Flue cleaning Thetford fridge

[The Rum Runners]

I was thinking it’s about time I had a go at cleaning the flue on our Thetford N3160 3 way fridge. I’ve read up, in general, on how to do this. I had a look at the top of the flue that is well below the top vent and I can’t even squeeze my hand down to it. I need to get the cap off and remove the heat diffuser wire before rodding but have no idea how the cap is held on. I’ve read that it’s easier to slide the fridge out a bit for better access but it’s looks like mine is silicones on the back edge so I don’t really want break that. Anybody else done this job or have any ideas? We’re in Guernsey with no access to any motorhome mobile techs etc.

 

[Adriaadventure]

Just removed my Thetford N4000 fridge ( almost identical to N3000 range and in fact was a direct replacement for the original N3175 unit which failed/lost its gas and was changed under warranty ) in order to fit a temperature-controlled 12v fan under the finned assembly.
After removing the bottom grill on the outside you need to disconnect the Gas pipe to the fridge ( turn off the gas supply first ! ). Loosening the gas valve support screw gives enough movement to disconnect the gas connection.
Unplug the 12v and 240v plug/sockets that lay in the bottom under the gas pipe/gas valve.
Remove the 6 white screw caps and screws on the inside front of the fridge/freezer ( 3 screws on each side ).
The fridge is not normally bonded to the frame, there is just a sponge sealing strip right round the inside of the frame ( stuck to the inside of the frame - not the back of the fridge unit ) so the fridge can easily be pushed forward from outside the MH.

Its a good idea to arrange a flat support at the same height as the bottom of the fridge so it slides out straight onto a support platform without dropping down as this would damage the pipework attached to the back/bottom of the fridge.
Having a level support at the right height also avoids any lifting of the fridge.

The exhaust/chimney cap is just pushed on.
Under the cap is a wire hook, hooked over the side of the exhaust tube which allows the baffle spiral inside it to be lifted out for cleaning if required.

Hope this helps

 

[The Rum Runners]

Thank you for your description. Any idea how often it needs doing? We’ve probably used the moho for a total of about 12 months, always off grid so using gas for the fridge whilst we’re stopped.

 

[Adriaadventure]

I have not seen the time between servicing stated anywhere but has been mentioned by several German full-timers on our travels that it needs cleaning out every 3 - 6 months minimum !.
Perhaps someone knows the right answer ?
That's quite a chore with these 'inacessible' fridges, even had a truma engineer moan several years ago when we had a gas jet assembly changed at a motorhome show.
On the positive side the burner and exhaust pipe diameter on newer tall fridges are much larger and I would think far less likely to suffer blockages than the older models, particularly smaller fridges. The N3000/4000 range gas burners are like Saturn V rockets roaring away.

 

[The Rum Runners]

Again, thanks for the info. Last we used the fridge back in October 19 it was performing fine so I’ll leave it for a while since it’s not a simple job.

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[dalspa]

Some years ago, following being on a large aire with a lot of dust blowing in the strong winds, we experienced fumes from the fridge burner. When we got home I remover the burner to find a tiny piece of grit in the flame. While I had got it stripped down I had a go at cleaning the flue. Unscrewed the top cap, removed the spiral and then found that a pipe bending spring was just the right size to fit the flue. I tied a piece of string to the hook on the spring and lowered it down the flue and pulled up. Repeated this a few times. This dislodged much soot, being caught in a plastic container at the bottom. Before finishing I wrapped insulation tape around a portion of the spring so as to be a near tight fit and used this to polish the flue. All worked fine after this.