Just wondering if anyone here was familar with the Electrolux RM2310 3-way fridge, as mine still has ongoing issues.
On the way back from Melbourne (at night), I put it on 12v to test it out, nothing, not a skerrick of coolness...
Today I ran it on 240v all day, same deal - yes I turned the mysterious switch on.
I am wondering if there is a fuse for 240v in the fridge itself? I am going to pull the power point off tommorrow and make sure its doing what a power point should do, and test all the wiring.
In a few weeks a mate and I are going to rewire the 12v side of things in the bus (for internal lights etc), as the wire thats there is a little on the thin side and its a pretty dodgey job to boot.
I don't want to pull the fridge out right now, as honestly I can't work out how to do it :) And the rear vents are pop-riveted in, so access that way isn't all that easy.
While I am here, on another topic, the bus has a 20 litre gal tank installed, I am considering taking it out and lightening the load a little, as I feel a 20 litre tank is almost a waste of time, and as a water tank it makes a great hot water service, as the water in it gets rather hot. Comments anyone? Would I be better leaving it, or tearing it out, I am not going to be using it for drinking water anyway, as I don't trust it.
Cupie said
10:47 AM Feb 5, 2009
Stewart ..
My fridge is a RM2553, so I can't be too specific re your model, but I suspect that they are similar in the basics.
1. Not cooling ... Does it work on gas? If not then it may a refrigerant issue & a job for a specialist. I don't believe that there are fuses in either the 240 or 12v heater leads .. within the fridge & certainly none shown on my documentation.
2. To remove my model .. Two screws at both the top & bottom front. May be concealed by cover strips. Also two screws at the bottom rear. You'll need to disconnect & cap the gas feed as well as the 240 & 12v wiring. They say that the polarity of the 12v is important . It's an easy job to drill out the pop rivets & replace them with SS self tappers for better access.
3. Water Tank .. There are lots of 'plastic' ones around. Mine have metal stone guards for protection & holding the tanks in place.
hope that this is of some assistance.
mike and Judy said
11:09 AM Feb 5, 2009
G,Day Stewie
got the same frig in my Golf
not a spot of trouble with it except it was struggling in the heat above 35, fitted two fans and now perfect,
cannot see any where there is fuses, except the main one into the van
but have some cutout solinoids for the water pump, lights, and maybe the frig when all is on 12v they read out at 10a, and 3 at 7amps and the van is a 1990 model
At a guess mate it would be be the lack of refrigant would be the only problem
M&J
enjoy your sunrises
VK3FEMT said
03:08 PM Feb 5, 2009
Thanks Cupie & Mike;
It would seem its time to get someone proficient in these things to take a look at it, and get them to install your fan idea as well, also to add to the fans, if you had two fans blowing cold air onto the element at the bottom, it would also increase efficiency to have two fans at the top extracting, as heat rises, so if you can get rid of as much heat it would have to work better?
It does work pretty well on gas, although having said that, I've never seen a 100% working 3-way fridge, so it may not be cooling to capacity, anyone know of a fridge mechanic in Melbourne, preferably Greensborough, Healesville way as that is where I will be in a few weeks time, although I can take it anywhere, just easier on the fuel.
Been a bit hot today to go ripping out the 240v point, before I do I will just plug a light into it and see if it works.
I have decided to buy one of those 'all fridge or all freezer' compressor type things off ebay, as the freezer in the bus fridge really isn't that huge, and maybe a second smaller one to run as a fridge to keep stuff like milk, and any canned stuff in whilst travelling.
I've got to get a new connector to the high pressure water inlet, as the o-ring has dissapeared. And some new seals for the front door and get the boot attended to as well. I'm a bit depressed at the moment, been on a disability pension it makes it a little hard when you have so much to fix all at once, but I am going to get the most important things done first and go from there, so my order thus far is:
1. Fridge sorted 2. Boot rust removed, new seal and sealed proper and put bolt lock on 3. Front door seal (its not leaking but its stuffed)
Mike47 said
06:13 PM Feb 5, 2009
Hi Stew,
I had the same problem with the Dometic three-way in my Penguin. I rang the Dometic service agents and the first thing they asked was "is the van level both ways" I answered that it was (well it was by eye) and they said to bring it in (it was only two months old).
I checked with a spirit level and it wasn't quite level so I levelled it up and blow me down it started to work again. It seems that some of these new fridges are very sensitive. They're OK after a day's travel, but if they're left for a couple of days, they have a hissy fit.
For what it's worth
Mike
Bubs said
08:43 PM Feb 5, 2009
I have a RM2330, and I think the mystery switch is for the fan, which is thermostat controlled. I leave mine turned on. My fridge has been useless during the heatwave we have just had. NO fridge sitting out in over 55c heat (that is as high as the thermostat would read) will operate and keep up with that kind of demand. I know because I asked when I thought mine was on the blink! In those temps I have been using bags of icecubes and frozen bottles of water to place in it to give it a helping hand and effectively using it as a chilly bin. Fortunately the freezer unit stayed frozen and the meat didn't defrost. I have really been thrown into the deep end in this country with the biggest heatwave in over 100yrs! I put it down to another challenge overcome! Cheers!
VK3FEMT said
11:26 PM Feb 5, 2009
Bubs wrote:I have a RM2330, and I think the mystery switch is for the fan, which is thermostat controlled.
Cheers!
Dianne (I think...)
I donno, Im close to throwing it to the tip right now. I won't though, feel like it but, it works ok on Gas, no dramas there at all.
Just doesnt want to play ball on 12 or 240, as this is a heat absortion thing, I tested it overnight, when it was cool, as I knew it would be pointless trying during a hot day.
Since the freezer compartment in mine is rather small, Ive decided now to get a compressor model off ebay, 80L that can be either a freezer or a fridge. And just use the fridge in the bus on gas when stopped over.
From what I have been told by a mate who has one of these he said its not worth running them on 12v unless your driving as it will suck the battery dry within 2 hours, that doesnt excite me much.
My main problem is obviously going to be when mobile, so thats where the compresor job comes in, and then I can whack stuff in the bus fridge once its cooled on gas. I am going to get two of these things, one for a freezer and one as a fridge unit, although the fridge one will be smaller as I wont need to put so much into it.
My plan, insane as it may be, is to freeze up some bottled water, say three 1.5'ers and then when I stop whack them into the bus fridge, fire it up on gas and that should give it a bit of a helping hand.
I am also in a dilema on where to mount all my radios (5 in total so far), 2 will definately go in the front without doubt (27MHz & UHF) and the rest I am not sure about as yet, decisions decisions...
Anyway, this all reminds me to test that damn power point with a light, better go do that while I remember.
JRH said
02:23 PM Feb 6, 2009
bamphoto wrote:
My plan, insane as it may be, is to freeze up some bottled water, say three 1.5'ers and then when I stop whack them into the bus fridge, fire it up on gas and that should give it a bit of a helping hand.
G'day,
Not so insane friend, when travelling we use the blue freezer blocks in the fridge, helps to keep the fridge nice and cool during the trip and the fridge is not running as we do not use the fridge on 12 volt. We have used this system since 1997 and have travelled up to 6 -7 hours in a day in 30+ degree heat and at the end of the day the fridge has only been at 7 degrees C, measured with a fridge thermometer.
Our fridge is also an absorbtion 3 way. An Electrolux Model RM361.
Hope this helps.
Best Regards and Safe Travelling. John
-- Edited by JRH at 12:18, 2009-02-07
Cupie said
10:58 AM Feb 8, 2009
Re 3 way fridges ...
A web site worth looking at is
fridge-and-solar.net/cont.htm
Then select 'Technical information' and choose the article about fridge venting.
My wife thinks that I am paraniod about the van fridge (& she's probably right) which is pretty inefficient at high ambient temperatures.
This is what I do/have done to improve it -
- Modify the installation to conform with the recommendations in the article above.
- Try to park the van so that the rear of the fridge is not on the sunny side .. ie that side facing SSE or as close as I can get to it
- Fit sunshade to protect back of fridge from direct sun but allowing any breeze through. Park in the shade if possible. In really hot areas I have even been known to waste power by running the van Air con during the day to keep the inside of the van cooler.
- Ensure that the van is level front to back & sideways .. Levels fitted an 'A' frame.
- Fill all spare space in the fridge & freezer with frozen bottles of good drinking water. Refreeze them overnight in caravan park camp fridges. A friend has suggested using bubble wrap to take up unused space & prevent cold air tumbling out when the door is opened.
- I have fitted a in/out thermometer to give me real data on the fridge performance.
- Before leaving on a trip, I run the fridge for at least 3 days beforehand and ensure that it is stocked well in advance of leaving (at least 1 day & night).
- The hard part is trying to keep the door open as little as possible.
- The most important thing is to keep all the important stuff like beer & white wine in the separate Engel!
hope this helps.
ps .. re the original problem with bamphoto's fridge ... IMO .. If it works on gas then refrigerant is unlikely to be the problem. You will need to check power to each of the heating elements .. 12v heater & 240v heater. If that is OK then the heater elements themselves need checking for continuity. If they are both OK then you might need to address some of the operating enviroment issues outlined by others & above. I find that mine always works best on gas!
On the way back from Melbourne (at night), I put it on 12v to test it out, nothing, not a skerrick of coolness...
Today I ran it on 240v all day, same deal - yes I turned the mysterious switch on.
I am wondering if there is a fuse for 240v in the fridge itself?
I am going to pull the power point off tommorrow and make sure its doing what a power point should do, and test all the wiring.
In a few weeks a mate and I are going to rewire the 12v side of things in the bus (for internal lights etc), as the wire thats there is a little on the thin side and its a pretty dodgey job to boot.
I don't want to pull the fridge out right now, as honestly I can't work out how to do it :) And the rear vents are pop-riveted in, so access that way isn't all that easy.
While I am here, on another topic, the bus has a 20 litre gal tank installed, I am considering taking it out and lightening the load a little, as I feel a 20 litre tank is almost a waste of time, and as a water tank it makes a great hot water service, as the water in it gets rather hot.
Comments anyone? Would I be better leaving it, or tearing it out, I am not going to be using it for drinking water anyway, as I don't trust it.
My fridge is a RM2553, so I can't be too specific re your model, but I suspect that they are similar in the basics.
1. Not cooling ... Does it work on gas? If not then it may a refrigerant issue & a job for a specialist.
I don't believe that there are fuses in either the 240 or 12v heater leads .. within the fridge & certainly none shown on my documentation.
2. To remove my model .. Two screws at both the top & bottom front. May be concealed by cover strips. Also two screws at the bottom rear. You'll need to disconnect & cap the gas feed as well as the 240 & 12v wiring. They say that the polarity of the 12v is important .
It's an easy job to drill out the pop rivets & replace them with SS self tappers for better access.
3. Water Tank .. There are lots of 'plastic' ones around. Mine have metal stone guards for protection & holding the tanks in place.
hope that this is of some assistance.
It would seem its time to get someone proficient in these things to take a look at it, and get them to install your fan idea as well, also to add to the fans, if you had two fans blowing cold air onto the element at the bottom, it would also increase efficiency to have two fans at the top extracting, as heat rises, so if you can get rid of as much heat it would have to work better?
It does work pretty well on gas, although having said that, I've never seen a 100% working 3-way fridge, so it may not be cooling to capacity, anyone know of a fridge mechanic in Melbourne, preferably Greensborough, Healesville way as that is where I will be in a few weeks time, although I can take it anywhere, just easier on the fuel.
Been a bit hot today to go ripping out the 240v point, before I do I will just plug a light into it and see if it works.
I have decided to buy one of those 'all fridge or all freezer' compressor type things off ebay, as the freezer in the bus fridge really isn't that huge, and maybe a second smaller one to run as a fridge to keep stuff like milk, and any canned stuff in whilst travelling.
I've got to get a new connector to the high pressure water inlet, as the o-ring has dissapeared. And some new seals for the front door and get the boot attended to as well. I'm a bit depressed at the moment, been on a disability pension it makes it a little hard when you have so much to fix all at once, but I am going to get the most important things done first and go from there, so my order thus far is:
1. Fridge sorted
2. Boot rust removed, new seal and sealed proper and put bolt lock on
3. Front door seal (its not leaking but its stuffed)
I had the same problem with the Dometic three-way in my Penguin. I rang the Dometic service agents and the first thing they asked was "is the van level both ways" I answered that it was (well it was by eye) and they said to bring it in (it was only two months old).
I checked with a spirit level and it wasn't quite level so I levelled it up and blow me down it started to work again. It seems that some of these new fridges are very sensitive. They're OK after a day's travel, but if they're left for a couple of days, they have a hissy fit.
For what it's worth
Mike
I have really been thrown into the deep end in this country with the biggest heatwave in over 100yrs! I put it down to another challenge overcome!
Cheers!
I donno, Im close to throwing it to the tip right now. I won't though, feel like it but, it works ok on Gas, no dramas there at all.
Just doesnt want to play ball on 12 or 240, as this is a heat absortion thing, I tested it overnight, when it was cool, as I knew it would be pointless trying during a hot day.
Since the freezer compartment in mine is rather small, Ive decided now to get a compressor model off ebay, 80L that can be either a freezer or a fridge. And just use the fridge in the bus on gas when stopped over.
From what I have been told by a mate who has one of these he said its not worth running them on 12v unless your driving as it will suck the battery dry within 2 hours, that doesnt excite me much.
My main problem is obviously going to be when mobile, so thats where the compresor job comes in, and then I can whack stuff in the bus fridge once its cooled on gas. I am going to get two of these things, one for a freezer and one as a fridge unit, although the fridge one will be smaller as I wont need to put so much into it.
My plan, insane as it may be, is to freeze up some bottled water, say three 1.5'ers and then when I stop whack them into the bus fridge, fire it up on gas and that should give it a bit of a helping hand.
I am also in a dilema on where to mount all my radios (5 in total so far), 2 will definately go in the front without doubt (27MHz & UHF) and the rest I am not sure about as yet, decisions decisions...
Anyway, this all reminds me to test that damn power point with a light, better go do that while I remember.
Not so insane friend, when travelling we use the blue freezer blocks in the fridge, helps to keep the fridge nice and cool during the trip and the fridge is not running as we do not use the fridge on 12 volt. We have used this system since 1997 and have travelled up to 6 -7 hours in a day in 30+ degree heat and at the end of the day the fridge has only been at 7 degrees C, measured with a fridge thermometer.
Our fridge is also an absorbtion 3 way. An Electrolux Model RM361.
Hope this helps.
Best Regards and Safe Travelling.
John
-- Edited by JRH at 12:18, 2009-02-07
A web site worth looking at is
fridge-and-solar.net/cont.htm
Then select 'Technical information' and choose the article about fridge venting.
.........................................................................................
My wife thinks that I am paraniod about the van fridge (& she's probably right) which is pretty inefficient at high ambient temperatures.
This is what I do/have done to improve it -
- Modify the installation to conform with the recommendations in the article above.
- Try to park the van so that the rear of the fridge is not on the sunny side .. ie that side facing SSE or as close as I can get to it
- Fit sunshade to protect back of fridge from direct sun but allowing any breeze through. Park in the shade if possible. In really hot areas I have even been known to waste power by running the van Air con during the day to keep the inside of the van cooler.
- Ensure that the van is level front to back & sideways .. Levels fitted an 'A' frame.
- Fill all spare space in the fridge & freezer with frozen bottles of good drinking water. Refreeze them overnight in caravan park camp fridges. A friend has suggested using bubble wrap to take up unused space & prevent cold air tumbling out when the door is opened.
- I have fitted a in/out thermometer to give me real data on the fridge performance.
- Before leaving on a trip, I run the fridge for at least 3 days beforehand and ensure that it is stocked well in advance of leaving (at least 1 day & night).
- The hard part is trying to keep the door open as little as possible.
- The most important thing is to keep all the important stuff like beer & white wine in the separate Engel!
hope this helps.
ps .. re the original problem with bamphoto's fridge ... IMO .. If it works on gas then refrigerant is unlikely to be the problem. You will need to check power to each of the heating elements .. 12v heater & 240v heater. If that is OK then the heater elements themselves need checking for continuity. If they are both OK then you might need to address some of the operating enviroment issues outlined by others & above.
I find that mine always works best on gas!