level refrigerator
OK, I have seen this on here before but I cannot find the answer. How many degrees each direction can your fridge be off and still be safe? I think it's 3 degrees one direction but I don't know which ...
Forum Discussion
Use a bubble level. If you're more than 1/4 out of the bubble, you're not level enough.
Your fridge depends on gravity - no compressor to keep things moving along. It doesn't take long either.
If you open the fridge door and it doesn't stay where you stop it (drifts open or closed) then you need to level up.
Three degrees is definitely too much.
From Dometic:
In an absorption refrigerator system, ammonia is liquefied in
the finned condenser coil at the top of the refrigerator. The
liquid ammonia then flows into the evaporator (inside the
freezer section) and is exposed to a circulating flow of
hydrogen gas, which causes the ammonia to evaporate,
creating a cold condition in the freezer.
The tubing in the evaporator section is specifically sloped to
provide a continuous movement of liquid ammonia downward
by gravity through this section. If the refrigerator is
operated when it is not level and the vehicle is not moving,
liquid ammonia will accumulate in sections of the evaporator
tubing. This will slow the circulation of hydrogen and ammonia
gas, or in severe cases, completely block it, resulting in
a loss of cooling.
Any time the vehicle is parked for several hours with the
refrigerator operating, the vehicle should be leveled to
prevent this loss of cooling. The vehicle needs to be leveled
only so it is comfortable to live in (no noticeable sloping of
floors or walls).
When the vehicle is moving, the leveling is not critical as the
rolling and pitching motion of the vehicle will pass to either
side of level, keeping the liquid ammonia from accumulating
in the evaporator tubing.
YMMV.
Your fridge depends on gravity - no compressor to keep things moving along. It doesn't take long either.
If you open the fridge door and it doesn't stay where you stop it (drifts open or closed) then you need to level up.
Three degrees is definitely too much.
From Dometic:
In an absorption refrigerator system, ammonia is liquefied in
the finned condenser coil at the top of the refrigerator. The
liquid ammonia then flows into the evaporator (inside the
freezer section) and is exposed to a circulating flow of
hydrogen gas, which causes the ammonia to evaporate,
creating a cold condition in the freezer.
The tubing in the evaporator section is specifically sloped to
provide a continuous movement of liquid ammonia downward
by gravity through this section. If the refrigerator is
operated when it is not level and the vehicle is not moving,
liquid ammonia will accumulate in sections of the evaporator
tubing. This will slow the circulation of hydrogen and ammonia
gas, or in severe cases, completely block it, resulting in
a loss of cooling.
Any time the vehicle is parked for several hours with the
refrigerator operating, the vehicle should be leveled to
prevent this loss of cooling. The vehicle needs to be leveled
only so it is comfortable to live in (no noticeable sloping of
floors or walls).
When the vehicle is moving, the leveling is not critical as the
rolling and pitching motion of the vehicle will pass to either
side of level, keeping the liquid ammonia from accumulating
in the evaporator tubing.
YMMV.
