Date:         Mon, 8 Jan 2007 10:53:32 -0800
Reply-To:     Michael Diehr <md03@XOCHI.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Michael Diehr <md03@XOCHI.COM>
Subject:      Re: Fridge more sensitive to low pressure than cooktop?
In-Reply-To:  <5EC041ED-5D95-48B6-A575-ADA9A9972F97@xochi.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed

Update 2 -- To recap, my fridge has been working poorly -- visible
red/yellow portion of the flame in the viewing glass, not cooling
much, and flame going out sometimes.   I pulled it out, cleaned out
the combustion chamber, and found some gunk in the propane jet nozzle
thingy.    After reinstalling, the fridge seems to run better, and
the flame is now a consistent blue.   However, the flame would keep
going out at night when it was cold.    Also, the stove burners tend
to also go out when set on low.

Since my van had a new regulator (Marshal 290?) a few years ago, I
think the data points to low LPG pressure.

I adjusted the regulator to give higher pressure, and things seems to
have improved -- the stove burners don't blow out easily when on low,
and the fridge stayed lit for hours.

However, again last night, the fridge flame went out.  Temperature
was in the low 40s again.

Question --  I'm nearly to the end of the adjustment range on the LPG
regulator, so I don't think I can get much more pressure.   Is there
any way on the Dometic to turn up the overall flame level?
Basically, it seems that what is happening is that High is more like
Low, and Low is more like OFF -- so that at night it's just going out
altogether when everything gets cold.


On Jan 6, 2007, at 11:33 AM, Michael Diehr wrote:

> Update -- Tried the fridge on 120VAC and it worked well.  Filled the
> propane tank, and though the fridge lights & works on propane, it is
> winter so I suspect it's just barely working.  The flame, which
> normally looks uniform and blue through the viewing glass, has a
> clear glowing red portion.  Also, the amount of heat escaping the
> flue is much less than normal.    So it seems like I have a clogged
> jet and/or combustion chamber.  I'll pull it and clean it today.
>
> So I think to answer my original question -- No, it appears as if the
> fridge is not particularly sensitive to low LPG level.  If the stove
> burners work, the fridge flame should too.
>
> On Jan 3, 2007, at 5:49 PM, Michael Diehr wrote:
>
>> My dometic fridge was working very poorly last camping trip -- could
>> barely get below 60F (in 90 degree weather) and the flame looked weak
>> and yellow through the glass.    So, I figured that the combustion
>> chamber must be clogged.   Today, I removed the flue vent and
>> vacuumed the intake/exhaust tubes, and was just about to pull the
>> fridge out to clean the combustion chamber, when I realized that the
>> propane tank is empty, 100% bone dry.
>>
>> When I was camping, the stove burners were working fine.   So I'm
>> wondering --  is it likely that the combustion chamber is not
>> clogged, and I was just running low on propane, and somehow the
>> pressure was low enough to screw up the fridge, but not low enough to
>> affect cooking?