# Fridge and gas



## HeatherChloe (Oct 18, 2009)

I seem to have an inconsistent fridge.

24 hours before going away, I go out, turn on the gas at the bottle, press the button in the gas cupboard, turn on the battery and light the fridge. The gas light comes on, I hear the ignition go, all is hunkydory and off I go.

But when I come back to the van, the fridge controls are flashing and it's not on. And of course, it's not cold, and I'm off shortly. 

So I do the same again, turn it off, back on, ignition goes, I sit and wait longer this time to check it's okay before leaving the van, and the gas light is on, all looks fine, I leave the van, and when I return it's off again.

Now, weirdly, when I am away on site, and the fridge is on electricity, and I go out for a few hours in the van, and put it on the gas then, it works just fine. 

All I can think is that the fridge wants to run on electricity first, and one already cold, it will go on gas. Otherwise, it just stroppily rejects it. 

Also, it knows when I'm watching, so it waits till I go before it turns off. 

When I took it to Premier Motorhomes, it knew they were watching, and so worked perfectly while I was there, then when I left it stopped again. 

It has some kind of mind of it's own, out to get me. I don't think it likes to get cold before I go away. It's in a mood with me. 

Any advice?


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## justlooking (Jun 5, 2008)

Make / model might help 

have you got a display panel that comes up with a spanner and a number ??

if so this is your error code , google it and you should get an answer 

Either that or get a shop dummy ,put it in the van so the fridge thinks it being watched


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

HeatherChloe said:


> I seem to have an inconsistent fridge.
> 
> 24 hours before going away, I go out, turn on the gas at the bottle, press the button in the gas cupboard, turn on the battery and light the fridge. The gas light comes on, I hear the ignition go, all is hunkydory and off I go.
> 
> ...


What I think is happening is this: The fridge starts up on gas operation but switches off after a short time because the thermo couple hasn't got hot enough. You switch off and switch back on and it ignites again. Repeat this and eventually after maybe 3 - 4 tries it stays on because the thermocouple had enough residual warmth in it. with a bit of luck it stabalises and will contine to work
In the old days off course all you would have done is hold the thermocouple bypass in for an extra 30 seconds but electronics and progress has put paid to that.

If it has been on electric operation then the rear of the fridge has got quite warm so that when you switch to gas the thermocouple was warm from being close to the electric element. 
PS: Do you run with the fridge operating on gas when you are mobile? Why not on 12v?


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## joedenise (Jul 20, 2007)

It wouldn't take much heat from the flame to heat the thermocouple - it takes less than 10 seconds to get it hot enough. Suggest you get an exorcist! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: 

Why don't you just put in on electric for the 24 hours before you go away?

Joe


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

joedenise said:


> It wouldn't take much heat from the flame to heat the thermocouple - it takes less than 10 seconds to get it hot enough. Suggest you get an exorcist! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
> 
> Why don't you just put in on electric for the 24 hours before you go away?
> Joe


Nah . . I have extensive experience of this problem [or rather had]
- I cured it by moving the thermocouple about 1mm INTO the flame, it wasn't quite hot enough to keep the gas control open & kept going out but since re-aligning it I've had [touch wood] no probs !


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## HeatherChloe (Oct 18, 2009)

Hi

If the fridge is already cold with food in it, then I run it on 12v when I am driving. 

If I am on the campsite, it is on electricity.

If I am parked up with no electricity, it's on gas.

I'm off tomorrow straight after work, and I wanted to put the food in the fridge tonight or tomorrow morning, so I can just get home from work and go, without having to load up.

But the fridge is not cold, so I can't leave the food in it all day.

That's why I turned it on Wednesday night, twice, and Thursday morning, and again, three times tonight, and every time it turns off. It must be within a few minutes, because I turned it on, went to the chipshop for a portion of chips, and then checked it on the way back, and it was already off. 

The thermowhatsit analysis sounds plausible. But the question is how to fix it - I feel it is rather useless to have a gas fridge that won't run unless it's already been on electricity for a while - especially as I live in a flat and have no access to electricity unless I'm on a site.


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## HeatherChloe (Oct 18, 2009)

aagrh, why is it still not working? I've done it again and again

well I've been to the supermarket this morning and bought a shopping trolley full of stuff and I would LIKED to have put it in the fridge in the van, but instead, I've trudged it up four flights of stairs, into my house fridge, and will have to trudge it all the way down again and into the van just when I set off

This van lack is not easy, is it? If I don't get all these annoying things like broken toilet broken fridge, TV which decides when IT wants to work, an outside light which also decides when IT wasnt to work, then frankly, this is not so much a relaxing break and holiday, as just a whole list of annoying irritating items.


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## justlooking (Jun 5, 2008)

Have you tried running the engine for 10 - 15 minutes to get the fridge going ,then switching to gas.

Doubt it will help but worth a try 

Also it not one of them fridges that has to be level to work is it ??

sorry not an expert ,just guessing at solutions from past problems and hoping to strike lucky


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## SpeedyDux (Jul 13, 2007)

HC,

If you mostly stop on sites with EHU you might be better off with a compressor fridge that runs on 12v or mains. Maintenance-free, just like your home fridge, needs no vents, and very effective even in hot weather. It wouldn't suit you if you spend most of your time on aires or "wild" camping.


SD


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## HeatherChloe (Oct 18, 2009)

Yesterday I drove in London for an hour, and then put the fridge on the gas, and still didn't work. 

It is level, so that shouldn't be a problem.

I don't have electricity at home and the 12v battery goes flat unless it has been charged onsite. And also, I like to make the fridge cold 24 hrs before, so that when, like tonight, I fill it up, it doesn't have to have raw meat in it when it's going to take ages to warm up.


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## kandsservices (Sep 5, 2010)

what type of fridge is it? should have a model and serial number inside?


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

It sounds to me as an amateur and NOT a gas engineer that the thermocouple is not heating up properly for some reason hence the cutting out.

The only safe way to get it properly checked is by a trade specialist - it MIGHT be that you can move the thermocouple into line but my view would be to let that be done by someone who knows HOW to do it i.e. get the fridge looked at properly and probably taken out to check.

If your external light also has a "critical incidence detector" so that it only fails at the worst possible time (like photocopiers) then it is worth checking whether you have a second switch actually on the light itself....

We have been caught out by that switch being knocked off when we put things in the crockery cupboard - the light is mounted in there and goes through the wall, there is a black switch on it which has to be on - or else the other switch (by the door) has no effect. Check whether you have a similar second switch....

As regards the TV, there are so many reasons why they decide not to work including poor electrical supply, poor signal, being on an analogue signal in a digital only area (Remember DigitAL - the annoying Government ad to remind us to switch to digital when they switched off the analogue transmitters - the SW was one of the first to be done......).

Alternatively "Spooks" is on again tomorrow evening at 9.00pm and that might be useful... :lol: 

Dave


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