# Smell Gas



## 94220 (May 1, 2005)

We have refillable LPG bottles for cooking, heating, the fridge, etc.

We are now in Spain and have filled up with LPG in Seville and Jerez. About the same time we noticed a smell inside and outside the van, which seems to be exhaust fumes coming from the fridge/freezer. It is coming out of the external vent but some of it is filtering into the van between the freezer and the oven. Is is not there when the fridge is working on electric.

We do not experience any smell from the gas hob.

Is this dangerous ? A Spanish Dometic technician looked at it yesterday (for the Dometic recall) and he said it was because we were filling up with Butane whereas it should be using Propane. He said it wasn't dangerous (No peligro) !!

Does anyone else experience this in Spain ? 
Is the consensus that it is not dangerous?
Can you buy refillable Propane out here?

Thanks for your help.

Barry


----------



## baldybazza (Feb 21, 2007)

We had the same smell problem in France last year and it was the fridge itself that was the cause. The gas jet and chimney needed a good "decoke". Ours got so bad by the end of the holiday it was causing a brown stain above the fridge exhaust vent.
I thought I'd heard that the LPG from garages was a mix of Propane and Butane, the proportions varying depending on the time of year but maybe my memory is going (quite likely!!  :? )
Hope this helps,
Barrie


----------



## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Gas*

Hello,

We use Gaslow and our fridge works fine.

Autogas is Butane Propane mix. The amount of Propane added depands on the location and season.

Trev.


----------



## 94220 (May 1, 2005)

Thanks for your help........ being cheeky and bringing this back to the top for any other help ....... As you can imagine, we are concerned.

Thanks


----------



## Finola (May 5, 2012)

Hi, I'm sorry for digging up a very old thread but did you find the cause / get it fixed.

Just come back from our annual French excursion and had a similar concern. Fine some days, other come back to the van and found the co alarm chirping and the van full of fumes. So scared that the fridge is off overnight! Obviously fine on 12v and mains.

I wonder if the flue is shared with the oven and the fumes coming in through that when the wind is in the wrong direction?

We only have two chimneys for the fire fridge and oven so I presume some must be shared.


----------



## hogan (Oct 31, 2006)

Happened to us last year whilst in Germany. Went to goldscmitt to have up rated coil springs and mentioned it to the mechanic. He said that we had picked up some bad LPG ???? he took off external fridge vents and with a airline he blew out the fridge exhaust. Lots of carbon and a greasy substance came out. It's been alright ever since.


----------



## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

Fumes from the fridge combustion should NEVER be able to enter the habitation area.

Chimney sooting up is fairly common, causing brown vent staining.

The rear of the fridge MUST be sealed off totally from the hab area.


----------



## WildThingsKev (Dec 29, 2009)

Just come in from sweeping my flue and doing some extra sealing,it was actually quite difficult on ours so I had to make up a special brush extender using those strips of stainless steel you get on windscreen wiper blades. I knew the old ones would come in handy one day.

We spend a lot of time using the van with the fridge covers on and I think this may escalate the sooting up.

Kev


----------



## homenaway (Jul 27, 2005)

WildThingsKev said:


> Just come in from sweeping my flue and doing some extra sealing,it was actually quite difficult on ours so I had to make up a special brush extender using those strips of stainless steel you get on windscreen wiper blades. I knew the old ones would come in handy one day.
> 
> We spend a lot of time using the van with the fridge covers on and I think this may escalate the sooting up.
> 
> Kev


So I'm not the only one who has saved some of those thin strips   

I've found them useful for various tasks. Pity modern blades seem to be all plastic mouldings.

Now can I remember where have I put them ? :roll: :roll: :roll:

Steve


----------

