Electrolux fridge not working

Hi. Can anyone advise on an ELectrolux fridge issue. The fridge is an rm4217 c30 / 60. The gas light is very weak and the fridge does not work on gas. Currently testing if it works on 240v hook up. Suspect we have a problem. Can these units be serviced or are we looking at getting a refurbished one.

Hi and welcome to the forum from Bridlington , 
Boaby

Perhaps get a mobile engineer to service it, costs around £60.

I would think you should be able to get it sorted by a mobile engineer as Paul suggests.

The official line is that if it concerns gas then you need to be Gas Safe trained to work on it, so don't take any notice of what I'm going to say.

My aging RM4217 needs annual work to keep it running. There are a number of issues, firstly, corroded material flakes off the inside of the flue and drops down onto the burner module, dispersing the gas jet and also potentially shorting the igniter to ground. Secondly the jet can become blocked with contamination or corroded - bear in mind that the burner is essentially open to outside air conditions 24/7.

The fridge can be withdrawn from the cabinet, and disconnected from gas and electric to gain access to the burner. Replacement units are available on eBay for around £30 which should include a nice new clean jet. BTW I wouldn't recommend messing with the jet at all - no pins or needles etc. - as you can easily change its characteristics.

My fridge is in need of maintenance again currently which I may address this weekend. More info may therefore follow.

Bartfarst

Bartfarst wrote:The official line is that if it concerns gas then you need to be Gas Safe trained to work on it, so don't take any notice of what I'm going to say.

My aging RM4217 needs annual work to keep it running. There are a number of issues, firstly, corroded material flakes off the inside of the flue and drops down onto the burner module, dispersing the gas jet and also potentially shorting the igniter to ground. Secondly the jet can become blocked with contamination or corroded - bear in mind that the burner is essentially open to outside air conditions 24/7.

The fridge can be withdrawn from the cabinet, and disconnected from gas and electric to gain access to the burner. Replacement units are available on eBay for around £30 which should include a nice new clean jet. BTW I wouldn't recommend messing with the jet at all - no pins or needles etc. - as you can easily change its characteristics.

My fridge is in need of maintenance again currently which I may address this weekend. More info may therefore follow.

Bartfarst

Hi Bartfast

The fridge in my Harmony is a RM4213.
It has just started having problems igniting the pilot light.
I have to try over and over for it to light, usually after a puff of flame (from unignited gas), it lights but burns a yellowy flame.

Will I have to pull the whole fridge out of its fixing or can I access the jet through an outside grill?
(I'm guessing the jet maybe blocked)

Any advice would be appreciated and I am aware of the Gas Safe aspects!

Thanks
PB

We're probably wasting our time chaps.

The OP hasn't been back since making his first post two months ago. Hope nothing untoward has happened, but it's a bit irritating when a number of members do their best to advise, and the one who asked for help doesn't even bother to look back in.

As I say, I hope he's alright, but in the meantime others are getting help from the thread. 

peugeotboxer wrote:

.....Will I have to pull the whole fridge out of its fixing or can I access the jet through an outside grill?
(I'm guessing the jet maybe blocked)

PB,

Yes I'm afraid the fridge will have to removed for you to gain the necessary access.

There should be a 'pig tail' loop in the copper gas pipe which will allow you to withdraw it so far, but then this needs to be disconnected to draw it out further. Then turn the fridge through 90 degrees to work on it.

Once you've cleaned all the rust, fluff and crud away from the burner it's worthwhile operating the ignitor and checking that the spark is jumping to earth somewhere near the gas flow. The ignitor 'electrode' is in a square section of ceramic insulation and it kicks up at the end. If you have to remove this, check the orientation of the kick-up is as it was when you took it apart. That said, for some reason, I had to put it back in a different orientation after one service operation to stand any chance of reliable ignition. I'm waffling a bit here 'cause I can't remember which way round mine originally was, and which way round it is now. But testing and adjustment will probably show you the way. Don't try bending the electrode: it's hard as hell and if you do bend it, it's likely that you'll break the ceramic insulator. Note the penetration of the electrode into the burner is fixed and controlled by a raised ridge on the ceramic engaging with the mounting.

Hope this helps.

Bartfarst

Hi Bartfarst

Firstly I am a newbie, first post!

Having some issues with my Electrolux and found this forum. Would like to suggest, that as a Gas Safe eng, if your flue is flaking, obv it is corroding and if it has not yet pinholed, it soon will. Would advise replacement flue if they are available. The debris is more than likely  falling into the injector. I am in no way condoning you carry this out yourself, however a friend of mine has an old boiler they will not part with, after a service it struggled to reignite. Unable to purchase a new injector I removed it and placed it in a bowl of boiling water and vinegar, not sure why I thought of vinegar, point is after drying it out and refitting it worked a treat. 

Dont suppose you know why my fridge will work on gas, think it works whilst driving, but definitely not on hook up. I have a Zig unit. Do I need to turn the orange switch from 5a to 15a? Does this signify charging or mains? Or will this charge and supply the fridge juice at the same time. 

I did say I am a newbie, not just to the site but also to campers 

t4camperman wrote:Do I need to turn the orange switch from 5a to 15a?

That's a strange one - is this orange switch on the Zig panel? I've seen/owned a few older vans with Zigs but I can't recall ever seeing a switch with those markings.

-mojo- wrote:

t4camperman wrote:Do I need to turn the orange switch from 5a to 15a?

That's a strange one - is this orange switch on the Zig panel? I've seen/owned a few older vans with Zigs but I can't recall ever seeing a switch with those markings.

Yes the Zig charging unit, I have a picture but cannot upload, as its too large. Not the Zig panel on the wall. Thanks

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Hey Mojo, managed to get the picture. I have also put the van on a chock block tonight, it is 1 degree off level, so should be able to cancel that out. Should this not work I will have to do the upside down trick. At which point I will be looking at how to remove the fridge.

Oh and a couple of points to note. I plugged it in last night to check it and this evening when I was checking progress found everything was dead. Checked leisure battery voltage, 13 v, check. Fuses in Zig wall panel, check x 5. 2 a fuse in charger, check. 15a fuse in charger, intermittent continuity and some minor brown marks on glass, element looked intact. Fitted new 15a, after a quick trip to Halfords. Now up and running again t perform my testing.

Final point I was carrying out some checks as we are taking the van on her first big trip to Austria... in 5 days on Tuesday!!!

That yellow switch looks like the 230v mains supply to the unit, without which it aint working.
The 2A is the 230v mains supply fuse. The 15A is the output fuse....to cover the charging current.    Keith

Thanks Keith, so do I just leave it in the on position? When running on mains do I need to change anything or will it just charge and supply 240v in the on position? Thanks

Ah, I see - in the "2A" position it's switched off! As Keith says, the line to the left is just meant to show that the upper fuse is the mains input fuse.

That switch should not in any way affect the fridge. The 12 Volt setting on the fridge should run off the alternator only when the engine is running, and the 240V supply to the fridge should be completely independent of the switch on the ZIG DCU-3 which, as you surmised, just charges the leisure battery and provides power to anything in the habitation area that runs off 12V.

-mojo- wrote:Ah, I see - in the "2A" position it's switched off! As Keith says, the line to the left is just meant to show that the upper fuse is the mains input fuse.

That switch should not in any way affect the fridge. The 12 Volt setting on the fridge should run off the alternator only when the engine is running, and the 240V supply to the fridge should be completely independent of the switch on the ZIG DCU-3 which, as you surmised, just charges the leisure battery and provides power to anything in the habitation area that runs off 12V.

Thanks Mojo, so leaving that on all the time shouldn't affect it, providing there is no voltage pulling anywhere i.e. a light left on? I have been out to the van and no chill in the fridge, just ambient. I when I bought it the van wasn't used much, possibly causing coolant, to settle? If this is possible. Works on gas, for the short time I used it.

I will now attempt to get it out and turn it upside down. Any ideas on how to get it out? I will trawl the net to see if I can find anything. Is there a fuse in the fridge itself? The one in the wall panel is good.

Once again thanks to both you and Keith for your time.

I won't feel prepared for the trip until I have got this sorted, sods law that I sold our big coolbox a month ago!!!

t4camperman wrote:
I will now attempt to get it out and turn it upside down.

I wouldn't do that. The "turn it upside down" trick should only be necessary if the coolant is not circulating properly. If it works Ok on gas, the coolant is circulating properly.

To diagnose the problem you have, you need to check methodically to find out whether there is any mains power at the element. If there is, there's a good chance that the mains heating element has failed. If there is none, you need to work back along the wiring until you find the fault.

I don't know the layout of the electrics in detail for your van - is it fair to assume that you have checked that both the incoming mains circuit breaker and the individual MCB for the fridge are switched on?

-mojo- wrote:
I don't know the layout of the electrics in detail for your van - is it fair to assume that you have checked that both the incoming mains circuit breaker and the individual MCB for the fridge are switched on?

Yes. I have carried out the RCD trip test , yesterday and it failed  . I had a look and could not track the fault. After work today I was determined to get to the bottom of it. No voltage at the RCD. Apparently it helps if the plug is fully in the socket for my mains supply. What a muppet!!!

Been "operated" on 240v for approx 3.5 hours now, no change in temperature. Will leave overnight. I don't know how to check (or where, to be more precise) the voltage at the fridge.

As far as it working on gas, it was ran for about 1 hour on a day out. It seemed slightly cooler, maybe mind playing tricks. Had it running on gas earlier for 1.5hours, once I was able to get a spark (plug situation), but no difference.

t4camperman wrote:Works on gas, for the short time I used it.

You can probably understand my confusion - when you said "works on gas", I thought you meant that it works on gas.

I would definitely leave it powered on overnight and see what it's like tomorrow. The Electrolux in my previous van used to take an absolute age to get going first time out each year, but once going it always worked well.

Incidentally, you ~should~ be able to tell if the mains element is functioning by removing the upper external fridge vent and feeling the top of the heat exchanger. Careful though - I burnt my finger the first time I did that...

G

-mojo- wrote:

t4camperman wrote:Works on gas, for the short time I used it.

Incidentally, you ~should~ be able to tell if the mains element is functioning by removing the upper external fridge vent and feeling the top of the heat exchanger. Careful though - I burnt my finger the first time I did that...

Left it on all night, nothing. Nothing tripped which is something. I will leave it on gas for for 3 hours and see how it goes. I will then check by removing the upper vent. I have a thermal imaging camera, so at least I can stop burning myself!

Jumping ahead, but if there is no cooling in the fridge, is that the time to remove and tip it for a few hours?  I have located 2 screws in the cupboard to the right. There is a panel to the left for the table, so I predict remove that and there will be another 2 screws through the cabinet. Decommission gas to fridge, pull out and remove mains cable.

Thanks again mojo.

I can't advocate turning it upside myself, because I've never done that with any of my fridges. Internet forum lore suggests it may help under some circumstances, but I have no experience to say either way.

Before doing that I would definitely try it on gas for half a day, and I would definitely thermal image the rear of it (via the upper vent) with the mains on, to see if the element is functioning.

Removing the fridge is a bit of a pain really, so best avoided unless you have to. Typically on these fridges the main fixing screws are from the inside out, hidden under white caps just inside the door, usually four in number. A/S then add a number of extra screws from the outside - on my last van there were two on one side, none on the other.

Be aware that the gas should be on a long connector loop that allows you to pull it out part way before disconnecting - but the wires are often taped/hooked up and may pull off the switches as you pull it out - so watch very carefully if you want to know where they go back!

I had a similar problem with an Electrolux fridge on previous van. In the course of diagnosing I found out that the fridge needs a permanent 12v supply which in my case came from the leisure battery. My problem turned out to be a duff battery (one of two which dragged the second one down) so I never found where the 12v went on the fridge, you may still have to take the fridge out to check but it might save you the upside down treatment.

Cheers guys. There was plenty of heat from the fridge especially after running on gas for a few hours, no chill inside. It will be coming  out at some point today, when I get the chance. It has been a few days spent on this when I could have been doing other things. I will feedback when I am sorted with it.

This takes me back to the fridge problems we had with our Mazda Bongo when touring New Zealand. Just like yours, plenty of heat at the back but no chill. We took advice from a camper van hire company engineer, who told us that in the off season, they took all the fridges out of their fleet of vans, laid them all down in a trailer, and drove them 10 kilometres down the roughest dirt road in the area, which gave them all a good shaking.
With this in mind, I took my fridge out at a campsite, placed it upside down, rattled all the coolant pipes with a mallet, and left it overnight. I refitted it the next day, then left it another day to settle down before switching it on.
It worked faultlessly, and was still working fine when I sold the van on five months later.
Al.