Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 21:57:45 -0700
Reply-To: laurasdog@WEIRDSTUFFWEMAKE.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Steve Delanty <laurasdog@WEIRDSTUFFWEMAKE.COM>
Subject: Re: Anyone got a dead Dometic?
In-Reply-To: <BAY10-F92lity4NybtL0000fe06@hotmail.com>
Content-Type: multipart/mixed; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-52E08CF;
At 09:22 PM 5/14/2004, Aristotle Sagan wrote:
>Steve,
>
>Ya gotta problem here. The Dometic runs on an Ammonia based cooling system,
>not a freon.
Yup. Thanks. I'm familiar with ammonia cooling systems.
> Now I have forgotten all my thermodynamics from my days at
>UMassDartmouth, but the single idea that sticks with me is you can't squeeze
>blood from a turnip.
No problem, I can't stand turnip blood. I just want a cold beer.
> Stan's idea sounds like the winner. For day five and beyond, a super
>insulated box with dry ice is how we kept things cold on the playa at
>Burning Man.
Regular ice doesn't last more than a couple days.
Dry ice is a PITA and not that easy to come up with around here
without an hour and a half of driving in the wrong direction from
where I go camping.
I'm not looking for Ice chest alternatives. BTDT, I think it sucks.
Propane is easy and cheap. And it works for weeks, not days.
I find my fridge to be very nearly adequate for my needs with the mods
I've already made.
Now I'm trying to find the limits of Dometic performance.
Anyone got an internal heatsink assembly from a dead Dometic
they could sell me?
Thanks,
Steve
----------------------------------------------------------------
>tim in san jose
>>
>>Thanks Stan, I know about making sure my beer and milk is
>>almost frozen before I go, and a gallon of ice IS a big help,
>>but it doesn't do much good on the 5th day out...
>>
>>I've already cleaned my burner assembly, replaced the stock
>>fan with one that moves more air, added an internal fan to
>>circulate cold air, and refreshed the heatsink grease on the
>>inside "coldsink" (-:
>>
>>My fridge works far better than it did last year, but I think
>>there's still more cold available. I still need a spare inside
>>heatsink to hack up and play with.
>>
>>Anyone?
>>
>>-----------------------------------------------
>>
>>At 08:29 PM 5/14/2004, Stan Wilder wrote:
>>
>>>Best way I ever found was putting about a gallon container in there full
>>>of
>>>ice a day before hand and installing a small computer CPU fan to keep the
>>>air moving.
>>>It gives the fridge a good boost and is a $5.00 patch.
>>>I always just carried an ice chest because every you open the fridge door
>>>all the cold drops out.
>>>Might try something like a curtain to keep the cold from droping out when
>>>the door is opened.
>>>
>>>Stan
>>>
>>>
>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>From: "Steve Delanty" <laurasdog@WEIRDSTUFFWEMAKE.COM>
>>>To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>>>Sent: Friday, May 14, 2004 10:07 PM
>>>Subject: Anyone got a dead Dometic?
>>>
>>>
>>> > Well, once again summer is upon us...
>>> >
>>> > In my perpetual quest for a cold beer, I'm trying to coax
>>> > those last few degrees out of my Dometic fridge.
>>> >
>>> > I've been doing some serious experimenting with
>>> > my westy fridge, and have 4 temperature sensors
>>> > and some data logging equipment attached to our
>>> > fridge for the last 3 days....
>>> >
>>> > Does anyone have a dead fridge they could sell
>>> > the inside heatsink assembly from?
>>> > I need one I can hack up and play with.
>>> >
>>> > Free + shipping is my ideal price, but I'm willing
>>> > to pay a little more if necessary. (-:
>>> > PayPal would be convenient.
>>> >
>>> > I'll share my findings with the list when I'm done
>>> > experimenting. I like my beer and my milk to stay
>>> > cold when it's 90F+ degrees outside, and I think
>>> > the Dometic can do better if it's coaxed correctly...
>>> >
>>> > Thanks,
>>> >
>>> > Steve
>>> > EJ22 -> '86 Westy "Escape Pod"
