Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1998 22:28:01 -0500
Reply-To: "Robert A. Alexander" <satcong@VOL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: "Robert A. Alexander" <satcong@VOL.COM>
Subject: Re: RV REFRIGERATORS!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Blue Eyes wrote:
> Robert A. Alexander closed his note with:
> "So, rip those refrigerators out of your Westies, turn them upside
> down
> AND BURP THEM!"
Yep, that's what I suggested, especially for those who are having weird
problems with their refrigerators.
>
>
> Yet he began his note by saying "I have NO idea of what constitutes
> proper maintenance of RV refrigerators."
Yup, never had one and never had to try to get one to work correctly.
>
>
> I have not spent years and years servicing lots of different brands
> and styles of absorption refrigeration systems. But I was really
> interested to read the second hand comments by this retired
> "C/Heating/Refrigeration Business operator" who 'routinely "serviced"
> RV refrigerators, yearly, by "burping" them!'
If you "haven't spent years" working on these beasts what are you saying?
>
>
> I did service and maintain my own Arkla Servel 3 and 4 ton gas fired
> air conditioners for many years in running a business I owned. I had
> to open those sealed systems to "remove non condensables" which is
> what their service manuals called it. (That REALLY works well.) I've
> had a number of RV's and removed and replaced a few absorption cycle
> refrigerators for various reasons. I used to enjoy reading service
> manuals much as some people enjoy reading romance novels. In other
> words, I'm not entirely green in this area. One furnace manufacturer
> made a little design change as a result of one of my many
> suggestions. So I've also been a pain in the rump to some nice
> people.
Have you ever inverted your "Arkla Servel" units and "burped" them???
>
>
> I'm not convinced that this "burping" by inversion for a few hours is
> always a good idea. In fact I've heard mixed reports about how that
> has affected RV refrigerators. I have heard a few reports about
> refrigerators that wouldn't work after doing it. Granted, they
> weren't these little Dometic units from Westys. I'm not certain that
> this suggestion is bad. As a matter of fact, I don't know how anyone
> outside of Dometic could be so darned certain. I like clarity, free
> lunches and simple solutions as much as anybody, but this simple
> solution sounds a little scary to me. But then, I could be wrong.
Huh? What does this paragraph mean??? You aren't convinced, yet you know
nothing about what I wrote about? What's "scary" about the suggestion?
Jeez, my Dad bought one of the first '55 Chevy's in Chattanooga, which he
told me burned nearly as much oil as gas! The dealer here fixed it.
How? Via pouring Bon Ami down the carb to "score" the cylinder walls!!!
Granted, you very well could be "wrong".
>
>
> Anyone want to get an opinion from Dometic's technical department?
> John
