valve) to let it know that the flame in
on. Also, if the flame lights with the (by-pass)
button pushed in, why do you suspect the pressure
regulator? Why not suspect the by-pass switch??
================================
--- Shawn Wright <swright@ZUIKO.SLS.BC.CA> wrote:
> can hear the gas flowing when
> bypass button is pressed (with
> > hose to ear), so I know gas is there. I'm starting
> suspect the piezo is not
> > firing every time, or the spark is very weak, so
> it is flooded with gas, then a
> > large pop ignites a whole lot of gas an blows the
> flame out (or runs out of O2).
> > Any quick tips to getting it going tonight w/o
> pulling the fridge? Otherwise I
> > guess I'll be buying ice :-(
Shawn: On my fridge, I can hear a definite CLICK,
CLICK, CLICK for the piezo lighter. Also, just
“hearing” gas does not mean that the combustion grill,
or air holes, are not partially blocked When I took
my combustion chamber apart, the heat sensor had some
crud on the end that MAY have interfered with the
sensing. I would not jump to conclusions till after
the assembly is taken apart and cleaned.
===========================================
> I've had the flame start (and LED light) sometimes a
> few seconds after spark, but
> never this long after (maybe 10-20 seconds). I'm
> leaving it on overnight and hoping it
> will last the weekend... :-)
I’m not sure about this, but….. If, on your model,
the LED is tied into the heat sensor, that would
explain why it takes a few seconds to come on after
the propane lights. Also FWIW if I turn the propane
switch AND the DC switch “on” at the same time, the
fuse melts.
m2cw & I'm not an expert. Malcolm
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