Chescold R400 3 way fridge

I have a couple of 3 way fridges (one portable finch of 22 years vintage and one electrolux built-in which is going in for a new cooling unit next week) and have found it is very difficult to estimate the temp inside - do yourself a favour and buy a thermometer before you try anything - theres nothing worse than chasing a problem that does not exist.
Another thing I have done is to put a few ice cubes inside when it has been running for a few hours (prepared in your home fridge) and see how they fare overnight. it is a good indicator of the fridges performance.
Also, when you can accurately monitor the temp you can monitor the thermostat by watching the gas flame - it should lower when the fridge gets to the aim temp and not before - if it tapers off too early it may point to a thermostat problem.
good data will certainly help to diagnose problems if they exist.
Hope this helps,
Wayne

I have a 3 way chestcold as well and I have found its best to put something in the fridge for it to chill ........ say a couple of plastic bottles of water.

Mine also take sometime to get really cold (more than 6 hours) however is much better with something inside. If i'm heading off on a trip I do the bottle thing and leave it on for 24 hours and i find it has frozen the water in the bottles. I then put all my stuff in from the house fridge / freezer once it is in the vehicle, hook up 12 volt and I then use either 240 or gas depends on where i am camping.

Has worked well for many years now :)

Brian

Had a chescold 3W for years - a good unit all round - went to a Waeco simply because of the top-end travel factor. Agree re the need for a temperature guage of some sort. We had an electronic temp guage from Dick Smiths - the remote end was screwed on the underside of the lid (if the top is cool, the bottom is cold) - the display unit was taped to the console - ran on a single AA - allowed us to monitor it while mobile. Also had a stainless Vacola themometer in the bottom too as backup - checked that each time we took food out. On gas, on a mild day, it should make a ice in the bottom easily in a couple of hours. Maybe a little longer on 240V - probably cold only on 12V. Have you given it the old "rock and roll" ? Tumble the thing over sideways to and fro, to stir up the fluid ? Best to run it frequently too - every month or so, give it a coupe of hours on 240V. Far as I recall the thermostat only works on 240 and gas - on 12V you simply have "on".
Not sure if you are aware that the 12V circuit has a huge power drain - only for use when mobile (with alternator backup from the car). Have fun with the camping toys !

After running it overnight I am pretty happy with it on 240v. The element thing inside was fairly icy and the water bottles inside were chilled but not freezing, I guess about 2 degrees? I have heard that they are even better on Gas so I got a gas lead today and fired her up. Lit up ok and I had read somewhere that they can get a build up of soot etc in the burner and jet so I pulled it all apart and there was a heap of soot in there and unless I am imagining things I'm pretty sure a couple of minute bits of crud fell out of the jet. I could see daylight through the tiny jet hole after cleaning so I figure it's ok. Anyway, it lights and fires up fine and the flame looks fine and even and there is a moderate ammount of heat coming out of the top flue however I have nothing to compare it too? After about an hour it doesn't feel very cold and the element isn't icing up like it was on 240v? I think the general feeling is that it will cool better and quicker on gas? Is that right? How long on gas would the internal cooler thing start getting cold?

Kind regards and thank you all for your assistance

but would the gas overall work better than 240v? Would it cool down quicker?

Rgds Craig