Date:         Thu, 12 Jul 2012 10:57:22 -0500
Reply-To:     mcneely4@COX.NET
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
Subject:      Re: Fridge on DC power
Comments: To: David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <4ffe4dbd.9782cc0a.7afc.ffffdcac@mx.google.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

I have usually simply leveled my camper by eye, and that seemed ok.  But now I carry a level.  Can't tell any difference in operation, but I get set up quicker.  mcneely

---- David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET> wrote:
> At 11:26 PM 7/11/2012, Gab and Em wrote:
> >So, which is the strongest mode for the fridge:  AC, DC or propane?
>
> I reckon the strongest mode is sitting still, dead level.*  Seriously.
>
> AC and DC both use 85-watt nominal heaters, inserted into tubes stuck
> onto the outside of the boiler.  The DC one because of its low
> voltage is much more sensitive to voltage drops in the supply circuitry.
>
> The fire goes up through the middle of the boiler which may be better
> for heat transfer.  The flame IIRC is rated ~650 BTU/hr, but a good
> deal of that goes up the flue.
>
> In theory they should be about the same -- Dometic got to choose any
> size burner and heater they wanted when they built the thing, so if
> they did their work well it should work equally well from any
> source.  But in practice it's harder to keep the DC working up to snuff.
>
> *Just in case you don't have the manual - the fridge is rated for +/-
> 6* in either direction while standing still.  Exceeding those angles
> will cause progressive caking of the ?sodium sulfide? anticorrosion
> agent inside the boiler which will progressively damage and ruin the
> cooling operation.  Operation underway is not limited because of the
> same sloshing effect that reduces operating efficiency.
>
> Yrs,
> d

--
David McNeely