Refrigerator and fueling?

[svjim]

OK, to begin with I never pull into a fueling station without first turning my propane refrigerator OFF. The safety of doing this has been discussed elsewhere and not the subject that I am inquiring on.

I have a domestic dmr702 and the question I have is "If while the refrigerator is running if the battery is disconnected, is the propane then shut down to the refrigerator immediately?"

The reason for this question is that I have a TC and the refrigerator is in a push out which means before fueling, we stop, lower the the steps and push the slide out far enough to allow us to gain access to the refrigerator and turn it off. Then the slide has to be pushed back in before entering into the pumping station. After fueling we exit the pumping station and repeat the process to light the refrigerator.

I had been thinking that having an on off switch for the refrigerator that was accessible from the exterior of the camper would alleviate the need to push the slide in and out for turning the refrigerator on and off. However it has occurred to me that I have a battery disconnect already which is easily accessible from the exterior of the camper. If disconnecting the 12 volt source shuts the propane off also, then doing so is for me as good and probably better then modifying the electrical connections to install a switch.

So can anyone say with certainty that disconnecting the battery will immediately switch the propane off also?

Thanks Jim

[down_home]

The refrigerator is 30 back from the fuel doors on either side and it's diesel.
It won't explode, even if you spray the fuel way back there to the refrigerator is. Might get a fire started, very doubtful, but who in their right mind would do it.
The only time we cut the refrigerator off is when they fill the propane tank.
Propane can possible get back that far if there is a strong wind, and the window is open, which can't be done.

[austinjenna]

I guess I am in the 'I never shut them off either' club.

[marininn]

I have an older fridge that will run all day with no voltage, but the new ones will shut off gas when power is gone. Just run a toggle switch inline with the DC power is all you need to do. Cut the wire going to the fridge and splice in a new wire, run it to wherever you want a switch to be, and then run it back. This will be done on the DC power supply positive wire feed.
Any DC toggle switch from hardware store will work.

This is something that is a silly concern, but you asked for how to and not why this is a waste of time, so hope I answered,
There is very, very little chance of a fridge igniting gas fumes, esp that the fridge is in the trailer 20-30 feet from the pump and in a different vehicle altogether. Could the piezo ignition spark ignite fumes? No, you would pass out from the fumes before enough fumes go the the fridge compartment anyway.
Could the spark cause an electric current to run through the grounding wiring and throughout the trailer cord, or tow ball, and jump a spark over to the fuel pump and cause an issue? HAHA, now Im getting silly. Likely on most vehicles the gas tank opening is electrically isolated from the vehicle too.

[sele]

Tal/IL wrote:

Hmm, I guess I'm lucky I haven't been blown to bits - I've never shut off the water heater or fridge when I get fuel.

Aaaaaaaand... They're off!!

lol

[DrewE]

jackquontee wrote:
This has certainly got me thinking. I have an Aliner Expedition and wonder, if turning the fridge off, it is necessary to pop up and go inside to manually turn the fridge off, or can I simply turn of the propane tanks from the outside and that will be enough to cut supply and satisfy the need to "turn off the fridge"?

You should turn it off inside. There's no need to close the propane tank valve when refueling the vehicle; the concern is the open flame in the fridge, and the sparks from the igniter.

As to how much of a safety hazard leaving it on is, I won't venture to guess. However, in most if not all states, it's the law to extinguish all open flames when refueling, so it seems to me it's a moot point if one wishes to operate on the up-and-up. Likewise, it may not be very much additional danger to leave the engine running when refueling (particularly modern vehicles with solid-state ignition systems), and putting gasoline into non-approved portable containers may be perfectly safe in many cases, but it doesn't really matter because the law generally prohibits those activities as well.

[Boon_Docker]

That would shut the burner down, but the fridge would try and re-lit. With no propane supply it would go into lock out and would not automatically re-lit when you turned the propane back on.

[jackquontee]

This has certainly got me thinking. I have an Aliner Expedition and wonder, if turning the fridge off, it is necessary to pop up and go inside to manually turn the fridge off, or can I simply turn of the propane tanks from the outside and that will be enough to cut supply and satisfy the need to "turn off the fridge"?

[subcamper]

I don't turn off the fridge propane because my fridge is on the other side of the trailer and about 30 feet back from the fuel filler on the Suburban.

The OP said he has a TC, so the fridge might be right over the fuel filler on his truck. If that were so, I might consider shutting off the propane temporarily.

That said, gasoline vapors are heavier than air (as someone already mentioned). Typical building codes for a garage say that any gas heater must be at least 18-24 inches off the ground to prevent igniting gas fumes that might come from a car. So a fridge a few feet higher than a filler neck probably would have a very low chance of igniting the gas fumes.

My opinion is that it's very unlikely to happen but the chance is not zero.

Steve

[elidodge]

Love my diesel

[RinconVTR]

One has to be darn close to a gas spill for fumes to be ignited from a source feet off the ground.

I leave mine on and never, ever worry about this.

Let's be real. There is a better chance of having a car accident while towing than igniting gas at the pump from my fridge running.

[Crabbypatty]

Ive never turned it off. The TV is way up there and the TT is way back there.Never an issue.

[CavemanCharlie]

3oaks wrote:

BTW there are no vapors around gas stations any more. The EPA is even going to nixgas pump boots because all vehicles have built in vapor recovery unit.

No vaprors around? Definitely not true. All vehicles? I don't thing so.

I even still see a lot of gas pump nozzels without the boots you refer to. And what about the gas fumes while people are filling portable gas cans for their generators and lawn mowers, ATVs, etc.? Plus occasional spills from careless people over filling.

I believe fires or explosions from fumes igniting are very rare, but the hazards remain.

I've never been out of MN, SD, or IA in years. But, I have never seen the boots you are talking about except on Television in CA.

[2oldman]

Propane on while driving Feb 2016
Propane when driving-refer blow up? Oct 2015

Fridge on at gas stations May 2015
Fridge while driving Apr 2015
Fridge while driving Oct 2014

Fridge on, gas on, fires june 2011
Fridge while driving August 2010

Fridge on fueling shootout 2011
Fridge on driving July 2011

[DallasSteve]

Is this also a concern while pulling a trailer or only with a motorhome or camper?