Fridges

[av8trix]

Hello everyone and Happy New Year.

I have just replaced my fridge (at long last) with a new Electrolux/Dometic one with the auto switching and its great.

I was wondering though if any of you have had any issues with your fridges not working if your not dead level?

The old fridge didn't mind a slightly uneven ground but the new one seems super sensitive.

Mine stopped working when I was parked up on almost dead level ground.  Wouldnt work on mains or gass.

After a 4 1/2 hour round trip to the nearest technician it decided to go and he could find no problem with the new installation.

On parking up again it stopped the next day.  (you can imagine the expletives as I was in Haast!!)

Many calls later the only thing that hadn't been tried was checking the levelness of the camper.

While it was slightly un-level, it didn't seem like much at all.

All i did in the end was to place a bit of decking timber under one rear wheel. So about 15-20mm.  Then it went quite happily.

So does anyone else find that they have to be parked almost dead level?

Or is it something about my installation that is super sensitive?

Regards

Pauline

[av8trix]

[Neil Doak]

Hi Pauline,
That is very strange, my understanding was these fridges were
designed for mobile vehicle installation and would work at any
angle...........but apparently not. Mine is manual switching and as yet
has worked impeccably (touch wood).
A lot of the newer camper-vans have this (so called) modern automatic
every thing, which is great when it works but at least with the old
manual system you know where you are at.
We had a problem with the front brakes ceasing while away in the north
island over new year so I am reconditioning the whole brake system from
the front to the back, I guess we need to use it more often. Good luck
with the fridge let us know if you find a solution

Neil

--
N L Doak
ZL4OKY
NZMCA 39332

[BR & JS YOUNG]

Had a new Dometic three way installed in Nelson early last year and have no problems with it. Works on all three fuels at all slopes,
Cheers
Basil

Sent from my iPad

[Bob]

Hi Pauline,
And a Happy New Year to you too.
I must admit I haven't been keeping track of these discussions as best I should but our old 3 way has always been temperamental on slopes.The heater still operates (place hand on exhaust flue at rear of fridge) in all 3 positions, but the cooling coils on the back of the fridge only transfer this heat to the fridge system when the van is level.
I have had it explained that the refrigerant chemicals solidify when not used and can block circulation if not level, and so the fridge doesn't cool. The solution proposed was to remove the fridge and turn it upside down???

I have a level bubble on my driving armrest that centers when the van is level and have found as long as I have the bubble near the center the fridge works good. I notice it seems more sensitive when the van has not been sitting level for an extended time which may confirm that the chemical hardens and blocks coolant circulation.

This may explain your experience.
Regards
Bob.

On Thursday, January 17, 2013 11:51:15 PM UTC+13, av8trix wrote:

[av8trix]

On Thursday, January 17, 2013 11:51:15 PM UTC+13, av8trix wrote:

[av8trix]

Hi Bob

I have found out about about fridges lately.

Apparently the older ones did used to get a vapour-lock or basically an air bubble getting stick in one of the many tubes. So nothing solidifying as such but the end result being no cooling due to no circulation.  The techs have told me they used to pull them out, leave them upside down over night and put them back in and away they'd go.  

The new models don't have the vapour-lock problem though but apparently are more sensitive to being level.  One of the techs explained why and its to do with the baffle in the flue which looks like a twisted bit of flat metal that dangles in the flue above where the gas flame goes.  When not hanging straight down i.e. level van, it will direct the heat to the wrong side and towards the elements that are trying to cool the fridge.  Worked out that I can park on a bit of lean one way but not the other.

That said they techs are taking it all out again on my nest trip though there to replace the fridge to to an unrelated fault where a support weld has broken just above the big fat horizontal cylinder below the heat exchange tubes. While not affecting the fridge performance  over time with vibration , other welds will crack and eventually the fridge will leak.  So out it comes under warrantee.  On re-installation we will be paying close inspection to the fit and levelling and see if we can see any other reason for my xmas frustration of no cooling when parked up.  I mean its not on when there is no ice for the rum and the beer is warm!!

Regards

Pauline