Ammonia Smelling Fridge - Fiberglass RV
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Old 07-21-2003, 09:01 AM   #1
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Ammonia Smelling Fridge

My Dometica fridge freezes ice cubes solid, but the main portion of the box is barely cold, and when opened there is a strong smell of ammonia. No smell of ammonia, though, round the area of the coils which I kinda assume hold the ammonia coolant.

Any idea what's going on here?

Thanks! :wave



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Old 07-21-2003, 09:06 AM   #2
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Kitty ... that means your refrigerator's coolant system is leaking ... and that your fridge is not long for this world



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Old 07-21-2003, 09:09 AM   #3
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You can purchase rebuilt refrigerator cooling systems ... but I haven't heard many good results.

You will probably have to purchase a new refrigerator in the near future.

However .... and there's always a "however" ... many folks do just fine with "Ice Boxes."

Even if all your coolant leaks out .... and the ammonia smell goes away ... you effectively would now have an "ice box."

A plastic container and a block of ice will keep stuff ice cold for a weekend trip. Maybe a couple of frozen milk cartons or 2 litre soda bottles filled with ice.



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Old 07-21-2003, 12:10 PM   #4
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Quote:
Orginally posted by Charles Watts

You will probably have to purchase a new refrigerator in the near future.

However .... and there's always a "however" ... many folks do just fine with "Ice Boxes."
Thanks, Charles. I think new-- or working used-- will be a must. We are heading for the rural southwest and we are not hot-weather enthusiasts.

A quick look at the net shows me that the main http://www.dometic.com site is down, but one of their secondary servers at http://www.dometic.com/files/dometic/repla...ernational.html is live. Weird.

Guess I'll call the local RV shop. . .:o



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Old 07-21-2003, 01:15 PM   #5
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Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Kitty!

Hope everything works out ok! Keep us posted!



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Old 07-21-2003, 01:19 PM   #6
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Quote:
Orginally posted by Charles Watts

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Kitty!

Hope everything works out ok! Keep us posted!
Hey, replacements for this sucker are expensive! I've checked the online listing for the comperable Norcold models, and they run $800 for this tiny guy. I'm waiting for a call back on a Dometic unit.
:omy



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Old 07-21-2003, 01:24 PM   #7
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Yeah, unfortunately, there is no way to plug the leak.

You really only have two choices, neither of them cheap:

1. Rebuilt unit

2. New refrigerator

Well, actually there's a third choice ... the "icebox" routine.

There was a day not too long ago when that was all any of us had in our rvs.

And tent camping, all we had was a cooler!



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Old 07-21-2003, 01:42 PM   #8
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Quote:
Orginally posted by Charles Watts

Well, actually there's a third choice ... the "icebox" routine.
I have a lot of years experience in tents with & without ice boxes. But we're aiming for 17' of luxury here. :)

Yesterday we took the little rig out for the first time and Doug spend some very hot hours pushing a billy goat mower, while I masked up, sprayed down with bleach and swabbed up mouse mess in the old collapsing camper. Hanta made an appearence here a couple of years back, so I don't take chances.

We were both delighted to sit back with a popcicle after working.

I love my Bigfoot!



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Old 07-21-2003, 06:57 PM   #9
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Kitty,
Call one of these guys and see if they know of someone in your area who repairs. Or take a trip to the beautiful midwest.
I had a larger refrig repaired years ago and it worked fine til I sold the trailer.

Bill's RV Appliances Service and Sales
Elkhart, IN
574-522-1569

National RV Refrigeration
Shippshewanna, IN
260-768-7059

Etters RV Appliances
Greenwood, IN
317-881-3273



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Old 07-21-2003, 09:33 PM   #10
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Thanks, Pete!

I just remembered that I actually know someone who is a fridge repairman of many years experience...
:wave



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Old 07-22-2003, 04:04 AM   #11
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Kitty,

The reference to the Hanta Virus leads me to believe you're already in the southwest. If so, check this source in Phoenix for used RV refrigerators:

http://www.azrvinc.com/intro.htm



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Old 07-22-2003, 08:45 AM   #12
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Orginally posted by Morgan Bulger

Kitty,

The reference to the Hanta Virus leads me to believe you're already in the southwest. If so, check this source in Phoenix for used RV refrigerators:

http://www.azrvinc.com/intro.htm
Morgan,

Nope, I'm in the soggy NW, but Hanta showed up here a couple of years back. It's not much of a threat-- the cases are still extremely rare here-- but it's such a nasty critter that I'm willing to take some precautions.



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Old 07-22-2003, 11:11 AM   #13
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ammonia smell

Kitty:

From the Dometic catalog:

page D-6-11 (29).......

"This type of fault is a lost charge. It is known as a 'leaker'. To the touch, this unit will be warm at the boiler and extremely hot at the absorber. In this condition we are still boiling ammonia but have no hydrogen for evaporation."

The 'absorber' is the pipe across back of the fridge that zigzags back and forth.

The 'boiler' is the tall round cylinder on the right hand side of the back of the fridge. The pilot light and propane burner are at the bottom of this cylinder.

I suppose by the smell you can tell you have a 'leaker'. I don't know of any owner type repair. Here's a refridgeration repair website. :)

http://www.rvmobile.com



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Old 07-22-2003, 03:40 PM   #14
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I forgot to mention when my refer leaked out it did it big time.
We had the trailer at a perminent site and when I arrived I opened the frig to get a coke ( yeah coke!) and was knocked down by the odor. White powder everywhere.



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Old 07-22-2003, 04:15 PM   #15
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options

In terms of other options - how important would it be to be able to run the thing off of gas or 12V? I find myself wondering if a dead 3-way could be replaced with a conventional (dorm-sized) fridge. Anybody tried that???

mkw



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Old 07-22-2003, 05:50 PM   #16
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Hi Mike!

We just returned from a 43 day trip ... 35 days boondocking without power ... so our refrigerator ran 24/7 on gas while we were without services.

If you usually camped with power, then you could get by with a dorm refrigerator (using it as unpowered "ice box" for the rare time you didn't have power).

Thing is, I really, really like camping where the pavement never grows.



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Old 07-23-2003, 11:00 AM   #17
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Years ago, we had an LP fridge that leaked out. The point of leakage was accessible, and a repairman was able to solder and recharge the ammonia. It worked for several years after that. I think, however, that successful repairs are uncommon.

My parents have a 12-year-old 5th wheel, and their fridge was dead at the beginning of last season. They went up to Bill's RV Appliance (as mentioned by pjantis), and had a new cooling unit installed. It saved them several hundred dollars, and is so far (second season now) working just fine.



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Old 07-23-2003, 11:16 AM   #18
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The fact that the ammonia is leaking inside rather than outside is apparently a much bigger problem. Too bad I have a still working larger fridge from the old camper, that will not possibly fit in the Bigfoot.



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Old 07-23-2003, 11:33 AM   #19
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firdge website

Kitty:

Another source......

http://www.gasrefrigeration.net/

I bought an automatic ignitor, for my little manual fridge, from these folks. It's absolutely great!!! No more hunting for the pilot light. :)



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