Gas not working on my 3 way fridge

thanks bob, won't stay alight - please see my following post

Hi
If it lights then goes out it is quite possible that the thermocouple is either:
Not correctly in the flame[ the tip must be in the flame at all times]A wire has came adrift,

The by pass jet in the flame controller is clogged
The flame failure control is faulty

DO NOT CLEAN the jet with ANY METAL object ,you can very easily do permanent damage to the jet lining
Best to soak in solvent then blow air through it

PeterQ

Thanks PeterQ, the fridge was working normally about 1 month ago now won't stay alight - can anything be done with the fridge where it is or better to take it out?

oldtrack123
The method of jet cleaning I posted is the method the Dometic tech in Alice Springs used and my fridGe has never worked better.

Aussie,

As indicated by another poster, that is the thermocouple coming out of the top of that "tee" piece and going into the top of the burner area. Would be surprised if you can't get one similar, if not the same, at a gas fitting place. If not, a thermocouple for a Rheem gas hot water system will work. Many electrical white goods dealers can obtain Rheem parts.

We lived in a 'van with an Electrolux fridge of the same vintage, from 1980 to '85. Worked well in the winter, froze everything, but struggled once the temps increased. One thing it did well in Summer was keep the 'van very warm!

A word of warning! We had just shifted camp on Avon Downs, prior to constructing a new turkeys nest. We were sitting around after a feed talking, when the power went out. This was accompanied by a faint plastic burning smell, which we thought nothing of at the time. The genet was fitted with an ELB, which tripped.....something strange here, we thought.

Following up on the plastic smell, checked the back of the fridge, and it had developed a small gas leak, which was burning!!! This was to the left of where the thermocouple exists the thick "tee" thingy. Of course the junction boxes were immediately above the extra flame, and the 240v one had melted, and shorted the wires.

Often look back on that day and think how our tardiness in going to set up the job probably saved the 'van, and also our 2 daughters who may have stayed in the 'van?

Good luck with the search for a part, sounds like it's keen to go for another 40 years.

Bob

thanks peter, the fridge would be 40 years old & not been used for the last 25 years!! still had the original gas bottle on the front stamped 1974. I have only had the caravan for 5 months replaced all of the running gear as well. the fridge was working ok but now not (works ok on 240v)
model no. RM36 0 ?
production no. 9264513
serial no. 3. 0852


another number - not sure if it is relative 070A/73
thanks again for your trouble norm

Aussiedingo - That's an Electrolux Dometic model number RM36-C.

You'd better haul it out and sell it to a museum! You won't find any parts available for it, despite Dometic supplying a good range of parts for their products.

A Pommy website, leisureshopdirect.com, stocks a wide range of Dometic spares, but your model is not even listed.

Leisureshopdirect - caravan spares

If it can't be fixed simply without parts, you won't be able to repair it at all. At 40 years of product age, you can't fix too much by way of domestic items!

Cheers, Ron.

thanks ron, what can I do to test/ clean/ adjust anything to see if I can get it to work?

Aussiedingo, is the gas bottle really date-stamped 1974? Yikes!

thanks peter, it does burn with a nice blue flame but goes out in approx. 10 seconds. It had been under cover in the bush for 25 years so maybe less corrosion? (wishful thinking)

oops missed the link
http://s1317.photobucket.com/user/Mikeoz22/media/manualpage4001_zpsd705cf8b.jpg.html#/user/Mikeoz22/media/manualpage4001_zpsd705cf8b.jpg.html?&_suid=141843686355102507776974946809

thanks again peter, I propped the knob open & have had the pilot burning for 1/2 hour & fridge is not any colder - does that confirm anything or fridge won't work with the knob out all the time?

it is now cold!! I was too impatient!!

HI
That clears the jet & the gas flow
The problem is pretty certain to be the small copper assemby that goes into the gas control valve
It is the flame sensor but a mechanical one that works on the expansion of the filling medium to operate a plunger which hold the gas valve open after the tip heats up.

Check that the TIP is in the flame ,

If it is ,then that unit has had it's days & has a leak
Nonrepairable & I doubt you could find a replacement.

Looks like the gas option is out
NOTE:
The gas lever should not be held open [only long enough tocheck f the gas system]
Jamming it open could lead to a gas explosion if the flame goes out then a spark occurs
PeterQ

g'day again peter, there is a rusty one on ebay for $50 would be worth the risk - is it hard to swap the gas bits over?

River Rina,
Oldtrack123 is othe right track,by holding the thermo valve open (that is the red button open for an hour proves that the gas system is ok) but the thermo couple is crook or not in the flame. Being that old and not used for that long my guess is that it has corroded. Very easy to replace and any gas shop will supply one. By the way it is the thin copper line coming out of the top of the valve with red button on it.
Only problem is the right thread on the top of the valve and the replacement does not need to be the same length as long as the thread into the valve is the same.
I have worked on many old Silrnt Knight kero fridges converted to gas much older that and they are still working a treat.

HITTD1
My comment about old Absoprtion fridges still working after50years was in reference to Silent Knights
They certainly were not beautiful to look at, but they worked &
AND worked.

PeterQ

River Rina and Oldtrack,
Brings back many memories,I did my apprenticeship in the Riverina and western N S W converting old kero fridges to L P G and selling new Electrolux gas deep freezes to the station owners. The old silent knight fridges were used mainly at shearing time to keep the beer cold so we were treated like royalty by both the station owners and the S shearers. Cold beer happy workers.
Regards to you both

G'day TTD1, as you were an apprentice in the riverina you may have converted our old kerosene fridge! our family homestead is out from Narrandera, we (family) still have lived there for 98 years! my cousins kids still live in the same farm house! thank you for your help, norm (I have since removed the thermocouple 'n placed an order a replacement - fingers crossed!!)