Date:         Fri, 8 Aug 2008 15:13:25 -0400
Reply-To:     Bill Glenn <idahobill@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Bill Glenn <idahobill@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: From rags to westy in a week.

On Fri, 8 Aug 2008 07:42:16 -0700, Roger Whittaker <rogerwhitt1@GMAIL.COM>
wrote:

>the flu for the fridge simply needs to be pointed away from the van
>so sown and to the side rather than up to the side ...
>and no holes in the side of the van

I would have to disagree.  Except when manually operating the air pump to
light the refrigerator in propane mode, the fridge is not power vented, but
relies on natural convection.  The heat produced by any of the three modes
of operation results in hot air flowing upward through the exhaust tube and
exiting through the side of the van to the outside air. Since the intake
and exhaust are open only on the ends where they penetrate the wall of the
van, and are otherwise sealed, this same convection in the exhaust is
responsible for drawing in fresh air through the intake.  Convection will
not occur in an exhaust tube directed downward, with the result that the
fridge would likely not work in any of the three modes, but particularly in
propane mode, where, without convection in the exhaust, there would be no
fresh air arriving through the intake for combustion to take place.

Bill


This flow of air will not occur if the venting is routed downward, and
without it, the fridge will not work in any mode.  Further, this same
convection in the exhaust also results in fresh air being drawn in for
combustion when operating on propane.  If you think the Dometic is hard to
light now  Interfere with this design and risk the fridge not working