Electrolux fridge - not cooling

[Bison535]

My Electrolux  fridge 220v 12v and gas Type RM 184 EGI works very well on Mains power and ok when on battery at 12v. However, it used to work really well on gas until recently; now it does not get cold on gas ?
Ive had the fridge out, upside down for 8 hrs, checked the burner ok and cleaned the fins etc, but it still does not get cold and the external vent gets warm as usual !
So, what else can i check? etc etc any advice please

Thanks Bill 1990 VW Vanagon

[Mocki]

The fact it is cooling on two other heat sources means it’s not the coolant at fault , so turning it over was pointless …..

If it is working on mains , but not on gas, chances are the flu is blocked, or the jet is blocked, or partially blocked .

It is also important to remember that a flame only ever burns vertically in a drought free environment, so the fridge must be within a couple of degrees of level for the flame to "hit the mark" , this however will not have much effect on electric only gas

What colour is the flame ?

[Bison535]

Thanks Mocki
there is a blue flame and the outside vent does get warm, so i assume its working on gas and the flu should be clear. I had the fridge out a few weeks ago, cleaned fins, removed and checked the jet clear.

One other, but unrelated issue I had was the gas would not light. I had fitted a new piezo unit and the 'clicking' was very obvious BUT i spotted the 'spark' was leaking through the cable insulation and shorting on a metal part of the fridge. I re insulated the cable and then I could light the gas easily.

Further thoughts please
Thanks

[Mocki]

Well if it is working on mains, the fridge is good, it can only be the heat not getting from the flame to the heat exchanger for whatever reason ….

[Oldiebut goodie]

Check that the baffle is in place and at the correct height.

[Bison535]

I attach a photo of the fridge ( upside down) and the heat exchanger is on the left with exhaust pipe pointing down.
Where is the baffle? What does it look like? It’s not obvious so I don’t know what to check? Ie is it in position, the right position?
Any diagram or photo of a ‘baffle’ would help please.
Thanks Bill.

[Oldiebut goodie]

SPIRAL BAFFLE: Spiral metal device that is hung in the flue tube assembly of the cooling unit.
The baffle causes the heat supplied by the gas burner to stay at the boiler assembly a longer
period of time. This allows the absorption system to work as efficiently on LP gas as other
heat sources.

Older models:

[Bison535]

Thats very interesting and helpful, thank you !

But i note that my fridge Model No RM 184 is not listed, so, Im not sure whether a baffle is fitted or not !?!

Maybe best to remove the fridge again and open up the flue pipe and inspect the internals ?
A baffle as shown in your diagram could not 'fall out" but could be misplaced I guess ?

Any other thoughts or confirmation of an RM 184 fridge flue

Thanks

[Oldiebut goodie]

Baffle used in all flues.
List was just a jpg as an example.
Spiral baffle explanation taken from rm 212 manual.

[Bison535]

OK thanks, need to get the fridge out and inspect flue

Watch this space

[Porkscratching]

Hi Bison, I have a similar set up to yours and it's worth checking the flue on an annual basis. On more than one occasion soot has built up on the inside of my flue and has flaked off as gossima thin sheets of clinker.
I'm told anicdotily that the cause of this is to do with the quality of the gas that's on offer here in the UK.
Top tip is to make sure you have a carbon monoxide alarm fitted.

[Bison535]

Hi Porkscratchings, well, thats another interesting possibility and I will do a careful check once I get the fridge out. Thanks for those thoughts !
I recently had the fridge out and upside down thinking the ammonia gas mixture or sediment needed a shake up/re mixing as per a previous post. I noted then the exhaust flue pipe consisted of two sections, the top tee piece extended down to just above the lagged section where both the battery and mains heater elements are located within.
At the juncture of the two pipes it looks like the top section of pipe slides over a reduced section (push fit ) of the bottom pipe and the two are secured by a small screw (3-4 mm long ) I did remove the screw but couldnt separate the two pipes ( rust siezed probably ) and because it was a roadside job I didnt want to use too much force and break anything.
So, I will have to have another go at the pipe separation so I can inspect the flue properly !!!

Oh, yes I do have a CO2 monitor fitted

[Porkscratching]

Likewise I've never been able to split the flue pipe even though it's had heaps of soakings with plusgas over the years.
Be warned that the internal bore of the chimney isn't a smooth bore the entire length. There's a section of corrugated constrictions preventing easy rodding with a 1/2" brush.
I use (and indeed carry) a straightened wire coat hanger for a plunger / rod. All easily accessible from the bottom with the burner removed.

Regards, Max.

[Mocki]

If its sooting up the mixture is wrong , the jet (or disc depending on model) is possibly at fault , the hole must be uniform and never ever proggle with anything harder than nylon and misshape it . I used a hair from a toothbrush iirc

[Oldiebut goodie]

The jets used to be laser bored industrial rubies. Now they are just plain.