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tuna_fisher's avatar
tuna_fisher
Explorer
Jul 20, 2018

Absorption Refrigerator question

I know if you lay one on it's side you need to leave it upright for 24hrs. before starting it back up. Will it do any harm to leave it on it's side for a couple of weeks.
  • You don't need to wait 24 hours either, as soon as you hear the liquid stop running, you're good. In a compressor unit, you need time for the oil to get back where it belongs, the water/ammonia solution takes seconds.
    If you are laying it on its side, I would lay it on the boiler side, but even that's not really needed.
  • I guess I have to retract part of that,they do not pull all the refers out of all there trailers, as theirs a ton of them, at the end of the season,just the problem refers..If it ain't broke don't fix it.

    The forest service has real problems with there refers because some employees seem to not want to level the refers for the long stays in an area..Every year they were having to take them to the local RV guy for repair before they could use them again and he was the one that recommended it to the FS...

    So yes they do, but not all of them like I mistakenly posted as my mind was on trying to setup a safety chain on an 18" hitch extension with a blue healer puppy chewing on my ankle and pants leg..
  • jaycocreek wrote:
    In fact, if it's an older fridge, turning it up side down might be a good idea


    Sidecar has it right..Infact,the Forest service in central Idaho pulls there camper refer's at the end of the season and stores them upside down until spring.


    I never knew that. Good information to know. Mine comes out pretty easy I may do just that in the winter.
  • In fact, if it's an older fridge, turning it up side down might be a good idea


    Sidecar has it right..Infact,the Forest service in central Idaho pulls there camper refer's at the end of the season and stores them upside down until spring.
  • No. Just like a dissolved acetylene bottle, you can lay it on it's side (or in the case of the fridge) upside down for any length of time but, like the acetylene bottle it needs to be in an upright position for a period of time to allow the stuff inside to settle into it's operational position.

    In fact, if it's an older fridge, turning it up side down might be a good idea as it will allow the refrigerant to move around and if it is developing any blockage inside it may loosed the blockage. The chemical mix inside can form into a solid after extended usage.