# Electrolux RM 275 driving me mad !!!!!



## 111540 (Apr 21, 2008)

Hymer owners

I am struggling with an old Electrolux fridge fitted in my Hymer Camp 55 vintage 1992. The fridge definitely works on mains but I am struggling with gas operation as it seems to perform very poorly on gas even though I have had the fridge out and cleaned the flue and gas jet. I am also suspicious that when I think I have turned the gas off by rotating the dial anti-clockwise it is still lit !

One of my problems is that I don't really know how to correctly operate the gas setting knob on the front of the fridge ( I may be missing some marks meant to be around the dial as it is old and very worn ). I have attached a picture. The knob is shown turned fully anti-clockwise when the 0 mark stops just short of 9:00. When turned fully clockwise it stops at 15:00. What I don't know for sure is what is off, what is on, and what I should be aligning with what. It would seem logical to think that fully anti-clockwise would be off, but I am not convinced.

I am sure that all these old fridges are the same and hope someone can reassure me that their fridge looks the same dial wise, and explain how it operates.

Thanks in advance,

Dave


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

It looks like it should be on Min fully anti-clockwise, and off fully clockwise. Which probably explains why you think it is still on. There may be an indent at the the Max point.

As to not performing properly, the key in in the strength and colour of the flame. If strong and blue and fridge level, it is fine and the fridge should get cold, make ice and heat come out of both the exhaust and vent.

If not, then it bothers me you have cleaned the jet. How? And did you clean the burner tube and the exhaust flue while you were there?

Dave


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## sunflowersmell (Jun 7, 2008)

Hi 
So we're not the only ones having problems working our Electrolux 275 off gas. 

Our dial looks exactly the same as yours however we do not have the little drill hole you seem to have on yours. I thought that the flame icon was the gas flow indicator and therefore in your picture that would be maximum gas flow.

We have had our on all day - the vent at the back is letting out hot air but the fridge is not cold and we have no peep hole inside the fridge to check the flame!!!

It's doing our heads in - if you find anything out please let us know.

Thanks!


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

sunflowersmell said:


> Hi
> So we're not the only ones having problems working our Electrolux 275 off gas.


I have a page of photos and text on gas fridge servicing - and what and when not to service,- from May edition of Practical Motorhome. If anyone thinks it might be of use then send me a PM with your e-mail address and I will forward it to you.

G


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

sfs, (they are my favourite flower, btw, always had a soft spot for them from our early camping days in France. I have a bunch of artificial ones on the shelf immediately above my computer monitor - tacky maybe but they are taking ages to die),

If your fridge works fine and efficiently on mains (and acceptably so on 12V), is level, and heat is coming out the back on gas, but it cannot make ice, then provided the winter vent covers are off so heat can escape, my guess is on a dirty burner tube, and/or maybe a dirty exhaust. Both are easily cleaned. I agree it was a retrograde step removing the flame peephole.

Dave


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## 111540 (Apr 21, 2008)

Dave

Cheers for your suggestion on the dial. I have now turned the fridge on with the MAX symbol aligned at 15:00 which, if you are correct, should be full setting. It ignited OK and after a couple of hours there is definitely heat coming out of the exhaust at the rear. However the fridge doesn't seem to have cooled much ( at all ? ). I have a fridge thermometer inside and will give it another few hours. I have also turned on the fan which is attached to a temperature sensor on the heat exchanger at the back of the fridge. It may make a difference.

I did clean the flue etc. although very little debris came out, and the jet looked clean as a whistle so I left it alone ( my earlier post was misleading ).

SunFlowersSmell

I thought exactly the same as you in terms of the dial, but am open to ( desperate for ? ) suggestions. I have a page from the instruction manual but there is no diagram - it just says turn to MAX.

BTW does your fridge work when switched to 12V or 240V ?

Cheers

Dave


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Leave it on overnight with water in an ice-tray in the freezing compartment. If you have ice in the morning, it works. If you don't, you have a problem.

I was amazed how a speck of frazzled spider in the burner tube totally wrecked the flame. All to do with laminar flow and correct ratio of gas to air. So much so it was yellow and licking around some insulation. Gave it a really good clean and the strong blue flame came back.


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## JohnsCrossMotorHomes (Jul 21, 2007)

DABurleigh said:


> Gave it a really good clean and the strong blue flame came back.


VIAGRA?


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## sunflowersmell (Jun 7, 2008)

OK we are going to do exactly the same. we will leave gas on over night
and try and make ice. We do have heat coming from vent, but our temp
within fridge does not get any colder, this is after about 4 hrs, so our last
attempt will be to leave on over night and hope for the best. 

We are confused when exhaust is mentioned.....

Thanks again for everyones input! 

thanks Trace


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## 111540 (Apr 21, 2008)

An update for future reference as my fridge now works on gas ! The solution for me was to give the burner a good knock, which made the flame burn bigger and with less yellow ( a blue flame is the goal ). I suspect that when I re-installed the fridge after my first attempt to fix the problem a fragment of rust or somesuch fell down the exhaust tube and partially blocked the burner jet.

Anyway some tips ( supported by attached photos ).

On my Hymer Camp 55 I could access the burner assembly quite easily by removing an access panel below the rear indicator on the van. Removing the fridge was not necessary although I think it would be in order to clean the inside of the chimney as I did previously.

If you are desperate to know whether the flame is lit you can feel the burner assembly cowling for heat, it should be very hot to touch, by removing the fridge ventilation grill on the side of the van - just 2 screws secure mine.


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## 111540 (Apr 21, 2008)

An update for future reference as my fridge now works on gas ! The solution for me was to give the burner a good knock, which made the flame burn bigger and with less yellow ( a blue flame is the goal ). I suspect that when I re-installed the fridge after my first attempt to fix the problem a fragment of rust or somesuch fell down the exhaust tube and partially blocked the burner jet.

Anyway here are a few pointers that I gathered from various websites and my experience ( supported by attached photos ).

1> Do not make the mistake of presuming that because the manual says that you shouldn't operate the fridge off 12V when the engine is off it is even possible ! In my van the 12V switch only works when the engine is running and alternator engaged.

2> Removing the fridge totally, as I did to start, was a time consuming, 2 person job, and required disconnecting gas lines and in my case I found it necessary to cut some electrical supply cables. Not recommended unless you are confident ( I had the help of an experienced plumber and electrician ).

3> On my Hymer Camp 55 I could access the burner assembly quite easily by removing an access panel below the rear indicator on the van. Removing the fridge was therefore not necessarily necessary, although I think it would be in order to clean the inside of the chimney.

4> If you are desperate to know whether the flame is lit you can feel the burner assembly cowling for heat, it should be very hot to touch, by removing the fridge ventilation grill on the side of the van - just 2 screws secure mine.

5> The gas dial is not intuitive. On the RM 275 it is fully off when the 0 mark is at about 15:00 i.e. it is turned totally clockwise. It is at maximum with the MAX mark oriented at 15:00. It is at minimum with the MIN mark oriented at 15:00 i.e. the dial is turned fully anti-clockwise.

Hope this helps someone someday. I now have cold beer so my future is rosy.


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