Westy fridge (E'lux RM 184 EGI) not doing much on gas

[AdrianC]

On 240v, it's fantastically efficient (as some semi-frozen strawberries the other morning will attest). On 12v, it'll hold it properly cold well.
But we noticed on 240v that the fan was spending more and more time running (loudly) - a little look at 3am after it woke me up showed that the gas was still lit... Turning that off at the stopcock has seen the fan completely silent since. A little experimentation revealed that once lit (really easily and quickly), it's staying on even when you turn it from gas to one of the other sources or off. It won't light without pressing the button, so the thermostatic safety valve seems to be working just fine.

Once lit, though, it just seems to sit at "pilot light" levels, if you know what I mean - it never seems to kick up and actually BURN. It was working absolutely fine when we first got the van, then it stopped lighting (blocked jet). Once that was resolved, it still cooled down just fine - but now it's started to do this. It's not much below ambient, no matter how long it's on gas for - it just seems to chuck some heat (less than it was) from the vents.

Mulling this over suggests that means that the most likely culprit is the main gas valve, right? I've downloaded several of the bits of fridge doc from the web, but the only remotely techie one seems to be for a different model of fridge, so I'm guessing - but I'm presuming there's some kind of a three-position valve in there, that should control the gas to off-pilot-burn, and that's stuck in pilot?

Sound feasible?

Thanks to Lloydy, I'm happy on removing the fridge, but I'm not particularly comfortable with mucking about with the gas plumbing - is this something that any motorhome/caravan repair shop is likely to be able to figure and fix, and are the bits common and/or easily available?

Cheers,
A.

[lloydy]

pilot light is all you get, flame doesn't get any bigger. Are you parked level? As this makes a BIG difference with cooling. could just be the button sticking re the gas staying on, have a little check of that. Hope your enjoying the travelling

[Hacksawbob]

Blocked gas jet, or blocked flue (rust) or possibly insufficient fresh air coming in (blocked vents?) needs taking out and servicing if it does the same when level.

[AdrianC]

Blocked gas jet, or blocked flue (rust) or possibly insufficient fresh air coming in (blocked vents?) needs taking out and servicing if it does the same when level.

Gas jet was cleaned out by Lloydy, because it wasn't lighting at all. Flue was clear, vents are all good. Yep, it's doing it regardless of (un)level.

Lloydy - gas button _seems_ to be coming back out again, and it doesn't try to light the gas unless it's pressed in. Oh, and the control panel light for "fridge on gas" is on all the time.

As for the flame only ever being one size, that rules that theory out a bit - could we have two separate probs? But if the flame never gets any bigger... <puzzled> Just as I thought I was starting to understand how it worked... <head-hurtyness>

[nevill3]

Try reading this link, its quite long but describes exactly how the fridges work.

http://gasrefrigeration.net/dom_techdata/MAN_SM.PDF

It also has a troubleshooting bit at the end I think

edited I put the wrong link up first time

[lagerhead]

Blocked gas jet, or blocked flue (rust) or possibly insufficient fresh air coming in (blocked vents?) needs taking out and servicing if it does the same when level.

or blocked/restricted filter which sits somewhere in the pipework on the top of the fridge (can't remember exactly where).

I had poor cooling performance on gas but cleaning the jet with very fine copper wire, removing the filter and turning upside down for a while now means that I can have ice cubes with my Southern Comfort and 7UP!

[kevtherev]

If it blocked once itll block up again until you renew the thing thats rusting and blocking it up with debris.

[Oldiebut goodie]

I had fine rust particles in my pipes that blocked the jet - flushed out with wd40 and haven't had any trouble since. Some people have the cigarette filter style of filter in the pipe which can get blocked with said dust, it can be poked out and replaced with a cigarette filter.

[AdrianC]

If the jet was blocked again, wouldn't we have a recurrence of the failing to light? I s'pose it could be partially blocked, and flow just restricted.

First time was shortly after we first filled the gas tank - I didn't know that you were meant to turn off the tank at the main valve, and it turned out to be stuck open anyway. When Lloydy cleaned the jet out, he also managed to unstick the valve. We filled the tank again the other day (after about a month of cooking most days, and a few days of the fridge being unknowingly on), and shoved 12l in it - with the valve closed... We've had no probs with the cooker in all that time.

Hey-ho. It's going to the caravan repairman in Vigo, either tomorrow or Monday.

[AdrianC]

Finally got round to getting somebody to have a prod at this - fridge out, jet cleaned, everything given a quick once-over, gas flow tested & flame checked, back in - and all for the princely sum of €18...

However, it's no different to before. Lights, stays alight no prob - but still not cold.

He did flag up one thing we'd not noticed - the thermostatically controlled lighter/safety valve seems to be stuck open, so gas is flowing through until the button's pressed. Not the end of the world, as long as we remember to always turn the gas off at the valve if it's not actually being burnt. Anybody know if these are available? It doesn't seem to be related to the non-coldness, though.

<shrug> The insulation in the "chimney" somehow in the wrong place and blocking the heat from doing it's thang on the refrigerant?

[Oldiebut goodie]

Why on earth did he not replace the faulty thermocouple while there? Just use a universal thermocouple like this. Can't remember offhand what length you need. - just keep your old fittings you remove in case the new pack doesn't have the right one in it.There are cheaper - just grabbed the first one.
Was the exhaust pipe getting hot right to the top? Mine gets warm enough to be uncomfortable to touch normally.

[lloydy]

its not the thermocouple thats failed. they cant fail unsafe, impossible.
what can happen is that the button that is pushed in to release gas can stick slightly open, resulting in gas "letting by" . Or the valve itself might have debris in it, making it unable to shut properly, again this is called "letting by".
Due to the age of these appliances, this is highly likely. You can test by turning fridge off, make sure pilot flame is off, then set spark going, without pressing gas button. If it lights, you've got "let by". New valve needed, not really a servicable part. If i came across this in a house, the appliance would be capped off from gas supply. (LPG makes this even more important).
Buy a compressor fridge that fits in the westy gap, problem over
Hope your tour is going well

[AdrianC]

Lloydy,

Yep - that's exactly what it's doing. Could it be stuck part-way, allowing insufficient gas for actual cooling?

Anybody got a link to the part? (or a compressor fridge & a winning lottery ticket?)

[lloydy]

I might know of a whole fridge for sale.........
For the valve, maybe these peope. I got a thermocouple from them
https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.p ... s#p7620580" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[jed the spread]

I had it with gas fridges and all the, keeps it 20*c below ambient temperature or what ever it is. If its 40*c you still have a warm fridge just fitted a compressor fridge and the freezer compartment stays at a steady -18

jed