Altitude Effects on Fridge?
I have been camping in northern California for the last two years with my 2001 Bigfoot camper. I have a Dometic fridge that I assume is from the same time frame (I bought the camper about two years ag...
Forum Discussion
Geewizard wrote:Old-Biscuit wrote:
Cooling unit is SEALED and under high pressure (300# Plus)
NO..altitude does not affect fridge as in 'low ammonia' etc.
Low ammonia means LEAK and then there is NO ammonia/hydrogen gas etc
Altitude does have affect on fridge cooling......thinner air----fuel rich...cooler flame for heating
What's a person to do?
Well there isn't a 'high altitude kit', there isn't an 'air shutter' to adjust air ....fridge has fixed air inlet based on propane gas flow/pressure.
Need to check that burner flame is strong,steady, blue.
If yellowish/lazy then need to get more air to burner.
Remove lower vent cover and see if flame improves.
I disagree. There is, more or less, a "high altitude kit" for Dometic refrigerators. It's called a burner orifice. They are easy to remove and replace as needed for higher altitude operation.
Dometic nor Norcold or even Atwood 'market' a high altitude kit.
(Except for a Dometic-Serval)
Correct changing orifice sizing is how you can change the fuel delivery.
But do you use a #58, a #43 or maybe a #39 :H
Conversion charts don't even go low enough.....large fridge uses a 2200 btu/hr. (18 orifice) Charts start at 10,000 btu.
Suburban does market a high altitude kit for their 6 gal and larger size water heaters.....they all use the same 12,000 btu burner.
The high altitude kit is the orifice they use in their 3 gal/8000 btu burner
So yes..you can change out orifices IF you know which one to use.
