Forced to change the way I motorhome!!!

[Talbot]

Absorption Refrigerator working or not working? How level is level?

As previously posted I've had problems with the fridge working or not working when parked on a gradual slope. It works fine on level ground, so no problems when parking for overnight sleeping. The problem is when you park on a slope to visit the shops, a village, town, castle or whatever, it may or may not work. The fridge display unit shows that the fridge is working fine, gas light is lit and you can hear it working hard with heat coming out of the vents. So it looks like it is working, but it isn't and you won't know it's not refrigerating until your food has defrosted. There is also the possibility of defrosting and re-freezing cycles occurring which could be a health and safety issue if you don't realise. My last fridge worked on my drive, the new fridge does not. I was hoping that I wasn't alone and others are experiencing similar issues. I have since contacted Thetford and Dometic requesting advice on how level these new absorption fridges should be to work. Both companies products are the same, and they both require us (motorhomers) to park level with a maximum tolerance of 3%. Sadly I've had to change the way I motorhome and the fridge has become the deciding factor of where I am able to park. Not how it used to be, where I went where I wanted and even parked on 30% slopes and never gave the fridge a thought. Car parks, layby's, road cambers and even hardstanding superpitches are built with gradual slopes so that rain water will drain away. In 80% of these situations an absorption fridge won't work. Just by chance, I found another thread on this (on a different site) and someone else has also raised the issue. Here is the link:

How level is level? - MotorhomeFun

They have also posted some official feedback from Thetford. This is a real and serious problem and I'm surprised no one on this site has noticed this problem. You may of course have the problem but not noticed that your food has gone warm, then rechilled, or defrosted and refrozen especially in this recent cold weather. Remember that there is no visual warning on your fridge that it is not working. My advice is, if you own an absorption fridge buy a fridge thermometer and keep a close look out for defrosting. Before I forget, the advice from both of the manufacturers was 'park on level ground'.

If you own a compressor fridge then this thread does not concern you. They're designed to work with 40 degree slopes so hang on to it. I wish I did.

 

[al n sal]

we had the same problem, it drove me mad.....however due to having a lucky/not lucky break which gave us some disposable cash we bought a compressor, we don't worry any more just park where ever.

al

 

[Teutone]

only downside of a compressor fridge is the power consumption.

 

[vwalan]

compressor is thw way. get a house one a few solars and an inverter . might work out the same price as a twelve volt compressor but you can now work other things from the inverter. works for me

 

[al n sal]

only downside of a compressor fridge is the power consumption.

yep....but with solar prices dropping, its in reach for more people now......our compressor runs on average of about 1ah. have an 80 watt solar and not had any probs....but to be honest not done any trips longer than a few days without starting the engine to drive....

 

[Talbot]

We have a Thetford too and at the moment it seems to be working ok !
If it causes the same trouble as yours it will be going back either in or out of the van .

Even the 3 degrees tolerance can be lost in the grand scheme of things. For example, if the base van unit is not level to start with, or if the floor is not quite straight, if the housing unit is not level or if the fridge feet are not levelled. It goes on!!! That aside, the fridge works fine if I park on the level. Just in case I had inherited a faulty fridge, I had another brand new replacement fridge swapped over and it's just the same. So far, I've lost food three times as its defrosted without me knowing. The manufacturers should add an alarm to warn the user that the fridge is on but not refrigerating, then all you would need to do is drive around until fridge is happy. Currently there is no way of knowing until it's too late. Unfortunately there are no alternatives unless you go back to the compressor fridge which as someone has already commented are not economical. Parking on level ground day and night is the only solution.

 

[Deleted member 3011]

compressor is thw way. get a house one a few solars and an inverter . might work out the same price as a twelve volt compressor but you can now work other things from the inverter. works for me

Don't forget all the extra batteries.

For the average motorhomer wanting to be able to wildcamp for several days at a time, a properly-installed absorption fridge is likely to be the best option. For someone full-timing with the majority of nights spent without hookups and wanting to have as normal a lifestyle as possible, then a large properly-designed solar system is the way to go, and then a 12/24V compressor system is more versatile.

240V compressor fridges are not necessarily a good option because the motors are often considerably poorer efficiency than the low-voltage equivalents, plus options like anti-condensation heating, internal fans and timed defrosts and inherent inverter losses can produce a pretty dismal total efficiency requiring additional batteries and large charging systems.

 

[maureenandtom]

We had the same (ish) sort of problem. I didn't relate it to parking on a slope but we'd been to Ilfracombe and pretty well everywhere there is on a slope so it could well have been due to that. Anyway, we were in France and the fridge appeared to be working but the interior was warm and it was clear it wasn't working. It wasn't an intermittent fault, the gas flame was burning but fridge just wasn't working. It didn't stop and start; it just didn't work. And it was new - by then probably less than a year old.

I wasn't full of faith but I remembered somebody had said in one of these threads "turn the fridge upside down" so, in the absence of any other ideas, that's what I did. Uninstalled the fridge, turned it upside down, left it for five or so minutes and re-installed it. Like I said, I had no faith in the cure - but cure it was and the fridge now works like it should. Even in Ilfracombe so likely it isn't affected too much by a slope.

As far as temperature measurement is concerned. At home I have one of those radio controlled weather stations - about £12 in Lidl. We use it in the van but there is always a problem of where to mount the external radio temperature sender and it wasn't as useful as I thought it might be. So I put it in the fridge, just the little sender I mean, the main display is on the wall, and my little display now tells me the temperature inside the van and the temperature inside the fridge. I had no faith in that working either, transmitting from inside a metal fridge, but it does.

I'm not sure if I'd have the nerve just to take my fridge out again, without advice, and turn it upside down but we were in France, not going to be back for two or three months, so it was desperation. But it worked.

 

[Talbot]

We had the same (ish) sort of problem. I didn't relate it to parking on a slope but we'd been to Ilfracombe and pretty well everywhere there is on a slope so it could well have been due to that. Anyway, we were in France and the fridge appeared to be working but the interior was warm and it was clear it wasn't working. It wasn't an intermittent fault, the gas flame was burning but fridge just wasn't working. It didn't stop and start; it just didn't work. And it was new - by then probably less than a year old.

I wasn't full of faith but I remembered somebody had said in one of these threads "turn the fridge upside down" so, in the absence of any other ideas, that's what I did. Uninstalled the fridge, turned it upside down, left it for five or so minutes and re-installed it. Like I said, I had no faith in the cure - but cure it was and the fridge now works like it should. Even in Ilfracombe so likely it isn't affected too much by a slope.

As far as temperature measurement is concerned. At home I have one of those radio controlled weather stations - about £12 in Lidl. We use it in the van but there is always a problem of where to mount the external radio temperature sender and it wasn't as useful as I thought it might be. So I put it in the fridge, just the little sender I mean, the main display is on the wall, and my little display now tells me the temperature inside the van and the temperature inside the fridge. I had no faith in that working either, transmitting from inside a metal fridge, but it does.

I'm not sure if I'd have the nerve just to take my fridge out again, without advice, and turn it upside down but we were in France, not going to be back for two or three months, so it was desperation. But it worked.

That is really interesting. Is it definately an absorption fridge, because I thought it was only the compressor fridges that you can turn upside down to get them working again? What make and model is it out of interest?

 

[bigmillie]

We have a very old absorption fridge (26 years old) overcame the problem by fitting a remote Digital LCD Thermometer into the freezer box when running it shows -20 and is very fast to indicate if all is not as it should be

Cost about £3.00 fitted by drilling a very small hole in top of fridge and locating sensor in freezer box mounted read out so is can be seen anywhere in the van


DIGITAL LCD THERMOMETER INCUBATOR,AQUARIUM,VIVARIUM,FRIDGE,FREEZER,FISHTANK UK | eBay

 

[maureenandtom]

I believe so. It's frustrating that I can't find the original documentation particularly since I remember downloading a service manual whe we got back to England. It's as three-way Dometic fridge and I've just popped out and taken this picture. (Maureen will be upset that I didn't clean it before taking the picture - but we've just been back from a trip less than a week. It's usually cleaner than this!)

I've no idea why it worked and I'd not argue if somebody said I must have disturbed something else taking it out and putting it in again.

But it's worked perfectly since.

Edit: Replacement picture - I was sent out to wipe down the fridge and take it again.

 

[Deleted member 3011]

maureenandtom, I presume those vents are extra vents that improve the flow of cooling air up the back of the fridge.

Have you considered that they could allow combustion gases to enter the living space with possibly fatal results.

 

[maureenandtom]

No, I haven't considered that. It is the original manufacturer's installation and not modified by me.

The exhaust goes up a little chimney vented to the outside and I was careful to re-attach that as I found it. If I was to consider it now then I suppose the intention might have been to provide air circulation round the cooling vanes on the back of the fridge.

In any case, the van is 25 yrs old, I've had it about nine years, and I'll not be modifying it now.

I can't remember why we changed the original fridge but it was a straightforward disconnect and reconnect job. Not modified from the original engineering in any way.

Edit: I think the original ignition was press a button to a click (Piezo Crystral?) and it was temperamental and I got fed up with it. I'm fairly sure there was no other difference. You think maybe the original engineers got it wrong?

 

[fishy & Nina]

We have a very old absorption fridge (26 years old) overcame the problem by fitting a remote Digital LCD Thermometer into the freezer box when running it shows -20 and is very fast to indicate if all is not as it should be

Cost about £3.00 fitted by drilling a very small hole in top of fridge and locating sensor in freezer box mounted read out so is can be seen anywhere in the van


DIGITAL LCD THERMOMETER INCUBATOR,AQUARIUM,VIVARIUM,FRIDGE,FREEZER,FISHTANK UK | eBay

Thanks for that Charlie - we just bought the last one from that link...............sorry anyone else, but I'm sure someone else will have some.......

 

[bigmillie]

maureenandtom, I presume those vents are extra vents that improve the flow of cooling air up the back of the fridge.

Have you considered that they could allow combustion gases to enter the living space with possibly fatal results.

Same as mine (26 year old van) keeps van warm in winter :scared:

Told you its a old one !!



You can see temp (fridge not on ) in picture

 

[Talbot]

I believe so. It's frustrating that I can't find the original documentation particularly since I remember downloading a service manual whe we got back to England. It's as three-way Dometic fridge and I've just popped out and taken this picture. (Maureen will be upset that I didn't clean it before taking the picture - but we've just been back from a trip less than a week. It's usually cleaner than this!)

I've no idea why it worked and I'd not argue if somebody said I must have disturbed something else taking it out and putting it in again.

But it's worked perfectly since.

Edit: Replacement picture - I was sent out to wipe down the fridge and take it again.

I'm no expert on fridges, but I think this is a compressor fridge, which could explain why it was happy be be turned upside down. It has the same controls as the fridge in my previous van. Hang on to it because these are the ones that work on 40 degree slopes. They're designed to work on ocean going boats so you'll be able to park anywhere and everywhere.:boat:

 

[bigmillie]

I'm no expert on fridges, but I think this is a compressor fridge, which could explain why it was happy be be turned upside down. It has the same controls as the fridge in my previous van. Hang on to it because these are the ones that work on 40 degree slopes. They're designed to work on ocean going boats so you'll be able to park anywhere and everywhere.:boat:

Its a absorption fridge lefthand controls are for gas

 

[Canalsman]

Its a absorption fridge lefthand controls are for gas

Righthand controls actually

And it's absorption fridges that are often brought back to life by inverting them, not compressor fridges. Compressor fridges can be damaged permanently by doing this - be careful.

 

[bigmillie]

Righthand controls actually

And it's absorption fridges that are often brought back to life by inverting them, not compressor fridges. Compressor fridges can be damaged permanently by doing this - be careful.

Never could tell my left from right :lol-049::lol-049:

 

[Talbot]

Righthand controls actually

And it's absorption fridges that are often brought back to life by inverting them, not compressor fridges. Compressor fridges can be damaged permanently by doing this - be careful.

Chris, I'm confused. How can you tell the difference between an absorption fridge and a compressor fridge?