"SteveB" wrote in message
news:YouTe.74197$DW1.73091@fed1read06...

"George E. Cawthon" wrote in message
...
SteveB wrote:
Do propane refrigerators need to be vented outside? I have just bought
a
cabin with a Consul 17 cubic foot fridge/freezer.

The burner needed cleaning, as it smelled very very rich. It had a lot
of soot. When I put it back together, the diffuser fell down into the
exhaust pipe, and I didn't notice it.

When it started smelling again, I checked it, and cleaned it again.

Tell me of your experiences with propane appliances in an enclosed
space.
I know they can be lethal, but this has a very small burner. Nothing
in
the instructions mentioned outside venting.

Steve

Propane (actually ammonia cycle) refrigerators are common on RV's, so
check RV sites on the internet. Anything with a flame needs a vent. A
standard feature is to have the burner in a separate space from the
actual cold space. Built in that way or the unit is on rollers and
just
backs into a space that is vented to the outside. Or, the unit just
sits
in a highly vented space such as a screened porch.

I was puzzled when I looked at the manual, and there was no mention of
venting. Venting would not really be a problem, just some Rube Goldberg
(am
I dating myself?) plumbing of flues. I would have to drill a rather large
hole through six inches of solid wood exterior wall, but really, not a big
job to vent the thing.

Just seeking understanding before I go hacking and cutting.

Steve



My understanding of propane (absorption) refrigerators is that they contain
a mixture of ammonia and water. The mixture is heated and the ammonia
vaporizes. As the vaporization occurs the result is expanding gas.
Expanding gases absorb heat, hence the name. This is easily demonstrated by
using any spray can or letting the air out of a tire or tank of compressed
gas/air. You can feel the can/tank get colder. If you let the air out of a
SCUBA tank ice will form on the valve.

I would not use one without venting. Although there is a small flame there
will still be some CO present. Besides that you will get some soot. There
is probably a baffle inside the flue or chimney that needs to be able to
move freely. Soot can also build up inside the chimney and it should be
cleaned occasionally, perhaps once a year. It is also VERY important that
the coils be cleaned and free of dust and goop. The refrigerator will cool
much more effeciently with clean coils. Also keep your burner clean and
make sure it has a good-looking blue flame. If it is all clean and working
properly you will have less soot and probably less CO.

One of the beauties of the RV type units is that they also contain heating
coils that operate from 12 VDC or 120VAC or both. If you run out of propane
you can hook it up temporarily to a battery or to an AC supply. The older
ones (probably built before the 90's) needed no connections other than
propane but the newer ones require a 12VDC source to operate. I think the
older ones are better.