Defrosting your gas refrigerator - Helpful information from Gas Fridge

What’s for dinner? A common question that leads many people looking into the freezer, chipping away at frozen shelves of food, and trying to find something before frostbite sets in causing them to abandon their quest. Gas Fridge would like to discuss with you about defrosting your natural gas or propane refrigerator.

All gas refrigerators are manual defrost, why?

Those who have owned a newer electric freezer know of their auto defrost feature. In order to accomplish this, the unit’s defrost cycle includes timers and heating elements, this puts a large load on the electric supply. For this reason, the manufacturers of propane gas refrigerators elect not to include this feature.

Frost build-up inside of a refrigerator compartment is inevitable and will eventually lower the efficiency of any refrigerator. You will need to defrost your gas fridge manually. Depending on a few factors your application and time will help to determine when and how often the off-grid refrigerator will need to be defrosted.

How do I know when it’s time to defrost my Gas Refrigerator?

A non-electric refrigerator has aluminum cooling fins located on the back wall of the refrigerator compartment. Humidity collects on these fins and turns to ice. Monitor these fins and when the frost builds up between these fins to the point where there is no air space between the fins it is time to defrost.

The humidity in the air, number of door openings, and moisture on groceries will all contribute to frost build up and will vary depending upon the owner and climate. We find that a defrosting schedule can be as often as every 3 months or as little as once a year even within the largest propane refrigerator. EZ Freeze has developed a defrosting method that takes all of the work out of defrosting. It is as simple as turning a dial. The EZ-Defrost System is available on all models.

How does the EZ-Defrost System work?

The EZ-Defrost System includes multiple parts. First is a pan under the cooling fins inside the fridge compartment with drip spout that directs the water to a funnel mounted on the back wall of the fridge interior. The water then funnels out through the back wall and down into a removable tray on the rear of the unit. The tray is designed to either be removed and emptied or left in place where the water will evaporate due to the heated tray holder.

This is as close to automatic as it gets. In order to defrost, all you need to do is turn the temperature thermostat dial to a minimum setting in the evening and in the morning the frost in the fridge will be defrosted and drained through the above process. At this point in time all you need to do is turn the thermostat dial back to where it was prior to defrosting. No need to empty the contents of the fridge. No need to turn off the unit. No need to use a hair dryer or hot water to defrost. This is why we call it the EZ-Defrost System.

Here at Gas-Fridge.com we have been using propane refrigerators for over 30 years. We have many time saving tips and tricks when it comes to operating and maintaining your gas fridge. For more information regarding propane refrigerators contact Gas Fridge today by calling 928-636-6674 or by visiting our website at http://www.gas-fridge.com.

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A little about maintaining your gas fridge or gas freezer – Information from Gas-Fridge

A gas fridge or freezer is a wonderful thing! For those people in remote locations without power, and areas prone to extended or unpredictable power outages, a gas fridge or freezer can be a life saver. Keeping food fresh or frozen makes life in remote locations easier and, during the winter months, the only real possible solution. Gas-Fridge brings you information on maintaining your gas fridge and freezer.

Because there are no moving parts in these gas refrigerators and gas freezers, there's not much maintenance needed. One very important thing you can do to keep the unit working to its maximum efficiency is to clean the flue periodically. The flue will soot up due to impurities in the gas. The dirtier the gas, the more soot will develop.

Getting started:

Cleaning the flue is simple. Turn the unit off and let the flue cool for a while. Place something over the burner orifice to protect it from the falling soot. Place a rag or piece of tin foil under the unit to catch any falling soot. Remove the baffles from the flue (if any). Be careful!! They may be hot. Use the Flue Brush and gently scrub the full length of the flue. Rotate the brush a few times to get all the soot possible.

One other common occurrence is debris in the burner air intake. If the gas fridge or gas freezer has been sitting for a while, spiders like the smell of propane and will make webs in the burner area and the unit will not light or burn with a dirty foul flame. Dirt, dust, pet hair, insects, lint, or anything migrating behind the gas fridge will increase the chances of the burning running foul.

Next step:

While in use, if the flame tip is yellow or orange, then chances are there is debris in the burner tube and air intake. It is very easy to remove. Turn the unit off. Using a piece of 1/4" flexible rubber hose, just aim it at the Air Intake of the Burner and blow through the other end to clean out the debris. Using compressed air or "air in a can" works well also. Be sure the unit is off and cooled before using "air in a can" since it can be highly flammable. Re-light the unit and visually check the flame. It should be a crisp blue flame with a white or yellow tip.

Continued maintenance:

Your refrigerator will give you years of trouble-free service if you do the following simple maintenance we mention above. To prevent debris from getting into the burner tube and creating most issues, it's a good idea to vacuum under and around your gas refrigerator or gas freezer often.
Checks every three to six months will help. Refer to the operator’s guide provided with your refrigerator for more details.

A more detailed description for servicing gas refrigerators is available on DVD along with many other troubleshooting and repair tips and tricks on our website. We hope you have found these tips helpful, if you have any questions or comments, please contact Gas-Fridge directly at 928-636-6674 or visit our website at http://www.gas-fridge.com.

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Adjusting the Temperature of Propane Gas Refrigerators - Gas Fridge

Most propane gas refrigerators end up in remote locations. Off-grid owners have more of a vested interest in keeping the refrigerator operating efficiently. Propane is usually trucked to the location or hand carried. Most rural off grid homes, cabins, and cottages don’t have automatic climate control. The off grid refrigerator is subject to a wider range of ambient temperatures during the day and during the seasonal changes. Gas Fridge has a few sets of instructions for adjusting the thermometer to help you economize your power usage.

Gas refrigerators are all manually temperature controlled (no digital thermostats or electronics).

Using the Fridge for the weekend only:
•    Allow 12 hours of chill down time for your gas fridge, if empty at 70°-80° room temperature.
•    Keep the door closed as much as possible – it’s tempting to look inside; at least know what you need before opening the door. Temperatures inside the fridge won’t fluctuate as often and your fridge will run more efficiently.
•    Don’t load the fridge with any food or liquids that are not already cold or frozen.
•    Set the temperature setting to maximum. If possible, set the thermostat to maximum and replenish the ice trays or drinks at night right before bedtime.
•    Now that the fridge is chilled down, load the groceries in smaller amounts at timed intervals (10 lb / 2 hours). Recovery times increase by three times, if all loaded items are not cold or frozen.
•    If all your items are cold or frozen, it’s okay to load all of them at once.
•    Liquid is more dense and takes longer to chill. 4 individual quarts of liquid chill faster than a one gallon container with liquid.
•    If you’re having extra guests or a party at the cabin, rely on an ice chest for cold drinks – this reduces the traffic to the fridge, keeps the door closed, and helps to keep the perishable items cold.

Using the fridge full-time:

•    Allow 12 hours of chill down time for your gas fridge, if empty at 70°-80° room temperature.
•    Keep the door closed as much as possible – it’s tempting to look inside; at least know what you need before opening the door. Temperatures inside the fridge won’t fluctuate and your fridge will run more efficiently.
•    Load the groceries in smaller amounts at timed intervals (10 lb / 2 hours).
•    Keep track of the refrigerators interior temperatures – the setting will affect the refrigerator compartment temperatures. (There is no setting for the freezer.)
•    The thermostat for the home type refrigerators is located at the bottom of the cabinet on the outside front, near or behind the kick plate.
•    If possible install a remote digital thermometer. This allows you to monitor inside temperatures without opening the door and it also has an alarm in case the gas supply suddenly stops working.

Stabilizing the temperature:

•    Start at the maximum setting.
•    Take a true reading first thing in the morning before the door is opened.
•    When the reading reaches 32°, slightly move the dial toward the minimum setting, 1/12 of a turn.
•    Ideally the temperature should be 34° - 38°.

Seasonal Changes and humidity levels will have an affect on demand and will produce more frost on the cooling fins. Food mass or a full fridge will keep the temperature more stable compared to an empty fridge with more air mass. Cold air from a fairly empty fridge will simply fall to the floor. If you’re looking for more energy saving tips, or tips on how to set up your propane refrigerator, visit http://gas-fridge.com/ for more helpful articles, or call 928-636-6674 if you have additional questions.

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Functions of a Propane Refrigerator - Information provided by Gas-Fridge

Gas and propane refrigerators are available in different sizes, designs and features. These are the basics in how a gas refrigerator functions. The mixture in the cooling system of a propane refrigerator consists of anhydrous ammonia distilled water and hydrogen vapor.

The ammonia and water is heated by a propane flame. The water vaporizes into steam through the perk tube. This process is similar to a coffee percolator. The inner tube (perk tube) in the boiler emits steam and water bubbles moving upward. The ammonia is lighter that water and it will turn into steam sooner. The ammonia steam is pushed up into a condenser by the hydrogen pressure while the water falls down into the outer tube and is pushed into the absorber tubes which then returns to the mixing tank  known as the absorber tank.

While the ammonia steam moves upward through the rectifier and into the condenser tubes it becomes rich ammonia liquid. The rich ammonia liquid is pushed into the evaporator tubing. It is then pushed into the top of the evaporator tubing. After it is in the evaporator it meets the hydrogen gas moving up through the tube inside the evaporator. This hydrogen gas absorbs the rich ammonia. When the ammonia meets this hydrogen gas in the evaporator it creates a chemical reaction. This reaction evaporates the ammonia while making it extremely cold. This is what is known as heat absorbtion, removing the heat from the refrigerator box.

In the mean time, the water is pushed backwards to the absorber coils and drops downward to the absorber tank. While this is happening, the hydrogen gas passes upward through the absorber coils and catches any ammonia left in the weak water that is falling downward. Next, the hydrogen gas carries it up to the top of the evaporation system and drops it into the outer tube of the evaporator. It then flows downward in a mist causing it to become extremely cold. As it falls down, the rich ammonia returns to the absorber tank [mixing tank] and mixes with the weak water which allows it to continue with its cycle all over again.

An ammonia absorption cooling system is a unique design invented so that a person can operate independently, or live off the grid by using a propane, natural gas, or butane burner to heat the ammonia solution. If you are ready to invest in a durable propane refrigerator, then look no further. Gas Fridge is ready to answer your questions. Call 928-636-6674 or visit http://www.gas-fridge.com/.

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How We Repair Propane Gas Refrigerators - Gas Fridge

A propane refrigerator can have the same issues as a conventional refrigerator. It can have continuous problems after some age has set in. You may think that there isn’t any service after the sale when you purchased your propane refrigerator. Did you know that Gas Fridge has solutions to all of your problems?

We offer:
•    In shop service at our location – walk in with the unit, have it shipped to us, repaired then shipped back to you
•    Free live telephone tech support – from the diagnosis to a walk through on troubleshooting or repair
•    A DVD for repair and service it includes tips to keep a gas fridge to function like new for years to come. It’s available to all valued customers.

Here is what the DVD covers:

1)    For different gas fridge brands; set up, service and maintenance from Dynamx.
2)    Complete gas refrigerator repair service of a gas fridge that has been neglected and thought dead brought to you by Danby or Consul Repair.
3)    Set-up, service and maintenance and a guide through the replacement procedure of the cooling unit from Diamond Gas Refrigerator
4)    Typical annual maintenance suggestions and simple set-up procedures from EZ Freeze LP Fridge

If your older gas fridge is susceptible to a cooling unit clog, fuse leaks, fill valve leaks, or defective welds, Gas Fridge offers help there as well. If you’re in the market for a brand new propane refrigerator, Gas Fridge recommends the EZ Freeze LP. It has fewer warranty or repair issues than any others. With over 30 years of experience you can trust Gas Fridge with a recommendation like that. To find out more about the services offered, call Gas Fridge at 928-636-6674 or visit http://gas-fridge.com/

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Gas Freezers vs Solar Freezers - Gas Fridge

There are two types of freezers, gas powered or DC powered. Which is more cost effective, a Propane Gas Freezer or a DC Electric Freezer? This all depends on the power source; DC, propane gas, or natural gas. Gas Fridge will sort out the differences here.

If solar energy, wind energy, or hydro energy is available, then the DC electric freezer operating cost will be low. However, the freezer must have power available at all times to keep the food storage at good freezing temperatures. When electrical sources become unavailable (the sun sets, or the wind stops blowing), freezers will require a battery bank for power storage. With hydro power, batteries may not be needed. Solar power however is not free. Solar power requires battery back-up and batteries wear out and must be replaced.

Gas Freezers can operate from stored LPG (Propane) gas or Natural Gas (a constant source of power). n some cases, a natural gas well is available on the property site and a natural gas freezer would be ideal. An un-metered well means free power to the natural gas freezer. Propane gas is also supplied either by truck to a permanent tank on the property or smaller portable tanks that can be transported and filled at a filling site.

Differences:

DC / Electric: Recovery time (time it takes for temperatures to come down or recover to the thermostat set temperature) when adding non-frozen foods – 2 hours
Retrieving a few frozen items: recovery time – a few minutes
It’s portable, if it’s operated with batteries or small solar cell.
Weight – 80 pounds lighter.

Gas / Absorption: Recovery time – when adding non-frozen foods recovery time – 8 hours
Retrieving a few frozen items: recovery time – a few minutes
It’s portable, mainly because of the power source (propane) being stored in tanks.
Weight – 80 pounds heavier because of the absorption system

Chest Style: The lid opening is at the top and cold air falls, so less cold air escapes.

Upright Style: These are open for less time since the goods are staring you in the face and are more accessible than the buried goods in the chest style. If the freezer is full of food then there is less air to fall out when the door is opened.

Gas Fridge is here to answer any questions or help select the freezer that is right for you. Call for more information at 928-636-6674, or visit our website to view the different products that we offer at http://gas-fridge.com/

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Gas Fridge; Who Needs One? Basic Information from Gas Fridge

A gas powered refrigerator is a household, RV, or commercial refrigerator operating from a gas source in order to create cooling. Usually propane is used since it is portable and relatively easy to handle. Gas refrigerators are also powered by natural gas. Most RV units are manufactured as propane gas models and some have electric 110 and or 12 volt capability. Kerosene can be used, but it is not recommended. It’s not as popular and burns very dirty and requires constant maintenance of the burner to keep it clean. Gas Fridge has a few answers for anyone who is new to the idea of a propane, or gas refrigerator.

Most household style gas fridges do not have electric power options. The gas fridge is intended to be operated in a home without electrical service. Compared to electric units, the household propane powered refrigerator models are simpler in design and construction. This keeps the failure of parts to a minimum. There are no moving parts of a household gas refrigerator other than the operator adjustable thermostat. The cooling unit, or the absorption system, is a completely sealed system with heat and gravity acting as the motivators.

Some off grid appliance owners elect to use a gas refrigerator that has been salvaged from an RV motor home or RV trailer to use within the household. There a few disadvantages to this:

•    The RV units are much smaller in capacity and usually will not provide enough space to feed a family for more than 2 or 3 days.
•    Most of the RV units require 12 volt DC electric to keep the gas solenoids open during gas operation. Two power sources are needed for operation. Gas and electricity
•    The cooling units are designed for the life expectancy of an RV which is much shorter than that of a home's life expectancy.

Before you consider rebuilding a unit for an RV, we recommend a little research, such as an internet search, "rebuilt RV refrigerator cooling units" or, “RV gas Fridge,” before you make any decision. If you have more questions, we’re happy to answer them at 928-636-6674 or visit our website http://gas-fridge.com/

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