Gas smell from refrigerator - Page 3

gjmaker95 · 05-17-2015, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill

Perhaps you have solved the problem - I've lost track. But let me add one other note. Make sure the exhaust fan behind the refrig is running in the proper direction. It is mounted on the floor of the refrig compartment, and the white slinky comes down around it. The fan must blow DOWNWARD, out through the hole in the floor. When it is running, you should be able to put your hand under the TM, and feel the air flow coming out of the hole. Since the white slinky hose is mounted on and over the fan, it creates a suction at the top of the refrig compartment, which prevents any fumes in the top of the compartment from entering the living spaces. But if the fan blows upward, it pressurizes the space above the refrig, which pumps any fumes into the TM.

If your fan is blowing upward, this is wrong. Look for an arrow molded into the case indicating the preferred direction of air flow through the fan. If air is flowing with the arrow, but the arrow is pointing up, you need to turn the fan over. If the arrow is pointing down, but the fan is blowing upward, then you should reverse the fan rotation by reversing the two wires that power it. If there is no arrow, do either one, so that the fan ends up blowing downward. Either is easy.

Bill

Bill, you are The Boss. I didn't even know there was an exhaust fan there at the bottom of the slinky hose. We're getting some thunderstorms with possible hail, so I had to shut everything down and button up the TM until things blow over. I will check out the fan during the week after work and get back to you. Thanks a million, as always.

scrubjaysnest · 05-17-2015, 04:55 PM

I use a stiff bottle brush to clean the chimney.

gjmaker95 · 05-17-2015, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill

Perhaps you have solved the problem - I've lost track. But let me add one other note. Make sure the exhaust fan behind the refrig is running in the proper direction. It is mounted on the floor of the refrig compartment, and the white slinky comes down around it. The fan must blow DOWNWARD, out through the hole in the floor. When it is running, you should be able to put your hand under the TM, and feel the air flow coming out of the hole. Since the white slinky hose is mounted on and over the fan, it creates a suction at the top of the refrig compartment, which prevents any fumes in the top of the compartment from entering the living spaces. But if the fan blows upward, it pressurizes the space above the refrig, which pumps any fumes into the TM.

If your fan is blowing upward, this is wrong. Look for an arrow molded into the case indicating the preferred direction of air flow through the fan. If air is flowing with the arrow, but the arrow is pointing up, you need to turn the fan over. If the arrow is pointing down, but the fan is blowing upward, then you should reverse the fan rotation by reversing the two wires that power it. If there is no arrow, do either one, so that the fan ends up blowing downward. Either is easy.

Bill

Bill, it turns out the problem was that the fan is shot. I fired up the fridge on gas, crawled underneath to look up at the fan and there was no action at all. Pulled the fridge out a bit, removed the slinky hose and pulled the fan. The one in there is a 120mm, 12V, 0.58A. I found one at Amazon (http://smile.amazon.com/120mm-Sleeve...=120+mm+12v+dc) that is 12V, 0.25A. It should be here in a couple of days so after I install it I'll repost with the result.

**Bill** · 05-19-2015, 08:11 AM

I'm glad you are making progress. Let me amplify two thoughts already on this thread.

First, I'm sure you realize that there is a switch for the fan, inside the TM, on the little control panel on the kitchen sink apron. The switch must be turned on (there is a red pilot light) for the fan to go. And if the fan and the white slinky are installed correctly, they will lower the air pressure in the top of the refrig compartment a bit, which will suck air out of the TM living spaces, around the edges of the refrig. In this condition, fumes cannot flow back into the living spaces. There is nothing wrong with sealing around the edges of the refrig, but it should not be necessary.

Second, the question "How do you power the refrig while driving down the road?" keeps coming up. Safety-minded people (including me) say "No" to propane, worrying about fire even in a minor accident. Electrical people (including me) say "No" to battery power, since for many of us, it tends to kill the TM battery.

So what is the answer? For us, the answer is "Don't power it." If the refrig and freezer are cold when we leave a campground in the morning, and then we drive all day with the refrig turned off, we find that the refrig AND FREEZER are still plenty cold when we arrive at the next campground. Once there, we fire up the propane or connect the shore power, and all is well. I'll admit that I like my before-dinner martini, so if we found all the ice melted when we got to the campground, I would not be pleased. But for us, if there is ice in the freezer in the early morning, there is still ice in the freezer in late afternoon.

Bill

gjmaker95 · 05-19-2015, 02:31 PM

Honestly, I've never tried it. We usually don't camp more than 2-3 hours away and as long as I have gotten the fridge nice and cold two days before by plugging into shore power here at the house everything arrived really chilled. I was only concerned as on our drive out west as we're planning on staying on the road for 8 to 10 hours at a stretch until we hit Santa Fe. After that, our legs will be shorter from campground to campground.

Also, being a TM Newbie of sorts, I am most embarrassed to say that I didn't know about the switch. I am going to go hook up the fan again and test it with the switch on. I'll keep you posted.

gjmaker95 · 05-19-2015, 03:42 PM

God, do I feel sheepish (baaaaa). Sure enough, the problem the whole time is that I didn't know about the reefer switch and that it had to be on when running the reefer on propane. If ever there was a PEPKAC or RTFM moment for me, this one takes the cake.

Fan works great, reefer is cooling on propane now (I am going to let it go tonight and through tomorrow to make sure all is well while precooling the reefer for Mem. Day weekend camping trip to Hiawassee, GA), and I am sipping a cold one while contemplating the value of Ockham's Razor, or lex parsimoniae for those in a more Latin frame of mind.

Again, thanks for all of your help.

05-22-2015, 02:58 PM

Better to discover good aspects of one's TM vs deficiencies!

**Matt and Kerry** · 06-16-2015, 08:37 PM

I have had the same smell problem. Noticed a faint exhaust smell while dry camping for 2 weeks summer before last. Took the trailer in and had the fridge serviced while having the tires replaced and the bearings repacked. Last summer noticed the smell again while dry camping. It also wasn't cooling well so we finished our trip using a cooler. The burner was partially blocked with rust/corrosion and the flame was backing up into air mixture tube. The exhaust was not going up the tube and was heating the insulation. Replacing the burner solved my problem.

scrubjaysnest · 06-17-2015, 09:11 AM

Ours has been acting up intermittently this trip. Haven't had a chance to pull the burner yet.

davlin · 06-17-2015, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill

I'm glad you are making progress. Let me amplify two thoughts already on this thread.

First, I'm sure you realize that there is a switch for the fan, inside the TM, on the little control panel on the kitchen sink apron. The switch must be turned on (there is a red pilot light) for the fan to go. And if the fan and the white slinky are installed correctly, they will lower the air pressure in the top of the refrig compartment a bit, which will suck air out of the TM living spaces, around the edges of the refrig. In this condition, fumes cannot flow back into the living spaces. There is nothing wrong with sealing around the edges of the refrig, but it should not be necessary.

Second, the question "How do you power the refrig while driving down the road?" keeps coming up. Safety-minded people (including me) say "No" to propane, worrying about fire even in a minor accident. Electrical people (including me) say "No" to battery power, since for many of us, it tends to kill the TM battery.

So what is the answer? For us, the answer is "Don't power it." If the refrig and freezer are cold when we leave a campground in the morning, and then we drive all day with the refrig turned off, we find that the refrig AND FREEZER are still plenty cold when we arrive at the next campground. Once there, we fire up the propane or connect the shore power, and all is well. I'll admit that I like my before-dinner martini, so if we found all the ice melted when we got to the campground, I would not be pleased. But for us, if there is ice in the freezer in the early morning, there is still ice in the freezer in late afternoon.

Bill

Bill, either you have the best insulated Norcold that was ever made, or I have the worst. If I drive 10+ hours with an "unpowered" refrigerator (in 85 degree plus weather), my inside temps are about 60 and 40 respectively, and all the ice is now water at the bottom the fridge.

It would be interesting to see if others are closer to your results, or my results?

Dave