redpen Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I have a Ford Autosleeper Amethyst with an Electolux RM6271 refrigerator. On recent visit to France and during hot weather, the fridge when on EHU had a job keeping the contents cool, let alone cold. ( I do prefer cold beers). Even had some milk curdle well before its useby date. Had to switch over to gas to bring the temperature down. It was noticeable that when on gas the heat coming from the outside vent was considerably more than when it was running on EHU. Have not had this problem on EHU in this country and wondered whether the continental elec supply is that different to ours? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Probably the Frog supply:D we had a similar problem at Christmas parked up at the sister in laws in Brittany, we had a low voltage fire on all the time and with the fridge, I don't think there was enough oomph to charge the leisure battery as at the first aire we stopped at on the way South had no ehu, and by morning our nearly new battery was very low*-) But it soon picked up:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Yes I concur with Penman......its those dastardly French bu$$ering about with the supply! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ris Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 When parked up in France in hot weather we remove the fridge vents and during the day have a fan blowing on the intake vent. Then no problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Often on French sites the supply can be as low as 190 V or less even at full 230 V fridges aren't as efficient as when running on gas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 If you don't have the manual, try here: http://tinyurl.com/68s5qx8 Check the installation against the manual, with particular reference to sealing around the rear, the clearance between van wall and rear of the fridge on page 19, and the baffle: B on page 18, called a deflector plate. Unless these are correct, the fridge cannot perform adequately. It is possible the mains heating element has become misaligned, and is causing poor performance. (I doubt the element is faulty, they tend either to work, or not, like electric kettle elements.) This is out of sight on the large riser tube of the cooling element at the back of the fridge. However, you should be able to feel it. Disconnect mains first, check wiring for mains feed, and follow this to element. Allow to cool before doing this, as they run very hot! When you feel it, it should be tight to the riser. If not, try to push it into contact with the riser. The elements are replaceable, and clip on to the riser. However, my money is on the installation being duff, because they so commonly are badly installed. Hot weather soon reveals this. French electricity smells a little of garlic, but is otherwise identical to UK electricity. :-) In rural areas the voltage is sometimes down a bit, but not sufficiently to upset a 130W heater element. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vernon B Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Doubt it's the power supply. Three suggestions. 1. Check that the aluminium cooling fins at the back (inside) of the fridge are screwed firmly in place. 2. You can overload fridges - remove a few non beer items 3. If the ambient temperature behind the fridge is 30C + you need to fit a cooling fan behind the top vent. Dometic do one. V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onecal Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Hi,Check out the installation of fridge,"Not correct if you can see light coming through around the sides, with the vent covers removed", also as Brian points out the heating element has not worked loose.Check all connections to the heating element for corrosion when cool and all power supply disconnected for safety. Low voltage below 190V will cut out the heating element and should switch over to gas. There may be a little switch on your model over the display card that may have been turned off during cleaning. Regards,Brendan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 If it works fine in the UK on ehu then you will know its the French supply;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Brian Kirby - 2011-07-06 6:51 PM French electricity smells a little of garlic, but is otherwise identical to UK electricity. :-) In rural areas the voltage is sometimes down a bit, but not sufficiently to upset a 130W heater element. I always thought it smelt of drains - that must be reverse polarity French electricity then! B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onecal Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Hi,If the voltage drops below 190V it will switch out, and then it should switch over to gas,I think you may find poor installation with high ambient temperature more of a problem.Regards,Brendan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGD Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 It's the high ambient temperature. You and your fridge are from the UK, and thus are not used to warm dry weather - and you aren't able to cope with it. Most of the continental Europeans have an additional fan behind the fridge that kicks in at high temps (30 degrees plus?) to help the fridge cool when on EHU. Our ex-French MH had such a feature. Like others, I have found gas cooling to be better than EHU, so maybe switch to gas when it gets properly warm outdoors if your mains cooling can't cope with actual warm weather? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 As above, too high ambient temperature or not exactly level, we experience exactly the same thing. I'm about to do as I did with my last van and fit a switch able computer fan behind the top grill ( making sure of course it's the right way round ) All the explanation you need is here, a very good read..... http://www.a-tconsulting.co.uk/caravan_tech/fridges.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkc Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Just a long shot but I once owned a caravan that where the entrance door practically blocked off the fridge vents when the door was clipped back in really hot weather, never gave trouble in more temperate conditions, not sure of your vans layout, but like I said, a long shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 onecal - 2011-07-06 11:44 PM ...If the voltage drops below 190V it will switch out, and then it should switch over to gas...Regards,Brendan This would only be true if the fridge were of the 'smart' type (AES or SES in respectively Dometic/Electrolux or Thetford terminology). Otherwise - as in this instasnce - the fridge would need to be switched manually to gas-operation. An RM6271 fridge SHOULD tolerate a fair degree of tilt and still operate satisfactorily and it would be normal for a fridge operating from an EHU to output less heat through the upper ventilation grille than when operating on gas. If everything else is equal and a fridge works OK from a UK EHU but not from a French one, then, logically, the French EHU must be the prime suspect. Obviously, if there's a significant difference in ambient temperature UK/France weather-wise, then that would need to be taken into account. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blizzard Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 As much as all the advice passed is sound, this from Vernon is quality and is my type of advice :-D B-) Vernon B - 2011-07-06 9:21 PM ........2. You can overload fridges - remove a few non beer items Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redpen Posted July 7, 2011 Author Share Posted July 7, 2011 Thanks to all for advice. Checked out behind the grilles as suggested by Brian, all seems OK. Excellent link via 1 Foot which seems to explain my problem. Perhaps I should fit a fan for future trips.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Robinhood - 2011-07-06 10:50 PM Brian Kirby - 2011-07-06 6:51 PM French electricity smells a little of garlic, but is otherwise identical to UK electricity. :-) In rural areas the voltage is sometimes down a bit, but not sufficiently to upset a 130W heater element. I always thought it smelt of drains - that must be reverse polarity French electricity then! B-) No, no, no! :-) It's the telephones that smell of drains. Just be careful crossing the road though, 'cos it's the drain gratings that have the worst reversed polarity. Can be fatal - well, that and looking the wrong way, of course. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onecal Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Hi, Sorry , yes your fridge RM6271 now RMS8400 will not switch over to gas as it's not an AES but will cut out below 190V. You need to take into account the ambient temp in France and maybe fit a small cooling fan as suggested, also a poorly fitted fridge will not work efficiently.Regards,Brendan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesFrance Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 This is what they use in France in hot weather: http://www.narbonneaccessoires.fr/refrigerateurs/accessoires-pour-refrigerateur/turbo-frigo.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 We freeze some freezer blocks overnight and then place them in the fridge 1st thing in the morning. Take the thawed blocks out and plonk them in the freezer. Repeat 8-) It's what we have to do when we camp in France in July/Aug. Vents off is a must before you set off as far as we're concerned. We also "give it a leg up" on day one by using gas to chill it down Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Brian Kirby - 2011-07-07 7:09 PM Robinhood - 2011-07-06 10:50 PM Brian Kirby - 2011-07-06 6:51 PM French electricity smells a little of garlic, but is otherwise identical to UK electricity. :-) In rural areas the voltage is sometimes down a bit, but not sufficiently to upset a 130W heater element. I always thought it smelt of drains - that must be reverse polarity French electricity then! B-) No, no, no! :-) It's the telephones that smell of drains. Just be careful crossing the road though, 'cos it's the drain gratings that have the worst reversed polarity. Can be fatal - well, that and looking the wrong way, of course. :-) ....that's not the gratings, that's the reverse polarity traffic! Bl**dy fr*gs! B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gocro Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 OOPS SORRY I was wandering about the site and forgot I was looking at old stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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