Refrigerator burner question

Question

I just had the cooling unit in the refrigerator replaced and it runs good on electric but when I switch to gas, after only 2 or 3 minutes, it smelled like the motorhome was going to burn down. I immediately switched back to electric. I pulled the back cover and the burner cover and found the baffle (flame spreader) visible below the flue. I don’t remember it being that way before the repair. It also looks like the bottom of the flue is burnt.

See photo

Is this right, normal?

chris_bryant · Answer

Yes- the wire holding the baffle has rusted or broken. Most should be a couple of inches above the flame. Give a model number and we should be able to come up with a measurement or part number for the baffle.
That looks like a side by side, or the photo is reversed.

fulltimers · Answer

Thanks ChrisYou are right.  It is a side by side.  Dometic NDR1292.Do you think they installed it wrong when they replaced the cooling unit the other day?Is it possible to get to it and correct it by removing the roof vent?

dougrainer · Answer

Fulltimers wrote:Thanks ChrisYou are right.  It is a side by side.  Dometic NDR1292.Do you think they installed it wrong when they replaced the cooling unit the other day?Is it possible to get to it and correct it by removing the roof vent?There is a wire that holds that 4 inch long spiral baffle. The odds are they did not secure the top end in the hole at the top of the flue to keep it from falling down. That smell is normal on LP for a new cooling unit. It will go away in a few hours. Doug

fulltimers · Answer

Yeah I understand there is a smell associated with new cooling units but this was intense and as you can see in the photo the end of the flue is pretty burnt.

fulltimers · Answer

I got the shop to come out to my location and fix the baffle.  He removed the roof vent and there was just enough room to reach down and grab the wire the baffle is attached to.  Fortunately the baffle was still attached and he just pulled it back up into the right position inside the flu and secured the wire.  It took about 2 days to burn off the smell though.

Forum Discussion

Refrigerator burner question

About Technical Issues

Related Content

Refrigerator Questions

residential refrigerator upgrade question

Cast iron burner question

Refrigerator Question/Discussion

Refrigerator question