Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 19:55:19 -0700
Reply-To: Alistair Bell <albell@UVIC.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Alistair Bell <albell@UVIC.CA>
Subject: Re: Does The Fridg Fan Blow or Suck?
In-Reply-To: <vanagon%2005082121395095@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
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Hi,
I agree with Pascal's opinion on airflow. Further, I have had some
"interesting" experiences with my fridge and fan on my 3 week summer
camping trip (just returned).
A few months ago I took out the fridge and added a shroud enclosing the
cooling coils at the back of the fridge. It was made from perf. steel
sheet, bent into a shallow "U" and screwed to the fridge. Over that I
attached the aluminized bubbled wrap stuff used as insulation. This was
an effort to enhance the convection effect back there and to aid my
replacement fan (a muffin type computer fan) which I found to be
working more often than the stock unit.
During other camping trips this summer I found that the fan was cycling
just as often as without the shroud. I was dismayed.
On this last trip the fridge lit as usual and for the first few days
worked well, the fan coming on more often than I would have liked. Also
I noted combustion noise which I never had heard before. But then the
fridge went out (camping altitude approx 4000 ft) and was hard to
re-light. Once lit it worked perfectly, icing up fins etc.
Finally at another camping site (5000 ft), the fridge would not stay
lit. It would ignite but I had to keep pumping air pump to keep it
going. I got pissed off and whipped the damn thing out and tore the
combustion chamber apart. I had thought that the jet or chamber itself
was "crudded-up" for i had been tempted into using a touchless car wash
before the trip. Was a new car wash and boy did it ever blast the water
and air on the van, most powerful I had ever experienced :)
The combustion chamber was clean, as was the jet. I ran a stand of wire
through the orifice anyway. But what I did notice was that one of the
screws holding the combustion chamber together was loose, the one
around the bend and over the gas line penetration. I also noted that
the fan temp sensor was loose in its bracket. I fixed both things and
popped the fridge back in.
It was slow to light but once lit ran perfectly, and curiously, the fan
duty cycle was reduced. The combustion noise was gone too.
What can I conclude? Maybe the loose screw allowed air in affecting the
combustion? Maybe the loose temp sensor resulted in the frequent fan
cycling?
Oh and Pascal, after you mentioned that your new brighter fridge LED
was staying on whether fridge was lit or not I had the same thing
happen too. Puzzling for it was working normally before. I am
suspecting a faulty thermocouple for I saw the light wink out before my
eyes and begin too function normally.
Ah, fun with Vanagons.
PS I met a fellow camper with pop up camper on back of Toyota who had
recently replaced his Dometic ($1000!). Was more than surprised that my
'82 fridge had still enough H2/NH3 in system to work never mind freeze
fins.
Alistair
'82 westy, diesel converted to gas in '94
http://www.members.shaw.ca/albell/
On 21-Aug-05, at 6:31 PM, Pascal Giasson wrote:
I believe the fan would suck air in from the bottom vent and blow it out
the top vent. When the fan is not running the air moves in that same
direction by convection current. Could you please let me know how you
make out and how you like the new motor. I bought one of those motors
as
a spare just in case.
Pascal
'84 Westy
