Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2012 09:09:08 -0500
Reply-To: mcneely4@COX.NET
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
Subject: Re: Fridge question
In-Reply-To: <504742DD.16686.210016C1@taring.taring.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
---- tom ring <taring@TARING.ORG> wrote:
> Great stuff! Thanks to you and all the others that have given me lots of work
> to do this coming weekend!
>
> It'll be fun. Sort of. And it's supposed to be cooler, unlike all the 90
> degree days lately.
We are hoping for 90 degree days this weekend. High yesterday 105, forecast for today, 103. mcneely
>
> tom
>
> On 5 Sep 2012 at 1:10, David Beierl wrote:
>
> > At 09:21 PM 9/4/2012, tom ring wrote:
> > >My fridge works fine on 120 and propane but poorly on 12 volts. I
> > >have checked
> > >and it draws 6.3 amps on "12" volts which seems to be as expected.
> >
> > Check along the 12 V wiring for voltage drops. Replace fuse on
> > pillar with a Littelfuse glass version that isn't prone to losing
> > contact at the retaining hole as the Euro fuses do. Increase spring
> > tension there.
> >
> > Check using an inverter to power it on 110 V while you're driving
> > down the road. The fridge never works as well when under way as the
> > vehicle's motion interferes to some extent with the internal
> > flows. If no inverter, use propane. If you stick a thermometer on
> > the cooling fins/tube with heat sink compound and cover it with putty
> > you'll be able to see fin temperature rise within moments of driving off.
> >
> > Check supply voltage at load end of fuse and current (ammeter
> > inserted in line with fuse -- I think the supply wires on that
> > fixture use screw terminals). Leave the fuse in circuit since by its
> > nature it produces a voltage drop. Product of voltage and amperage
> > should be at least 85 watts (rating of the heater). If not there's a
> > poor connection somewhere and/or thicker wires needed. Poor
> > connection may be on top of the fridge.
> >
> > If above checks are ok, pull fridge and investigate the heater pocket
> > - heater is held in with a setscrew. Rarely they break off the
> > boiler, otherwise it's possible that corrosion may be interfering
> > with heat transfer (not too likely given that the identical AC setup seems ok).
> >
> > The easiest overall solution *may* be to simply use an inverter on
> > the road. This minimizes voltage drops (taken as percentage of the
> > total) and lets you have a thermostat without modifying the fridge.
> >
> > Yours,
> > David
> >
> >
>
>
>
> -----------------------------------------
> Tom Ring K0TAR, ex-WA2PHW EN34hx
> taring@taring.org
>
> What happens if a big asteroid hits the Earth? Judging from realistic
> simulations
> involving a sledge hammer and a common laboratory frog, we can
> assume it will
> be pretty bad.
> - Dave Barry
> -----------------------------------------
--
David McNeely
|