Refrigerator problems in Spain (1 Viewer)

[rosalan]

With temperatures up to 40c it was no surprise that it was not able to match the cool we get at home. Combined with much dust and vibration, the gas component failed.
Near Malaga we tried to get it sorted but the specialist from Granada failed to turn up and as the electric worked we booked in to campsites (sadly).
We then booked in to HISPAVAN near Vera. We could not have gone to a better place. Speaking English, even on the phone, they have a Dometic specialist who very quickly diagnosed our problem as dust and a hidden disconnected cable. 30 euros later we were on our way.
He gave some unexpected advice... When it is very hot, over 30c, turn down the temperature setting to 2, as the extra heat from higher settings only aggravates the problem of cooling.
Over 30c the fridge will not perform well anyway without a fan drawing the heat out from the top vent. Finally, parking with the sun on the fridge side is asking for problems.
Hispavan are agents for many vans with first class facilities.

 

[Alistair33]

I have wondered about the extra heat from turning up the fridge.

Sadly today at Roses on the Costa Brava, it's not an issue, rain and currently 14c !

 

[sedge]

We were told that by the local Dometic engineer yonks ago. No. 2 or 3 max he said, which we've stuck to ever since and it's worked fine. Bearing in mind I travel with insulin which fails once it spends much time out of the fridge and it has to last several months to keep me alive (without it costing us any Euros or becoming an emergency) - a working fridge is fairly essential !

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[Silver-Fox]

a working fridge is fairly essential

Out of interest do you travel with a cool box as a back up?

 

[gus-lopez]

Yes they are a decent business.

 

[sedge]

Out of interest do you travel with a cool box as a back up?

No. Insulin keeps OK at 'normal' room temp for up to 28 days. In heat it goes off quicker - and a friend has found that Apidra goes off a lot quicker for her than either Humalog or Novorapid does for other people. However - we are pump users and she always conceals hers underneath clothing whereas I keep mine on the outside or in a pocket, so further away from trapped body heat.

Never an issue with pens - because you'd just use a Frio for them permanently anyway without a fridge. (the in use ones and the spares in another, left in the darkest coolest place you can find at your base for the holiday) The only extra thing anyone needs once they buy the Frio is daily access to cold water. Mind - I've never had to last longer than one month using Frios.

It's not that any insulin user will die immediately anyway, at least not in civilised places with doctors and shops - we always have time to find a GP, see him and get a prescription then find the pharmacy and get it filled no prob. Just have to have the money to pay for it is all - which if anyone ever is going abroad however they go etc etc - if you can't afford emergencies happening - well you shouldn't go, should you! LOL

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[Madcaravanner]

We have had a fan fitted to our fridges for almost 15 years (first in the caravan and now in Maxine the motorhome) it is the same fan (a brushless 12V computer Turbo fan -not a flat one but a meaty one ) it has been running for almost all off that time and right now we are in Benidorm it has yet again kept our fridge temperatures down well below their normal rates the freezer is running at around -17°C.
I would recommend it is you can fit one it's a simple fix of two core 12v wire an in line fuse and a switch with the fan fixed to the top vent with four small cable ties through small holes drilled in the vent.

Though apparently only works with compression fridges not the newer absorption type

 

[rosalan]

I do not carry a cool box, although it could prove invaluable at times. As with many vans, space is always at a premium.

 

[JockandRita]

Over 30c the fridge will not perform well anyway without a fan drawing the heat out from the top vent.

We are in Calpe Alan, and have installed a USB fan to the inside of the top grill, as a temporary measure for now. We turn it on as and when, and it seems to be doing the job.

Glad to learn that your problems were sorted for you.

We were told that by the local Dometic engineer yonks ago. No. 2 or 3 max he said, which we've stuck to ever since and it's worked fine. Bearing in mind I travel with insulin which fails once it spends much time out of the fridge and it has to last several months to keep me alive (without it costing us any Euros or becoming an emergency) - a working fridge is fairly essential !

I wasn't aware of the above advice from the Dometic engineer, but it does make sense, and having experimented a bit in the heat lately, I too have found that the No2 or No3 position seems to be the best.

Just have to have the money to pay for it is all

Although not insulin, the last time we looked online for prices, Rita's twin pack injection pens (Humira) were priced at £900 per pack. Not sure it it would be available from a Pharmacy in France/Spain/Portugal, on production of a prescription. We do carry a small cool bag which would keep the pens cold for several hours, if the fridge started to fail.

I also carry common spare parts for our Electrolux AES fridge/freezer, (burner, igniter, jet, and thermo couple), and am happy to carry out repairs.

Cheers,

Jock.

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[Chas17]

With temperatures up to 40c it was no surprise that it was not able to match the cool we get at home. Combined with much dust and vibration, the gas component failed.
Near Malaga we tried to get it sorted but the specialist from Granada failed to turn up and as the electric worked we booked in to campsites (sadly).
We then booked in to HISPAVAN near Vera. We could not have gone to a better place. Speaking English, even on the phone, they have a Dometic specialist who very quickly diagnosed our problem as dust and a hidden disconnected cable. 30 euros later we were on our way.
He gave some unexpected advice... When it is very hot, over 30c, turn down the temperature setting to 2, as the extra heat from higher settings only aggravates the problem of cooling.
Over 30c the fridge will not perform well anyway without a fan drawing the heat out from the top vent. Finally, parking with the sun on the fridge side is asking for problems.
Hispavan are agents for many vans with first class facilities.

Passed your comment to my nephew who is the servicing/engineering manager at Hispavan

 

[sedge]

Good grief Jock! I'd seriously consider investing the couple of quid on a Frio - you can get all sorts of sizes from a few inches to 'pretty big' depending on the size of what you intend to keep in it. You buy em direct and they've been in business for well over 20 years so they ARE reliable.

Other thought is the common or garden vacuum flask !

 

[bungy]

We are in Calpe Alan, and have installed a USB fan to the inside of the top grill, as a temporary measure for now. We turn it on as and when, and it seems to be doing the job.

Glad to learn that your problems were sorted for you.


I wasn't aware of the above advice from the Dometic engineer, but it does make sense, and having experimented a bit in the heat lately, I too have found that the No2 or No3 position seems to be the best.


Although not insulin, the last time we looked online for prices, Rita's twin pack injection pens (Humira) were priced at £900 per pack. Not sure it it would be available from a Pharmacy in France/Spain/Portugal, on production of a prescription. We do carry a small cool bag which would keep the pens cold for several hours, if the fridge started to fail.

I also carry common spare parts for our Electrolux AES fridge/freezer, (burner, igniter, jet, and thermo couple), and am happy to carry out repairs.

Cheers,

Jock.

Hi Jock,

im on that humira stuff too, and was told no probs out of the fridge for 14 days but couldnt remember the specifics so went hunting..

"can i store humira at room temperature?

• Yes, if needed, for example when traveling, HUMIRA may be stored at room temperature up to a maximum of 77°F (25°C) for a period of up to 14 days with protection from light
• Never store HUMIRA in extreme cold or extreme heat, or in direct sunlight
• Keep track of the date you removed HUMIRA from the refrigerator by marking it on the carton and dose tray in the space provided
• Once taken out of the refrigerator for room temperature storage, HUMIRA must be used within 14 days even if it is put back in the refrigerator. If not used within 14 days, the HUMIRA should be discarded"

usefull website

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[JockandRita]

Good grief Jock! I'd seriously consider investing the couple of quid on a Frio

Sorry @sedge, having looked up "Frio", I'm still not sure what you are recommending.

Hi Jock,

im on that humira stuff too, and was told no probs out of the fridge for 14 days but couldnt remember the specifics so went hunting..

"can i store humira at room temperature?

• Yes, if needed, for example when traveling, HUMIRA may be stored at room temperature up to a maximum of 77°F (25°C) for a period of up to 14 days with protection from light
• Never store HUMIRA in extreme cold or extreme heat, or in direct sunlight
• Keep track of the date you removed HUMIRA from the refrigerator by marking it on the carton and dose tray in the space provided
• Once taken out of the refrigerator for room temperature storage, HUMIRA must be used within 14 days even if it is put back in the refrigerator. If not used within 14 days, the HUMIRA should be discarded"

usefull website

Thank Darryl.
That's fine with one injection pen, but if the whole batch are subjected to the extremities of temperature, (high or low), then they as a lot, have to be discarded after 14 days. Rita still has 4 x pens left (2 x months supply), so it is imperative that we maintain these pens at the correct temperature, especially whilst we are away in the MH.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[olley]

Frio
https://shop.diabetes.org.uk/store/...G2OofZL-gPLw_qesTefY_gL1KeQgkoYEzmxoCqbTw_wcB

 

[JockandRita]

Frio
https://shop.diabetes.org.uk/store/...G2OofZL-gPLw_qesTefY_gL1KeQgkoYEzmxoCqbTw_wcB

Thanks Olley.

The Spanish Google search didn't come up with anything close to that.

Cheers,

Jock.

Edited........... Just read the blurb on the Frio wallets and bags. No good for us, as the Humira has to be stored at temperatures of 3-10 degrees celcius.

"The FRIO has been independently tested and certified regarding its effectiveness and it can be reactivated simply by placing in water when required and used repeatedly. It will keep in-use insulin within safe temperatures of 18-26°C (64.4-78.8°F) for a minimum of 45 hours, even in a constant environmental temperature of 37.8°C (100°F)."

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[PeteH]

Those of us who are not diabetic, like me, would not appreciate the urgency of need, however I, like others I think, would be pleased to offer frig; space for such a need in an emergency.

I had an issue on a US camp site in Texas in Summer!. 104+90% humidity!. I had my frig/freezer stuff spread over 3 R-V`s, and the site owners freezer, for over 36hrs until I got to grips with the issue, (controller had gone down, and replacement was 24hrs by Fed-ex).

Bagged ice in the "Salad" Box, helps too.