Three way fridge problems?

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MarionK

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Ducato Cheyenne 585
Not 100% sure if I even have any problems with it, except one electric switch definitely doesn't light up.

It's fine on mains on EHU, little green light on the switch is fine too.

Not sure if it works on battery as a) the light on the switch doesn't come on, and b) as I've read that it's not good to run on battery any longer than absolutely necessary, I haven't really tried it. Is it ok to run on battery while moving? I did sort of try the other day, but I can't be sure it was working, or was just a bit cool because it was cold when we started out.

On gas, I'm not at all sure what's supposed to happen. The light on the switch works, and I can hear the ignition thing clicking, but it just keeps clicking, and so I get nervous and turn it (and the gas) off again.
Hmm, a bit more detail on what I am doing with the gas and you can tell me if it was right or not:- I flip the ignition switch so it's clicking, and I turn the gas knob to the flame position. The clicking carries on and on, and on . . . how long should I let it go on clicking before getting nervous? How do I know if it actually lit? Should I leave the ignition switch on all the time or?
 
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If it hasn't been used on gas for a long time...or ever, then it can take a while to purge all the air from the piping, or it could be a faulty thermocouple.
It won't, or should I say shouldn't run on battery without the engine running.
 
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It will only work on battery if the engine is running. It takes a signal from the alternator. The current is too high to work on the hab battery alone.

When it's on gas, the ignition will keep clicking until it senses the ignition has happened. It might take 30 seconds if it's not been used for a while. If it's an older system, I think you might have to turn the gas knob to max flame position and and press and hold it in for a while until the clicking stops. Then wait a bit longer before you release. The flame should then stay lit. If it goes out, the ignition clicking will restart. That probably means the gas has stopped flowing again. Basically, it acts just like a gas hob burner.
 
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Having had it on, on ehu, for days now, and still no frost in the ice compartment, I've realised that it works MUCH better on gas. Is there any way to improve its performance on ehu?
 
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You really need to obtain a fridge/freezer thermometer so that you can measure performance, you can get them on Amazon (y)

Cheers
Red.
 
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MarionK said:
Having had it on, on ehu, for days now, and still no frost in the ice compartment, I've realised that it works MUCH better on gas. Is there any way to improve its performance on ehu?
Click to expand...
Fitting fans at the rear of the fridge, and changing/increasing the thermo grease on the back of the fins will improve your fridges performance on all fuels.
 
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I don't know if your fridge has Automatic Energy Selection (AES), I suspect it's not, but it might help to know how that works. It selects gas if no EHU available and the engine isn't running. If EHU is available it switches to EHU, and back to gas when unplugged. If the engine is running it switches to 12V, from whatever it is running on (gas or EHU). When the engine stops, it switches to gas, with a 15 minute safety delay so the gas doesn't fire up when you stop to refuel. You could do worse than follow that if you have manual selection.

The fridge should work as well on EHU as on gas. The cooling circuit is exactly the same, the only difference is the amount of heat powering the circulation. Is it possible someone has replaced a failed EHU element with an under-powered one? You can get them in different powers for different sized fridges. It's possible to check the element power with one of those plug-in power meters. Alternatively if you can get at the wires at the back of the fridge you could measure the element resistance, and calculate the power from that.

Power = V^2 / R = 240 x 240 / Resistance.

For example, if R = 240 ohms, Power = 240 x 240 / 240 = 240 watts
If R = 480 ohms, Power = 240 x 240 / 480 = 120 watts.

You can find the correct power on the fridge label, which will probably be in an inconspicuous place inside the fridge somewhere.

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autorouter said:
The fridge should work as well on EHU as on gas. The cooling circuit is exactly the same, the only difference is the amount of heat powering the circulation. Is it possible someone has replaced a failed EHU element with an under-powered one? You can get them in different powers for different sized fridges. It's possible to check the element power with one of those plug-in power meters. Alternatively if you can get at the wires at the back of the fridge you could measure the element resistance, and calculate the power from that.

You can find the correct power on the fridge label, which will probably be in an inconspicuous place inside the fridge somewhere.
Click to expand...
There is a lot of gibberish out there, so it has taken me a while to find out that they work on heat (obvious really but early on I read ~on here I think :( ~ that the gas generated electricity >.< . . . ) Actually one of the gibberish sites said that three way fridges generated energy in three ways >.< But I digress . . . I hadn't thought of it (having only just found out how they work) but yes, I think maybe someone has messed up the heating elements. Especially remembering that the battery fuse had been replaced by a stupidly low one, and that one of the screws by the fridge is always coming loose (it's obviously been removed at some point).
 
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Very often it's possible to access what you want via the lower external vent. The gas burner and heater elements are at the back, in one of the lower corners. There is a kind of long metal can, filled with rockwool insulation, that goes around the circulation pipe. The gas burner heats that up, and the flue comes out of the top. The 240V and 12V elements are tucked away inside it, you can see the wires going into the can. There is usually a way to carefully take off the can, and the elements can be removed.

But you can check them before you get that far, by measuring the resistance across the pair of wires that come out to a terminal block. Obviously unplug the EHU, you don't want to be zapped by 240V of power.
 
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There are so many variables, but it might come down to a blown 240v element, or a kaput printed circuit board controller, or even both.

For instance, our fridge is one of the Dometic AES ones. It works brilliantly on gas or 12v, but we discovered in Feb that the 240v element was not heating up. We hardly ever use EHU, so it may not have been working for a while.

We had the element replaced on Thursday, but still no joy, so have had to order a new PCB. Luckily, they’re still available, but the bill to source and fit it is something like £450. We could have got by on gas, but I’ve got this annoying habit that means I like things to work as designed, so, hey-ho, dip into the maintenance fund.

Hope you get it working again soon.
 
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ManTheVan I too like things to work as they were intended, but if it's going to be that much just to get it working on electric, it's going to stay not working! I don't particularly need it to run on electric, the gas is more important, and that's fine, thank goodness! If the gas were to pack up as well, I'd more likely replace the whole thing, as it's somewhat the worse for age inside. :oops:
autorouter I'm probably going to leave it for the mechanic/motorhome guy, but if I get time, I will see if I can check it out that way first. Thanks. :)

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When we had afridge with 3 switches we left both the12and 240v switches permenantly on as then itautomatically works when that source is available
 
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The fridges need to be very nearly level and will not work on a bad tilt in any direction.

For some reason they work better when you set the dial to control the temperature at about 75% or showing 4 out of 5 bars lit up.
 
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MarionK said:
ManTheVan I too like things to work as they were intended, but if it's going to be that much just to get it working on electric, it's going to stay not working! I don't particularly need it to run on electric, the gas is more important, and that's fine, thank goodness! If the gas were to pack up as well, I'd more likely replace the whole thing, as it's somewhat the worse for age inside. :oops:
autorouter I'm probably going to leave it for the mechanic/motorhome guy, but if I get time, I will see if I can check it out that way first. Thanks. :)
Click to expand...
Mmm, I priced up a replacement fridge and you’re looking at about £1200 for a new Dometic AES fridge...
 
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ManTheVan said:
Mmm, I priced up a replacement fridge and you’re looking at about £1200 for a new Dometic AES fridge...
Click to expand...
Have you thought about compressor fridges? Battery/ mains, much better cooling and freezing, efficient and very low noise now apparently. I’m looking into a 115 litre fridge with freezer compartment at the mo to replace my dometic RMS 8555 ( a VITRIFRIGO , C115i).

if you have good solar and a couple of good leisure batteries, may be worth considering?
 
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Pusscat said:
Have you thought about compressor fridges? Battery/ mains, much better cooling and freezing, efficient and very low noise now apparently. I’m looking into a 115 litre fridge with freezer compartment at the mo to replace my dometic RMS 8555 ( a VITRIFRIGO , C115i).

if you have good solar and a couple of good leisure batteries, may be worth considering?
Click to expand...
Would certainly consider compressor if a replacement is needed, but I do like the ability to run on gas.

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Had trouble with our gas fridge after the winter but this sorted it. Hope it helps someone else.
 
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ManTheVan said:
Mmm, I priced up a replacement fridge and you’re looking at about £1200 for a new Dometic AES fridge...
Click to expand...
Ouch! I did a quick google the other day and one to fit my space seemed to be around £800, not so sure now tho, might have been compressor fridges not 3 way. Thankfully not an issue for me at present.
Maybe one day, if I go in for electric stuff, solar etc. in a big way, I might be interested in compressor fridge but not atm.
 
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Pusscat said:
Have you thought about compressor fridges? Battery/ mains, much better cooling and freezing, efficient and very low noise now apparently. I’m looking into a 115 litre fridge with freezer compartment at the mo to replace my dometic RMS 8555 ( a VITRIFRIGO , C115i).

if you have good solar and a couple of good leisure batteries, may be worth considering?
Click to expand...
Agree entirely, I hate these 3 way condenser fridges and have just inherited one in an old Auto-sleeper. Expensive, unreliable and hot on gas. Modern compressor fridges are much better and they appear to offer more volume inside for the same external dimensions but of course require 12v power all the time (from 230v via charge controller on hookup).

I’m going to change mine as soon as I find the cash. The old van doesn‘t have solar (but might get it) but it does have a fairly respectable 120AH leisure battery which should run the fridge during comfort breaks etc. Moreover I have never stopped somewhere overnight that doesn’t have electric hookup (I like my comforts!) so it’s the right solution for me. Dometic do them and this company…

Campervan and Motorhome Archives - Penguin Refrigeration

Campervan and Motorhome Portables, Fridges, Freezers, Top Opening, Drinking Water Filters & spares. 12/24v DC Compressor & Vitrifrigo Spares. Optional solar
penguinfrigo.co.uk penguinfrigo.co.uk

P.S. Have you seen the price of gas!
 
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Landy Andy said:
Fitting fans at the rear of the fridge, and changing/increasing the thermo grease on the back of the fins will improve your fridges performance on all fuels.
Click to expand...
I've had 2 fans fitted - works a treat but....had to switch them off when we wanted some fan free sleep. 😃
 
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