Fridge removal woes

Refrigerator, stove, furnace, water pump, air conditioner, microwave, water heater, fans, lighting
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Jersey747
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Fridge removal woes

Post by Jersey747 »

Hi Guys
Wasted my whole morning attempting to remove propane/ electric fridge Can someone please give me the EASY method to get this bear outta my B190 ???
Paul
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skater
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Re: Fridge removal woes

Post by skater »

I didn't have too much trouble. Remove the door. Remove the screws by the door into the wood. Remove the two screws holding it down in the back. Disconnect the propane plumbing. Unplug it. Disconnect the 12 volt wires. From there I had to push and wiggle it a bit, mostly from the back (careful not to damage the cooling unit), but pulling from inside too. Eventually it slid free.

Edit: Your posts are duplicating for some reason...how are you posting? Using the web or tapatalk?
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
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usachris
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Re: Fridge removal woes

Post by usachris »

Yes, Skater’s method was the same I used to remove the refrigerator. It was the two screws in the rear that took a slight bit of figuring out. :roll:
Christopher Salazar
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Jersey747
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Re: Fridge removal woes

Post by Jersey747 »

Thanks Guys
Got it !!! Turns out the installer had also used a tub of construction glue !!!! A lot of pushing and shoving finally freed it up....luckily I’m switching to AC/DC Unit after damaging it...
Cheers
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Millennial Falcon
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Re: Fridge removal woes

Post by Millennial Falcon »

Jersey747 wrote:
Wed Oct 17, 2018 5:00 pm
Thanks Guys
Got it !!! Turns out the installer had also used a tub of construction glue !!!! A lot of pushing and shoving finally freed it up....luckily I’m switching to AC/DC Unit after damaging it...
Cheers
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE POST PICTURES! I am about to do this exact same thing!

What model year is your B190? And what model Compressor fridge did you go with??
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Sub2RainEN
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Re: Fridge removal woes

Post by Sub2RainEN »

I’d love to know how this is working! I’d like to use a regular dorm fridge in mine. I have 270 AH batteries and thinking of doubling that in February. Only 150 watts of solar, couldn’t fit the second panel. Bought 39” square, hope to add either skinny ones in back or portable/flexible panels later.

Also, has anyone removed the shelf the microwave is on to make room for a larger fridge? Seems like such a waste of space.

Jersey747 wrote:Thanks Guys
Got it !!! Turns out the installer had also used a tub of construction glue !!!! A lot of pushing and shoving finally freed it up....luckily I’m switching to AC/DC Unit after damaging it...
Cheers


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Millennial Falcon
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Re: Fridge removal woes

Post by Millennial Falcon »

Sub2RainEN wrote:
Tue Jan 15, 2019 4:56 pm
I’d love to know how this is working! I’d like to use a regular dorm fridge in mine. I have 270 AH batteries and thinking of doubling that in February.

Also, has anyone removed the shelf the microwave is on to make room for a larger fridge? Seems like such a waste of space.
Check out this thread I started a month or two back, some people have installed slightly larger fridges, one person I know about did remove the microwave...

But the big comment I have for you is DO NOT INSTALL A REGULAR 110-VOLT DORM FRIDGE. Aside from the fact it would be a power-guzzling monster, and empty your batteries in very short order... those cheap mini-fridges are designed to be stationary. Even moving them from place to place when I changed houses I went through two of them, just because they are temperamental and don't like to be jostled.

The constant bouncing of your B190 would probably break the fridge in short order. I really recommend looking at some of the 12 volt fridges built for trucks/boats that I reference in my post. They are built to move, and also will be MUCH more power efficient than a 110 volt fridge on an inverter.

Just doing some quick math: A typical refrigerator draws 725 watts, according to the United States Department of Energy. Divide that number by 12 volts, which is the voltage of your power supply (not factoring in loss due to the inverter), to get the current that the refrigerator draws in amperes. A 725-watt refrigerator draws 725/12 = 60 amps. So, if you are using anything other than lithium batteries, and to avoid depleting your LeadAcids below the 50% mark, you could safely operate your fridge for only 2 hours and 15 minutes before you started causing permanent damage to the charge holding capability of your batteries... and you could go about 4 hours before your batteries were completely dead. (This is assuming you have wiring, fuses, and an inverter that can handle a 60 amp draw - which most people probably do not have.)

Using something like the fridges listed in my previous post, they operate between 3 and 5 amps. Which you could run for about 27 hours on the batteries alone before hitting your 50% mark. And with your solar set-up, you could probably easily recover your refridgerator draw from the sun (there's no way you'd be getting enough amperage to sustain a 110-volt fridge off your 150 watts).
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skater
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Re: Fridge removal woes

Post by skater »

Millennial Falcon wrote:
Wed Jan 16, 2019 3:05 pm
But the big comment I have for you is DO NOT INSTALL A REGULAR 110-VOLT DORM FRIDGE. Aside from the fact it would be a power-guzzling monster, and empty your batteries in very short order... those cheap mini-fridges are designed to be stationary. Even moving them from place to place when I changed houses I went through two of them, just because they are temperamental and don't like to be jostled.
That's interesting. I know a guy that had one in his Bambi (19' Airstream trailer) for years without a problem. He was a firm believer in compressor fridges and called absorption refrigerators "Civil War technology" (he wasn't wrong).

Of course a good compromise might be a Danfoss cycle fridge. I'm considering it for mine, but I'll probably stick with an absorption fridge. (Assuming this government furlough doesn't go on so long that we need to start selling things.)

The power thing is why I wouldn't do it - I want to be able to boondock or even leave it in a parking lot for the day and have the fridge on, and propane is great for that.
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

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Sub2RainEN
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Re: Fridge removal woes

Post by Sub2RainEN »

Thanks, the electrical is something I can never wrap my brain around. The lead installer on my solar was an electrical engineer. Making things even more hilarious, he kept trying to talk to my male friend about the system. My friend was just around to keep me company and help with physical stuff because I’m a wreck after a series of injuries. So my friend was like, “I don’t know nothing ‘bout birthing no babies!”

Anyway, part of me wants to get rid of propane, both because of paranoia and because I can’t get on the ground to turn it on and off. As I plan to urban boondock, it’s not very practical to do daily and on city streets.

Is it possible to reroute the propane knob?

Millennial Falcon wrote:
Check out this thread I started a month or two back, some people have installed slightly larger fridges, one person I know about did remove the microwave...

But the big comment I have for you is DO NOT INSTALL A REGULAR 110-VOLT DORM FRIDGE. Aside from the fact it would be a power-guzzling monster, and empty your batteries in very short order... those cheap mini-fridges are designed to be stationary. Even moving them from place to place when I changed houses I went through two of them, just because they are temperamental and don't like to be jostled.

The constant bouncing of your B190 would probably break the fridge in short order. I really recommend looking at some of the 12 volt fridges built for trucks/boats that I reference in my post. They are built to move, and also will be MUCH more power efficient than a 110 volt fridge on an inverter.

Just doing some quick math: A typical refrigerator draws 725 watts, according to the United States Department of Energy. Divide that number by 12 volts, which is the voltage of your power supply (not factoring in loss due to the inverter), to get the current that the refrigerator draws in amperes. A 725-watt refrigerator draws 725/12 = 60 amps. So, if you are using anything other than lithium batteries, and to avoid depleting your LeadAcids below the 50% mark, you could safely operate your fridge for only 2 hours and 15 minutes before you started causing permanent damage to the charge holding capability of your batteries... and you could go about 4 hours before your batteries were completely dead. (This is assuming you have wiring, fuses, and an inverter that can handle a 60 amp draw - which most people probably do not have.)

Using something like the fridges listed in my previous post, they operate between 3 and 5 amps. Which you could run for about 27 hours on the batteries alone before hitting your 50% mark. And with your solar set-up, you could probably easily recover your refridgerator draw from the sun (there's no way you'd be getting enough amperage to sustain a 110-volt fridge off your 150 watts).


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skater
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Re: Fridge removal woes

Post by skater »

Sub2RainEN wrote:
Fri Jan 18, 2019 8:25 am
Is it possible to reroute the propane knob?
You probably could. I'd suggest keeping the original valve underneath, then running a line to valve that's more convenient, then just shut off the new valve on a regular basis. Note the line between the two valves would have propane in it, and there's that many more fittings to leak, etc. Personally, I'd skip all that and just leave the propane on all the time, except when it's being filled.

Why are so many people scared of propane?
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Sub2RainEN
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Re: Fridge removal woes

Post by Sub2RainEN »

For me, it’s lack of experience with it. Also, the debate over driving with it or not.


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Woodsywizz
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Re: Fridge removal woes

Post by Woodsywizz »

Since the old fridge - Dometic - doesn't work I'm removing it. The $100 dorm fridge I'm installing might not last long (thanks for the warning!), but I'm going to place it on a base of firm foam and see how it goes. I plan to use it only with shore power/generator, freeze blue 'ice' blocks, and let them provide an icebox effect between landing points. I also have a portable Igloo cooler that runs off 12v and can keep things cool when the fridge is not powered.
This is not ideal perhaps but I can afford to replace dorm fridges once a year if need be! Wish me luck!
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