Caravan fridge

clivvy · 03-06-2010, 17:22

Hey guys, we are still tinkering away with our caravan. I know nothing about caravans, but I'm learning. Now, grudges, silly question, but how do they work? Let me explain my silly question. We are going to leave the van plugged in thus weekend, so that we can use the fridge at the weekend. I've plugged in the mains electric, turned it on and the small compartment is very cold to touch, but the larger compartment isn't very cold at all. There's no sound either, so I'm not sure how a caravan fridge is meant to work!? Any tips also, on making sure the fridge is operating correctly, and safely?

Cheers!

Deleted account DD · 03-06-2010, 18:27

Caravan fridges are designed to be silent so dont worry on that score.

As a very simple rule of thumb to check its ok, make sure the van is level, set the system to mains and run it up overnight or a a similar amount of time at or near max.

The ice box will cool quite quickly (means the leccy is getting to it

) but the main will take longer.

But if the main compartment isnt cold after working overnight its not working properly. Over time these things "run out of " refrigerant gas and will fail.

clivvy · 03-06-2010, 19:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by daved

Caravan fridges are designed to be silent so dont worry on that score.

As a very simple rule of thumb to check its ok, make sure the van is level, set the system to mains and run it up overnight or a a similar amount of time at or near max.

The ice box will cool quite quickly (means the leccy is getting to it

) but the main will take longer.

But if the main compartment isnt cold after working overnight its not working properly. Over time these things "run out of " refrigerant gas and will fail.

Perfect, thats EXACTLY the information I was looking for! As it happens, the ice box is very cold, and now the main is about 2 degrees, so its working, yay!

solarman216 · 03-06-2010, 20:34

Caravan fridges work on the absorbtion cycle using amonia as a refrigerant, there is no motor or pump, the system simply uses heat to circulate the gas/liquid, the only things to go wrong are the 12 volt and 240 volt elements can fail (replaceable) the gas heating side is not likely to give many problems, and the other fault is loss of gas, this system is actually very efficient and reliable, the only other problem is some times the insulation over the heating part of the system deteriates or falls off, it is very important that this insulation is in good order and in place, it will not work well without it, so if yours is working but not too well, then worth checking the insulation, Rick

clivvy · 03-06-2010, 22:43

i know this sounds daft...but im not sure what working well is for one of these. lets put it this way, temp was down to 2 degrees late afternoon, and the freezer bit seemed to hit zero or below, so I figure thats wokring well, and no gas is lost etc...

have left it running over night so will see again tomorrow, if all ok, will give it a damn good clean and get some drinks in it for Saturday!

Deleted account DD · 03-06-2010, 23:51

2 degrees in the main and ice in the small comp sounds good to me

Isnt a domestic fridge supposed to be around 2 or 3 degrees? cold enough to preserve stuff but not cold enough to start freezing

Enjoy the drinks

lacroupade · 04-06-2010, 06:49

Thats what I love about life on this forum.....decisions, decisions, decisions.

Whether to sit and watch some magnolia paint dry, or read a thread entitled "Caravan Fridge".......

.............................................

Deleted account DD · 04-06-2010, 12:10

heathen

just wait unti the questions start rolling in about yuppy puppy tents and we'll all go errrr........offski

TONUP · 04-06-2010, 12:11

The fridge on our van has a removable cover on the outside vent, which must be used when external temeratures reach freezing. Have you checked to make sure yours hasn't got one, and if it has that it is removed.

Alan

clivvy · 07-06-2010, 21:20

I dont think mine has one...er...on the out side, I have two vents, I figure one is for gas ventiliation, and the other for the fridge itself??

(RIP) PLANK · 09-06-2010, 23:35

they basically use the temperature drop from rapidly expanding gas to work (Boyles law) it's the same process that cuases ice to form on the outside of propane cylinders used for high drin applications. If you could list the make and model it would help!

It sounds as if it is working Ok to me, though i have know them when working at optimum levels and set to very cold to be able to make ice cubes from tap water from start up in less than 45 mins, as another posting said - very good. But not all that temperature stable, controlable or energy efficient, it's why we don't use the same process in domestic fridges.

If you want to be even more confident you can allways check there are no obstructions in the flue, as they can get cobwebs etc over winter. And of course check there is no acumulated dust etc underneath the fridge to get drawn upwards by the current of warm air caused by the flame.

Another thing i have replaced on these is the gas jet which usualy costs under a tenner. But it does sound like yours is working pretty well

mine on the other hand is acting up on mains so i will have to take it out an tinker

clivvy · 10-06-2010, 08:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by PLANK

they basically use the temperature drop from rapidly expanding gas to work (Boyles law) it's the same process that cuases ice to form on the outside of propane cylinders used for high drin applications. If you could list the make and model it would help!

It sounds as if it is working Ok to me, though i have know them when working at optimum levels and set to very cold to be able to make ice cubes from tap water from start up in less than 45 mins, as another posting said - very good. But not all that temperature stable, controlable or energy efficient, it's why we don't use the same process in domestic fridges.

If you want to be even more confident you can allways check there are no obstructions in the flue, as they can get cobwebs etc over winter. And of course check there is no acumulated dust etc underneath the fridge to get drawn upwards by the current of warm air caused by the flame.

Another thing i have replaced on these is the gas jet which usualy costs under a tenner. But it does sound like yours is working pretty well

mine on the other hand is acting up on mains so i will have to take it out an tinker

Thanks for the tips. We had it running on mains for 3 days, and it kept everything nicely chilled. We cant use gas right now as its disconnected due to refitting kitchen! The caravan is an Elddis Wisp 350/2, so only a little one, and its very old, 1989. good nick for age, but we are fitting new bathroom with electric loo (still havent found correct 2 core cable for it!!) and fit new kitchen. We have had to repair damp at the back you see. Theres a bit of damp to fix down the side where the rail runs from the door, and we THINK a bit at the front but it may just be the results of a previous fix. Other than that its actually dry as a bone, and smells like a caravan. The fridge itself is a Thetford I THINK, i'll check!

jims-terrano · 10-06-2010, 10:31

Thought it was Electrolux who made caravan fridges?

Clivvy what's the problem with the cable?

Jim

clivvy · 10-06-2010, 12:08

I'm not sure if the older ones were Electrolux but I'll check tonight.
The problem with the cable is I don't know which cable I need to wire it in, I know I need 2core, and I believe the toilet is 3amp, but I have to wire directly to feed so need a fuse as well...

rayf3262 · 10-06-2010, 17:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by clivvy

I'm not sure if the older ones were Electrolux but I'll check tonight.
The problem with the cable is I don't know which cable I need to wire it in, I know I need 2core, and I believe the toilet is 3amp, but I have to wire directly to feed so need a fuse as well...

Most 12v fridges use around 120W at 12V (roughly same as both headlights). So.. 120W is around 10 Amps, suggest you use cable rated at least twice that and fuse the fridge at 15~20 Amps.
If the cable run is an appreciable length then I would go for at least 30 Amp plus rating on the cable.

03-06-2010, 17:22	#1
clivvy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Huddersfield Vehicle: Terrano 03 LWB Posts: 6,947	Caravan fridge Hey guys, we are still tinkering away with our caravan. I know nothing about caravans, but I'm learning. Now, grudges, silly question, but how do they work? Let me explain my silly question. We are going to leave the van plugged in thus weekend, so that we can use the fridge at the weekend. I've plugged in the mains electric, turned it on and the small compartment is very cold to touch, but the larger compartment isn't very cold at all. There's no sound either, so I'm not sure how a caravan fridge is meant to work!? Any tips also, on making sure the fridge is operating correctly, and safely? Cheers!

03-06-2010, 18:27	#2
Deleted account DD Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 4,705	Caravan fridges are designed to be silent so dont worry on that score. As a very simple rule of thumb to check its ok, make sure the van is level, set the system to mains and run it up overnight or a a similar amount of time at or near max. The ice box will cool quite quickly (means the leccy is getting to it) but the main will take longer. But if the main compartment isnt cold after working overnight its not working properly. Over time these things "run out of " refrigerant gas and will fail.

03-06-2010, 20:34	#4
solarman216 Off road maniac Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Bexhill on Sea Vehicle: Y60 Patrol Me, 3 ltr Mrs Posts: 17,432	Caravan fridges work on the absorbtion cycle using amonia as a refrigerant, there is no motor or pump, the system simply uses heat to circulate the gas/liquid, the only things to go wrong are the 12 volt and 240 volt elements can fail (replaceable) the gas heating side is not likely to give many problems, and the other fault is loss of gas, this system is actually very efficient and reliable, the only other problem is some times the insulation over the heating part of the system deteriates or falls off, it is very important that this insulation is in good order and in place, it will not work well without it, so if yours is working but not too well, then worth checking the insulation, Rick

03-06-2010, 22:43	#5
clivvy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Huddersfield Vehicle: Terrano 03 LWB Posts: 6,947	i know this sounds daft...but im not sure what working well is for one of these. lets put it this way, temp was down to 2 degrees late afternoon, and the freezer bit seemed to hit zero or below, so I figure thats wokring well, and no gas is lost etc... have left it running over night so will see again tomorrow, if all ok, will give it a damn good clean and get some drinks in it for Saturday!

03-06-2010, 23:51	#6
Deleted account DD Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 4,705	2 degrees in the main and ice in the small comp sounds good to me Isnt a domestic fridge supposed to be around 2 or 3 degrees? cold enough to preserve stuff but not cold enough to start freezing Enjoy the drinks

04-06-2010, 06:49	#7
lacroupade Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: All hail to the Glove of Love... Posts: 9,212	Thats what I love about life on this forum.....decisions, decisions, decisions. Whether to sit and watch some magnolia paint dry, or read a thread entitled "Caravan Fridge"....... .............................................

04-06-2010, 12:10	#8
Deleted account DD Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 4,705	heathen just wait unti the questions start rolling in about yuppy puppy tents and we'll all go errrr........offski

04-06-2010, 12:11	#9
TONUP Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: England Posts: 755	The fridge on our van has a removable cover on the outside vent, which must be used when external temeratures reach freezing. Have you checked to make sure yours hasn't got one, and if it has that it is removed. Alan

07-06-2010, 21:20	#10
clivvy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Huddersfield Vehicle: Terrano 03 LWB Posts: 6,947	I dont think mine has one...er...on the out side, I have two vents, I figure one is for gas ventiliation, and the other for the fridge itself??

09-06-2010, 23:35	#11
(RIP) PLANK Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Central England, in the Heart of the Black Country Vehicle: T2 2004 TDI SE LWB Posts: 7,740	they basically use the temperature drop from rapidly expanding gas to work (Boyles law) it's the same process that cuases ice to form on the outside of propane cylinders used for high drin applications. If you could list the make and model it would help! It sounds as if it is working Ok to me, though i have know them when working at optimum levels and set to very cold to be able to make ice cubes from tap water from start up in less than 45 mins, as another posting said - very good. But not all that temperature stable, controlable or energy efficient, it's why we don't use the same process in domestic fridges. If you want to be even more confident you can allways check there are no obstructions in the flue, as they can get cobwebs etc over winter. And of course check there is no acumulated dust etc underneath the fridge to get drawn upwards by the current of warm air caused by the flame. Another thing i have replaced on these is the gas jet which usualy costs under a tenner. But it does sound like yours is working pretty well mine on the other hand is acting up on mains so i will have to take it out an tinker

10-06-2010, 10:31	#13
jims-terrano Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: UK Posts: 12,965	Thought it was Electrolux who made caravan fridges? Clivvy what's the problem with the cable? Jim

10-06-2010, 12:08	#14
clivvy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Huddersfield Vehicle: Terrano 03 LWB Posts: 6,947	I'm not sure if the older ones were Electrolux but I'll check tonight. The problem with the cable is I don't know which cable I need to wire it in, I know I need 2core, and I believe the toilet is 3amp, but I have to wire directly to feed so need a fuse as well...