Ok to run refer at an angle if on electricity?

[thealexdexter]

My driveway is at an angle maybe 8 degrees. Think it's ok to run the refer if on AC? Not sure if it's always level or just on propane it must be level.

[Sam_Spade]

dougrainer wrote:
if you had been reading on some Internet forum from people that have no clue that 120 does not have to be level. That is one of the oldest fallacies out there on RV refer operation. Doug

That's a bit confusing.

ALL refrigeration units need to be level; even home A/C units but for slightly different reasons (efficiency).

As posts in this thread have clearly shown, RV units need to be near to level regardless of what they are powered by.

[dougrainer]

thealexdexter wrote:
Haven't heard that one Doug. I was just trying to be informed.

I have been around too long:) In years past, you would get someone asking your question and someone would post you do not have to be level on Electric. Doug

[thealexdexter]

Haven't heard that one Doug. I was just trying to be informed.

[dougrainer]

thealexdexter wrote:
Dougrainer I asked the question thinking it might a different mechanism to cool when running on AC that would not have a level requirement. Obviously not the case.

Thinking of a heater. Runs on propane or could use electric resistance coils. Both completely different things with different requirements. Fridge not so much it seems.

The reason I asked was to find out if you had been reading on some Internet forum from people that have no clue that 120 does not have to be level. That is one of the oldest fallacies out there on RV refer operation. Doug

[dougrainer]

Sam Spade wrote:

2oldman wrote:
I'm sure the link above explains it.

It does and the ammonia goes from liquid to gas and back.....but without actual compression.....and that's why it is still the refrigerant of choice in this kind of application.

VERY informative link. A link to a complete article is almost always better than just a few snipped pieces.

I found these parts good:

Running the refrigerator while driving eliminates the leveling issue altogether;
in most cases, there is enough rocking motion while traveling down the highway
to keep the contents flowing through the system without the fear of overheating.

Though a blocked percolator tube is but one cause of rendering a cooling unit faulty,
by far the largest cause of unit failure today is due to leaks in the tubing,

the best thing any RVer can do to protect the refrigerator is to always get it
as level as possible when it's in operation with the coach is sitting still,

Emphasis is mine.

I guess you have your answer. The Blockage is as hard as a weld and that is why Burping/Vibrating will NOT fix a blockage. In the OLD days(30 years ago) Dometic used to rebuild the blocked Cooling units. Rebuilders do that today. They have to cut out the upper tube assbly where the blockage is and weld a new tube in place, since you CANNOT remove that hard weld like blockage. Doug

[Sam_Spade]

2oldman wrote:
I'm sure the link above explains it.

It does and the ammonia goes from liquid to gas and back.....but without actual compression.....and that's why it is still the refrigerant of choice in this kind of application.

VERY informative link. A link to a complete article is almost always better than just a few snipped pieces.

I found these parts good:

Running the refrigerator while driving eliminates the leveling issue altogether;
in most cases, there is enough rocking motion while traveling down the highway
to keep the contents flowing through the system without the fear of overheating.

Though a blocked percolator tube is but one cause of rendering a cooling unit faulty,
by far the largest cause of unit failure today is due to leaks in the tubing,

the best thing any RVer can do to protect the refrigerator is to always get it
as level as possible when it's in operation with the coach is sitting still,

Emphasis is mine.

[2oldman]

Sam Spade wrote:
Regardless if the refrigerant is ammonia or Freon, it is a gas at room temperature and a liquid when compressed.

And RV refers do not compress, they rely on gravity and reasonably level coils to operate properly. I'm sure the link above explains it.

[LarryJM]

Sam Spade wrote:

dougrainer wrote:
It will also keep working and cause a blockage that in time will accumulate until the refer will not cool adequately at all. The Damage is cumulative(spelling).

OK gotta ask:
Just exactly WHAT gets blocked

The Boiler tube.....

and what DOES the blocking ??

Sodium Chromate that has crystallized out due to over heating in the boiler tube due to inadequate circulation from improper leveling to ensure proper flow of the ammonia mixture.

Regardless if the refrigerant is ammonia or Freon, it is a gas at room temperature and a liquid when compressed.



How does this "cumulative" blocking happen ??

The crystallized sodium chromate will not redissolve into the ammnonia mixture so the process is cumulative and non reversible

Larry

[red31]

deleted

[wnjj]

Sam Spade wrote:

OK gotta ask:
Just exactly WHAT gets blocked.....and what DOES the blocking ??

Regardless if the refrigerant is ammonia or Freon, it is a gas at room temperature and a liquid when compressed.

How does this "cumulative" blocking happen ??

When the gravity-fed circulation slows too much it can overheat the refrigerant, which includes a rust inhibitor that crystallizes when overheated.

http://www.rvdoctor.com/2001/02/rv-absorption-refrigeration-cooling.html

[Sam_Spade]

dougrainer wrote:
It will also keep working and cause a blockage that in time will accumulate until the refer will not cool adequately at all. The Damage is cumulative(spelling).

OK gotta ask:
Just exactly WHAT gets blocked.....and what DOES the blocking ??

Regardless if the refrigerant is ammonia or Freon, it is a gas at room temperature and a liquid when compressed.

How does this "cumulative" blocking happen ??

[DrewE]

sch911 wrote:
8 Degrees is really not that much. Rule of thumb is a maximum half bubble out of level.

You might find it interesting to take a level and a protractor out sometime and observe how far out 8 degrees is; it's a pretty significant slope. New wheelchair ramps, per ADA specifications, can have no more than 5 degrees slope. RV fridge makers often specify a maximum angle of perhaps 2 degrees or so (with some variation between models and makes and for front-to-back vs. side-to-side slopes, so consult your manual rather than taking 2 degrees as truth).

If I were parked on an 8 degree sidehill, I compute that I would need to stack five or six layers of 2x4 ramp on the low side to get my class C level. If it were a front to back hill, it would of course take a lot more cribbing since the wheelbase is a good bit longer than the track.

[Kayteg1]

In refrigerator heaters have the same principals as in water heater or furnace.
But heat in this case is mid-step and has to be converted to ammonia circulation that cools the food.

[thealexdexter]

Dougrainer I asked the question thinking it might a different mechanism to cool when running on AC that would not have a level requirement. Obviously not the case.

Thinking of a heater. Runs on propane or could use electric resistance coils. Both completely different things with different requirements. Fridge not so much it seems.

[dougrainer]

Kayteg1 wrote:
I experience that once running, the fridge will keep on working even when tilted quite a bit.
But it will not start.

Yes, it will "keep" working, but not at the same rate as level. It will also keep working and cause a blockage that in time will accumulate until the refer will not cool adequately at all. The Damage is cumulative(spelling). Every time you run off level, it adds a little more to the blockage until one day it does not cool correctly. That is why it is important to turn the refer OFF when traveling and you stop at times and the refer will not be level for more than 20 minutes or longer. Those little stops add to the blockage. In Transit, the rocking motion of the refer will allow the Ammonias to percolate when off level on hills and inclines. AS to your statement it will not start-----YES IT WILL, it may not cool but it is starting that blockage. Doug