Fumes! (1 Viewer)

[colyboy]

on our last trip with MH, we were getting a very strong smell of fumes which were coming from the fridge. Since we have been home I have cleaned the flue. But on closer inspection I found that there was a bit of movement of the fringe. I have since secured this but I have found minute gaps around the fridge.

I am sure I have read on this forum that these very small gaps can be filled with foam or expanding foam?

Help please.

Colyboy

 

[icantremember]

I hope you have a Carbon Monoxide detector. ....... yes fridge should be completely sealed from the interior.

I wouldn't use expanding foam as it is a pig to clean off if you need remove it any time.

 

[colyboy]

Yes we have a Carbon detector, this is what really made us aware of the problem as well as the smell.

Colyboy

Ps hoping for some other suggestions re sealing the fridge

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[MitchandJenny]

Cut some foam or sponge strips and push them in around the edges.

 

[DavidG58]

Can I suggest the fridge needs to be serviced, unless the gaps have suddenly appeared, they might be part of the fridge design and more critical than you might realise

 

[Minxy]

Depending on the size of the gaps, if they're not too large use some silicone sealant to fill them - it will give an airtight seal but can be easily removed if necessary.

As mentioned above, there should be NO gaps allowing the fumes to enter the MH around the fridge housing.

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[DavidG58]

My fridge does not have a 'seal', our Dometic tower is a snug fit held in place by screws only, I would have presumed that a correctly operating system will take all fumes up the flue

I really do not think that sealing something that was not originally sealed is the right way to sort this

 

[DBK]

As above, the fumes should be vented outside through a small pipe.

 

[colyboy]

Many thanks for every bodies help, gave the flue a good clean out and a vacuum of all the other bits, would have been better with a high pressure air hose. The fridge has now been on for at least seven hours and every thing see,ms ok. Will keep fridge on for another 24 hours to make sure and keep the carbon alarm very near.

What do they do for a fridge, service?

Colyboy

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[Minxy]

My fridge does not have a 'seal', our Dometic tower is a snug fit held in place by screws only, I would have presumed that a correctly operating system will take all fumes up the flue

I really do not think that sealing something that was not originally sealed is the right way to sort this

Taken from a Dometic refrigerator installation pdf:

Removal of flue gases The ventilation passage at the rear of the recess, between the outer wall of the vehicle and the refrigerator must be sealed off against the living space, so cold draughts are excluded (winter camping) and no flue gases can penetrate into the motorhome.
​

I suspect your 'tower' is sealed but you cannot see how - it won't be a 'seal' on show as such, but it will (or should!) be sealed.

 

[makems]

I have had to remove our Dometic tower completely a couple of times to clean the flue (the T piece at the top of the flue is not accessible any other way). On ours there is what is effectivley a draught strip at the back to seal the gap. The seal is made when the fridge is pushed completely home in its housing compressing the draught strip.
Our previous Rapido had the same fridge but no draught strip so we sugpffered draughts and occasional smells. Yours may have the draught strip missing too. I fixed it with some strip from a DIY shop.

 

[GWAYGWAY]

I had the fridge on my draughty/leaky Chausson making a strong smell and when I looked into it it needed the flue cleaning and rust removed from the pipe it was covered in soot and the jet appeared to be missing from the burner. It was running very rich indeed. The smell and fumes were coming in the vent above which was for the oven and went straight through into the bed area. I made a positive seal for the fridge box and stopped the draught through the oven . I also fitted an extension to the exhaust pipe to take the fumes to the grill and not let them loose lower down. It had had a hab service before I got it and it still had trouble. It was also the subject of some pretty CR*P design from the factory especially the oven venting to the inside, straight in and nothing forming any barrier to the outside. freezing cold in winter.

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[Neckender]

If you use expanding foam or silicone sealant you will have one hell of a job if ever the fridge needs removing.
I've used glazing tape that I had lying around and this stopped the droughts from around the fridge, or you could use foam strip.

John.

 

[Minxy]

I had the fridge on my draughty/leaky Chausson making a strong smell and when I looked into it it needed the flue cleaning and rust removed from the pipe it was covered in soot and the jet appeared to be missing from the burner. It was running very rich indeed. The smell and fumes were coming in the vent above which was for the oven and went straight through into the bed area. I made a positive seal for the fridge box and stopped the draught through the oven . I also fitted an extension to the exhaust pipe to take the fumes to the grill and not let them loose lower down. It had had a hab service before I got it and it still had trouble. It was also the subject of some pretty CR*P design from the factory especially the oven venting to the inside, straight in and nothing forming any barrier to the outside. freezing cold in winter.

Oh yes, I remember the freezing oven (or grill in our case) venting! I made a cover for the vent using an old fridge winter vent with a sufficient gap to still allow some air flow for it. The rear of the fridge itself wasn't sealed from the interior either so that ended up with silicone sealant in the gaps too, whilst the MH was great overall, this aspect of the installation was abysmal.

 

[colyboy]

Some one suggested that I should have the fridge serviced. Has any one had this done and what is involved?

colyboy

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