Date:         Mon, 25 May 2015 09:28:29 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Followup to fridge troubles--success!
Comments: To: Neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <CAB2RwfjWQXY1Tf1zmKLN6oiaJTBURO18rRX1357vj3qgCrBjww@mail.g
              mail.com>
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At 11:49 AM 5/23/2015, Neil N wrote:
>Right on.
>Those burner boxes sure get dirty.
>On one of my Dometics, not only was the box dirty,
>the drain plug was *packed* with rust. image:
>http://tinyurl.com/l3gfdoz

Based on my experience the cure is to run the sucker.  I ran mine on
gas 9-10 months a year for ten years and the burner chamber was never
anything but squeaky clean and pretty inside.


>I never did get my Dometic to stay lit while driving in *heavy* cross winds
>but then I suspect the thermocouple was very marginal.
>At low flame ("pilot"), that part likely didn't see enough heat.
>It appeared to be burned back too short. (long term wear)
>http://tinyurl.com/mh28gjq

I believe I replaced mine based on appearance, not a functional
failure.  In that same ten years I had it blow out one time that was
not traced to a leak in the flue system, and that one time involved
the near passage of a hurricane.  All other times it became
susceptible to blowing out, I fixed the leak, it was once again bulletproof.


>In hindsight, adding RTV to the stock seal at body likely wasn't needed
>but this image: http://tinyurl.com/n76os7f  shows a bit of how the
>intake

You have to line it up quite accurately before attaching the mounting
screws.  A broomstick in the flue is ideal for the comnbination of
brute force and delicacy required.  I also sealed to the body but in
truth if the flue system is sealed correctly it cannot be affected by
body sealing unless that leads to some local oscillatory condition of
the airflow in the vicinity of the flue and intake
openings.  Conditions at the flue and intake must be the same; that's
why it's coaxial.  The baffle plate is necessary to keep flue gas
from recycling into the intake.

Yrs,
d