Refrigerator not working well on propane

[El Brazo Enophre]

Took a trial run in our Scamp 5er this last weekend as a shake-down before our big summer adventure. My list of "Needs Attention" included getting the refrigerator to work well on propane. At home on AC it works well. On propane the freezer will freeze but the refrigerator just doesn't get cold enough. Read the manual (always a last resort for the macho type) and found out I should be cleaning the burner tube. That little access hole on the Scamp does not let one remove the bottom retainer screw for the heat shield. Anyone out there in FG land able to offer some suggestions on how to do this cleaning or even if this is the likely solution??
Thanks in advance... Bruce

[RoseMarie]

I had a similar problem with my 3-way Dometic refrigerator in my little 1981 Scotty camper. Someone told me to take it out, turn it upside down overnight, then put it back in, right-side up and let it sit overnight before trying to use it. That was supposed to redistribute the refrigerant--or whatever's in it. Before I did that though, someone else told me that proper leveling of the camper was an absolute must with 3-way camper refrigerators. I adjusted the leveling of my camper and voila! the refrigerator worked perfectly.

On another note, I did try the trick with turning the appliance upside down and back over with an ice maker--the kind you see in Camping World and places like that, that sell for $300+/-. I turned it upside down and let it sit a couple hours, then righted it and let it sit overnight and the next day, it was working like a charm. I'm still using it!

--RoseMarie

[Raz]

To service my fridge I have to remove it. I disconnect the electrical wires and the gas line. There are a couple of screws in the back holding it to the floor. Inside the trailer I remove the door and then remove the screws holding it to the cabinet. I slide it into the trailer and set it on the front bed. I clean the burner and the chimney. Follow the instructions in the manual especially for cleaning the orifice. Raz

[Bob in Mb]

If your freezer is freezing it would seem to be working , one must be aware that a fridge works best when it is full of product . To test to see what the cooling quality is - put a container of water with a reliable thermometer in it and leave it in the fridge overnight and in the morning check the temperature , it should be about 38 F. As to cleaning the vent tube I periodically stick an air hose in the little hole and blast it out as best I can and it always has worked .

[Gilles]

Originally Posted by El Brazo Enophre

Took a trial run in our Scamp 5er this last weekend as a shake-down before our big summer adventure. My list of "Needs Attention" included getting the refrigerator to work well on propane. At home on AC it works well. On propane the freezer will freeze but the refrigerator just doesn't get cold enough. Read the manual (always a last resort for the macho type) and found out I should be cleaning the burner tube. That little access hole on the Scamp does not let one remove the bottom retainer screw for the heat shield. Anyone out there in FG land able to offer some suggestions on how to do this cleaning or even if this is the likely solution??
Thanks in advance... Bruce

Mine when it gave this condition, I looked at the flame of the pilot and it was not of a beautiful blue and a little black smoke was.
When this condition appeared, it was because a spider had gone to make its nest in the air inlet of the burner pilot.
I had to disconnect the pipe arround the pilot, clean it with air and put back.
When i am a long to do not use the fridge, we put a spray for the spider near the pilot...
The spider likes the smell of the propane which we told me.

[Bob Miller]

You didn't mention what year your Scamp might be, but there are TWO different Dometic refrigerator versions out there, early and late. The early ones, with the "Square" boiler cover, are very sensitive to beong level and, when they stop working, the "inversion" technique may help, but don't count on it working. It's usually the end for the refrigerator.


Late ones have a curved boiler cover and, while they are less sensitive to being level, can have problems if used drastically out of level. However, the later ones usually self-correct if allowed to cool and are restarted in a level condition. Here's a link to a Dometic publication on that topic, look on Page 45.
http://www.nationalserroscotty.org/r...ice-manual.pdf


Both type share in common the need to clean the LP jet, the burner and the soot from the flame tube. Unfortunately some installations require removing the refrigerator to accomplish some or all of these three steps. See the above link for directions on these steps.


And last, is LP pressure. LP pressure is measured in inches of mercury and takes a special tool for measurement, but most RV dealers, and any Lp dealer, can do this and adjust the regulator if necessary. If your pressure is low you will not get a hot enough flame and cooling will suffer.

These last two, soot in the flame tube and low LP pressure seem to be the leading causes of poor cooling when the electrical mode works OK.