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.)
>
>
>