Hi all.
Just Joined up.
Just thought I'd share my experience with my fridge. We have a 1998 Hymer Swing 644. Original Electrolux/Dometic RM 4281, 3 way fridge. Pretty standard fridge really.
We were away during Christmas in Kerry and the fridge didn't really cool properly on gas. I noticed this last summer in France but wasn't a big deal as we were hooked up most of the time.
Anyway it was working fine on mains and 12v.
The gas was lighting, although taking maybe 20 seconds to ignite. The fridge stayed lit but didn't really cool.
I trawled the internet for a solution. This is what I did.
1. Removed Louvre panels (top & bottom)
2. Removed small metal box covering the burner
3. Lit the fridge and checked the flame. It was burning blue but a bit miserable. When I adjusted the temperature control in the van, the flame didn't change. Hmmmmmm.
4. Turned off and disconnected the gas & battery
5. Bought a flue brush in B&Q. It was the smallest one they had for some household flue or something. €9.00.
6. Took off the top T-Bar and bits from the top of the flue
7. Removed the baffle from inside the flue. Its a wire about 1 foot long with a bit of twisty metal in the end.
8. Disconnected the burner from the bottom of the flue.
9. Shoved the flue brush from B&Q down inside the flue from the top and gave it a good clean. Soot, dust and rust came out the bottom accompanied by the emaciated remains of a fly.
10. Took the burner assembly apart taking care to note the position of the sparking electrode and the thermocouple. I took a photo with my phone to remind me.
11. I blew around the burner with compressed air. For this I used a 12v pump that I carry in the van and I sellotaped a straw to the end of end for some precision work!
12. Again bits of rust etc came out.
13. At this stage I wasn't convinced that the cleaning I had done was enough to improve the efficiency of the fridge as I didn't think enough soot, rust etc came out.
14 Then I decided to disconnect the burner unit from the copper gas line. BINGO!
15. The gas line was almost completely blocked with a kind of black powder, almost encrusted. Remember, this is in the copper gas line itself, not in the jet and burner unit. I did not touch the jet as the hole for this is precisely set so do not be tempted to stick a needle in it. Use compressed air for that.
16. Anyway, back to the copper gas line. I got a tiny panel nail and gently poked the crusty stuff and began to dislodge it, tapping the pipe to get it to fall out. The black crusty stuff went back the pipe for about half a cm. I used my handheld 12v hoover from the van, again equipped with a straw to hoover all the stuff out from the back of the fridge and pipes.
17. I began to reassemble everything. The long wire holding the baffle inside the flue was almost perished so I made a new one from a clothes hanger. However I am going to order a new one from leisureshopdirect.
18. Everything back together except the box covering the burner.
19. Connect and switched on gas and Hey Presto, Lit up wit first spark.
20. I examined the flame. Strong, powerful blue flame belting up the flue. Even heard a bit of gurgling of the chemicals getting agitated.
21. I turned down the dial on the fridge and the flame duly responded.
22. Left it for 2 hours and checked the fridge - lovely and cold, freezer nicely incing up.
23. Turned everything off.
24. Got up this morning and fired it up before going to work and put a bottle of water in.
25. Checked it this evening, 8 hours later and I could hardly drink the water it was so cold. In fairness though, I did have it whacked up full.
There you have it. Working better than ever. I have no idea what the black stuff clogging the gas pipe was so I rang a physicist friend of mine. He said it could be bacteria in the gas or a fungus or something reacting with the copper where the copper pipe and different metal of the burner and jet meet.
I don't really know except that it had no business there! Maybe someone out there could enlighten me.
Cleaning the burner and baffle will probably suffice for most fridge that are not cooling quite as they should but its worth checking the gas pipe. It certainly explained why the gas was lit but not hot enough for the cooling system as not enough gas was flowing trough the jet onto the burner.
Hope this helps.
By the way. I installed dunlop air suspension on the back axle last year and could not believe the difference.
If your van is sagging and getting blown about by trucks and is a struggle with roundabouts, don't even think twice. Fit air suspension, they're the king!! I got them from marcleleisure.co.uk
Happy Tramping
Denis Mc Donnell
[U][B][I]
Just Joined up.
Just thought I'd share my experience with my fridge. We have a 1998 Hymer Swing 644. Original Electrolux/Dometic RM 4281, 3 way fridge. Pretty standard fridge really.
We were away during Christmas in Kerry and the fridge didn't really cool properly on gas. I noticed this last summer in France but wasn't a big deal as we were hooked up most of the time.
Anyway it was working fine on mains and 12v.
The gas was lighting, although taking maybe 20 seconds to ignite. The fridge stayed lit but didn't really cool.
I trawled the internet for a solution. This is what I did.
1. Removed Louvre panels (top & bottom)
2. Removed small metal box covering the burner
3. Lit the fridge and checked the flame. It was burning blue but a bit miserable. When I adjusted the temperature control in the van, the flame didn't change. Hmmmmmm.
4. Turned off and disconnected the gas & battery
5. Bought a flue brush in B&Q. It was the smallest one they had for some household flue or something. €9.00.
6. Took off the top T-Bar and bits from the top of the flue
7. Removed the baffle from inside the flue. Its a wire about 1 foot long with a bit of twisty metal in the end.
8. Disconnected the burner from the bottom of the flue.
9. Shoved the flue brush from B&Q down inside the flue from the top and gave it a good clean. Soot, dust and rust came out the bottom accompanied by the emaciated remains of a fly.
10. Took the burner assembly apart taking care to note the position of the sparking electrode and the thermocouple. I took a photo with my phone to remind me.
11. I blew around the burner with compressed air. For this I used a 12v pump that I carry in the van and I sellotaped a straw to the end of end for some precision work!
12. Again bits of rust etc came out.
13. At this stage I wasn't convinced that the cleaning I had done was enough to improve the efficiency of the fridge as I didn't think enough soot, rust etc came out.
14 Then I decided to disconnect the burner unit from the copper gas line. BINGO!
15. The gas line was almost completely blocked with a kind of black powder, almost encrusted. Remember, this is in the copper gas line itself, not in the jet and burner unit. I did not touch the jet as the hole for this is precisely set so do not be tempted to stick a needle in it. Use compressed air for that.
16. Anyway, back to the copper gas line. I got a tiny panel nail and gently poked the crusty stuff and began to dislodge it, tapping the pipe to get it to fall out. The black crusty stuff went back the pipe for about half a cm. I used my handheld 12v hoover from the van, again equipped with a straw to hoover all the stuff out from the back of the fridge and pipes.
17. I began to reassemble everything. The long wire holding the baffle inside the flue was almost perished so I made a new one from a clothes hanger. However I am going to order a new one from leisureshopdirect.
18. Everything back together except the box covering the burner.
19. Connect and switched on gas and Hey Presto, Lit up wit first spark.
20. I examined the flame. Strong, powerful blue flame belting up the flue. Even heard a bit of gurgling of the chemicals getting agitated.
21. I turned down the dial on the fridge and the flame duly responded.
22. Left it for 2 hours and checked the fridge - lovely and cold, freezer nicely incing up.
23. Turned everything off.
24. Got up this morning and fired it up before going to work and put a bottle of water in.
25. Checked it this evening, 8 hours later and I could hardly drink the water it was so cold. In fairness though, I did have it whacked up full.
There you have it. Working better than ever. I have no idea what the black stuff clogging the gas pipe was so I rang a physicist friend of mine. He said it could be bacteria in the gas or a fungus or something reacting with the copper where the copper pipe and different metal of the burner and jet meet.
I don't really know except that it had no business there! Maybe someone out there could enlighten me.
Cleaning the burner and baffle will probably suffice for most fridge that are not cooling quite as they should but its worth checking the gas pipe. It certainly explained why the gas was lit but not hot enough for the cooling system as not enough gas was flowing trough the jet onto the burner.
Hope this helps.
By the way. I installed dunlop air suspension on the back axle last year and could not believe the difference.
If your van is sagging and getting blown about by trucks and is a struggle with roundabouts, don't even think twice. Fit air suspension, they're the king!! I got them from marcleleisure.co.uk
Happy Tramping
Denis Mc Donnell
[U][B][I]
Liked by: Louis
