Guest David Posted July 17, 2005 Share Posted July 17, 2005 Hi Guys, We have just been away for the weekend with our Caravan Club on a Rally. Out of 10 units 9 had problems getting their fridges to run on gas, (no mains on site) eventually after some time all but one worked, Any ideas. We wondered if it was because of travelling on 12v and previously been run on 240v to get the temp down. Or was it just the Hot Weather. I discovered that our new M/home first time using without 240 so used leisure battery for three days, that the Vehicle battery was flat, even though the voltmeter was showing full charge. We reckon that the control panel has been wired up back to front (being polite). David. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Derek Uzzell Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 The most likely explanation is the simplest one - that no gas was reaching the fridge burners. It sounds like you and your pals are accustomed to use your motorhomes like caravans, relying on 12v to operate the fridge while driving then immediately switching to 230v having parked at a campsite. This modus operandi results in air gradually infiltrating the gas pipework between the regulator and fridge. Air won't burn so the fridge won't light when switched to gas. However, after several lighting attempts have been made, the air in the pipework finally becomes expelled by 'new' gas coming from the bottle allowing the fridge burner to ignite normally. When I hadn't used my 'van for a while, it usually took several attempts to get the fridge to operate initially on gas. Similarly, it took a few goes to get the Truma Combi heater to fire up. When bringing leisure-vehicle gas-appliances back into service after periods of inactivity (which effectively is what you were doing), it's often recommended that all the hob burners be lit for a short period before attempting to light the fridge or heater. This action results in a high gas-flow in the pipework and assists in flushing out any air. (Also worth doing after swapping gas bottles.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jem Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 While we're on the subject of fridges. An AES fridge (Dometic or any other make) is only capable of reducing the temperature by a max of 25 - 28°c in the main part of the fridge. As temperatures in Spain,S.France and Greece etc frequently attain 35° and sometimes higher, it is obvious that the temperature behind and in the confined space above and to the sides of it flirt with 40°c and over,giving a temp of around 15°c in the fridge and making certain contents unsafe to consume. Anyone travelling to these countries in summer will have noticed that their fridge lets them down systematically. Remedies? Completely isolate the back of the fridge to ensure no air can circulate above and to the sides of it and install a double ventilator to expel the hot air (to be placed on the top air vent). This should work, as long as the van is left in the shade. Any other ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Neal Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 David Derek's little "wrinkle" is absolutely right; give it a go next time. Jem - "any other ideas?" - Yes, get an RV! I have never had any trouble with the (huge) fridge/freezers in my RVs, but that is because they are properly designed, and installed, to work trouble-free. There is nothing worse that warm beer when the weather is hot! Regards Neal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Clive Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Before attempting to light the fridge (which uses only a small amount of gas) turn on a cooker ring and light it. This will purge the system of air quite quickly. Then turn the ring off and light the fridge. Its a lot quicker! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PeteC Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Our Fridge vents into the awning & I have been told that this is wrong - cant do much except rebuild the van However! Being in the awning also means that it is in the shade, ie does not get the full heat of the day as it would if we didnt have an awning Perhaps this is why we have not had any problems running the fridge in the hot mediteranian sun. Engine batter ygoing flat Did you switch over to 'ON SITE', or leave it on 'TOURING'??? if so you may have put the van battery in parallel with the leisure battery 'Touring' puts the engine battery in parallel (to bechared from the engine when it running) with some models 'On Site' connecs the Liesure battery to the charger Yes run the hobs to expel air, we normally turn off any equipment not in use at the manifold. This seems to reduce the amount we have to expel before fridge or oven come on line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest david Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Thanks Guys, I thought this might be part of the problem. Although I have never experienced it before, ev en when having used the 12v and then onto gas when we used to be tuggers for many years. Pete. C The control unit was switched to leisure battery from the moment we left home. It is now booked in for the (experts) to look at. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ray Posted July 21, 2005 Share Posted July 21, 2005 If in doubt about the state of charge of the leisure battery, we always run the engine while lighting the refrigerater, the higher voltage obtained has usually allowed us to get (lift off) or should I say the ignition to work. We always light a ring on the cooker for a couple of minutes first. Thelma and Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Derek Uzzell Posted July 23, 2005 Share Posted July 23, 2005 Ray: You must have either an old or a non-UK-built motorhome (or your 'van's electrical system has been fiddled with). UK converters' practice of isolating the motorhome's 'leisure' 12v electrical system (allegedly for EMC safety reasons) when the vehicle's motor is started would normally prevent the fridge's 12v gas igniter from working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vernon B Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 I'd appreciate thoughts on my related experience. We've just returned today from a couple of weeks in Wales. One week spent on a CC site and one on a high quality commercial site. We've been using mains hook-ups. We have a AES fridge and on both sites its little brain was telling it that it wasn't getting enough volts and so it was switching to gas. We were aware of this because despite the fact that the gas supply was on it wasn't getting through to the fridge and so the red warning light was flashing. My question is what had happened to the voltage supply? The AES manual says that the fridge will select gas if the voltage falls below 200 and I'm surprised at how frequently that apparently occurred on sites that were only 80% occupied. Is this possible or do I have a problem with the fridge? Vernon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankkia Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 I always carry a multi meter and have often checked site voltage when we have had the same problems with an AES fridge. The lowest volage I have read was 175v on a very busy German site but have regularly found very low voltages on sites with few other users. You would have to see the difference in voltage on a cool evening when all the campers suddenly switch on their fan heaters and their mains electric hobs to get the evening meal done. On many sites there are signs requesting campers not to over use the power supply but if you mention it all you get is "well I'm paying for it". The other thing that comes as no surprise is that many folk do not have even a rudimentary understanding of the electrical supply equipment in their 'vans and will happily plug in everything they have at the same time even though the supply cable / plugs are only rated at 16amp max. We were once on a site in Germany with a group of motorcaravan clubbers. There werent enough 16a sockets to go around so several 'vans were piggy backed one from another. The result was they managed to blow the 3 phase supply to the site. Gues what - when the power was restored they all turned on their fan heaters again and blew it again. My comments are reserved! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 Vernon: If I were in your position I'd hook the fridge up to a mains power-supply where the voltage has been measured and confirmed as being over the 200V threshold. Then, if the fridge persisted in attempting to select gas operation, I'd know it wasn't low voltage causing this to happen and I'd assume there was a problem with the AES control system. I used to be sceptical of the merits of 'smart' fridges but, now that I've got a recent Dometic model with a pathetically dim LED readout and with the fridge positioned so that I can't see its control-panel when I'm sat in the motorhome's driving-seat, I can understand how convenient they can be. I notice that Dometic's current AES fridges have the option of fully automatic energy selection or of manual selection of gas, 230V or 12V. This seems to offer the best of both worlds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 DerekYou may be able to "upgrade" that fridge to AES. If it is one of the MES versions, with just the rotating knob control to change from gas to mains to 12V with automatic ingition on the gas, the control module can be swapped for the AES version. Don't know the cost, and I believe the availability is a bit difficult, but Dometic do state that an MES to AES conversion kit is available. Might solve your problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vernon B Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 Those are interesting meter readings Frankkia. Certainly when we've been in Spain and Portugal we've been aware of the fridge "hunting" for an energy source and have accepted that in those countries the power supplies may be a bit erratic. If the gas supply hadn't "failed" I may not have realised that this can also happen nearer to home. Which raises the question why does Dometic set the voltage requirement as high as 200v. Especially when, as has been noted in this thread, there is a high probability that gas will not be immediately available. Alternatively, and since the problem has been round for years, why haven't they come up with an effective way of automatically purging the gas pipe to the fridge. Thanks for the comments D & F Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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