Date:         Sun, 25 Apr 1999 15:18:46 PDT
Reply-To:     Mike Finkbiner <mike_l_f@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mike Finkbiner <mike_l_f@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Gas Pressure in the Refrigerator
Content-type: text/plain

Volks -

As I mentioned earlier, I haven't been able to get my Dometic
refrigerator to light with gas.  It works OK on 12v or 110v.

Today I pulled it out (and discovered that section of the side wall of
the '87 Westy has fiberglass insulation in the wall, but no vapor
barrier visible).

I was able to hook it up to a bottle from a gas grill that hasn't been
used for quite awhile.  The grill regulator is attached to the bottle,
and the line that attached to the grill screws right on to the fridge
(Standardization, what an odd concept!).  When I opened the valve on
the gas bottle outside, a I could hear and feel a moderate stream of
gas coming out of the end of the line from the regulator, so I assumed
there was enough gas for testing purposes.

With the fridge on the bench, I pulled the bottom off the burner pan,
and pushed the air pump in a couple of times, getting a pretty healthy
spark.  The thermocouple was dirty, and there was a little grit in the
bottom of the pan.  I could blow through the drain tube OK.

I cleaned that up, and removed the gas line from the burner pan.  Then
I connected the gas bottle and set the fridge controls for gas,
thermostat on max.  When I pushed in the safety valve button, I could
smell gas and hear a bit of gas coming out of the line that I had
disconnected from the burner.

I reconnected it to the burner pan, and with it loose, tried to hold
in the button and make some sparks.  No flame.  Then I pulled the
orifice out of the burner pan, connected it to the end of the
burner pan gas line and tried the spit test.  No bubbles came through
the saliva when I held the button in.

Just for curiosities sake, I removed the orifice and put some saliva
on the end of the the end of the gas line.  When I pushed the button
in, it blew a little bubble, but didn't pop it!  That's not much
preassure!  I tried it a couple of times with the same result.

To test I removed the gas bottle, opened the valve, and it still
shoots out a moderate stream of propane.

Could there be something in the gas system that is reducing the
pressure?  I was hoping it was just a clogged orifice, but now I don't
know if something else is wrong.

Any suggestions?

- Mike

'87 Westy

PS.  I have been doing all of this testing with a fire extinguisher
handy!

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