suethedriver Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 We have an electrolux fridge in our new ( to us) van which has auto ignition which lights fine.. BUT when lit gives out very bad fumes inside the van . On our first outing in it a few months ago we lit it but the fumes were so bad it made us feel ill, we expected this to last for a few hours but it was the same all weeked even with a window open. Also sometimes it would go out and re ingite itself. The other gas items,hob,oven,heating were fine with a good supply of gas. We are due to go away again next weekend so i have put the fridge on now to see if it does the same whilst not having to live in it.!! Any ideas.....??? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Madge Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 suethedriver - 2007-07-14 4:01 PM We have an electrolux fridge in our new ( to us) van which has auto ignition which lights fine.. BUT when lit gives out very bad fumes inside the van . On our first outing in it a few months ago we lit it but the fumes were so bad it made us feel ill, we expected this to last for a few hours but it was the same all weeked even with a window open. Also sometimes it would go out and re ingite itself. The other gas items,hob,oven,heating were fine with a good supply of gas. We are due to go away again next weekend so i have put the fridge on now to see if it does the same whilst not having to live in it.!! Any ideas.....??? Thanks Sue, You need to somebody like Dave Newell to check out the system. It sounds like the flu pipe is not venting to the outside properly. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcob Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 We have slight smell of gas from the fridge, but only just before the gas runs out. Any ideas? Regards Marcob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 The asvice to have your fridge and exhaust system checked is sound and I can echo that advice. Having said that, I can probably assist a little with my experience as a gas user over several years. I rarely use electric hook-up and have used a great deal of gas over the years, mostly refillable autogas cylinders during the last four or five. LPG is odour free and therefore a stenching agent is added to it at the processing stage in order that the consumer is able to detect its' presence by detecting the smell. Like the above posters, I have found that occasionally the exhaust will smell particularly bad when you are nearing the bottom of a cylinder. With my refillable cylinder I have found that this can accumulate over several refills so that it is almost unbearable to burn the contents due to the overpowering smell given off at the exhaust and even in the area of gas control knobs etc. where the gas passes before ignition. In this situation you will notice also that things smell pretty foul also around the pipes etc when you change cylinder and you may occasionally detect it when using a hob burner at very low flame level. I have been advised that the stenching agent can accumulate in the bottom of a cylinder, especially after several refills and this will cause problems as described in the above posts. In my own case the smell from my own fridge exhaust recently became very bad and was accompanied by blackening around the exhaust as the cylinder reached a low level. I have had the total contents of my refillable cylinder purged and the problem is now solved. I should also add that I have previously experienced this bad smell at low level from a couple of Calor propane cylinders. I have (following my own advice!) had my fridge and hob system totally tested by a professional who told me that he was aware of this problem of 'stench' at low gas levels. I have also seen it mentioned occasionally in forums over the years. To repeat - this is for information only and I must advise that a proper test of your gas system be sought. A change of cylinder may very well then give you a significant improvement. Nobby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Globetrotter Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 DO NOT USE IT AGAIN UNTIL IT HAS BEEN CHECKED . I think the other replies were saying that, but I thought it important to clarify and simplify. It is potentially VERY dangerous. :'( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 How long have you had it, Sue? It should have been serviced by the seller, assuming you didn't buy privately, before they let you take it away. I'd be inclined to take it back and tell them there's someting wrong with it, and it's making you feel ill when running on gas.That apart, from what you've said, I don't think the installation has been completed properly (not unusual!), and the fridge isn't separated off from the interior of the van. It should be baffled all round so that any heat and fumes are forced to vent outside. This is a bit of a fiddle, easiest done with the fridge pulled out, but generally a job a reasonable DIYer can manage for themselves. If unsure, talk to Dave Newell, but I'd get the fridge serviced first - not because Dave can't do it, but if you bought from a dealer, you've already paid once for that job to be done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 Not the blocked up flue syndrome again?. Do a search and you will see that this has been well discussed before and the cure well documented. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 Sue: It's a pity you've omitted details of your motorhome (I presume "new (to us)" means you've no longer got your Hobby 750) or of the model of fridge, as this information might have proved significant. If your fridge itself is particularly smelly when running on gas, then it needs servicing, there is something wrong with it, or (as already been mentioned) the gas itself may be unusually pungent or contaminated. If, on the other hand, the exhaust fumes coming from the fridge are 'normal' (and that definitely doesn't mean odourless) but are finding their way into your motorhome's living area then, as Brian says, the fridge isn't hermetically sealed from the vehicle's interior. It's common practice nowadays to dispense with a fridge flue-extension linked to a separate vent or connected to the fridge's upper ventilation-grille - instead gas exhaust fumes just exit behind the fridge. (Note that this practice is fully approved by Dometic provided that the fridge is installed according to their instructions.) It's also common with large-capacity fridges to fit extra large double-height ventilation-grilles. The end result is that, if there is any opening (be it ever so small) leading from behind the fridge into the motorhome's interior and the vehicle is parked with the fridge ventilation-grilles facing into a strong wind, gas exhaust fumes will almost inevitably be forced inside the motorhome. Some motorhome manufacturers appear to make only a token effort to isolate the rear of fridges from motorhome interiors, but it does need saying that (despite Brian's optimism) it can be a devil to achieve a 100% effective seal and still remain able to remove the fridge for maintenance/repair. My own Hobby has a big fridge, big ventilation grilles and no flue extension, and I could detect an unpleasant acrid smell inside the 'van when high winds blew directly against the grilles. Inspection revealed that Hobby had done a pretty fair job (fitted baffles, applied sealant around cables, etc.), but it was apparent that fumes could still be forced in during windy weather through impossible-to-reach tiny apertures towards the upper-rear of the fridge. Eventually I resorted to the time-honoured ploy of inserting plastic 'sponge' into the void between the fridge's top and the under-surface of the furniture above it. This has helped considerably, though I can still notice a faint fumy smell in very stormy weather if I've parked broadside to the prevailing wind. (Incidentally, I believe recent Dometic fridges maintain their internal temperature by switching their gas-burner off and on automatically, rather than use a constantly-burning pilot-flame system. Anyway, that's what my fridge seems to do!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suethedriver Posted July 15, 2007 Author Share Posted July 15, 2007 Someones a good detective !! yes we did have a hobby 750 but sold that in December.... Reason for not giving make of new van is because...... its a caravan !!!! but dont like to admit it.!!!!! Sold motorhome to fund property purchase in Portugal but still love this country too so had to comprmise unfortunately. ( please forgive me & also for posting in motorhome section, but you lot are FAR more helpful ) Anyway... thanks for the advice. The vents seem ok and we are going to try a NEW "propane" gas bottle. Explainations above seem logical. When recalling the last trip it was quite cold and the blue gas bottle did not like it and therefore my hubby kept going out & shaking it regularly to get a flow !!!! so it all fits into place now. I have had the fridge on now overnight and it did not smell at all this morning ( blue gas) ( summer??? ) so fingers crossed the new propane will do the job even better as it wont freeze. Thanks. :$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek500 Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 We bought our van new last year and after a month or two we started getting a 'bad eggs/sulpher' smell coming out of the external vents and to a lesser extent inside the van as well. Our dealer booked an appointment for us, under guarantee, to the Dometic service centre, who said the problem was the 'burner jet'. They replaced it and no smells since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laikaman Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 We have just had the same prob, on taking the van to our local man who diagnosed dirty burners inside the fridge which he cleaned, and also, because the flame had not been burning correctly the flue had soot in it this was wire brushed out - get it checked professionally Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.