Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2007 02:51:02 -0400
Reply-To: Bill Glenn <idahobill@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Bill Glenn <idahobill@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Go Westy Fridge update kit
On Tue, 11 Sep 2007 17:37:31 -0800, Troy <colorworks@GCI.NET> wrote:
>http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=3621
>
>Anyone tried this kit? Does it work or just a way to waste your money?
>
>Troy
My Dometic fridge, with electronic gas ignition, would not light on
propane. Last winter, I removed it, built a test stand on which to place
it, and diagnosed a non-working ignitor, which I ordered from GoWesty (NLA
from Dometic). I also ordered and installed the FRIDGE UPDATE KIT about
which you ask. When doing so, I discovered that the original check valve
would not admit any compressed air from the pump, so the GoWesty kit
provided the necessary fix with it's new check valve, and the pump
modification seemed appropriate.
While the fridge was out of the van, I also cleaned the fresh air intake,
flue, and combustion chamber, checked the flame with the combustion chamber
open, re-sealed the combustion chamber, bedded the thermo switch for the
condenser fan in thermal putty, and confirmed operation of the condenser
fan, using a heat gun to trigger the thermo switch. Upon completion of
this work, I tested the fridge on the test stand in all three modes, 12
volt, 120 volt, and propane. Each mode produced sub-freezing temperatures,
but the ambient temperature in my shop at the time was 50F.
In use this summer, the fridge has maintained the 45 degree differential
that everyone hopes for, sometimes 50 degrees (plenty of thermal mass in
the fridge, which slows the temperature rise inside the fridge as ambient
air temperature increases outside). On the few occasions during propane
operation when the flame has gone out, if the van is stationary I can hear
the electronic ignitor attempting to relight the gas; I only need to press
and hold the thermocouple override button, and ignition often occurs
without even pumping (the flue still warm, the intake/exhaust convection
cycle not yet interrupted), but if needed, two or three pumps results in
ignition.
Please remember that on units that do not have the electronic ignition, the
peizo-electric spark for ignition is actuated at the end of the pump
stroke, so more pumping may be needed to provide a spark at the right time,
independent of the need to supply air to the combustion chamber.
Bill
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