fridge on propane
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Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
Forum Discription: Ask maintenance questions, share your podmods (modifications) and helpful tips
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15344
Printed Date: 26 Apr 2024 at 3:14pm
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Topic: fridge on propane
Posted By: hogone
Subject: fridge on propane
Date Posted: 23 Jun 2022 at 12:47pm
Well I think I have done all the recommendations for getting my fridge to work on propane to no avail (at least I think). When its mention of the recommendation of disconnecting the regulator and blowing out some lines where one may find some goo, are we talking of the one right by the propane tank? We are not talking about the propane gas valve by the back of the fridge, correct? Not sure what else to do here. Any further advice is much appreciated. Thanks, jpp
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Jon & Pam
2013 RP177
2010 F150
2017 HD Streetglide
2009 HD Lowrider
CHEESEHEAD
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Replies:
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 23 Jun 2022 at 5:48pm
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Jon, when I first had this issue, the pod was 7 years old and I always left the propane line on, even during the winter. Near the end of the 7th year (2017) I hardly had any flame on either stove or fridge. Upon disassembling the line the goes from the regulator to the fridge I had the 'goo' dripping out of the regulator as well as the line leaving the regulator going to the fridge. The line was blown out but the regulator had to be replaced.
How is your flame on either the stove or hot water heater? Have you added screens to the back of both your air flow panels on the back side of the fridge? This will keep out bees, spiders and such that can make either nests or webs that will drastically affect the flame in your combustion area as well as muck up the cooling tower that the flame runs up into.
Check both regulator and line leaving regulator first, disconnect both ends of that line and see if anything comes out when compressed air is added. Secondly, especially if you have NOT added screens to those two panels, take a can of compressed air, or your air gun if you have a compressor and blow out the combustion area as well as the cooling tower, top to bottom and then bottom to top after the chimney is removed (simply find the single phillips screw that holds the chimney on and then remove the whole thing. A swirly silver rod is attached to the top of the chimney, make sure that is clean and shiny.
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God's pod
'11 model 177
'17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost
Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake
"...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."
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Posted By: JR
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2022 at 7:38am
+1 Jato but also use the compressed air to blow out the gas supply line going to (just upstream of) the burner orifice and the burner itself. The majority of the time low gas flow is due to the orifice being restricted, there's a very small opening in the orifice and don't try and clean it out by pushing something through it. Hope this helps
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Jay
179/2019
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Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2022 at 8:24am
Thanks you guys. Plaese be patient with me!!! Gas flow/flame to stove, hotwater heater, and furnace are all 100%. Fridge chimney, gas supply line going to burner 100% clear, orfice area cleaned. I do have screens on my vents. I just want to make sure on 2 things. When we are talking about the regulator, the one right off the propane tank correct? So the line from the propane tank goes to the regulator, then the line from the regulator into the camper right under the batterys, then the copper gas line in back of fridge into the fridge gas valve, which then has the small supply line going to the burner. Can you guys please clarify which section to blow out. I think you may be saying pronae tank regulator to the copper supply line to the gas valve, correct? Again your time and guidance is much appreciated. jpp
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Jon & Pam
2013 RP177
2010 F150
2017 HD Streetglide
2009 HD Lowrider
CHEESEHEAD
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Posted By: JR
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2022 at 10:46am
I have found that the gas supply line (in your words) the small gas supply line from the fridge gas valve to the burner most frequently is the culprit and I believe it's the orifice that is plugging up. Again hope this helps
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Jay
179/2019
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Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2022 at 12:08pm
Thanks Jay, but the orifice is clear. I wonder if at all possible it could be the regulator, and if so any recommendations. I will definately disconnect those hoses to see if the dreaded goo is there!! Was looking at etrailer, but still not sure exactly which one. jpp
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Jon & Pam
2013 RP177
2010 F150
2017 HD Streetglide
2009 HD Lowrider
CHEESEHEAD
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Posted By: JR
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2022 at 2:38pm
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If all the other gas appliances are working correctly on gas mode, the regulator which is located near the 20lb tank should be working ok. You can still disconnect the gas down stream line from the regulator by the 20lb tank and blow the line out from the fridge area to insure there is no gooie stuff in the line. As far as the size of the flame on the fridge it should be audible, in other words when the fridge starts up on the gas mode you should be able to hear it light up and run from inside the trailer. You can have a minor restriction in the gas orifice and still have a pretty good flame but not be sufficient enough to develop enough heat in the "cooling tower" (actually it is heating up the refringent) to cool the inside of the fridge. It does not take much of a restriction in the orifice to compromise the cooling of the fridge running on gas. If you are still not getting the fridge cold running on gas disconnect the gas line at the gas shut off valve in the back of the fridge that is connected to the orifice mounted on the burner head. Put high pressure air (100+psi) into the gas valve end of the line. I am not trying to belabor the point just trying to get on the same wave length.
If you were having problems with the LP gas regulator up in front of the trailer by the gas tank I would think that all your gas appliances would be operating abnormally. Like a low flame on the stove, furnace, and water heater. Maybe a LP gas dealer could verify the gas pressure down stream of the regulator? Good Luck hope you find the problem.
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Jay
179/2019
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Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2022 at 6:42pm
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I was having trouble getting a decent flame on our stove a few years ago and found a kink in the line to the stove from the main copper line under the camper. I fixed that and the issue went away.
TT
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2010 176
FJ Cruiser
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Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2022 at 11:06am
update. disconnected gaslines......zero goo. no kinks in any gasline. burner/flue/orfice spotless. competely fathomed here. jpp
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Jon & Pam
2013 RP177
2010 F150
2017 HD Streetglide
2009 HD Lowrider
CHEESEHEAD
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Posted By: JR
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2022 at 3:05pm
Do you have any flame at the burner when the fridge tries to light? If you have a flame does it stay burning until turned off?
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Jay
179/2019
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Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2022 at 4:35pm
clicks.....ignites for 2 seconds with flame...blows out
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Jon & Pam
2013 RP177
2010 F150
2017 HD Streetglide
2009 HD Lowrider
CHEESEHEAD
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Posted By: 1nana2many
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2022 at 8:16pm
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I found this on RVFORUM.NET. The guy was having the same issue as you. Refrigerator would light then go out after a short period. His was an older model. This is what he did to resolve it.
I think I got real lucky on this one! I printed out the manual referred to above and found the instructions on how to clean the fridge. It was filthy.....I pulled the burner out & dumped out at least a teaspoon of rusty dust. This may not sound like a lot but given the burner is a tube about 3/8 in diameter and only 3 or 4 inches long, it's quite a bit. I then blew the flue out with compressed air, removed the orifice & soaked both the orifice & burner in alcohol. I put it back together and it lit right up. I let it run for about 6 hours with no problems. My only cost was the $3.50 for the alcohol. Maybe this will do the trick.
This was a response to him also. No, the thermocouple senses if the flame is flaming, The cycle is this
Gas flow starts and very shortly thereafter the control board sends voltage spikes to the sparker causing sparks which ignite the fuel/air mix (Very Very shortly) This remains static for a few seconds while the thermocouple heats up and sends a signal back to the control board "FLAME ON" At the point the board continues to monitor the thremocouple (in fact two temperture sensors are monitored) until one of three situtations is discovered.
1: Flame sensor thermocouple stops sending "Flame On" signal (meaning the flame went out for some reason, ie: Out of gas, Flue clogged)
2: The cold sensor (inside the 'fridge) says "Cold enough"
3: power (normally 12vdc) is lost (you turned it off, battery dead)
Thus the thermocouple in the burner area is the flame sensor, if it is not working the control board detects "Out of gas" and closes the valve for safety
My husband says you could have a bad thermocouple/thermistor…
Here’s a link found on same sight that might be helpful for troubleshooting. Go to http://www.bryantrv.com/docs.html - www.bryantrv.com/docs.html and you might be able to find a service manual for your fridge that you can download. At the top of his service documents is a generic service manual that might help. Good luck!
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The mountains are calling and we must go...O.D., Keith & Jody
2016 RP179= O.D. (Olive Drab)
2008 Coachman Captiva
1993 Jayco 1206 popup
2016 F150 Supercrew
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Posted By: JR
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2022 at 6:47am
+1 - 1nana2many is the path I would follow to resolve the problem you are having.
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Jay
179/2019
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Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2022 at 8:06am
so if Im reading this correctly, is the recommendation a thermocouple? The orfice and burner are clean. I really do apprecite everyones input, I'm just getting frustrated!! jpp
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Jon & Pam
2013 RP177
2010 F150
2017 HD Streetglide
2009 HD Lowrider
CHEESEHEAD
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Posted By: 1nana2many
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2022 at 8:20am
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The thermistor is a safety sensor that shuts off if conditions are not correct, but if it is not functioning properly is could shut off the propane incorrectly when it shouldn’t be doing that. Go to link I provided and download the first manual in the list that comes up. Page down in the PDF until you get to information about thermistor…it has some diagrams. You might also be able to find the exact service manual for your own refrigerator. These are service manuals for professional RV repair people that go into much more detail then what would come with the purchase of the RV/refrigerator.
As another thought, and I am no expert, I have seen many mentions about the controls on the refrigerators requiring the battery to be charged even if on AC…please check to make sure your battery cut-off switch is not in off position( if you have one installed) or battery is not dead to rule this out first.
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The mountains are calling and we must go...O.D., Keith & Jody
2016 RP179= O.D. (Olive Drab)
2008 Coachman Captiva
1993 Jayco 1206 popup
2016 F150 Supercrew
|
Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2022 at 1:12pm
Tell me im off my rocker.......thinkin about ordering a new burner unit which includes a new thermocouple and ignitor. Price is around $275ish in USA, $100 from the UK. Thoughts? Waste of money? Bad call ordering oversees? jpp
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Jon & Pam
2013 RP177
2010 F150
2017 HD Streetglide
2009 HD Lowrider
CHEESEHEAD
|
Posted By: 1nana2many
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2022 at 2:01pm
Do you have any friends who could test things first? If it’s just one part, seems like a lot to pay. Your igniter seems to be working or you would get no flame at all. We have had our hot water heater not want to light for something as simple as a spider web in the burner. This a a fairly common problem when your camper sits unused for a while.
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The mountains are calling and we must go...O.D., Keith & Jody
2016 RP179= O.D. (Olive Drab)
2008 Coachman Captiva
1993 Jayco 1206 popup
2016 F150 Supercrew
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Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2022 at 3:53pm
cant find individual parts........no cobwebs on this unit......its spotless......camper doesnt sit......thanks though, jpp
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Jon & Pam
2013 RP177
2010 F150
2017 HD Streetglide
2009 HD Lowrider
CHEESEHEAD
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2022 at 4:51pm
If your fridge is going on 10 years of age it is getting close to it's end of life. Absorption fridges use ammonia as their refrigerant and suffer from internal corrosion. At 10 years its living on borrowed time.
So starting to put money into the ridiculously expensive Dometic parts at that age is probably not a great idea, if you can get them at all. I'd suggest a new refrigerator is a better alternative.
You could consider changing to a 12V compressor fridge as an alternative to a replacement absorption fridge. These are very efficient and work well regardless of the ambient temperature, but they do use more energy from your 12V power system.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2022 at 7:08pm
ill chance on a $100 dollar part........
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Jon & Pam
2013 RP177
2010 F150
2017 HD Streetglide
2009 HD Lowrider
CHEESEHEAD
|
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2022 at 5:52am
Originally posted by offgrid
You could consider changing to a 12V compressor fridge as an alternative to a replacement absorption fridge. These are very efficient and work well regardless of the ambient temperature, but they do use more energy from your 12V power system. |
So do these 12V compressor fridges run on propane also or only on shore power?
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God's pod
'11 model 177
'17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost
Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake
"...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2022 at 12:15pm
Only on 12V, or of course shore power via the WFCO converter. No propane. But they are much more efficient on 12V than the absorption fridges are, probably by a factor of 3 or more. Also you can put warm stuff in them and they will actually cool it, not just maintain food that's already cold, of course using more electricity to do so.
StephenH installed one recently and as usual has a good write up on his mods thread.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2022 at 3:32pm
save the original!!!! jpp
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Jon & Pam
2013 RP177
2010 F150
2017 HD Streetglide
2009 HD Lowrider
CHEESEHEAD
|
Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 28 Jun 2022 at 8:17pm
Yes, I am sitting looking at the thermometer and the inside of the refrigerator is at 38 degrees F on the top shelf. I use an indoor/outdoor thermometer and use the outdoor sensor in the refrigerator.
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...
http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS
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Posted By: gpokluda
Date Posted: 28 Jun 2022 at 9:04pm
Just my two cents. When it comes time to replace our fridge, I will stay with the 3 way absorption fridge. Fewer moving parts to vibrate to pieces and the versatility of having 3 power sources.
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Gpokluda
2017 Rpod 179(sold 2023)
2022 Escape 5.0TA
2022 Ford F150 4X4 3.5EB
Triumph T120
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Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 29 Jun 2022 at 7:14am
Originally posted by StephenH
Yes, I am sitting looking at the thermometer and the inside of the refrigerator is at 38 degrees F on the top shelf. I use an indoor/outdoor thermometer and use the outdoor sensor in the refrigerator. |
That is a good way to monitor, we do the same. Don't have to open the door to 'feel' how cold it is inside and then let all the cool air out in the process.
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God's pod
'11 model 177
'17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost
Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake
"...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."
|
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 29 Jun 2022 at 8:07am
If you want reliability the compressor fridges beat the absorption ones hands down.
The good 12V compressor fridges use the Danfoss compressor system. This product has been in use for around 40 years in all kinds of mobile and stationary applications, very well proven. It is the go to solution for cruising sailboat refrigeration, where they have to work for months or years on end in the tropics with no access to parts or repair services.
I personally installed many in medical clinics in Africa and latin America in the early 80s. The downside in the past was heavy and expensive batteries and solar power systems to run them. That is no longer the case. If you look at the higher end boondocking RV market most have gone to this system now.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 29 Jun 2022 at 9:05am
100% concur with gpokluda...........only way to go. jpp
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Jon & Pam
2013 RP177
2010 F150
2017 HD Streetglide
2009 HD Lowrider
CHEESEHEAD
|
Posted By: Mooree
Date Posted: 04 May 2023 at 10:50pm
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Running an RV fridge better on propane since they are absorption refrigerators with no compression system compared to the typical house fridge, they are ideal for RVers. The amount of propane usage base on the different propane tank sizes. there is about 4.6 gallons propane in a standard 20 lb tank or grill cylinder, it gives around 11 to 12 days. A 30 lb propane tank can power your 8 cubic feet fridge that uses 1500 BTUs per hour for at least 18 days.
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Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 05 May 2023 at 1:16pm
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I found that when the temperatures get above 90F, and even below that if the sun were shining on the refrigerator side of the RPod, that the propane refrigerator could not stay cold enough. I carried an electric Free Piston Sterling Cooler that could reliably maintain food-safe temperatures. Now that I have an electric only refrigerator, I no longer have the food safety worries. The trade-off is that long term boondocking is not as easy. Still, our new Grey Wolf came with a larger electric only refrigerator (DC/AC). We need to run a CPAP machine for me and a portable oxygen concentrator for my wife at night. We will need solar or a generator pretty much on a daily basis to make sure we have enough power to run everything overnight.
I have not checked the CPAP machine, but the oxygen concentrator uses about 100 watts or a little less when running. Our 200 AH LiFePO4 battery should be sufficient.
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...
http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS
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