Fridge Still Not Cold On Gas

[dano73]

I've posted this problem before, just an update on whats going on now. It's an older dometic 25 yrs,to be exact that works fine on ac. It seems to be fine for a few days on gas and than starts to defrost? Recently we were out for a week, dry camping.I have cleaned the burner, chimney, and replaced the regulator. This time we were good for about 4 days, freezer loads up with frost,fridge is ok,but after that we noticed the fridge getting warmer, and the next day the freezer started defrosting. I checked the burner, it was still lit, the chimney was warm, moved what I could to cooler went to bed. Normally I would have shut it off, but I left it on this time. Next morning, checked the freezer it was freezing up again!!

Now I know theres no defrost cycle in this fridge, but is there any way that the frost buildup is shutting it down?? Just a thought cause I don't know. And yes the door seals are in pretty good shape, but it has been extremely humid, where I camp. Any thoughts??

[Old-Biscuit]

SeaDog/BRR wrote:
check the baffle at the top of the boiler tube. If you blew the burner area out with compressed air it may have blown the baffle up and away. the unit will not operate correctly unless this baffle is in place

This is what a flue baffle looks like.....it hangs down inside the flue to distribute the heat from propane flame.
Some flues have a flue cap/some don't


Looking down at top of flue

[SeaDog_BRR]

check the baffle at the top of the boiler tube. If you blew the burner area out with compressed air it may have blown the baffle up and away. the unit will not operate correctly unless this baffle is in place

[dougrainer]

"Doug (Please correct me if I'm wrong) - but I believe the heat source on AC/DC is against the boiler and it's a direct heat transfer whereas the Propane the heat rises, transfers the heat to the boiler "indirectly" hence the importance of the baffle to transfer the heat to the boiler".

CORRECT. Doug

[jodeb720]

Dano,

Doug is correct. I had exactly the same problem as you. I worked fine on AC but when I ran on gas, I had warm temps (above 40-45 degrees).

It turns out my baffle had rusted out. I removed the baffle - and found the rusty part. Ordered a replacement, cleaned out the burner tube like others suggested, and fired it backed up. It worked just fine.

Doug (Please correct me if I'm wrong) - but I believe the heat source on AC/DC is against the boiler and it's a direct heat transfer whereas the Propane the heat rises, transfers the heat to the boiler "indirectly" hence the importance of the baffle to transfer the heat to the boiler.

Gas pressure is also very important, and my pressure regulator went out on my current RV and I had the same problem (I think I had some bad gas) had the tank inspected and cleaned and replaced the regulator and I've been golden ever since; However, you'd have other issues if the regulator wasn't putting out 11.5". Low stove flame height when all burners are on or the heater cycling when it shouldn't...

[dougrainer]

patperry2766 wrote:
OK...but what I do know is that there was a part missing that prevented my fridge from working properly on LP, but it worked fine on electricity. It was a little plastic valve that snapped to the end of a tube.

The ONLY way that would affect LP operation is IF the water was draining onto the LP burner area and disrupting the flame. Now, to the larger point. You stated "Electric works off a different system". Now, you had a condensation drain tube end cap installed and NOW, you state from THAT, that it is a different system???????? Doug

[Old-Biscuit]

patperry2766 wrote:
OK...but what I do know is that there was a part missing that prevented my fridge from working properly on LP, but it worked fine on electricity. It was a little plastic valve that snapped to the end of a tube.

Paying rv repairman and having a missing part installed created a 'Placebo affect'.

That plug in hose is a bug screen that goes on end of drip pan drain hose. The drip pan is under the cooling fins in food compartment.
Whether on electric or gas wouldn't matter as the fins/drip pan/drain hose and bug screen would not affect one heat source without affecting the other.

Same as thermistor (sensor in clip on fin).....affects both heating sources.

[patperry2766]

OK...but what I do know is that there was a part missing that prevented my fridge from working properly on LP, but it worked fine on electricity. It was a little plastic valve that snapped to the end of a tube.

[dougrainer]

patperry2766 wrote:
Maybe a poor choice of words on my part. If it is a 3 way, then there are different heating methods/systems for the ammonia gas depending on the source of fuel.

There is ONLY a Heat source. It is either LP Flame or a 120 element. BOTH are supplying heat at the same area. 3 way is a 3rd heat source and is a 12 volt heat element and IF you have a 3 way, the DC 12 volt element is NOT used to cool a refer but to MAINTAIN the existing temp for in transit operation where your chassis engine supplies the needed 12 volt current to keep the 12 volt element operating. Doug

[klutchdust]

I took compressed air and blew around the chimney and then up the chimney and a bunch of leaves came out. Fridge worked better and it was 106* outside.

[patperry2766]

Maybe a poor choice of words on my part. If it is a 3 way, then there are different heating methods/systems for the ammonia gas depending on the source of fuel.

[dougrainer]

patperry2766 wrote:
Electric works off a different system

EXPLAIN this statement. They operate on the same system. Doug

[Joe417]

I will assume since it's 25 years old that it's not on a slide-out. A frig on a slide needs a fan to help circulate condenser cooling air.

On a Norcold we had with a somewhat similar issue (worked sometimes) a piece of insulation was flopping back and forth in the chimney vent obstruction the air flow.

I do know if the electric element isn't sufficient wattage it will cause it not to cool correctly, so if that AC works and the gas doesn't, just guessing, if you have spider or dirt dauber nests in the burner they could be limiting the flame reducing heat output.

I've had them and couldn't see it until I removed the tube.

[patperry2766]

Electric works off a different system

[dano73]

Works fine on ac though.