Re: New fridge needed. Looking for ideas.

by The Bargee Mon Jun 17, 2024 8:47 pm

Yes indeed, each to our own but it may be worth remembering the advantages of a compressor fridge.

Safety : Reduced risk of gas leaks, fire and explosion.

Safety : No risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. I have dealt with two boat fatalities due to carbon monoxide poisoning from continuously burning un-serviced and unflued fridge burners.

Convenience : Reduced reliance on gas supplies. No need to turn off on ferries or when refuelling.

Efficiency : More efficient operation. More tolerant of running out of level.

Reliability : No jets to block, no flues to block. Generally more reliable. No requirement for regular servicing.

Less complex : no complicated power source changeover systems.

Cost : Generally cheaper than a 3-way fridge. Mains voltage models far cheaper.

The disadvantage of course is what we have been discussing, the requirement for a bit more electrical charging and storage capacity.

by Roopert Mon Jun 17, 2024 8:55 pm

rgermain wrote:Having always had a standard 3 way fridge, I would not ever consider a compressor fridge.

I understand what you mean - when I bought my van in 2013, I had no choice, because the converters offered no option other than a compressor fridge. So I had no choice but to get used to it!

As The Bargee says, there are pros and cons. I still miss the safety-net of being able to run it on gas if there happen to be several dull days in a row, but otherwise I think it's a worthwhile compromise. I still don't quite understand why 12V compressor fridges are so much more expensive than 240V compressor fridges though! I think there must be an element of "economy of scale" and an element of "motorhome/boat tax"...

by exmoorcamper1 Wed Jun 19, 2024 8:57 pm

bikeralw wrote:This seems very strange. The three methods of producing heat in the exchanger all move the same refrigerant around the pipework. If the fridge works on 240v and 12v, the only reason it's not effective on gas is down to a gas fault. Several things to check, is the flame acting in the right place, a slight twist by a few degrees could make a huge difference. Is the regulator clogged making the flame too small. Is the flue partially blocked by insulation.
Al

As a follow-up.

I have had everything apart again, cleaned everything which could compromise gas flow, but no real improvement in performance. I checked some areas on the heat exchanger with the laser thermometer. With the fridge running on 240v the bend at the top right of the exchanger pipework is 154deg F, and the tube which runs through the cooling fins along the top, left to right was 50deg F. The freezer element in the freezer box was -7degC.

Running the same checks on gas, the figures are 59deg F and 23deg F. The freezer element was ambient temperature.

I have changed the gas jet for a new one, and I have checked that it is the correct part number for this fridge. It might be time to get it out and checked by an experienced technician. I am fairly confident that it will be something simple. As the fridge works so well on 12v and 240v it's worth some more perseverance.

Peter.

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