Another Thetford fridge prob ;)
casey
own - any advice gratefully received.
Got a 2 year old Thetford N80 manual fridge (just out of warranty) which has
only ever been used on gas.
It was working perfectly when I laid the van up for the winter - tried it
this weekend and the following happens:
Lights immediately and stays lit (so far so good)
First indication of trouble was the temperature indicator - this is supposed
to move immediately into the 'green' to tell you that the burner is alight,
and then get progressively deeper into the green as the temp falls.
This is what it did last year without fail.
This weekend, however, the needle rose very slowly to just below the green
area, and stayed there all weekend, despite turning the fridge to the
coldest setting.
The fridge still worked after a fashion - ice in the freezer box, fridge
body cold - but certainly not as cold as it should have been on a max
setting.
This led me to think that perhaps the burner was partially obstructed - so
that the fridge was only working on a reduced gas supply, even though it was
set to high.
I also noticed that if I selected one of the other power sources on the
selection dial (240 or 12 volts - with neither connected) and kept the
temperature switch depressed to defeat the thermocouple, then the temp
indicator would immediately jump into the green area - where it *should*
have been in normal use.
As soon as the selector was set to 'gas' again, then the needle fell to just
under the green section, even though the fridge was reasonably cold.
So.... any thoughts what's gone wrong?
Thanks
tick
Just back off a site where the van next door had 3 HUGE panels 60w bought
from maplins.
It was his 1st outing with the panels so unable to comment as he had a fully
charged battery to start with.
I would like the smaller panels about 30w or is it worth the trouble.
As the price seems crazy for some panels.
Thanks
casey
"tick" <mdeac...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:9nJLl.29824$Sp3....@newsfe25.ams2...
That's the trouble with Usenet - you post a genuine question in the hope of
a genuine reply, and some moron hijacks the thread.
Mike Manuka
which don't work to well in the cold. I would never touch an amorphous
solar panel. Crystalline panels are substantially better and don't take up
so much roof real estate. A 64w amorphous panel is slightly larger
physically than a 130w crystalline panel.
Or where you referring to the size as in wattage of the panels.
We have 2 x 120w and 2 x 85w crystalline solar panels on top of our caravan.
"tick" <mdeac...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:9nJLl.29824$Sp3....@newsfe25.ams2...
Mike Manuka
fridge gets. The needle is only to show the gas is alight and that is all.
There is a small fluctuation of the meter when the burner is on full power
compared to only the small pilot flame. But there is no connection between
the fridge temperature or the meter as such.
What you need to realise is that these absorption fridges take a while to
get the boiler up to operating temperature. The main thing is to have a
wireless weather station sender inside the fridge so you can see the
temperature. You want to wake-up in the morning with the temperature around
1.5C. If the temperature of the fridge rises above the 5C safe food
storage, turning up the thermostat does nothing.
I don't think you in fact have a problem. Set and forget and give the
fridge time to stabilise and don't try the fridge with nothing inside.
We put a small 40mm fan inside the fridge powered from the 12v battery
running on 9v using a 3 pin 12v to 9v voltage regulator. This fan sits
under the top shelf and runs full time. You will not believe what a
difference this fan makes. The wiring for the fan we put up through the
drain tube using small single core screened cable. The fan also means you
will never have frozen veg in the bottom again.
"casey" <ca...@witsend.cpm> wrote in message
news:768r5dF...@mid.individual.net...
casey
"Mike Manuka" <not...@nothing.com> wrote in message
news:HQLLl.8614$y61....@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
> errrrr the needle does not go more into the green at all the colder the
> fridge gets.<
Yes it does - or, at least, ours has done so for the last 2 years (until
now, of course)
---------------
The needle is only to show the gas is alight and that is all. <
As above - there has always been a noticeable difference between 'in the
green' when first lit, and 'well into the green' after the fridge has run
for some time and achieved a lower temprature.
------------------
> What you need to realise is that these absorption fridges take a while to
> get the boiler up to operating temperature. <
I stated (quite clearly, I assumed) that the fridge was on a maximum setting
fothe entire BH weekend - and that, despite that time, the needle never once
entered the green zone.
----------------
The main thing is to have a
> wireless weather station sender inside the fridge so you can see the
> temperature. You want to wake-up in the morning with the temperature
> around 1.5C. If the temperature of the fridge rises above the 5C safe
> food storage, turning up the thermostat does nothing.<
FFS!! - is it now impossible to ask a civil question on usenet without some
self opinionated arsehole spewing rubbish all over the thread???
Obviously not!
------------------
> I don't think you in fact have a problem. <
I seem to have two problems - a dodgy Thetford fridge, and you.
Please fuck off, and solve at least one of them for me.
My bad - I should have known better than to ask a newsgroup for help - I
won't do so again.
Tom
Would you not be better cost wise with a spare battery and a grey cable
extension to connect to car battery in emergency?
Andy R
"casey" <ca...@witsend.cpm> wrote in message
Your loss.
Rgds,
Andy R
gazz
>
> The needle is only to show the gas is alight and that is all. <
>
> As above - there has always been a noticeable difference between 'in the
> green' when first lit, and 'well into the green' after the fridge has run
> for some time and achieved a lower temprature.
the meter is a very simple item, a very low voltage moving coil meter, it's
connected to the gas valves thermocouple line (you'll see the joint at the
top of the fridge if you take it out the van), all it's doing is showing the
slight voltage the thermocouple produces when it's heated up (which is in
turn holding the spring loaded safety valve off... the reason you have to
hold the knob in till it's been lit for a few seconds for the voltage to
build up)
the meter will move a bit, but in relation to the flame temp, i.e. when it's
first lit it'll be about half way up the green, when it's been going a while
all the way up, sometimes it'll come back down a bit as the burner is closed
down a bit..... so really the higher the meter reading the warmer the fridge
is as it's running the flame on high :)
the needle shooting to the top of the meter when you select another power
source is normal, it does that because the gas valve is shut off then, so
the current the thermocouple was producing to hold the safety valve off is
no longer needed, so the meter gets an excess of voltage, it's normal but
dosent mean anything.
holding the gas valve is is just keeping the flame lit manualy, when you
release the knob, it'll go out, and the meter fall.
>> What you need to realise is that these absorption fridges take a while to
>> get the boiler up to operating temperature. <
>
> I stated (quite clearly, I assumed) that the fridge was on a maximum
> setting fothe entire BH weekend - and that, despite that time, the needle
> never once entered the green zone.
i had that on my thetford fridge, a sign the flue needs a good sweeping and
the burner tube cleaning out, as crap from the flue will most likely have
blocked some of the slots in the burner tube where the flame comes out.
if it hasnt been serviced this year, then the thermocouple could be sooted
up, which insulates it,
Also check for spiders webs over the flue exit point, and burnt spiders and
webs in the burner tube and burner box area.
Also check the temp sensor tubes on the fins inside the fridge (silver solid
looking wires clipped near the fron of the fins, carefull with them, they
are hollow tubes for the thermostats, bend em too much and they can split
open,
it's easy to dislodge them if you cram the fridge full, i believe the right
hand one is for the gas, the left hand one for lecky,
Best thing to do is get the gas side serviced, or do it your self, and take
it from there,
casey
"gazz" <gazz@kampen~getlostspammers~wagen.co.uk> wrote in message
news:gtoppn$pg$1...@news.motzarella.org...
------------------------------------
Thanks for a very helpful (and completely relevant) reply - it is genuinely
appreciated.
I will try and remove the thing in order to give it a good clean out - your
suggestion of debris/insects affecting the burner is logical - and would
explain how the thing mysteriously stopped working during over-winter
storage.
Thanks again - you have restored my faith in Usenet ;)
casey
"Andy R" <and...@ukhome.net> wrote in message
news:76a73dF...@mid.individual.net...
>
> "casey" <ca...@witsend.cpm> wrote in message
>> My bad - I should have known better than to ask a newsgroup for help - I
>> won't do so again.
>
> Your loss.
----------------
Yes, I suppose it could be - but there comes a time when it's almost
preferable to pay a professional, rather than be subjected to the attention
of the attention seeking imbeciles, out-and-out loonies, and
know-it-all-braggarts who seem to infest Usenet these days.
That's why Usenet is in terminal decline - occasionally, someone like 'gazz'
will come along and offer a concise helpful answer to a specific problem,
and remind one of the glory days of Usenet when the argumentative trolls and
off-topic cretins were just a minor irritation.
Roger Mills
casey <ca...@witsend.cpm> wrote:
As others have said, the position of the needle has little to do with the
internal temperature of the fridge. I wonder whether the fact that you
believed that it did, led you to suppose that the fridge wasn't working
correctly when, perhaps, it was. You say that it still worked "after a
fashion" but was not as cold as it should be. I wonder whether your
perception was clouded by the fact that you believed it wasn't working
properly.
You *may* have a problem - and the advice given by others to clean the
burner and flue is sound - but before doing that I would be inclined to get
a fridge thermometer in order to get an objective measurement of the
*actual* temperature inside the fridge. You may well find that it's ok.
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
Email address maintained for newsgroup use only, and not regularly
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PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!
casey
"Roger Mills" <watt....@googlemail.com> wrote in message
news:76abi8F...@mid.individual.net...
Thanks for your reply.
It is, of course, possible that my perception of the temperature is being
influenced by the fact that the flame indicator no longer enters the green -
but I'm fairly sure that it wasn't as cold as normal, especially on maximum
(which tends to start freezing stuff in the fridge cabinet)
We were also on the East Coast - and the weather was decidedly chilly, which
should have helped lower the fridge temperature considerably.
The only thing I am 100% positive about is that, during the two years we've
owned the fridge (from new) the needle *always* went noticeably into the
green when first igniting the fridge. Now it rises slowly to just below the
green area, and there it sits, hour after hour.
Cleaning the burner has to be worth a go - especially now that I've checked
the price of a new fridge!!!! (they are obviously constructed from rare and
precious metals, which bumps the list price up to around a grand ;) Even
the 'street' price is iniquitously expensive at over �500
Getting it out will be the fun part, I think...
Chris J Dixon
>Cleaning the burner has to be worth a go - especially now that I've checked
>the price of a new fridge!!!!
>
>Getting it out will be the fun part, I think...
>
I wish you luck with that ;-)
In the later years of my very old caravan, I had to give up on
using the fridge on gas. Indeed, lighting the burner actually
raised the temperature, though it was fine on mains.
Despite (because of?) it being a top end van, they appeared to
have constructed the kitchen unit around the fridge, and I never
found a way to remove it. I suppose 20 years without a service
before it began to fail wasn't bad.
Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK
ch...@cdixon.me.uk
Have dancing shoes, will ceilidh.
Paul - xxx
> Getting it out will be the fun part, I think...
Might be easier than you think ... I just took my brothers out this
weekend 'cos his wouldn't light and we couldn't get to the igniter via
the vents.
Anyway, open fridge door, there should be two 'bungs' on each side,
remove these and unscrew the screws .. then pull the fridge out!
Simple as ... ;) The gas tube should be sprung enough for the fridge
to be removed completely, but be careful and don't be tempted to undo
the gas connection. You should be able to pull the frdge out enough to
get to the burner/igniter/'chimney' and clean it all out fairly simply.
--
Paul - xxx
'96/'97 Landrover Discovery 300 Tdi
Dyna Tech Cro-Mo comp
casey
"Paul - xxx" <notchec...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:76ah33F...@mid.individual.net...
> casey wrote:
>
>> Getting it out will be the fun part, I think...
>
> Might be easier than you think ... I just took my brothers out this
> weekend 'cos his wouldn't light and we couldn't get to the igniter via
> the vents.
>
> Anyway, open fridge door, there should be two 'bungs' on each side,
> remove these and unscrew the screws .. then pull the fridge out!
> Simple as ... ;) The gas tube should be sprung enough for the fridge
> to be removed completely, but be careful and don't be tempted to undo
> the gas connection. You should be able to pull the frdge out enough to
> get to the burner/igniter/'chimney' and clean it all out fairly simply.<<<
Cheers - I'll have to disconnect the pipe as there appears to be no slack.
I'm not averse to remaking the connections (did our hob when I refitted the
kitchen) but before I wade in I have a wheeze to try.
I've removed the end of the exhaust (the cranked pipe with the wind baffle
attached) and am thinking of rigging up something to delve down into the
main body of the exhaust with some thin tubing attached to a vacuum cleaner
(I have a 'step down' flexible pipe, and am thinking of stepping it down
even more by using something like car windscreen washer tubing)
Do you know if there are any baffles or other obstructions in the exhaust
that would prevent me wangling the thin pipe down to the burner assemble and
giving it a good hoover out?
Or, thinking about it - are there any loose bits that could get dislodged
and stuck to the end of the flexible pipe (which will have a fair amount of
suction due to the massive reduction in diameter)?
It's the lazy way, I know - but do you think it might work?
Nigel
">>> Got a 2 year old Thetford N80 manual fridge (just out of warranty)
>>> which has only ever been used on gas.
Thetford offer a THREE year warranty on fridges (not two).
see: http://www.thetford-europe.com/web/show/id=43549/langid=42
We had a problem with our fridge when it was 2 years 11 months old -
replaced without quibble by Thetford.
Hope this helps.
Nigel.
casey
"Nigel" <ni...@REMOVEnigelowen.co.uk> wrote in message
news:76apqiF...@mid.individual.net...
Well, it has to be said, that helped quite a lot ;)
I had previously checked with the dealer - only to be told that it was a 2
year warranty, that I was past the deadline, and that Thetford were
extremely inflexible about meeting out of warranty claims.
However, after reading your post I rang Thetford - who confirmed that it is,
indeed, a 3 year warranty.
So, many thanks.
Chris J Dixon
>I had previously checked with the dealer - only to be told that it was a 2
>year warranty, that I was past the deadline, and that Thetford were
>extremely inflexible about meeting out of warranty claims.
>
>However, after reading your post I rang Thetford - who confirmed that it is,
>indeed, a 3 year warranty.
>
But is there small print requiring that it has been serviced
annually, in line with their requirements?
Nigel
"Chris J Dixon" <ch...@cdixon.me.uk> wrote in message
news:16k00599njshc9tpu...@4ax.com...
We were never asked by Thetford to show any proof that our fridge was
serviced regularly when it was replaced.
However, our motorhome did go back to the dealers each year for a documented
habitation check (to ensure that we complied with the water-ingress
warranty) and all the gas/electric systems were checked at the same time.
Nigel.