Dometic Fridge In Hot Climes (2 Viewers)

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Yorick
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Thanks for very valuable information.

Leccy it is from now on.


PS. I only ever used gas once anyway and it used 3kgs overnight.
 

DBK

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Assuming you do have a couple of vents behind the fridge, which you will need even if running it on electricity, then I think all you need to do is improve the sealing around the sink. It doesn't have to be totally air-tight but if you were to cut a bit of plywood so it fitted around the sink snugly and fixed that to the vertical divider between the cupboard on the right and the fridge I am sure it will be safe to run on gas.
 
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Yorick
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Assuming you do have a couple of vents behind the fridge, which you will need even if running it on electricity, then I think all you need to do is improve the sealing around the sink. It doesn't have to be totally air-tight but if you were to cut a bit of plywood so it fitted around the sink snugly and fixed that to the vertical divider between the cupboard on the right and the fridge I am sure it will be safe to run on gas.
When it came, the top 2 panels were fixed in place. I took the right side one off to sort the plumbing and left off as the fix was often and it created an extra shelf. The left is off just so the fridge can have more ventilatin.

There is only one vent outside :(

Only leccy from now on :)

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magicsurfbus

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Yorick - I fully agree with The Big1 on what he says above, and I'm no fridge fitter. The burner at the base should be pulling air ONLY through a bottom vent to the outside and the flue should be sending fumes to the outside ONLY through a top vent that has a rear panel blocking it completely from the air space above the fridge, otherwise CO fumes may re-enter the van. Removing the panel above the fridge door is definitely not advisable if it's on gas. I also notice you appear to have polystyrene wall insulation behind the radiator fins where there should be a vent, so that's not going to help heat escape - quite the opposite.

If it used 3 Kgs of gas overnight you should be wondering if there's a leak in the pipework. On one rare occasion the brass fitting on my gas gauge actually split (possibly with -16 degrees cold overnight) and when I unknowingly put the heater on to warm it through the leak drained the best part of 13Kg bottle. Fortunately it went down the safety vent in the gas compartment and didn't ignite on anything.
 

TheBig1

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When it came, the top 2 panels were fixed in place. I took the right side one off to sort the plumbing and left off as the fix was often and it created an extra shelf. The left is off just so the fridge can have more ventilatin.

There is only one vent outside :(

Only leccy from now on :)

View attachment 71180 View attachment 71181
That is your current issue in a nutshell, the "vent" shown is only an exhaust flue. there is NO ventilation for the fridge at all from outside. you need to get the fridge refitted properly with air vents cut into the van side wall. otherwise the fridge cannot work correctly even on electric
 
OP
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Yorick
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I had to cut 2" hole behind driver's seat into the space behind the fridge. Will this be enough ventilation to run on leccy?

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DBK

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This isn't a very good picture as it shows only one of the vents behind our fridge but it does show the sort of sized vent which is needed. The vent is the dark grey rectangle below the number plate. Above the number plate and hidden from view behind the back box is an identical vent. Basically, air is drawn in at the bottom, is warmed as it passes over the fins of the condensor then escapes out of the top vent. The flue or "chimney" for the gas is next to and part of the top vent. Without vents like these the fridge is really going to struggle.
P6170352.JPG
 

Lenny HB

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Thanks for very valuable information.

Leccy it is from now on.


PS. I only ever used gas once anyway and it used 3kgs overnight.
I think hou neeed to stop drinking it,. A fridge that size should only use 100-200 gms in 24 hours.
 

Abacist

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That is pretty horrifying! So unsafe and very dangerous.

I also advocate the installation of carbon monoxide alarms.

Yorick - look at any caravan or commercially produced motor home and you can see the 2 rectangular fridge vents, one above the other.

Your fridge will will work much better with proper external vents and then be safe to use with gas but also get a carbon monoxide alarm!

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Aug 6, 2013
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That is pretty horrifying! So unsafe and very dangerous.

I also advocate the installation of carbon monoxide alarms.

Yorick - look at any caravan or commercially produced motor home and you can see the 2 rectangular fridge vents, one above the other.

Your fridge will will work much better with proper external vents and then be safe to use with gas but also get a carbon monoxide alarm!
On some the lower vent is through the floor behind the fridge so can appear to have no lower vent. The upper vent is always visible though.
 
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2657

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I am not an expert but I do not think that it is necessary from a safety point of view to have the working part of the fridge sealed from the interior, obviously the gas burner exhaust has to be sealed and properly vented as is the case in Yorick's example.

Instructions for fitting into a VW campervan are given on this site; Link Removed

The relevant part being:
"
The Dometic recommended fitting for any Dometic/Electrolux fridge can be found atLink Removed. This may not suit VW campervan owners (particularly owners of classic vehicles) that do not wish to cut out 2 large holes of 450mm * 150mm on the outside of their van.

To work around this many VW type 2 owners vent the fridge internally, with a large vent in the floor at the back of the fridge. The floor vent needs to be of an adequate size of about 250mm x 100mm. To prevent water, debris or animals coming up through the hole, you would need to cover the hole over with some kind of wire mesh and an aluminium/stainless steel tunnel cover underneath to allow air to come up through the floor.

For the internal ventilation, you would remove the bottom panel from the fridge and use the provided metal grill above the fridge. A minimum of 15mm at the back of the fridge, more if possible, to allow plenty of cold air to flow around the back of the fridge.

Important Gas Flue

This MUST be fitted externally to allow unburnt LP gas to escape from the exhaust."

In this case the fridge is not sealed to allow cooling ventilation through the floor opening and into the van.

Obviously this is not as good for cooling as two larger external vents, hence the problems.
 
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Minxy

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Yorick ... I am absolutely HORRIFIED at the installation of the fridge in your van! I suggest you get it checked by a qualified LPG gas engineer and until you do, please do not EVER attempt to use it on gas again! I appreciate that you have a 'home' conversion (we used to have an ambulance we converted so I know things don't always look the same as a MH converter one) but that is just downright dangerous! As for your mate taking it out and checking it ... not sure what his qualification/expertise is but please don't rely on him again ... some things are just not worth risking! Having had a fire in a MH due to a fault on some gas pipework (dealer fitted no less) you should never ever underestimate the effect of escaping gas and if you are getting through 3kg of gas in one night with your fridge then there is something seriously wrong!

As the fridge is badly fitted, it also makes me a bit concerned about any other gas appliances you have in your van ... and even the rest of the 'installation' such as electric etc.

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Minxy

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This is a photo of our PVC which show the fridge vents - as our fridge is mounted at waist level in our van they are higher than usual (makes it much easier to retrieve stuff though which is great!).
185_9b.jpg
 
OP
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Yorick
Oct 1, 2013
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Thanks for all the great advice so far :)

And just by taking off the front panel, the fridge is now working OK despite the high temps :)
The solar panels should be able to cope.


And to re-iterate, I'll not be using fridge on gas anymore. Firstly for safety and secondly as there is no need now.


And I'll be fitting some proper vents when I get home :)

Cheers everybody :)

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Scattycat

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As has been mentioned on another forum.
Try turning the fridge down to halfway.
It seems to work.
Personally we've never really had a problem even when temperatures have been in the high 30's.
Always leave a fridge thermometer in the door shelf of the fridge and another in the freezer, fridge stays around 5 degrees and the freezer 18 to 20 degrees
 

Lenny HB

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Does the turning down malarkey work on 12v?
Depends on how old the fridge is, ones made in the last 8 or 9 years have a thermostat on 12v so yes, older fridges don't have a thermostat on 12v and use on 12v is to keep the temperature down while travelling but will not cool sufficiently if the fridge has not been pre- cooled on mains or gas.

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May 7, 2011
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Changing the subject , Hi Yorick, where on the continent are you, just interested as we are off 1st sept to Brittany.
 

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