At 05:16 PM 8/12/2009, Richard A Jones wrote:
>Most RVs, including the BIG RIGs, have absorption fridges--side-by-
>side units.

Like my brother's 35-foot "diesel pusher," complete with 8-kw Onan
diesel genny under the front and IIRC roughly 1,000 lb of batteries.

>   Lots of rural houses around the world have absorption
>fridges.  Servel is owned by Dometic now.  We used Servel fridges
>in mtn cabins growing up.

Me too -- though I believe all those old Servels have been recalled
for excessive CO output.  We had that in my Grandma's cottage on
Winnepesaukee long before we stopped cooking on kerosene wick-burners
with a trough and a bubbler full of kerosene on one end.  Never gave
a bit of trouble that I was aware of, though I'm pretty sure the
small freezer never got anywhere near zero F.

>   Anyway, absorption fridges and
>freezers can work great in all conditions.

Within their limits, yes.  They're very inefficient compared to
mechanical refrigerators, but that's more than made up by the truly
horrendous energy density of commonly available batteries.

  --
David Beierl - Providence RI USA -- http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'89 Po' White Star "Scamp"