Troubleshooting a Kerosene-Fueled Refrigerator

A few things come to mind.

1. Check all tubing and piping to ensure its condition, particularly absence of damage.
2. Ensure fittings are tight.
3. Verify that working fluid is "full." That fluid might be ammonia. I can only suggest that on inspection it will be apparent to you how that is done.
4. Read the owners/operators manual (probably not held.)
5. find manufacturer's name and its web site. Look there for an owner's manual. follow the trouble-shooting guide. (might be best to do this first.)

Without more information that is all I can suggest.

This sounds similar to a propane powered camper style fridge. I have owned these for years. I had one that wouldn't get cold (I assume that is your problem as well) so I asked around and was told to disconnect the gas and electric, remove it from it's enclosure and turn it upside down for 24 hours (repositions the ammonia I think). I did as instructed and sure enough it worked. That was 10+ years ago and it still works fine. I have done it to several others with similar success.

Hi Shadetree,

These are abortion............oops sorry..........absorption type refrigerators.

The run on Ammonia, Hydrogen and water and in normal operation a heater is used to heat the refrigerant (Ammonia and water) and the Ammonia is boiled off (BP -28⁰F) and separates the water in the separator.

The ammonia is changed into a liquid in the condenser and combines with Hydrogen when the liquid Ammonia passes into the evaporator and cools the product.

The Ammonia and hydrogen flow into the absorber where the water absorbs the ammonia liberating the hydrogen. The water and Ammonia then flow back to the heater.

Sometimes the three elements don't do what they are supposed to do and as you rightly said turn it upside down for 24 hours and the elements sort themselves out to their correct areas and away you go once again. Hope this makes sense.

The reasons for doing this are usually when using the fridge and it is not level, a problem on camping sites, you get a vapour lock. make sure fridge is as near horizontal as possible.

The fix is exactly as you described!!!

RN ships did not always stay level due to the number of bottom tanks empty or full and we got the same problems with the Electrolux fridges (no compresser)that we often used in the 60s.

Compressor fridges seldom get this problem....but are too loud for Nuclear subs and other ships!!!! the Russians would have heard them miles away!!!! or the Yanks!!!

I gave you a GA for your answer. I worked for an old time propane dealer that used to sell propane refrigerators before electricity came to rural mid-Missouri. That was one of the common fixes for these boxes.

Thanks, will give this a try

Sese

Thanks for the tip. It worked like a charm.

Sese

A frig tech told us that the solution was to put the frig in the back of a ute & drive over rough roads to "let the powder go back from being blocked"!!!. Obviously, this is a quicker method than upside for 24 hrs- pity is his lack of knowledge( & actually this ie widespread!). Mobi stated the position exactly.

It certainly makes one wonder Neil, I have had a few problems over the years with auto electricians, who in Australia do the automotive air conditioning, in particular with the change over from R12 (Freon or dichlorodiflouromethane a CFC) to straight LPG or an LPG based refrigerant............you should have heard the excuses.............all they want to do is to give you a retro-fit for 134a......at a cost of $450.00, then another $120.00 for the 134a.

Two of the LPG refrigerants are HR12 and R600a.

These refrigerant classifications will probably differ in the US and Europe.