Fridge problems,9-10 hours warm beer
Submitted: Wednesday, Nov 06, 2013 at 17:07
ThreadID:
105021
Views:
3261
Replies:
4
FollowUps:
7
This Thread has been Archived
Member - Stuart and Gunny
Hi all i had a new Waeco 110ltr fridge fitted to my motorhome recently.I filled it up with drinks Saturday afternoon and headed of to
Sydney.I arrived in
Sydney 9-10 hours later went to get a cold beer and they were not chilled.I put them in the freezer for 30 minutes and they were icy cold.I drove back Sunday and then checked them again and they still were not drinkable.Plugged the camper into 240 volts and 2 hours later they were fine.The freezer is great on 12 volts but the fridge is useless on 12 volts.I am now waiting for the people who make these to ring me back.Has anyone got any ideas on what the problem could be?
Reply By: Brian 01 - Wednesday, Nov 06, 2013 at 19:04
Wednesday, Nov 06, 2013 at 19:04
You say that the fridge works
well on 240v.
If this is the case, then the fridge is working fine, just not on your 12v supply as it stands.
These fridges use a 12/24v compressor, with the 240v being an add on simple power supply that converts the 240v to 24v to run the compressor.
So, if the total works fine on 240v, why not on 12v as the compressor is obviously OK?
You should
check the 12v supply to ensure that it is capable of delivering sufficient power with minimal voltage drop.
Excessive voltage drop will cause the fridge to switch off as the voltage falls and then restart when it again recovers.
Because the refrigerant expansion valve is located just prior to the freezer compartment, this section gets cold first, and so even if the compressor is running spasmodically, the freezer can appear to be OK (although unlikely to be at -18C) whilst the fridge will be warm.
Connect it to 12v and see what voltage you have at the fridge when it is either running or trying to run.
Hope this helps
AnswerID:
520974
Follow Up By: Member - Stuart and Gunny - Wednesday, Nov 06, 2013 at 21:52
Wednesday, Nov 06, 2013 at 21:52
Thanks Brian it makes sense what you had to say.I will
check it Thursday
FollowupID:
801595
Reply By: William B6 - Friday, Nov 29, 2013 at 19:24
Friday, Nov 29, 2013 at 19:24
Hello,
We have spent past year or two working on various models of Waeco fridges and agree most problems stem from low voltage problems in vehicles or from solar installations. Most Waecos have voltage recognition and will defend themselves and their battery to the utmost! ie not enough volts causes distinct warming of beer.
However there are modifications one can carry out if the Waeco is not starting with a good power supply or the digital readout is telling it's 78C and your beer is like rocks and tongues stick to it. It involves fitting a new digital thermostat , on /off switch and a fuse all mounted in a
grey plastic box. This works it revives old Waecos and so far we have one working on 250/12volts for a year and one working off solar (bush block) no mains power close to 3 months. I'll keep you posted on the local butcher we operate on his next week.
Regards Wogsworph
AnswerID:
522347