Thetford N80 Fridge with 2 problems.

[Mr_Taipan]

Hi All,

My Father-in-law has a Vitesse caravan with a Thetford N80 in it. When on site he was using a compressor which went wrong and blew its fuse and tripped the caravan main supply out. When he switched the power back on the fridge no longer worked? As he was returning home the next morning he left it at that.

Now we're taking a look at it and have powered the van up. We removed the vents and the heat exchanger is getting warm but the fridge isn't getting cold as quick as it normally does according to my F-i-L. We'll leave it overnight and see if it sorts itself out, but if doesn't, any idea on what it could be?

As he is off again soon for yet another short break, I said if we cant sort it, you can run it on gas and he then informs me he only needed to use it on gas once but couldn't get it to light. So I had a look and what happens is it will fire up okay and the gauge hits the top of the green section. But when you release the "push and hold to light button", the gas gauge slowly drop until the ignition kicks in as it reaches the midway point and then down into the white. Again, any idea of what this can be?

Many thanks.

 

[Woodentop]

Hi All,

My Father-in-law has a Vitesse caravan with a Thetford N80 in it. When on site he was using a compressor which went wrong and blew its fuse and tripped the caravan main supply out. When he switched the power back on the fridge no longer worked? As he was returning home the next morning he left it at that.

Now we're taking a look at it and have powered the van up. We removed the vents and the heat exchanger is getting warm but the fridge isn't getting cold as quick as it normally does according to my F-i-L. We'll leave it overnight and see if it sorts itself out, but if doesn't, any idea on what it could be?

As he is off again soon for yet another short break, I said if we cant sort it, you can run it on gas and he then informs me he only needed to use it on gas once but couldn't get it to light. So I had a look and what happens is it will fire up okay and the gauge hits the top of the green section. But when you release the "push and hold to light button", the gas gauge slowly drop until the ignition kicks in as it reaches the midway point and then down into the white. Again, any idea of what this can be?

Many thanks.

Most fridges are actually supplied through a 13A plug in a cupboard or similar just to one side of the fridge. The fuse (should be 5A preferably*) could have blown. [*If possible use a 5A plugtop fuse rather than 3A as the latter are prone to mechanical failure, for instance if the plug is dropped onto a hard surface.]

If it will not stay lit on gas it is likely either the flame is not big enough to heat the thermocouple (i.e. flame failure device) or more likely the thermocouple has failed - much much more common than you might expect. They are standard units, fairly cheap, and not difficult to fit if you know what you are doing. However you may have to remove the fridge which means disconnecting a gas pipe and (officially) you need to be Gas Registered to do that.

One other thing that can cause problems with older fridges is bubbling in the coolant. The quick solution with that is to removed the fridge and stand it upside down for 24 hours which will usually fix it. However again that means disconnecting the gas pipe......

 

[ProfJohnL]

My first comment would be to say that absorption fridges are quite sensitive to slopes, so please try re leveling the caravan before contemplating any other remedial work.

... However you may have to remove the fridge which means disconnecting a gas pipe and (officially) you need to be Gas Registered to do that....

This statement needs to be clarified:- Privately owned Touring Caravans and Self Propelled Motorhomes where they are used exclusively by the owner (and no one else); work on the gas systems and appliances can be carried out by the owner under a specific exemption included in the Gas Safety Installation And Use Regulations. However, whilst in the specific instances above the owner is permitted work on the systems him/her self, the methods and testing used must still comply with the codes of practice and Health and safety requirements that are set out in the codes of practice, and in reality unless you are fully qualified you won't have the required knowledge or gear to do it.

You must also bear in mind that as the owner if you ask anyone else to do the work , you are actually contracting them and as a result they MUST be fully qualified and registered to work on LPG systems.

If the caravan is to be used by anyone else (Spouse or or even other family members, that is technically a hire, and thus as the owner of the caravan you MUST ensure that all gas works are only carried out by a fully competent registered LPG gas fitter. You owe it to them to ensure that any works carried out are properly tested for their safety.

As for turning the fridge upside down, this will sometimes work. but invariably its only a temporary fix.

 

[Mr_Taipan]

Thank you for the replies. We have now removed the fridge and will start looking into it further now.

For what its worth he first started working with gas as a gas fitter with North Thames Gas when he was digging up and repairing 16" mains in the '63 winter. He retired a couple of years back and his last job was a swimming pool plant maintenance man. So he has most of his life repairing and sealing all manner of pressurised gases and liquids. Mind you some of his stories of testing seals on gas fitting years ago would make the HSE cringe like never before! Safety has certaionly moved on for good reason!

 

[ProfJohnL]

If its not his caravan, then he must be LPG registered to work on it. its the law.

 

[Mr_Taipan]

It is his caravan.

 

[Martin_E]

It can also be the selection switch that is not letting the fridge hold the flame especially if not used very often, more common than people think.