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Old 06-20-2019, 11:34 AM   #1
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Name: Tom
Trailer: Bigfoot 17
Ontario
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Bigfoot gas fridge exhaust smell?

Hi
I have a 1990 Bigfoot Trailer. The fridge wouldn’t light so I sprayed the Burner with air in can. I got what appears to be a nice blue flame (couldn’t see the top of the flame as it goes up too high.

The fridge works now but there is an exhaust smell coming into the trailer now.
I don’t know how this is possible. I don’t smell exhaust from my gas stove. Doesn’t make sense too me.

Anybody have a clue what the exhaust smell might be?

Thanks
Tom
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Old 06-20-2019, 02:34 PM   #2
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What's your history with the trailer? Did you just buy it? Had it for a while? Was the fridge working fine with no exhaust smell and it only started after cleaning the burner? Does your fridge vent out the roof or the side of the trailer?

The rear of the fridge should be more or less completely sealed off from the inside of the camper.

What does "exhaust" smell like, in this case? Propane should be pretty much odorless.
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Old 06-20-2019, 05:03 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by hoppy1962 View Post
Hi
..I got what appears to be a nice blue flame (couldn’t see the top of the flame as it goes up too high....
What fridge is it?.. any pics of the flame?

Any propane (absorption) fridge that I have seen has a small flame.. only about 1/2 inch high at most. Perhaps someone cleaned the orifice improperly and you now have a way over-sized flame that is burning up the inside of the flue, or more.

At any rate, propane can go boom so I would take it to a certified repair person.
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Old 06-20-2019, 05:08 PM   #4
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Good catch...
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Old 06-20-2019, 05:43 PM   #5
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Good catch...
Perhaps.. just a theory at present but worthy of investigation.
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Old 06-21-2019, 07:40 AM   #6
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Even if it's not the cause of the smell, if the flame is really that high, something isn't right.
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Old 06-21-2019, 08:09 AM   #7
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Have you tested the stove top burner(s)? Do the front knobs regulate the flame normally? What if the gas pressure regulator at the tank is not regulating and the pressure is too high?
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Old 06-21-2019, 08:49 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by hoppy1962 View Post
Hi
I have a 1990 Bigfoot Trailer. The fridge wouldn’t light so I sprayed the Burner with air in can. I got what appears to be a nice blue flame (couldn’t see the top of the flame as it goes up too high.

The fridge works now but there is an exhaust smell coming into the trailer now.
I don’t know how this is possible. I don’t smell exhaust from my gas stove. Doesn’t make sense too me.

Anybody have a clue what the exhaust smell might be?

Thanks
Tom
Have it checked by a qualified person. It could be the fridge has gone bad and is leaking the ammonia gas out of the tubes in the back. That could kill you possibly. A few bucks is not worth dying or hurting yourself for. It could be a lot of things and others have spoken of those items.
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Old 06-21-2019, 10:48 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by ZachO View Post
What's your history with the trailer? Did you just buy it? Had it for a while? Was the fridge working fine with no exhaust smell and it only started after cleaning the burner? Does your fridge vent out the roof or the side of the trailer?

The rear of the fridge should be more or less completely sealed off from the inside of the camper.

What does "exhaust" smell like, in this case? Propane should be pretty much odorless.
I had the Trailer for 5 years. No problems till now. Fridge works perfect on AC. It vents from the side. Smells kind on like a cars breaks over heating.
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Old 06-21-2019, 10:54 PM   #10
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What fridge is it?.. any pics of the flame?

Any propane (absorption) fridge that I have seen has a small flame.. only about 1/2 inch high at most. Perhaps someone cleaned the orifice improperly and you now have a way over-sized flame that is burning up the inside of the flue, or more.

At any rate, propane can go boom so I would take it to a certified repair person.
Flame is blue and about 3/4 inch too the tip. I got a dentists mirror and was able too look up the tube to see the rest of the flame. When looking up the tube I can see little red burning pieces of rust. Perhaps I smell rust burning and I just need to clean the flue.
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Old 06-21-2019, 10:56 PM   #11
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Have you tested the stove top burner(s)? Do the front knobs regulate the flame normally? What if the gas pressure regulator at the tank is not regulating and the pressure is too high?
Stove top burner, furnace, and water heater all working perfectly
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Old 06-21-2019, 10:59 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by Jann Todd View Post
Have it checked by a qualified person. It could be the fridge has gone bad and is leaking the ammonia gas out of the tubes in the back. That could kill you possibly. A few bucks is not worth dying or hurting yourself for. It could be a lot of things and others have spoken of those items.
Fridge works perfectly fine on AC. Thus no Ammonia leak
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Old 06-22-2019, 02:17 AM   #13
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Tom, just guessing here but as it works on AC and has worked for years on LP I think you need to do a good cleaning of the LP system behind the refer. A bit of dirt or spider webbing in the tip. Just blowing air may not be good enough to clear it. As mentioned before the flame on LP should be very small as it's working. A large flame may be do a faulty gas valve although I've never heard of that issue before. Might be time to bring in the cavalry on this one just cuz.
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Old 06-22-2019, 06:54 AM   #14
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Originally Posted by hoppy1962 View Post
Stove top burner, furnace, and water heater all working perfectly
All of which are more tolerant of an out of spec propane system and regulator than the fridge. What is the most recent manometer reading? How long ago was it done? I'll bet you can't answer those questions, and if I win that bet then again I suggest getting some professional help.

They say that where there is smoke, there is fire. Sometimes a smell like burning "breaks" (brakes I assume) precedes the smoke.
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