mikemelson Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 I have in my van conversion a Dometic RM4213S 60litre 3-way fridge. For the second year running it packed up on the continent, in France in May it stopped cooling, I removed unit & cleaned jet & burner as best I could not having access to an airline, replaced fridge, turned on, everything OK, Great! 3 weeks later, in Spain I noticed a chemical smell & the top vent was getting discoloured. But the flame was still blue & there was no smoke. I removed fridge yet again & noticed a lot of soot around burner & in the flue. I again cleaned all this out & everything was OK. Again, about 3 weeks later it packs up on gas, remove unit yet once more but this time everything is clean. I'm totally flummoxed, its burning with a blue flame which moves up & down slightly when turning the thermostat knob but it's not cooling. Someone suggested turning the unit upside down for 24 hours but as it's working OK on electricity, I can't see this making any difference. Anyone got any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Replace the jet, don't just try to clean it. That is the first thing any repair person will probably due as it so often seems to solve most gas fridge problems and if that does not fix it at least you will know what it isn't! How did you clean the jet - not with wire or anything metal or abrasive I trust? The gas jet hole is so small and so accurately drilled that any variations to it's size can have a dis-proportionately large bearing on the way it burns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Definitely do NOT invert the fridge as it is working on the other sources so the unit is not the problem. Inverting a fridge can actually block the unit as small rust particles inside the unit can become lodged where they will stop circulation, inverting the fridge can sometimes dislodge these particles if that is the problem but in your case it isn't. I would go along with tracker that you have damaged or misplaced the burner in your cleaning efforts so a strip and reassemble might be in order. Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Is there is an obstruction to the flow of combustion gas up the stack (or whatever it's called)? The fridge expansion unit must be working because your fridge is running on electricity, so it has to be something to do with gas combustion and/or the flow of gas-generated heat. If you have damaged the gas jet by making the hole bigger it shouldn't stop cooling taking place, should it? I think the gas jet assemblies are expensive so try to avoid replacing if you can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 I had a problem with my lpg hob at home, the engineer said on no account clean the rings, especially with abrasives. I was merrily wire brushing them in the assumption that this would fix the flow, but actually making it worse as the gas flow is critical, a new part is necessary. Don't take chances with gas. I was at Stanley Ferry a few years ago when a wooden boat blew up, we found the rudder. The rest was gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 The "domestic fridge" thread on Hints and Tips may help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Non-technical answer: get it serviced by a Dometic service engineer! After all, it works on electricity, so it works - in terms of being able to cool. All three energy sources use the same coolant system, and all apply heat to it to make the coolant circulate and cool the fridge. But, yours ceased doing this on gas only, for reasons unknown. You say there is a flame, but it isn't clear whether the flame is present when it stops cooling. I assume you have been unable to verify this? If it is, it would seem the flame is not consistently heating the right parts. If it is merely dying after a period of time I suppose it could, at a guess, be the thermocouple failing after time. Alternatively you have dirt/dust in the gas supply, which is blowing into the gas jet and blocking it. A further alternative is that you may have accumulated dirt and rust in the flue, which is falling down and being ingested with the combustion air to cause blockage at that point. If the flame persists is it possible that the gas burner assembly is wrongly aligned, or loose, and is simply misdirecting the heat under certain conditions? If you are fully familiar with these fridges I think you would have bottomed-out the cause by now. That you haven't suggests to me that it is time for an expert to look at it. Sorry! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harvey Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 When my fridge failed to cool properly I could see the flame burning seemingly ok. Long story short: I replaced the jet and that fixed it. Not expensive at all. Did not ever have the 'black smoke stains' though. These people and many others supply Electrolux / Dometic parts:-- http://www.leisurespares.co.uk/stock/Dometic/4-Series-Fridges/RM4213S/63/ I got my jet from a supplier near Ringwood Hants: forget name just now. HTH Harvey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Whenever I replace a jet I buy a new spare one which I in the van - buy two and be one jump ahead as the old saying goes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemelson Posted July 9, 2014 Author Share Posted July 9, 2014 Thanks for the advice, Guys. Went out this morning & bought new burner & jet, 47 quid, that hurt! But I might not have needed the new parts because when I examined the old jet it was quite dirty on the inside, so I disconnected the gas pipe at the thermostat, taped some muslin round the pipe at the burner end to see what came out & blasted it through with the compressed airline. Quite a lot of black $hit came out so this must have been the problem, obstructing the flow of gas at the jet. Fridge is back in & cooling nicely, so fingers crossed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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