Date: Sun, 22 Jun 1997 00:51:36 -0400
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: David Katsuki <katsuki@bbn.com>
Subject: RE: Dometic - Have Flame - No Cooling
Blake,
Just talked to a friend who had the same problem. He called the Dometic
expert at the RV place in Elkhart, who said that it was either a clogged
jet (at combustion chamber), or a clogged bypass screw ( brass screw on top
of the thermostat, which has a metering orifice in it) or a clogged or
restricted exhaust pipe, or possible a clogged gauze filter in gas outlet
pipe (mine doesn't have one).
Friend found that previous owner had scraped the orifice at the burner just
enough to close it up some. A new jet fixed it. I'm going to try that
as soon as I get the jet.
BTW - It was someone else who ordered the new thermostat.
Dave
At 03:43 PM 6/19/97 -0500, IR Student wrote:
>
>David,
> After spending many months of pulling apart my fridge and cleaning and
>pulling everything apart to see how it worked I did get everything
>running (gas, fans). After playing with it I have become very familiar
>with the design and operation of the unit. I have put my refrigerator
>back in my van. It works on the bench but gas still isn't cooling like
>120V. I was able to get the fins to freeze on 120V but not with gas. I
>didn't actually check with a thermometer. On the 27th I'm going on a
>trip and after that I'll be able to report more completely on how it's
>operating.
> I do know that my thermostat is opening up for the second stage flame.
> When you fridge is running there is always a pilot light that is burning
>supplied by a bypass gas jet that is attached to the thermostat. When
>the cooling fins warm enough, the pressure sensor bulb which is in the
>refrigeration compartment expands and inflates a billow which opens the
>burner gas valve. When this valve is open the cooling will happen. In
>essence, it is dumping more gas into the burner creating a larger flame
>in order to heat more of the ammonia need for cooling.
> I would love to pull more of this type of information together in order
>to create a very complete and accurate archive on these Dometic
>refrigerators. I have some text material on these mobile refrigerators
>with excellent pictures explaining the whole process in depth. I don't
>have a scanner but would be willing to mail them to someone in order to
>do this. From reading this tread for about 3 weeks it seems that people
>really want to learn about this stuff.
> If you want to go straight to the source here is Dometic's address and
>phone. Maybe they have repair manuals or info. ( I haven't talked to
>them yet)
>
>Dometic Corp
>2320 Industrial Pkwy
>Elkhart, IN 46516-5407
>219-294-2511
>
> By the way, David, you said you paid $126 for a new thermostat. What
>did that include (part wise) and did that include labor to install? How
>did that come out. I know that it was only the 14th that you posted that
>but I'm intrigued. I know much of the stuff I just said you had already
>talked about previously. Not trying to be redundant, just trying to get
>it out in the open for others to read. Here are some good articles on
>Dometics that I found in our own archives.
>
>http://www.med.umn.edu:8853/misc/archives/Files/Motorhome--Refrigerators--
> -Avoiding-Meltdown
>
>http://www.med.umn.edu:8853/misc/archives/Files/Refrigerator-Manual
>
>http://www.med.umn.edu:8853/misc/archives/Files/Motorhome-mag-frig-batteri
>es
>
>Keep that fridge chat up!
>
>Blake Heinlein
>83.5 Vanagon Westy "Toaster" (Not regarding it's speed, It just looks
>like one.)
>
>
>
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