To Freon or Not to Freon!

Submitted by on
One of the most common questions we get is “Should I replace this old 2-way ammonia absorption refrigerator with a residential Freon refrigerator?”  If there was a straight forward answer I would gladly give it, however there isn’t.  There are many factors that need to be considered.  How do you use your camper, how long do you plan on keeping it, and how much customization will need to be involved on your existing cabinetry and electrical system. I’ve made a flow diagram to help guide you (link below). residential-decision-tree If you still aren’t sure give us a call at 256-784-5097 and we’ll be happy to discuss it further.
read more

Frosty The Refrigerator

Submitted by on
Do you see ice or excessive water dripping from the top of your refrigerator? You have a condensation problem! The biggest culprit of condensation is an air gap at the door gaskets. Check your gaskets for any obvious tears or cracks, if you are unable to see the problem use the “dollar bill trick”. Take a dollar bill and close it in the door, you should feel resistance but be able to slide the bill easily. Slide the dollar bill all around the door, if at any point the bill moves between the gaskets without healthy resistance you have a gap. For some models you can simply adjust the door or replace the gaskets. For other models (Norcold 12 cubic ft models) you
read more

Electricity or Not?

Submitted by on
My refrigerator doesn’t need any electricity to run… or does it? We’ve noticed that many of our customers think, because the ammonia absorption refrigerator can operate on propane instead of 120 Volts of AC power, that there isn’t any electrical requirement to make the refrigerator operate.  While the complete absence of electrical power can be achieved in refrigerators made prior to 1980, the majority of units in the field today have electronic components to monitor temperature, propane presence, flame detection, and many other parameters.  These electronic components will not operate without the presence of a good 12 volt / 1 Amp power supply.  Usually this is achieved via the camper’s battery pack.  However, when the battery
read more