how do I ..... (1 Viewer)

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movan

movan

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Thank you everybody who has taken the time to post to try and help me. I will take up every suggestion given and I really appreciate it.... it can be difficult sometimes not having someone to bounce off when things seem to be going wrong. You are all amazing Funsters. Thank you again.. (PS going to Aldi Lidyl tomorrow @bigfoot ) xx
 

Jack Russel

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We use a compressor fridge and diesel heating.

Our 6kg gas bottle lasts us a season. We are away at least once a month and recently had five weeks in France only using sites for eight nights.

Our next MH won't be having a gas fridge either.
 

Sallytrafic

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Hoorah for this thread I am about to go to Amsterdam and will be away about two weeks, all off ehu. So after I read this thread I casually looked when I bought the last propane: 16th May. How many days on gas (counting only ⅔ when driving for the most part) 22⅔ and then weighed my 11kG Flogas to see how much left Arghhhh 1.6kg. So just been to get a new one, thanks for saving my bacon.

Oh and my average consumption is 9.4/22.7 just over 400g per day. just my fridge and kettle and hob cooking plus two times heating up the water for showers. I think the average might be little less because we don't drive for eight hours a day and when we stop on goes the fridge and kettle so if I ignore the driving and only count half days when we start or finish it comes to 25 gas days and 375g per day.

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Sallytrafic

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We use a compressor fridge and diesel heating.

Our 6kg gas bottle lasts us a season. We are away at least once a month and recently had five weeks in France only using sites for eight nights.

Our next MH won't be having a gas fridge either.

My last one had a compressor fridge and so will my next!
 

CWH

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OK: Tech/mech question now. (Sorry @movan but you know how one question leads to another .....)
What's the alternative(s) to a compressor fridge and what's the difference/ pros & cons please?

EDIT - I found this so I now know how compressors work!
http://www.explainthatstuff.com/refrigerator.html
 
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movan

movan

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I am pleased that you asked that @CWH I was wondering too.

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Sallytrafic

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Well your fridge at home is most probably a compressor fridge (my brother has a gas fridge but his kitchen was fitted out by the man who did Noah's Ark. ).
So instead of heating a fluid and letting it condense to produce cooling it compresses a gas and lets it expand to produce cooling.
Pros and cons of compressor fridges:
Cons: more expensive initially, makes a noise when motor running, heat at radiator more difficult to vent, must have 12V.
Pros: doesn't use up your gas, works just as well travelling as parked, more efficient, doesn't suffer gas problems like sooting up or failure of flame detection safety device, you can leave it on when on a ferry.
 
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CWH

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Thank you @Sallytrafic , that's really helpful (y)

Are you saying that a compressor fridge can ONLY work on electric? ("must have 12v")
 
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Jan 28, 2008
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yes compressor fridges run on 12v i cant see how they are any more or less difficult to disapate the heat than a 3 way if you use vents for both
 
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Puddleduck

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We do this, even though on HU, great to not waste any hot water, and ready for drinks or washing up. We have a Thermos 1.7 flask and I'm amazed for how long it keeps the water really hot.

Hope you get it sorted soon Movan. :happy:

Even do the thermos thing at home :)

As we don't drink normal tea or coffee but the herb / fruit type or hot chocolate or bovril the water in the thermos doesn't need reboiling.

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TheBig1

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there is a "very limited" way to check for a gas leak. turn off all gas appliances turn the cylinder off for 1/2 hour then listen closely as you turn back on again. a hissing sound means the pipes are re-filling, so the pressurised gas in the pipes is going somewhere. repeat the test regularly
if it sounds like you have a leak, get it tested and inspect ALL the gas pipes and connectors
 
Aug 6, 2013
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A pressure test is really the only way to be certain. There are numerous joints throughout the gas pipework and leak detection spray is only useful if you have a rough idea of where to look. A pressure test is very simple to do and shouldn't be expensive. I went through all this a few years ago on my last van: increasing gas usage for months (even when parked on my drive and not in use). One day I was examining the rear tyres when I got a strong smell of gas traced to the OS rear wheel arch. Inside & above that area were the shut-off valves for the various gas services and all the pipes leaving the valves came out into the top of the wheel arch just inside the lip of the skirt. The body hole had been sealed with silicon & when I pulled it away the pipes inside it came away too - they'd all rotted inside the silicone blob. All that was left was crunchy pipe-shaped rust. Steel pipes in wheel-arch + road salt + 20-odd years of use had seen them off.
 

Minxy

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I know some have been suggesting putting the spare boiling water in a thermos of some sort but ... why not just boil enough for your immediate needs in the first place!

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swanseajack13

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JOY . do not use soapy water on any gas pipes or fittings,from a gas safe engineer a little knowledge and bang if you can smell gas turn it off and get it checked out , you could use a match and your van would be all over wales only joking get it checked out lol still lol ray
 

Puddleduck

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I know some have been suggesting putting the spare boiling water in a thermos of some sort but ... why not just boil enough for your immediate needs in the first place!

I boil the kettle when I have free electric from the solar pv panels at home -in effect free boiling water.The hot water in the thermos can then be used later in the day when the sun is no longer strong enough to provide enough power for the kettle and I'd be buying electric from the grid :)
 

Sallytrafic

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Well the heat comes out of a chimney structure in a Absorbtion fridge (3 way) and a flat panel on a compressor fridge. For
Thank you @Sallytrafic , that's really helpful (y)

Are you saying that a compressor fridge can ONLY work on electric? ("must have 12v")
Well it can work on what ever you use to power the motor but 12V is normal.

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Sallytrafic

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Should have been 'Absorption' in the above post ..... and have you noticed that fridge has a 'd' in it but refrigerator hasn't :whistle:
 

Techno

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You can use the edit function for up to 60 minutes Frank

EDIT just seen you previous post was Wednesday :LOL:o_O
 

Scattycat

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Yep, the thermos thing works well. We make a pot full in the morning and it usually stays hot until the evening.
As far as gas detection goes I bought a small pen type unit off e-bay.
It only cost about £14 and well worth the money

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