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
Old-Biscuit wrote:SidecarFlip wrote:
First off, Ammonia fridges don't slowly die. they die from the ammonia solution leaking out from corroded piping and if they 'spring a leak', you'll know right away because one, you will smell it and two, you'll see it. The solution as it leaks will leave a yellow stain (usually around the lower part of the boiler, which is the sulfur in the refrigerant solution. That is a rare thing.
Ammonia fridges CAN die a slow death....without ever leaking
Off level operation disrupts the gravity flow of coolant, that causes overheating issues, sodium chromate crystallizes (anti-rust inhibitor---yellowish residue when a leak occurs).
The crystals plate out on inside of tubing causing more overheating, more plating etc.
Damage is accumulative......slowly dying cooling unit
20 minutes off level can cause this......
You beat me to it...... in fact that is what happened to mine. Over time the piping got clogged and reduced the effectiveness. That is one of the reasons that you buy a new cooling unit, the other is for rusting out and the ammonia leaking.
