Refrigerator Flame

[joraz]

1997 Norcold Model 982

I just bought this rig with the above frig. I intend to replace it with a residential but am using it for now. (on a 3,500 mile trip) Just to be safe, before we left I installed an ARP device and cleaned the burner and orifice.. Anyhow, it works as it should with a nice blue flame EXCEPT the flame kind of spits. i.e. as if it momentarily loses its gas supply. It continues to cool but I can hear a continuous shhh-t-shhh-t-shhh... from inside almost like a perculator. From the outside I can see the flame stutter. The only adjustment I see is a little air shutter but it doesn't seem to make any difference.

I should add that the other LP devices (water heater, 4 burner stove and furnace) work fine. Any ideas? Thanks.
jor
Just noted something. If I blow gently into the burner area the flame behaves properly. It's like it's running a little rich or something. It's cooling OK but it can't be efficient with this flame behavior.
jor
Just noted something. If I blow gently into the burner area the flame behaves properly. It's like it's running a little rich or something. It's cooling OK but it can't be efficient with this flame behavior.
jor

[joraz]

Thanks to all. When I fix this I will post.
jor

[Gjac]

After you clean the tube as previously suggested and the if the flame still flickers try putting a flat screw driver tip over the burner slots to adjust the air to fuel ratio. If the flickering stops you need a new burner. What I found as the burners get old and rust and you clean them with a wire brush the slots get wider and the air to fuel ratio is off and cause the flicker.

[big_jim_2]

I talked to several people that are very experienced with propane they all told me if everything else works it is not the regulator. I replaced the burner orifice and as I said it works perfect. I had what I thought was a nice flame before but as soon as I replaced the burner I could hear the difference. Let us know the fix!

[wolfe10]

Without checking propane pressure (spec is 11 column inches of water-- easy to measure with even a homemade manometer) we are just speculating.

[joraz]

Since other appliances operate, I doubt you did a good job on the orifice cleaning. Sputter is either orifice or lack of LP volume which is an orifice problem. Doug

Thought I did, anyhow. I've done the procedure in the past and never had this problem. Maybe I'll buy another burner as another poster suggested or give it another cleaning (along with the tube) when we get home.

Regarding the lack of LP volume, do you think this could be caused by the regulator at the tank? I suspect it is the original. Thanks.
jor

[dougrainer]

1. There is NO adjustment for the Air/fuel mixture
2. Since other appliances operate, I doubt you did a good job on the orifice cleaning. Sputter is either orifice or lack of LP volume which is an orifice problem. Doug

[big_jim_2]

You can play around with the burner trying to clean it but what is much simpler and really works is just buy a new one. After 13 years my refrig. would not cool on gas but worked perfect on electric I cleaned the burner and the chimney to no avail. Someone on a web site said just buy a new burner(less than $50) after installation the overnight freezer temp. was 0 the refig.was 34 and it has worked perfect since.

[drwwicks]

Propane sometimes has oil in it and if it's in the lines, the oil obstruction could be causing momentary and partial blockage. You could try turning the gas off at the main valve, find the low spots of the lines, disconnect and run some propane through to see if any oil or obstruction comes out. After assembly be sure and check for leaks, I use a dishwashing solution and look for bubbles. I need to do the same thing because the rear propane heater is balky.

[joraz]

The orifice and tubing

Ahhh... now we're getting somewhere. I am familiar with the burner/orifice cleaning process and did a good job of that before we left on this trip but I did not even think about cleaning out the supply tube itself. This is a new one on me. Thanks for the tip.

Someone else mentioned that it could be my regulator although everything else operates well.
jor

[jwmII]

The orifice and tubing between the orifice and the burner probably need to be cleaned. The orifice is shaped like a top hat. Remove it and soak it in a cleaning fluid like alcohol and blow it out with air. Positively do not try to force anything thru the tiny orifice passage. That will ruin the part. Use compressed air and a small bottle brush to clean the gas tube between the orifice and the burner and blow out with air. Spiders are attracted to the odor of LPG and you probably have some web material in the fuel tubing. This occurs as well in the heat chamber of RV water heaters requiring the removal of the gas igniter and using a coat hanger to drag a small rag bundle thru the water heater heat chamber tube.