Need some help from RV'ers

[LBARTLETT]

I have a living quarters horse trailer I'm thinking of selling, the refrigerator is a 6 cu ft that runs on electricity and propane



the dealer wanted me to turn the refrig. on propane overnight so he could see how good it cooled as several of the last trailers he traded for the refrigs would work on electric but not propane and if that was the case the only thing to do was throw it away and put in a new one which was about $1,000



is that true



needless to say mine works on electricity but not propane, I've followed the directions but it won't take off and run, seems like I can smell propane out by the tank



if he's right I'll take it to him to look at, if they are repairable I'll try to get it in to RV shop and get it looked at



PS, I'm not a mechanic and don't want to be



is a propane refrig repairable?



thanks

 

[AClayton]

The short answer is YES! Many times it is rust that has fallen down and cluttered the area around where the flame burns. If your certain you have propane then you can measure the WC. You need at least 11" WC - water column - while running. Make sure you have a consistent 12V DC voltage at the appliance also. Does the board display any error blinks at the door?



Take a vacuum and suck all the rust out of the compartment 1st and be sure the flame is free from any fallen rust and debris.



Alan

 

[GOTSOOT]

your refig. runs on amonia gas,thats heated by the propane. take the wooden end of a claw hammer and tap the junctions on the piping ,(on the outside) not to hard but with a little ump in your strike,keep doing this for a minute or two on every pipe that comes together with another. a refrig. that is left sitting, will make crystals from the amonia and clog up the passageways, and the amonia will not circulate. try it! you may be surprised in the morning how cold the refrig. is

 

[LBARTLETT]

that's guys, I'll try GOTSOOT's idea first, I am hammer qualified

 

[Skydiver]

Am I corrrect in saying, a spider web or wasp nest may have grounded the igniter?
On my last camper refrig (dometic) I had to flip the switch from auto to gas 6 times if it set for more than 1 month. It had to reprime.
Don't get too aggresive with the hammer.

 

[SierraRam]

I have found that the majority of times the ignition system is the problem and or the burner orifice is plugged. If you have refrigeration in electric mode then there is not a problem eith the refigerant system since the heat source required for refigeration either comes from a electric heater element or the propane flame.

 

[RVTRKN]

If your not into DO IT YOURSELF, take it to a qualified repair shop. They have the tools to diagnose it, and most of the parts are replacable. But if the tank is ruptured or has leaked out the Amonia its trash. It might be worth the cost just to find out before you trash it.



The Salesman doesn't care what is wrong, they just figure in the total loss, on the trade if it does not work. Also a good trick to kick starting an Amonia system, is to pack in an ice bag in the freezer section, this helps in getting the Amonia cycle working faster.

 

[GAmes]

Maybe something on this site will help. Technical

 

[tarnett]

This happens to me every so often. What works is a blast of compressed air in the ignition area. No harm to the components either.

 

[Road Dog]

If it works with the electric heater then the ammonia refrigeration system is fine and there's no need to hammer or test it. The problem is with the propane side -- either the igniter (dirt) or the jet or the regulator or the thermopile (the thingy in the flame that keeps the gas flowing) if it's not electronic ignition. It should be fixable.

 

[LBARTLETT]

The Salesman doesn't care what is wrong, they just figure in the total loss, on the trade if it does not work

My thoughts exactly and thanks for all the great simple things to try, I'd sure like to save the $1,000



I plugged it in to 110 and it worked great, I'll try some of these ideas and if they don't work I'll take it to a local RV dealership that is recommended and have them check it out



thanks again

 

[Grizzly]

Maybe something on this site will help. Technical

Very good website. I saved it on my Documents.



Thanks, george

 

[JMetzger]

Amen to GAMES technical web site, I also saved it. As to the refrig, as others have said if it cools on AC there is nothing wrong with the cooling system, it is a propane problem which more an likely a spider web some where in the circuit. That is where all of mine have been.

 

[mwilson]

If it has not been used for a while it can take a bit of time to get all the air out of the propane line. That orifice is not very big.

 

[LBARTLETT]

gentlemen, thanks to all of you, I did the hammer handle tapping and blew the area out with air and it seems to be working, the stove pipe is hot, the refrig. is cool and there are no warning or check lights on



thanks again fellows.



I belong to 2 other cummins sites, one because of what's for sale on there and the other because they have good right-wing political forums but



WHENEVER I WANT TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE I COME BACK HERE TO THE ORIGINAL TDR

 

[SierraRam]

Glad you got it going!