vbot
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Post by vbot on May 22, 2017 10:06:38 GMT -8
My propane-only refrigerator seems to be on maximum all the time. There's no electricity at all to the unit, so a thermistor would not be the problem right? Are those only on units with electrical control panels?
It's definitely working and definitely cooling otherwise, which I was excited about, until my milk was solid. I put in a thermometer and it seems to vary between 0*C and -3*C.
Has anyone else encountered a problem like this with a propane-only, vintage fridge?
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turbodaddy
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17' 1965 Fan "Sunseeker"
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Post by turbodaddy on May 22, 2017 17:57:10 GMT -8
Could be worse. We like boondocking, away from the crowds with no hook ups. Your situation could work out in that you could freeze juice bottles for ice blocks in the reefer, and keep food in a cooler. I don't know how much propane your's uses, but ours is minuscule. We love our environmentally terrible propane. Come to think of it, most everything to do with a "travel trailer" is carbon footprint heavy. But, hey we do compost and recycle, and we drive a Prius that unexpectedly needs a new hybrid battery pack @ over $4K. Roll on!
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Post by vikx on May 22, 2017 21:58:02 GMT -8
Vbot, sorry about your fridge. Sounds like the t'stat is bad. There should be a tiny copper tube leading up and into the fridge interior from the knob. (small knob with numbers on it??) Vintage parts for these old fridges are almost impossible to find. Maybe a new thermostat could be retrofitted.
Turbodaddy: Dratted Priuses! My starting battery died and I was "locked out" of the car. After crawling to the back (battery location), the interior had to be removed (3 hours) before I could get to the inside hatch lock release. Yeah, it wouldn't unlock electrically... Dealer said, "charge the battery". Uh, what if it's dead dead, and doesn't? I won't ramble on..
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vbot
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Post by vbot on May 25, 2017 6:50:09 GMT -8
Awesome, thanks for the info vikx. If I try a repair or replace I'll update with pics and process.
Surprisingly where I am, propane may not be that heavy. In SK electricity is generated by coal plant. And, fridges work through a compressor, usually the compression is generated by heat expansion. So it's more efficient to just get the gas and burn it for heat for compression, than it is to get the coal, burn it, generate electricity, send the electricity, and use it to generate heat again for the compressor. Similar with stoves.
At least thats how I understand it, not sure the exact footprint of each energy type accounting for extraction process, transportation and infrastructure...
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cowcharge
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Post by cowcharge on May 30, 2017 8:19:38 GMT -8
Yup, gotta be the thermostat. If it was a bad thermocouple the burner wouldn't light.
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vbot
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Post by vbot on Jun 1, 2017 6:55:22 GMT -8
Thanks all. I think I'll start checking salvage for parts. In the meantime what I'm doing is just turning it on for night, running it until its around 3°, then turning it off while I'm not around.
Got a couple other things to fix before I dismantle this one.
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