Absorption fridge fires

Iceni John · October 25, 2013, 08:05:56 PM

A member of the Crown Coach Junkies forum posted this link about the fire danger from typical RV-style absorption refrigerators: http://www.aegiforensics.com/library/pdfs/Invest-Absorpt-Refrig-Fires-Part1.pdf

Wow, they're even worse than I thought, and I've always thought they're an accident waiting to happen. This is just one of several reasons I'll instead be using a fridger (a chest freezer working as a fridge) in my bus.

John

Dave5Cs · October 25, 2013, 08:27:28 PM

John , lets see heat, flame and Ammonia, Ummmmmm on an RV . Just never sounded right to us.

Dave5Cs

luvrbus · October 26, 2013, 06:36:35 AM

That article pops up every couple of years,for a few years the 2 manufactures of the absorption fridges for RV's had problems with trying to making a cheaper product and uping the bottom line that cost them.

The electrical part of those causes fire also they are like anything else people ignore maintenance and the recalls some things are not preventable some are I never had a problem with a fridge fire in 50 years

Tires,engine,electrical even the diesel fired heat cause more fires than the fridges do every year, some blame the propane being unsafe that is slowly going away with the future of the CNG and LNG hitting the highways now

I saw the RV future at a show it doesn't look good a CNG rear engine,CNG generator,CNG heat ,hot water and fridge

Lot of things can cause a fire in RV just do the homework and the maintenance you will safe

Jriddle · October 26, 2013, 06:44:48 AM

Yep
Buying hot coffee from the Big Mac place is dangerous also.

John

Oonrahnjay · October 26, 2013, 06:46:33 AM

Quote from: Jriddle on October 26, 2013, 06:44:48 AMYep Buying hot coffee from the Big Mac place is dangerous also.
John

Yep. It ain't gonna be the liberals or the Socialist crazies or the Tea Party nuts jobs that sink this country, it will be the lawyers.

luvrbus · October 26, 2013, 06:50:59 AM

Hey Bruce all the lawyers are in DC lol that is the problem

bobofthenorth · October 26, 2013, 08:08:38 AM

The only good lawyer I ever knew died last fall. He was a miserable fat prick but he always did exactly what he said he was going to do and the scumbags I sent him after were terrified of his reputation. I miss him.

TomC · October 26, 2013, 10:12:48 AM

The best way to avoid a fire with an absorption type refrigerator is not to use one in the first place. My first refer was a Norcold 6.3 AC/DC compressor type. When that failed after nearly 20 years of use, I installed a 9cu/ft Nova Kool with a Danfoss compressor and simply love it. It has an evaporator for the refer and another for the freezer. They cost about the same as an absorption refer-without all the problems, and having to have a vent in the wall and another vent in the roof. It is almost silent running. Good Luck, TomC

Oonrahnjay · October 26, 2013, 11:01:17 AM

Quote from: TomC on October 26, 2013, 10:12:48 AMThe best way to avoid a fire with an absorption type refrigerator is not to use one in the first place. My first refer was a Norcold 6.3 AC/DC compressor type. When that failed after nearly 20 years of use, I installed a 9cu/ft Nova Kool with a Danfoss compressor and simply love it. It has an evaporator for the refer and another for the freezer. They cost about the same as an absorption refer-without all the problems, and having to have a vent in the wall and another vent in the roof. It is almost silent running. Good Luck, TomC

My Nova-Kool is very slightly smaller but I love it, too. Tiny, TINY current draw; very cold freezer; and I have it built into next to my stairway - to call if almost silent running would be to imply that it's louder than it is. Cost - not insignificant but I got it from a boat component distributor (yeah, something in a sentence with the word 'boat' that's cheap) that had it as a warehouse sale for 40% off. It really works, small outside dimensions, low current draw, quiet; can't find anything wrong with it.

BH NC USA

Dlsnow · October 26, 2013, 11:13:43 AM

Getting back on track.

I am with John on this. We just put in a DC chest freezer and it is easily the best addition we have made. We have the 8 cubic foot one (he largest) and here is what I like

1. It uses about 170 watts per day when it is 100deg F. I have a new DC monitor coming and will have the watts it uses next week.
2. 34.5 inch height (standard cabinet base height). Were figuring out how to put countertop on it and make it seamless with the counter space
3. Frozen margaritas in the 113F heat are awesome
4. All the venison, lamb, beef and chicken we need
5. Makes ice real good

Just my 2¢

We had been contemplating putting propane in the bus and so far have been able to avoid it.

Dave

luvrbus · October 26, 2013, 11:41:10 AM

Depends on what you use the bus for if you are tied to a pole or driving then electric fridges AC or DC are great,dry camping in neat places they are worthless IMO

I have never been to a dry camp rally where people who had electric fridges AC or DC that a generator wasn't running to charge the batteries

We have friends that have the best DC fridge on the market the high dollar SunFrost same with them running the generator to keep batteries charged

Dlsnow · October 26, 2013, 12:25:04 PM

Well Cliff now I am nervous.

We have been fultiming for only 1 year and have yet to need to plugin. Inbfavt after a year of lugging around a 6kw on an we got rid of it because we never used it.

I you all haven't hear of solarbob than you may have a solar system that will not power your stuff.

We followed solarbobs advice (in general) and are happily off grid camping 100% with solar and about 200 gallons of fresh water.

Hopefully the freezer will be overkill. Ours isn't a sun frost it is a sundanzer but I am sure they all have the same OEM for the compressor.

Wish me luck. So far it has been 1 week and our batteries are still topped up.

Lin · October 26, 2013, 12:55:19 PM

Solar? Why risk a propane frig fire when you can have solar kill you slowly?

http://www.aimtolive.com/radiation_solar_panels.htm

luvrbus · October 26, 2013, 01:07:15 PM

That is what I am saying Dave if you take it out you have to put it back with solar or other means, have you ever saw a million+ Prevost with solar on the roof no they have a 20kw generator that runs all day or starts automatic at midnight in the middle of no where at Quartzsite

I seen it before here in AZ when it was cloudy and rainy for spell the soar guys were searching for ways to charge the system

I like solar just never wanted the roof of my bus covered with it or the roof top AC units

Dlsnow · October 26, 2013, 01:25:12 PM

Well, aside from the 1kw/hr air conditioner we have a low load. This prevos have 4 or more air conditioners and need 20kw just to run them. we have 1 1000watt ac unit and have done up to 14 days without sun (in lake mead last year). The essentials (water pump, lights) continue to function even with limited sun.

So it is a tradeoff. We decided to ditch the generator and buy a few extra batteries. Overall our solar system catches about 6kw of energy over the course of each day. That works for us.