Date:         Mon, 2 May 2005 19:07:44 -0400
Reply-To:     Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM>
Subject:      Re: stupid refig. question-newbie on the frig
In-Reply-To:  <4276A41E.3000506@earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed

Hey, I didn't say that this was the ONLY thing that holding in the
button will do, but if you don't have  air flow through the flue, then
your flame isn't going to stay lit and it won't allow your fridge to
cool. The ammonia lines are next to the flue and get heated up
(increasing the pressure) by the flame (or heating coils of the AC or
DC circuits) the ammonia coils then go over to the finned section
(where the heat is removed but leaving the pressure), then the ammonia
passes into the inside of your fridge. At the evaporator (connected to
the aluminum fins on the inside of your fridge), the ammonia is boiled
off (by low pressure), which cools the fins down...and hence cools your
refridgerator. The ammonia then passes outside to the flue again, where
the process is repeated.




On May 2, 2005, at 6:05 PM, mark drillock wrote:

> That is a complete misconception. The reason you hold in the button is
> to allow the thermocouple time to get hot enough to provide the
> electricity needed to keep the safety valve open when you let go of it.
> It has nothing to do with the flue. Many propane devices with manual
> safety buttons work this way, even ones without flues or sealed burn
> chambers.
>
> The safety valve is an electromagnetic valve with a manual set. You
> push
> in the button and if the thermocouple is providing enough electricity
> to
> the electromagnet the electromagnet with overcome the small spring that
> would otherwise close the valve when you release the button. If the
> flame goes out, the thermocouple cools down and stops providing
> electricity. Then the electromagnet turns off and the spring closes the
> valve, turning off the gas to the burner.
>
> The electricity provided by the thermocouple is also what is used to
> trigger the flame LED on the Westy panel.
>
> Mark
>
> Kim Brennan wrote:
>
>> ...............
>> There really aren't many things that can go wrong with the system. You
>> do need a positive draft on the flue (i.e. hot exhaust should be going
>> out the exhaust, which causes fresh air to come in via the fresh air
>> side of the flue.) That's what holding in the button for a couple of
>> minutes is supposed to be help set up.