folowing on from my propex question!
went away for the weekemd in the van and had the fridge on 12v whilst driving but it did not get cold or even chilled. i put it down to not travelling far enough. however when i changed over to gas the same happened. the pilot light was lit but no temp change happened.
any advice?
anywhere i surrey do service of camping fridges and/ or propex heaters?cheers
kenton
faulty fridge?
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Ian Hulley
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Take it out, de-fluff, turn it upside down and leave for a while (overnight) turn it back over and refit it .... making sure all connections and flue is well sealed and correct. Level up the van and test on gas .... you've not said whether it's a 2 or 3 way ? ... If a 3 way test on hook-up, this is the most efficient and is thermostatically controlled.
On 12v our 3 way will freeze things solid in 2 or 3 hours
Ian.
On 12v our 3 way will freeze things solid in 2 or 3 hours
Ian.
The Hulley's Bus
1989 2.1DJ Trampspotter
LPG courtesy of Steve @ Gasure
1989 2.1DJ Trampspotter
LPG courtesy of Steve @ Gasure
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1664
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Oh dear, that doesn't sound too good. If it was working and now it isn't somethings happened. Some peeps on here have removed their fridges and stood them on their head overnight to agitate the gruel inside and that's occassionally worked. You could try that but you have to leave it a fair time after putting it upright to let the gruel settle before you try it again. Other than that I'm out of ideas.
Vorsprung Durch Technik my ar$e!
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Ian Hulley
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'Last time I used the van' covers a variety of possible time-frames though Bren ... like last year or last week or .....
Has the fuse or switch gone on the 12v supply ? Have you tested that ? ... the fridge won't work on gas unless it's quite level remember.
Ian.
Has the fuse or switch gone on the 12v supply ? Have you tested that ? ... the fridge won't work on gas unless it's quite level remember.
Ian.
The Hulley's Bus
1989 2.1DJ Trampspotter
LPG courtesy of Steve @ Gasure
1989 2.1DJ Trampspotter
LPG courtesy of Steve @ Gasure
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AngeloEvs
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The pilot light may have lit but has the burner ignited? You should be able to hear/see the burner burst into life when operating on gas. As for service, do a Google or Yell.com search for Caravan dealerships in your area, many offer service facilities for Dometic/Electrolux fridges but many spares for the earlier models are now obsolete. If you have the 240V option then try that. Remove the fridge if no joy (on any source after an hour or so of operating) and get it looked at if you are not sure how to check the element and burner yourself.
If it isn't working on any source then it could be that you have a blockage (caused when the fridge is operated in an off level condition, the solution overheats and forms tiny crystals). There is no way to reverse this problem but (as others have said) removing the fridge and placing it upside down for several hours sometimes clears the blockage but not permanently. Blockages usually form over a period of time but since yours has suddenly stopped working suggests that you may have a combination of problems. If you need instructions and pics on how to check the main components of the fridge then let me know. There is also a WIKI guide.
If it isn't working on any source then it could be that you have a blockage (caused when the fridge is operated in an off level condition, the solution overheats and forms tiny crystals). There is no way to reverse this problem but (as others have said) removing the fridge and placing it upside down for several hours sometimes clears the blockage but not permanently. Blockages usually form over a period of time but since yours has suddenly stopped working suggests that you may have a combination of problems. If you need instructions and pics on how to check the main components of the fridge then let me know. There is also a WIKI guide.
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AngeloEvs
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- Location: Upwell, Norfolk
[img:300:381]http://muchos.co.uk/members/Angeloevs/frige3mod.jpg[/img]
With fridge removed, remove the plastic cover covering the switch unit to access to the terminals, be careful to avoid damaging the thermo-couple as you remove the cover. Here is where you can measure the heater elements. Disconnect the wires but draw a diagram of the connectors and which wires are connected to them, using a mult-imeter on the lowest ohms range measure the resistance of each element in turn.
The elements are located in a vertical cylinder located at the rear of the fridge and can be recognised as follows:-
Early Models, the 240v has a heavier gauge two core brown cable and an earth tag attached to the body of the heater. Resistance is around 450 ohms.
Later Models, the 240v has three core mains cable and heat resistant insulation sleeving. Earlier models have an earth tag on the element itself. (PIC D)
The 12V element has only 2 wires and resistance is around 1.6 ohms
Replacing the Elements
At the rear of the fridge you will see a 'wrap around' cylinder (PIC A and C) that encloses the insulation in which the elements are located, if yours has the mild steel wrap around then locate the seam and fold back the small tabs until you are able to part it down the seam. Earlier models, i.e. RM212, use two removable aluminium straps and foil to contain the insulation. In both types, it is not necessary to remove it completely, however, it looks like white asbestos or fibre-glass so take care when handling, just part the insulation to access the heater elements. Snip any cable ties holding the cable in place and carefully remove the suspect heater by pulling upwards out of the tubular sections that hold it in place. When re-assembling, clad any exposed insulation with tin foil and copper wire to secure (PIC F).
The Gas Jet/Burner Assembly
The Jet/Burner assembly is located at the bottom of the burner and visible without necessarily having to remove it. Check the gas jet isn't covered with debris and soot.
Removal.
To remove the burner assembly, (PIC E) remove the securing screw and pull it carefully away. If the screw won't budge then use some penetrating fluid and mole grips). The jet is renewable but under no circumstances should you alter the size of the aperture. If blocked remove and clean by soaking in alcohol or similar.
(PIC B) Inside the burner tube/flue is a baffle (a twisted piece of metal) attached to a wire which can be withdrawn, remove any soot on it but do not alter the length. Its function is to retain heat in the lower part of the burner tube.
Clean the burner tube/flue by rolling some 120 wet and dry and insert from each end.
Connect a 12V supply to the igniter terminals (top left side of fridge) and test for a spark. Gap on earlier models is around 10mm, later ones 3mm. Clean the area around the jet/burner of any sooty deposits to ensure a good spark path.
Behind the fridge is a small plastic dish and a tube that feeds into it. This item fills with water when the fridge defrosts. Simple mod, disconnect the tube from the drip tray inside the fridge and connect a small length of tube so that the water now drains into a small dish placed in the bottom of the fridge. Leave the original pipe in place but block the hole.
(PIC H and G) To check the function of the fridge, particularly on gas, out of the van before re-fitting you will need to get the 8mm adaptor shown and connect to a gas bottle using the regulator. You will need a 12V supply for the spark igniter. Flame should be blue not yellow.
240V operation and thermostat can be checked by making a mains lead up and connecting to a 13A domestic plug.
12V, if the element is OK then just check that you have continuity from the switch to the element.
Hope this helps!
With fridge removed, remove the plastic cover covering the switch unit to access to the terminals, be careful to avoid damaging the thermo-couple as you remove the cover. Here is where you can measure the heater elements. Disconnect the wires but draw a diagram of the connectors and which wires are connected to them, using a mult-imeter on the lowest ohms range measure the resistance of each element in turn.
The elements are located in a vertical cylinder located at the rear of the fridge and can be recognised as follows:-
Early Models, the 240v has a heavier gauge two core brown cable and an earth tag attached to the body of the heater. Resistance is around 450 ohms.
Later Models, the 240v has three core mains cable and heat resistant insulation sleeving. Earlier models have an earth tag on the element itself. (PIC D)
The 12V element has only 2 wires and resistance is around 1.6 ohms
Replacing the Elements
At the rear of the fridge you will see a 'wrap around' cylinder (PIC A and C) that encloses the insulation in which the elements are located, if yours has the mild steel wrap around then locate the seam and fold back the small tabs until you are able to part it down the seam. Earlier models, i.e. RM212, use two removable aluminium straps and foil to contain the insulation. In both types, it is not necessary to remove it completely, however, it looks like white asbestos or fibre-glass so take care when handling, just part the insulation to access the heater elements. Snip any cable ties holding the cable in place and carefully remove the suspect heater by pulling upwards out of the tubular sections that hold it in place. When re-assembling, clad any exposed insulation with tin foil and copper wire to secure (PIC F).
The Gas Jet/Burner Assembly
The Jet/Burner assembly is located at the bottom of the burner and visible without necessarily having to remove it. Check the gas jet isn't covered with debris and soot.
Removal.
To remove the burner assembly, (PIC E) remove the securing screw and pull it carefully away. If the screw won't budge then use some penetrating fluid and mole grips). The jet is renewable but under no circumstances should you alter the size of the aperture. If blocked remove and clean by soaking in alcohol or similar.
(PIC B) Inside the burner tube/flue is a baffle (a twisted piece of metal) attached to a wire which can be withdrawn, remove any soot on it but do not alter the length. Its function is to retain heat in the lower part of the burner tube.
Clean the burner tube/flue by rolling some 120 wet and dry and insert from each end.
Connect a 12V supply to the igniter terminals (top left side of fridge) and test for a spark. Gap on earlier models is around 10mm, later ones 3mm. Clean the area around the jet/burner of any sooty deposits to ensure a good spark path.
Behind the fridge is a small plastic dish and a tube that feeds into it. This item fills with water when the fridge defrosts. Simple mod, disconnect the tube from the drip tray inside the fridge and connect a small length of tube so that the water now drains into a small dish placed in the bottom of the fridge. Leave the original pipe in place but block the hole.
(PIC H and G) To check the function of the fridge, particularly on gas, out of the van before re-fitting you will need to get the 8mm adaptor shown and connect to a gas bottle using the regulator. You will need a 12V supply for the spark igniter. Flame should be blue not yellow.
240V operation and thermostat can be checked by making a mains lead up and connecting to a 13A domestic plug.
12V, if the element is OK then just check that you have continuity from the switch to the element.
Hope this helps!
Last edited by AngeloEvs on 07 Jul 2008, 16:15, edited 1 time in total.
