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View Full Version : What works best for your refrigerator, Electric or LPG?


Bill-2020
06-05-2020, 07:12 PM
Maybe it's just me, but it seems to me that my Dometic (two door, 6 cf I think) refrigerator cools down from ambient to 40 degrees faster and maintains that 40 better when on propane (as well as the freezer getting down to 0). If I have it set to electric it seems to struggle more to maintain that 40 degree temperature. My thought was that the LPG heats better or more evenly creating a more efficient system?

What works better for your refrigerator? Running on electric (120v) or propane?

chuckster57
06-05-2020, 07:27 PM
I find the same thing when doing PDIs on new units no matter what size or brand. My thoughts:

The LP flame is hotter and since it’s centered in the “stack” it heats a larger surface area. I could be full of you know what but it’s what I have encountered. And that includes the “double element” refers.

JRTJH
06-06-2020, 04:47 AM
The electric element is mounted in the heat stack, off to one side and often it will vibrate "out of position" just enough to touch the sidewall of the heat stack. If that happens, you'll get a "hot spot" that absorbs much of the heat into the sidewall rather than into the ammonia "boiler".

You can see and adjust the element position slightly. That might make it work a bit better when on electric. Also, if the electric element is not "close to centered" the heat will rise on one side of the chimney stack rather than "in the baffle" which causes the heat to "not be spread evenly" through the boiler area.

Bill-2020
06-06-2020, 08:40 PM
(Dang- I just pounded out a detailed response and poof it just disappeared pressing submit..:banghead:)

Anyway- the electric heater doesn't want to move, it's snug (in contrast to the heater rod on our Jayco that was very loose). I'm not real concerned with this as I prefer to use propane on the fridge and water heater in the summer months so that the a/c and microwave (and converter) have all of the 30 amp service available. During the fall, winter, and early spring I switch it up and use electric on the fridge (and W/H) since it's not having to overcome the hot summer heat. I was only curious if it was "just me" or if it was something that others have noticed too. Chuck confirmed this for me.

(I've also ordered a different portable EMS this weekend. I ordered the Southwire version with the wireless monitor so that can see what's going on from inside the camper on a large portable LCD rather than having to go outside and watch a small scrolling screen to see whats going on. I also use the popular Acurite fridge/freezer monitor, even in the TV when traveling. Yeah- it transmits that far.)

JRTJH
06-07-2020, 03:53 AM
If you typically use the electric function in the late fall/winter/early spring, it may be an ambient temperature issue. The refrigerators are "normally functional" down to about 20-30F. Below that, "cold soak" causes problems getting the chimney hot enough to boil the ammonia mixture, so any heat source will "struggle to get the heat stack hot enough" and the colder it gets around the back of the refrigerator, the harder it has to work to heat the ammonia. Down around 0-10F, the refrigerators will "simply stop working" because there's not enough BTU's in either the electric element or in the gas flame to overcome the ambient cold and boil the ammonia mixture.

Many people find that putting a drop light with a 60 or 75 watt bulb behind the refrigerator will increase the ambient temp enough to get things working again.

Depending on where you're located and the temperatures when you stop using A/C and start using the electric refrigerator heat source, a part of your "seems to not work as well on electricity" might be an ambient temperature condition.

Maybe, maybe not, but something to keep "tucked away in the back of your thoughts to consider.

Bill-2020
06-07-2020, 04:19 AM
Understood. Thanks. We don’t camp when it’s that cold, or I’d be in divorce court.