Date: Sat, 16 May 2015 16:38:42 -0400
Reply-To: David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject: Re: Fridge problem... which thing is malfunctioning?
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At 03:22 PM 5/16/2015, Jim Felder wrote:
>I'd like to see the manometer setup if there is a link to that anywhere.
Jim, the manometer is just a transparent tube stapled in a U-shape
maybe 18" long on a vertical board. Half full of water, colored
water if you're feeling fancy. One end is a stub open to the air,
the other end goes to the output of your regulator and the gas pushes
on it. Gas has to be flowing during the measurement, so if you're
just hooking it by itself to the regulator you have to supply a
pinhole in the measurement line.
Once you have it set up, truly vertical, and gas flowing, the
measurement is the difference in height between the two menicsii of
the water column(s).
>Just an another data point of confusion, I plugged the fridge into 110
>about an hour ago, during which time it fell about ten degrees. Then I
>tried lighting it again. It lit right up and is still dropping in
>temperature. I will let it run for a while and try again when it is cold.
>
>I have heard people say they had to pre-warm their fridges on 110 to get
>them to light on gas, but I've never had to.
You had it lit and then it went out. That's not the same as not
lighting. It also is very informative if it stays lit so long as you
hold the button donw, or goes out even with the button pressed. And
the flame staying blue or turning yellow is a diagnostic fork in the road.
>Another thing--I don't know much but rudimentary stuff about these
>things--I ran the fridge overnight on a pretty steep hill about a month
>ago. I have heard all kinds of dubious-sounding opinions about how this can
>cause poor performance, some saying that it can be overcome in time and
>others saying you should turn a unit over 360 degrees to get all the
>ammonia in one place. While it may or may not apply to my situation, what's
>the truth about that?
Don't do that. Ever. You're rated for six degrees (maybe eight?)
out of plumb in either direction, which is far more than most
absorption fridges. Running it on a hill when you're driving is ok,
but not stationary. And the damage is cumulative and can only be
repaired by opening up the unit and rebuilding it. I'll explain in next email.
Yrs,
d
