On Tue 06 Sep 2005 09:53:02p, SteveB wrote in alt.home.repair:


"Toller" wrote in message
...

"SteveB" wrote in message
news:5ftTe.74191$DW1.54455@fed1read06...

"Percival P. Cassidy" wrote in message
... .

I'm assuming that they work on a similar principle to the kerosene
refrigerators I recall from a few decades back; a neighbor in a rural
area of UK with no electric supply had one. Some of those used
ammonia as the refrigerant, but maybe the propane ones now use Freon.

IIRC, the heat of the flame raises the pressure of the refrigerant
just as the compressor does in an electric refrigerator.

Perce

IIRC, the flame boils the ammonia, it condenses, and as it does,
cools, hence, cooling.

Oh for heaven's sake! When things condense they give off heat; so why
would it cool by condensing?
http://www.howstuffworks.com/refrigerator5.htm


I don't know. If you are so smart, why don't you post the answer
instead of just coming up with contentious posts? Explain it to us
stupid unwashed rabble.

An ammonia refrigerator has a flame and ammonia. I don't really
understand how it works, only that it does. A flame would seem to boil
a liquid, and a condensing coil would seem to condense that vapor. Just
an observation by this untrained person.

If things give off heat when they condense, why isn't rain hot? Just a
question from this stupid person who obviously doesn't understand and
know as much as you.

Steve

Probably more than you wanted to know:

http://www.nh3tech.org/absorption.html

As a side note, some of the earliest commercial air conditioning systems
used ammonia, the heat usually being supplied by a natural gas burner.
These systems pre-dated sykstems uning Freon. These were generally rather
large systems, installed in office buildings and theaters.

When I was a kid, my dad worked in an office building cooled by such a
system. In the area of the actual equipment in the basement, there were
often small leaks and one could faintly smell the ammonia.

The earliest refrigerators also used ammonia (Freon hadn't been invented
yet). Many were fueled by natural gas. However, kerosene and butane (pre-
dating propane) adaptations were also common in rural areas without
electric power.

Even today, especially in Amish areas and other rural areas without
electricity, kerosene refrigerators are used by many people.

These systems are virtually silent, although you might occasionally here a
sound similar to a percolator. There is no motor or compressor. They also
do a very good job of cooling and freezing.

Prices are high, most likely, because of the relatively low production
compared to traditional refrigerators.

HTH

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four,
unless there are three other people.