Date: Sun, 27 Apr 1997 17:09:40 -0400
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: "John Graham" <2jlg@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Dometic Refrig finally working on gas
First let me thank all those who sent suggestions to help get my refrig
working. I know a lot more about Dometics now. I've taken mine out and
tinkered with it. Here are a couple of things that I learned that might be
worth sharing.
-When you're lighting it, do all the pumping that the manual suggests, by
don't rely on the little sight glass in the lower left corner of the box.
I kept waiting expecting to see some glimmer of light there indicating that
gas was burning. After taking the box out and replacing it an not finding
anything clogged or blocked, I tried to light it and it popped a couple of
times and just by chance, I went to the outside vent to reconnect it and
what to my surprise but there was warm air coming out of there. The burner
was on, then indicator lamp was burning (I'm not sure that I had looked
before) And it proceeded to get cold - Amazing!!
- The second point is that in cleaning the vent to the outside, I
discovered that hornets (appropriate for Charlotte don't ya' think) had at
one time tried to build a nest in there and there was left over stuff that
could change the aerodynamics of the cavity. After cleaning things out
well, with the refrig still running on gas, I took the van on a couple of
errands and much to my surprise, the flame did not get blown out! Cool
(Cold inside).
- My next project will be to build a cover for the outside vent. I've
heard rumors that the campers came with one, but I've never seen one. I
think that if I take the top domed stainless steel cover off, that I can
use it as a mold to make a fiberglass cover and imbed a couple of little
round magnets that will latch on the 3 screws that hold it on. I had
originally thought to do this just to keep water out if I should go through
a car wash, but now, I think a better reason will be to keep the bugs out.
John Graham
88 Westy
Charlotte NC
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