Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2015 00:31:07 +0000
Reply-To: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Fridge frustration
In-Reply-To: <55AC1829.2030705@williamsitconsulting.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Ive dealt with the westy fridge on over 250 camping trips in 12 years, and
for the most part they have been trouble free. When there has been trouble,
it has come down to two things: junk in the flue vents, and junk in burner
assembly.
The most frequent is junk in the burner. You have to pull the fridge out of
the car, take the burner apart and empty out the granules (of carbide, I
guess, anyway it's like hard black sugar) that collect in there, clean the
office by soaking in alcohol, and tidying up in general. This happens every
four years or say of fairly heavy use. After cleaning it is colder, lights
quicker and easier than before.
All in all it can be taken out in 20 to 30 minutes. You need US sized tools
for the fittings, but no big deal.
It will take two hours to clean everything up and get it back together and
30 to 45 minutes to get it back in the car.
While it is out is the best (but not the only, as has been mentioned)
opportunity to get a vacuum cleaner on the pipes to the flue vent. I have
had spider webs and leaves (after hurricane force winds) in the tubes. They
are corrugated to flex and that makes it almost impossible to get any kind
of flexible material through it to clean it out that way. Compressed air
and vacuum does work.
Do that, and the fridge will run nice and cold with no need to prestart on
AC, run the stove and the other rain dances we do with these things.
I don't think you can avoid taking the thing out every four to six years at
the most, with even modest use. It is part of owning a camper. When I
referred the Dometic on my parents' pull-behind travel trailer I had to do
the same thing. It's not just vanagons. It's LP gas refrigerators.
Jim
On Sun, Jul 19, 2015 at 4:35 PM Steve Williams <
steve@williamsitconsulting.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> One thing I did that seemed to help quite a bit on my propane part of my
> fridge was to use duct tape to attach a small hose the the end of my
> shop vac hose. A hose small enough that I could slide it down the pipes
> from the outside of the vehicle. Taking the silver cover off first of
> course. Turn the vacuum on & put the hose down as far as it will go. I
> think I had about 3 feet of maybe 1/2 inch clear hose that I picked up
> at my local FLAPS.
>
> It not as good as taking everything apart, but it got my system lighting
> much more reliably.
>
> I second the idea of lighting the burners first. I agree it makes no
> sense, but from my years of owning, it does seem to help.
>
> Additionally, starting it plugged into AC for a few hours helps as well,
> as it gets things "warm" in the back, which starts a draft which is so
> critical to the operation of the system.
>
> I wouldn't expect a mechanic to have any expertise in these. If it was
> working when you put it away, other than critters and/or a bit more
> corrosion (rust), there shouldn't be much preventing it from lighting
> again. It can be very frustrating though..
>
> Good Luck, and ask back if you don't make any progress!
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Williams
>
> On 19/07/2015 12:54 PM, Dave Mcneely wrote:
> > Maureen, Assuming that there is propane in the tank, that the propane
> valve is open, and that you are following the lighting instructions posted
> on the refrigerator (inside the door) the first thing I would do would be
> to light a burner on the stove for a few minutes, and then try the
> refrigerator on propane again. I know some will argue that this has no
> logical mechanical explanation for working, and therefore does not work.
> Try it. I was skeptical, but now I accept it as a fact. Of course, there
> may be a reason your refrigerator won't light up that has nothing to do
> with gas flow. Another thing I would do would be to open the drain (brass
> screw cover, left side of refrigerator, near the floor). I might even
> attach a length of proper sized hose to that and puff a little air through
> it to blow any debris off of the burner and to assure that it is getting
> enough air. mcneely
> >
> > ---- Maureen <maureenehall@YAHOO.CA> wrote:
> >> Hi folks
> >>
> >> My original 91 fridge has stopped running on gas. It worked when I put
> it to bed for the winter and it works on AC and DC but now it won't start
> up and run on gas. There is propane in the tank. Any suggestions on what to
> try or what to ask the mechanic to look at?
> >>
> >> Thanks,
> >> Maureen
> >> '91 Westy
> > --
> > David McNeely
>
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