Level how important

[geoffh]

When using a fridge on gas how important is being level?

 

[rayc]

geoff, with later fridges it seems less important than those in the 1970's and 80's. I rallied for many years and never bothered levelling to the nth degree whilst on rally fields and never has a problem.

 

[geoffh]

Thank ray

Its just I have the latest thetford fridge and sometimes its a right pig to light on gas

When I move it later this week I will try it when its level

it was just a thought to see if anybody else has had this problem

Its fine on 12volt and electric

 

[rob_jax]

Geoff,

Level shouldn't affect how easy or difficult it is to light the fridge on gas - it's "just" a gas flame - and the reason it doesn't want to light on gas is probably one of the following:

* The gas line from the manifold to the fridge needs purging after a lay-up - which can take some time as the fridge gas jet is quite small

* The flame sensor device is being awkward (and might need replacement in the future).

* A spider has made the burner chamber it's home - and it's shorted out the igniter or blocked the jet - and there's a high probability that this is the cause of the problem.

The fridge needs to be level so that the cooling fluid can move around the coils in the back of the fridge - but if you have one of those small (50p coin size) spirit levels, that's more than good enough.

Robert

 

[SteveW77]

As someone who actually used to make Electrolux/Dometic fridges, I can say that the main reason for getting the thing level was so the flame went up the inside of the burner tube and not up the outside. As the gas pressure through the jet is relatively low, the flame tends to burn perpendicular, a bit like a plumb bob finds a straight line. Of course this was some time ago and thing move on and designs get better.

Steve W

 

[geoffh]

if its not level wouldn't the flame not be straight and miss the sensor ?

soon know moving the caravan and making it ready for the trip to La Manga

 

[Rodone]

I have had a Thetford fridge since the early ones in 2003 and on mains it has been fine. It has never worked well on 12 volt but this may be down to other reasons ( although power is getting to the fridge OK) But on gas it has been an endless and expensive scource of trouble. How ever to answer your question about being a pig to light, I find that, even after short lay up, it would take a minute or so of holding the button in before it lit. I do it in stages of 15 secs at a time.

 

[ThePlotter]

A friend of mine has a 2007 Challenger with the latest fridge and he has no end of trouble and it was decided it needed a new motherboard,fitted and no problem since.

 

[Rodone]

The fitter at the dealers where I take my van also said that they have had all sorts of problems with fridges since the manufactures have added more features. A bit like cars I suppose - lots of toys, mostly unwanted and not needed, but when they go wrong there only about six clever sods in the entire universe that can understand them!

 

[Clive-Cardiff]

On our last van I often had a job to light thr gas fridge but I found that if I bled the gas through to the gas fire, hob and boiler by lighting them,the fridge would light a lot quicker.

In my case I think the problem was air getting in the system while in storage, then trying to bleed the air out through the tiny gas jet in the fridge.

 

[J.Lo]

My Thetford fridge works fine on gas for about two days then goes out. The panel then reads fault 18,handbook says this is normal and fridge will relight when tempreture is right,it never has yet but fed up going back and to to dealers for no result. Swift Challenger 3 months old. John.

 

[Rodone]

One of the many problems that I had was the opposite to yours. When the fridge WAS alight and working OK, the ignitor unit would begin 'ticking' and trying to re -light the already working unit! Remedy was to change the lighter unit. Since 2003 had one replacement fridge, two replacement burners on the replacemment and the new ignitor mentioned above. While it was under warranty Thetford sent a contracted engineer out to me three times to try to sort it. As they are all part of the Norcold Group, you would have thought that they would have cracked it by now. Be thankful they don't make aeroplanes!

 

[geoffh]

Thanks for all the replies sounds like the latest thetford fridge is not that special

Maybe I will take out the extended warranty