Misleading information in fridge article

Whoops in 40 degree heat that meant to read -15 to -17 degrees not -10 to -15. sorry

Pixiemops,
We have the same fridge bought new in 2000. Had the condenser (I think) replaced last year prior to heading off for 10 weeks. Other than that, it has not missed a beat and has performed well in +40 and below zero temps. We only run it on 12 V on the move and avoid opening it whilst on 12 V unless we have to.
Even my wife now agrees it is the best Xmas present she has ever received.
Jon W

Sorry Pixiemops I have to say on gas I definitely do not get the results you are getting. Fired up my electrolux caravan fridge in the garage and also my fathers chestcold and on 240v I got it down to -09 but on gas struggled to to get it down to -2 in 32 deg outside temp. Fathers chestcold an esky would of done better.
In a camping situation I have found it even worse as you tend to put more hot things in and open the lid a lot more. Just my experience with them but I do love the idea of lighting them and forgetting them until the gas runs out.
Wazzaaaa

Yep I agree, I've never seen a gas fridge have a temp differential of 50 degree's. I've got an old chescold and at mid 20 deg outside it will be close to zero inside, can freeze stuff in lower overnight temps. Used it a few times at 40 deg and inside temp was closer to +10. I find very little difference in performance on gas or 240V.

Hi Pixie

I would have left the last line out of your question , if you really want to get to bottom of why yours seems to perform above average.

Drawing a connection between misleading information article and a ad requires a reasonable level of proof and tends to get people's backs up.

Robin Miller

You'll find the Rc1180 is one of the best 3-ways around.
Very few others will perform as well.
Cheers

Just on 3 way fridges, while I think they arn't anywhere near as good as compressor fridges when I did use them a couple of tips I got was with 3-way fridges it is common for the refrigerant gas to get airlocks. Before you have to use them tip the fridge upside down untill you don't hear the refrigerant gas running down (about a minute) then right it then use it as normal. It helped my fridges but that was when I struggled with them now I am over the moon with my waecos and my engle that the past is the past and I don't want to revisit the 3 way fridge hastle again.
Wazzaaaa

The absorption refrigerator is a refrigerator that utilizes a heat source to provide the energy needed to drive the cooling system rather than being dependent on electricity to run a compressor. These refrigerators are popular where electricity is unreliable, costly, or unavailable, or where surplus heat is available, e.g., from turbine exhausts or industrial processes.

An absorption refrigerator is similar to a regular compressor refrigerator in that the refrigeration takes place by evaporating a liquid with a very low (sub-zero) boiling point. In both cases, when a liquid evaporates or boils, it takes some heat away with it, and can continue to do so either until the liquid is all boiled, or until everything has become so cold that the sub-zero boiling point has been reached. The difference between the two is how the gas is changed back into a liquid so that it may be used again. A regular refrigerator uses a compressor to pump the gas to the condensser, forcing it to become a liquid again once the heat has been removed. An absorption refrigerator uses a different method that requires no moving parts and is powered only by heat.

In these types of refrigerators the either use a ammonia base or lithium bromide that is disolved in water, the main reason you may have to turn the fridge before using it is that the ammonia or lithium bromide that is disolved in water has seperated.......hope this is helpful, if I went into the full refrigeration theory and thermodynamics i would be here for years.

In 3 way fridges you have very little control over the temp. in side the fridge because there is no way of controlling the heater side (unlike compressors in normal fridges taht cycle or change capacity AKA inverteror variable displacement types ).

Regards Richard

Interesting post, personally I have trouble faulting my Angel!, sorry Engel LOL

Joking aside, I'm always very interested in fridges, and have often thought of buying an additional gas fridge for long term camps in one place, but been put off by the absorption type not being able to pull high neg temps in 40 deg, which we get often.

I have a van with an absorption dometic in it, which is fine in 40deg if the annexe is up to allow it to expel heat, if no annexe its trying to fight against the heat soakage from sun and struggles, so I now run my Engel as a freezer with a solar panel and can go a week easy.

I do lots of different levels of camping from ute n swag to full van/boat/family/ 2 4bys, and I'd still be interested in a good gas unit.

Which brings me to ask the question of pixiemops here, and anyone else who can answer.......

OK pixiemops and others are saying the rc1180 is the dux nuts and can pull high neg temps in 40 deg, now I'm prepared to accept that, but my question is:-

As an absorption fridge which is a basic principle, which apparently hasnt changed over the years, how can it achieve this where others struggle to get 10deg?

What has changed in the technology? as I'm sure its not just better insulated?

If this is true and its using a better chemical or something, then it'd be a worthwhile investment if it can run for 3 weeks at -15deg in 40deg ambient from a 9kg cyl?

comments?

Rgds

Ron

Thanks Robin,

10amps.... thats a lot! if on elec, which is not a way i'd choose to run a fridge of this type.

So it would prob use a fair bit of gas too, that wouldnt worry me, as long as it keeps well into the neg in stinking heat,

I like to see my Engel below - 10, figure it gives me a bit of a time buffer to act if something goes wrong with battery or panel etc.

I figure you can never go wrong with an extra freezer, especially as often we have 2 vehicles on trip.

Might look into this one a bit more come tax cheque time.

Ron