If you consider the amount of vibration that poor fridge gets per mile of
cement highway, you won't worry about shaking it to free up the refrigerant!

On 3/22/06, robert shawn feller <feller@carboncow.com> wrote:
>
> Thanks for the input.
>
> One person did recommend lightly shaking plus the flip, but I think your
> points on frailty are more valid.
>
> I did read that a sure sign of hydrogen leak is a hot apportion unit but
> cool boiler top...which I do not have. According to what the Dometic
> troubleshooting tells me I most likely have a blockage.
>
> Shawn
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Alistair Bell [mailto:albell@uvic.ca]
> Sent: Wednesday, March 22, 2006 11:13 AM
> To: robert shawn feller
> Subject: Re: yet another fridge question (ok you experts)...
>
> Shawn,
>
> sure of the ohm measurement? I imagine the lower resistance you measured
> would translate into "somewhat" less heating, but heck don't resistive
> elements like the heater fail completely, and go to infinity resistance?
>
> If you feel it to be hot, too hot to touch, I would say it was working
> fine.
>
>
> Try the inverting fridge dodge. I have done it a few times over the
> years, mind you my fridge has always worked fine apart from lighting
> problems before combustion chamber cleaning. I wouldn't shake the
> bejeesus out of it, no need and may be hard on all the brittle joints
> (you and the fridge). Just be patient, turn it over. leave it
> overnight, then back upright and leave for 12 or more hours before
> operating.
>
> Apart from the "stratification" of the ammonia compounds, which
> inverting can fix, the other problem is leaking of the hydrogen from
> the system. The copper get brittle, joints fail etc. Nothing to be done
> about this. I have had some people express amazement that my Dometic
> still works as well as it does after 24 years.
>
> Good luck.
>
> Alistair
>
> '82 westy, diesel converted to gas in '94
> http://www.members.shaw.ca/albell/
>
> On 22-Mar-06, at 7:33 AM, robert shawn feller wrote:
>
> Malcolm,
>
> Thanks for the info. I'll know in a day or two if there is any chance of
> this thing working after I flip it for the night and shake the piss out
> of
> it.
>
> The only other possibility I have (and it's reaching) is the 110v
> heating
> element is out of spec. According to the dometic troubleshooting manual
> the
> OHM reading on that unit should be approx. 169ohm but I'm only hitting
> 137ohm. This is out of spec for their 10% rule they specify. Believe me
> it
> gets scary hot, but is it hot enough? Any comments?
>
> I could manually override the switch and run the 12v and 110v elements
> at
> the same time to generate more heat, but that may be to much and ruin
> the
> boiler/chemicals (per manual).
>
> If I decided to build my own cabinet (I hate to ruin the westy look but
> common sense has to prevail sometime!) I'll let you know on the parts!
>
> Shawn
>

--
Jake
1984 Vanagon GL
1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
www.crescentbeachguitar.com