Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2017 14:55:03 -0400
Reply-To: Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Couple of minor propane fridge mods
In-Reply-To: <CAMOH8L+=kq4LZyd29M0PC6e+Jij96k=fYONphbdbM9yO0tisBA@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
Did not intend to start a Friday-type debate so I'll blame Alistair.
Stephen
Mobile
> On Jun 20, 2017, at 2:46 PM, David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET> wrote:
>
> I would personally reserve "squirrel cage" for a blower where the rotor was
> a modified cylinder rather than a plate with wings. But that's me.
>
> On Tue, Jun 20, 2017 at 2:42 PM, Edward Maglott <emaglott3@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I agree you have squirrel cage fans there. but there is a muffin fan too,
>> in the 3rd pic down. the 3 little squirrel cage fans are best visible in
>> the 5th photo. David, is a squirrel cage fan a type of centrifugal
>> blower? Or are they by definition always the same thing?
>>
>> I used reflectix type insulation on the back of my fridge to try to keep
>> the heat from getting into the back of the fridge. somewhere I have photos
>> of it. I had to cut it to fit and I think I may have done several layers
>> where there was room.
>>
>> If this link works it will show my attempt at insulating the exhaust tube.
>> https://goo.gl/photos/LwUTcCyDjNHi7mTS8 There should be improved draft in
>> the combustion circuit because the temperature differential between the hot
>> and cold side should be greater. I know the fridge vent plate on the
>> outside of the van is much hotter after doing this mod. That westy habit
>> of always checking to see if the propane is still lit when you walk by...
>> Edward
>>
>>
>>> On Tue, Jun 20, 2017 at 12:18 PM, Alistair Bell <albell@shaw.ca> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi Ed,
>>>
>>> Well the thermal wrap on the exhaust tube does reduce the heat, but not
>>> eliminate it. After about 40 min the wrap is warm, not hot. Maybe I
>> should
>>> stick the temp probe on it to give you a better feeling about it.
>>>
>>> I know, the backside of the fridge. I couldn't figure out what to use and
>>> there is a lot of stuff in the way that makes a full back insulation
>>> difficult. But I will say that if I had suitable material I would have
>>> jammed some in between the sheet metal shroud of the "generator" ( the
>>> mineral wool insulated part above the combustion chamber) and the fridge
>>> body. That shroud does get hot. But I just didn't know what to use to
>>> insulate.
>>>
>>> Neil documented or posted about pulling the entire heat exchanger from
>> the
>>> tube inside the fridge. I chickened out after just a little trying. It's
>>> just clipped on the tube right? Maybe I'll try again.
>>>
>>> Ok laff it up about my thermal paste choice. I used the aluminum coloured
>>> anti sieze, im betting the copper based stuff would work even better.
>>> :-)
>>>
>>> Alistair
>>>
>>>> On Jun 20, 2017, at 6:37 AM, Edward Maglott <emaglott3@GMAIL.COM>
>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> very nice mods! I insulated my exhaust pipe with a high temp wrap
>>> blanket
>>>> thing made to put on the starter motor. Does your double wrap of
>>>> fiberglass tape stay pretty cool to the touch on the outside? the one
>>>> thing I would suggest is to insulate the back of the fridge from the
>> heat
>>>> of all that hot stuff behind it. this seemed to make a big difference
>> on
>>>> mine, along with the above mentioned insulating of the exhaust pipe.
>>>>
>>>> I don't remember the fins coming off of the part inside the fridge that
>>>> snaps onto the cooling pipe. seems like that was all one piece on
>> mine.
>>>> I was scared to pull on mine too. I found that I could get my fingers
>>>> beside/behind the fins unit on the left side, at the end of the cooling
>>>> pipe and hold it, then pull on the fins unit and it came off starting
>> at
>>>> that end. it was having quite poor contact with the cooling pipe. for
>>>> replacing it, I first tried mayonnaise, then astroglide to improve
>>> thermal
>>>> transfer, but neither worked better than the Radio Shack thermal paste
>> I
>>>> found later. ;)
>>>>
>>>> Edward
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, Jun 19, 2017 at 6:13 PM, Steven Johnson <sjohnso2000@gmail.com
>>>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Thanks, I'll check it out.
>>>>>
>>>>>> On Jun 19, 2017 5:50 PM, "Alistair Bell" <albell@shaw.ca> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> About the sim based wireless control of propex. Found it , here ya go
>>>>>> Stephen, knock yerself out :-)
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> https://www.sharkbait.website/1064/controlling-the-
>>>>>> heatsource-hs2000-heater-from-your-iphone/
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Alistair
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Jun 19, 2017, at 1:52 PM, Steven Johnson <sjohnso2000@GMAIL.COM>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> And while you are at it Alistair, can you rig it up so it can be
>> turned
>>>>> on
>>>>>> remotely via
>>>>>> wifi on Android and iPhone? :)
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Steven
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Mon, Jun 19, 2017 at 4:39 PM, Roy Nicholl <RNicholl@nbnet.nb.ca>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Alistair,
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Next fridge challenge: a set of rails (one part of fridge, one part
>> in
>>>>>>
>>>>>> van) and quick connects to allow easy installation and removal.
>>> While I
>>>>>>
>>>>>> agree the fridge lights easily when squeaky clean and adjusted, it
>> does
>>>>> not
>>>>>>
>>>>>> stay that way long (at least mine doesn’t).
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I’d probably clean it more often if getting to the bench (and back)
>> was
>>>>>>
>>>>>> smoother.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On 19-Jun-2017, at 17:01, Alistair Bell <albell@SHAW.CA> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Nothing super earth shaking, just exhaust insulation and a bank of
>>> three
>>>>>>
>>>>>> wee squirrel cage fans.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> https://shufti.blog/2017/06/19/vanagon-a-couple-of-minor-
>> fridge-mods/
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Alistair
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
|