have a fridge in my van. can be hardwired up to 12V or run on mains. requires an LPG gas connection also. on the back it has what looks like an exhaust, but its got a dipstick type thing in it. what is this for! and why would a fridge need LPG! it has an ignition etc to light the LPG aswell. but i cant figure out why
saxman99,
Jun 17, 5:22am
It's so you can run the fridge way out past the black stump where there is no power and without having to run the van all the time to charge the battery to run the fridge.Even a large deep cycle battery doesn't last long running a fridge.
Having said that you don't have to hook it up if you don't want or need it.
jezz43,
Jun 17, 5:25am
so it burns LPG to make it cool! instead of using battery or mains! 3 power sources it can run on so to speak! or am i reading that wrong!
jerichord,
Jun 17, 6:17am
yep , 3 power sources, each heats upthe element, different to household fridge whichhas a compressor.
rivermist8,
Jun 17, 6:45am
3 way fridges on 12v are not usually very efficient and they drag around 10amps which as mentioned will flatten your house battery rather quickly. Best method is to set it up on a relay, or similar, on the ignition so that it will only work on 12v when the engine is running.
intrade,
Jun 17, 7:11am
you cant use lpg while you drive you can useeither or. lpg type fridge will be most efficient on lpg . the lpg is a burner flame and that chimeney is where the hot air escapes . the hot air moves the gas and cooles the fridge . the same is with the power the mains power heat up a element inside the fridge to create the heat and the 12 volt also.so its either or power sources gas electric or mains power 3 option but the lpg is what it is designed to run best on. cant be used when driving.
intrade,
Jun 17, 7:13am
now to the dipstick thingy. that is a flame retarder to stop the flames go up the chimeney and you need to remove it for maintainace like cleaning . thats all it is for.
dunwoody,
Jun 17, 7:25am
Why can't you run LPG when driving! It is not advisable, because of chance of fire. Also it is the nature of the beast that it must be level or the gases will not circulate, no matter which fuel it is running on.
intrade,
Jun 17, 7:37am
not sure on that i think they dont like to run while driving because the gas is the same as in a normal houshold fridge and when you transport these it tells you to rest em 30 minutes before you plug em inn. I just go from what i remember it said in instructions when you buy one of these. the cooling boxes that run on 12 volt work different they got no gas inside em.
petermcg,
Jun 17, 7:49pm
Forget using 12 volt on your 3 way fridge, it will wreck your battery, LPG is the best way, just keep the fridge closed when you are driving and dont use the LPG to run it then. We run ours on 240 volt when near power, will stay cool for a day anyway, then gas when out in the backyard.
marte,
Jun 18, 4:44pm
Nobodys mentioned that the fridge is a 'ammonia absorbtion'sort. Theres no motor or moving parts. Its heated up by electricity 240V AC, or LPG, or 12V DC. Once its heated up, it turns itself off & then it goes thru its cycle & the bit inside the fridge gets cold. They cycle once a day I think, dunno. I wonder what happens if its being used when the fridge is shaking.
This is how we run ours, and how everyone else who has one uses them where we go camping. We usually leave it cooling down the night before we leave by plugging it into the mains overnight, just plug it into the car when we are ready to go. Obviously as the car is running the battery recharges. Running a car draws much more current than running a fridge, lol.
jezz43,
Jun 20, 7:07am
so i can run LPG when stationary, but not whilst moving. just electrics whilst moving! i should be able to run 2 batteries right! 1 for the fridge and 1 for the van itself. i was thinking of having a switch to change the battery that gets charge whilst im driving. so i can charge 1 and at the flick of a switch charge the other.
on an different note, has anyone got any knowledge on these! im looking into getting one but cant find an NZ stockist or installer http://www.gasresearch.com.au/
zirconium,
Jun 20, 8:12am
Jezz, there is always the risk of the LPG catching fire and causing an explosion if a connection is severed when driving, which could make a bad situation a whole lot worse. I personally wouldn't reccommend that under any circumstances.As you don't know me from a bar of soap, my reccommendation shouldn't count for anything though, you need to do your own reading up on it.
zirconium,
Jul 3, 1:56am
Maybe you could start another thread. :)
Mr Zr works in the industry, and says you need to get this professionally assessed. They may not be applicable to NZ at all, which could be why you couldn't find one. This is not simple, you still need a small amount of diesel injected with the LPG to ignite it.
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