Gas smell from refrigerator

gjmaker95 · 06-24-2014, 08:18 AM

Whenever we run the refrigerator on gas mode, a strong odor from the exhaust of the burning propane permeates the camper. Obviously this is not ideal. The fridge works great, and the smell is reduced by about half when I remove the upper vent/access panel on the outside of the camper, but is still noticeable even with the camper windows open. Everything inside the access panel looks good, no loose connections that I can see. The smell in the cabin is most pronounced around the three cover plates installed in the upper portion of the fridge cabinet next to the couch.

Has anyone else ever had a problem like this? What do you suggest as to possible solutions? Thanks in advance.

tentcamper · 06-24-2014, 10:26 AM

The smell you notice is burnt propane or raw un burnt propane??

06-24-2014, 11:09 AM

Strange you are getting that much smell from the refrig on propane. Even on high the flame is not much bigger than the pilot light in the average oven. I’d check the burner flue / exhaust? what ever it’s called, and see if it may be blocked with debris or a dead critter. Use compressed air to clean it out. Using the refrig. fan should keep the odor from entering the TM. No matter, I would not use it again until I found out what the problem was and had it fixed.

gjmaker95 · 06-24-2014, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digger

Strange you are getting that much smell from the refrig on propane. Even on high the flame is not much bigger than the pilot light in the average oven. I’d check the burner flue / exhaust? what ever it’s called, and see if it may be blocked with debris or a dead critter. Use compressed air to clean it out. Using the refrig. fan should keep the odor from entering the TM. No matter, I would not use it again until I found out what the problem was and had it fixed.

I agree I shouldn't use it before fixing this issue. I'll double check the exhaust and give it a blow out with the compressor. I also thought about trying to seal up the outlet plates described above, as well as the compartment that separates the fridge box from the outside facing components. Maybe with some non-expanding spray foam...thoughts?

tentcamper · 06-24-2014, 12:46 PM

It sounds like there is a path into the camper for the exhaust. I would open both vents and stuff fiber glass insulation around the fridge and the side wall and counter. Maybe when someone added the radio or worked on the fridge they knocked the insulation out of place or remove the board.

On my unit I have piece of thin plywood that mounts from the fridge to the bottom of the counter where there is a board on the underside of counter. My board was missing a screw and the DW felt the counter was warm. I tighten up the board and all well now.

06-24-2014, 03:00 PM

Propane combustion should have very little odor, assuming the air/fuel ratio is normal.

If you are seeing soot, the burner orifice might be plugged. I had a bad gas solenoid that caused soot. It will cause some odor as well.

Check the exhaust stack, using a mirror if necessary. Insects can build nests and block the stack. (Already mentioned in a previous post)

The smell concerns me, so I would also check that there are no loose wires in contact with any hot parts. Scorched insulation will create an odor.

Adding foam to stop a problem you haven't solved yet doesn't strike me as a good idea.

gjmaker95 · 06-24-2014, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tentcamper

The smell you notice is burnt propane or raw un burnt propane??

It definitely smells like exhaust.

**Bill** · 05-19-2015, 08:11 AM

I'm glad you are making progress. Let me amplify two thoughts already on this thread.

First, I'm sure you realize that there is a switch for the fan, inside the TM, on the little control panel on the kitchen sink apron. The switch must be turned on (there is a red pilot light) for the fan to go. And if the fan and the white slinky are installed correctly, they will lower the air pressure in the top of the refrig compartment a bit, which will suck air out of the TM living spaces, around the edges of the refrig. In this condition, fumes cannot flow back into the living spaces. There is nothing wrong with sealing around the edges of the refrig, but it should not be necessary.

Second, the question "How do you power the refrig while driving down the road?" keeps coming up. Safety-minded people (including me) say "No" to propane, worrying about fire even in a minor accident. Electrical people (including me) say "No" to battery power, since for many of us, it tends to kill the TM battery.

So what is the answer? For us, the answer is "Don't power it." If the refrig and freezer are cold when we leave a campground in the morning, and then we drive all day with the refrig turned off, we find that the refrig AND FREEZER are still plenty cold when we arrive at the next campground. Once there, we fire up the propane or connect the shore power, and all is well. I'll admit that I like my before-dinner martini, so if we found all the ice melted when we got to the campground, I would not be pleased. But for us, if there is ice in the freezer in the early morning, there is still ice in the freezer in late afternoon.

Bill

gjmaker95 · 05-19-2015, 02:31 PM

Honestly, I've never tried it. We usually don't camp more than 2-3 hours away and as long as I have gotten the fridge nice and cold two days before by plugging into shore power here at the house everything arrived really chilled. I was only concerned as on our drive out west as we're planning on staying on the road for 8 to 10 hours at a stretch until we hit Santa Fe. After that, our legs will be shorter from campground to campground.

Also, being a TM Newbie of sorts, I am most embarrassed to say that I didn't know about the switch. I am going to go hook up the fan again and test it with the switch on. I'll keep you posted.

gjmaker95 · 05-19-2015, 03:42 PM

God, do I feel sheepish (baaaaa). Sure enough, the problem the whole time is that I didn't know about the reefer switch and that it had to be on when running the reefer on propane. If ever there was a PEPKAC or RTFM moment for me, this one takes the cake.

Fan works great, reefer is cooling on propane now (I am going to let it go tonight and through tomorrow to make sure all is well while precooling the reefer for Mem. Day weekend camping trip to Hiawassee, GA), and I am sipping a cold one while contemplating the value of Ockham's Razor, or lex parsimoniae for those in a more Latin frame of mind.

Again, thanks for all of your help.