How to adjust the temperature of a gas refrigerator

Over the years we have sold thousands of Propane Gas Refrigerators and almost all of them have ended up in a remote location for use in a home or cabin that does not have electricity. Because propane is usually trucked to the location or hand carried so it is safe to say that conserving of the gas usage is valued. We would like to provide information on hooking up a digital thermostat to your propane gas refrigerator.

Most rural off grid homes, cabins, and cottages don’t have automatic climate control. This means the off grid refrigerator is subject to a wider range of ambient temperatures during the day as well as the seasonal changes. Gas refrigerators are all manual temperature controlled. No digital thermostats or electronics whatsoever. This is what you would expect from a non-electric refrigerator.

Stabilizing the temperature is fairly simple. It just takes a little time. Starting at the maximum setting, monitor the temperatures of the fridge compartment taking the “true” reading first thing in the morning before the door is opened. When this reading reaches freezing at 32 degrees, start to slightly move the dial toward the minimum setting by approximately 1/12 of a turn. Do this every morning until the temperature reaches your target. My target is usually 34 to 38 degrees.

It is my belief that the best tool you can own when living full time with a gas fridge is a Remote Digital Thermometer. It allows the user to monitor the inside temperatures without opening the door. If an adjustment to the thermostat is needed, It will alert you either by the alarm or by what the display reads. In the case of the fridge stops working from a lack of gas supply, it may save you hundreds of dollars in groceries.

Slight adjustments from this point can be made to compensate for seasonal changes and usage variations. We like to prejudge the high usage times and lower the temperatures in advance to get a head start on the recovery times. For instance, if you are planning a party or family get together, turn the thermostat toward maximum the night prior to the event.

Seasonal changes will usually demand an adjustment. Not only for temperature, but humidity levels will affect the settings more dramatically. High humidity will also produce more frost on the cooling fins and can reduce efficiency. Defrosting is another area of maintenance that can help with temperature stabilization.

One last note, a full refrigerator of cold food will be more temperature stable during the day than one with less food. It is due to the mass of food versus the mass of air. The food mass will retain the cold whereas the air mass will fall out when the door is opened.

For more information regarding Propane Refrigerators contact Gas Fridge at either 928-636-6674 or by visiting our website at http://www.gas-fridge.com/.

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Gas Fridge explains proper ventilation for your propane refrigerator.

In order to allow for proper air circulation and allow the gas fridge to breathe, there are a few rules to follow when designing the gas refrigerator space.  Allowing for ample clearance around the unit is usually enough to allow proper air circulation.  If air circulation is limited, there could be long term damage.  Gas Fridge explains proper ventilation for your propane refrigerator:

Figure 1 – Best case

We describe this as best case since there are no structures (cabinets, shelves, etc…)  above  to obstruct the heat from rising out from the rear of the unit and also with at least one side being completely open, there is no need for further ventilation. 

Figure 2 – Limited top vent
A limited air escape at the top rear of the unit must be addressed with a vent to allow the hot air to rise up and escape. Trapping the hot air behind the unit will cause poor performance and long term damage.

Figure 3 – Boxed in. Worst case
The built-in type of construction is worst case scenario and is not recommended without proper ventilation. Some manufactures will void warranty for this type of install and no or limited venting.

Keep the absorption coils and fins clean from dirt and debris to allow for better heat transfer. Never set anything on top of the refrigerator the covers or partially covers the cooling fins.

We hope you found these tips helpful.  Gas Fridge has many styles of propane appliances for you to choose from.  Please visit us at http://www.gas-fridge.com.  You can also call with questions at 928-636-6674.  Let Gas Fridge assist you in making a great decision with your propane appliances.

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Gas Fridge discusses your freezer off grid options.

Getting ready to live off grid?  If so, you basically have two options when it comes to freezers.  Gas powered or DC powered.  Both are produced with a high insulation value to create the best efficiency. Because a freezer must have power available at all times to keep the food storage at the proper temperature, the major consideration between a propane gas freezer and a DC electric freezer is the availability of the power source. 

If solar energy, wind energy, or hydro energy is available at your location, then a DC electric freezer initial cost will be low and this will be the best choice.  If none of these DC energy sources are available and you have to buy the equipment to produce electricity, then you’re looking at a much larger investment and propane is the way to go.

This is where the possibility of a gas freezer may be best. Gas Freezers can operate from stored LPG (Propane) gas or piped in Natural Gas.  Propane gas is 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. Permanent tanks are available in a variety of sizes ranging from 100 gallons to over 1000 gallons. The freezer can operate from any size tank. The question is, for how long. It is typical for a propane freezer to use approximately 2 to 3 gallons of LPG per 7 days.

Needless to say, your location and power setup is going to be key in deciding which type of freezer to purchase.  Because technology has gotten so much better over the years, you can literally use propane to run your whole off grid home! 

Gas Fridge has many styles of propane appliances for you to choose from.  Please visit us at http://www.gas-fridge.com.  You can also call with questions at 928-636-6674.  Let Gas Fridge assist you in making a great decision with your propane appliances.

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Gas Fridge talks about transporting and storing your Propane Refrigerator.

Did you just buy your new propane refrigerator?  Concerned about transporting it?  Believe it or not, transporting the unit is not as complicated as some might believe.  Because propane refrigerators are not built with the same components as an electric refrigerator, you can actually transport the refrigerator on its side if need be.  Laying a gas refrigerator on the side while transporting has no long term affects to the operation, performance, or lifespan of the unit.  Always make sure to use plenty of padding.

If you are putting your propane refrigerator in storage, Gas Fridge has some tips for you:

• Remove any moisture from the interior to prevent mold buildup.
  
• Put charcoal or old newspaper inside to absorb any moisture.
  
• You can leave the doors open if there are no critters around.
  
• Do not leave canned drinks inside as they might freeze and explode, causing damage.
  
• Spray an insect repellent around the burner box to deter insects from nesting in the burner.
  
• Always check your flame condition immediately after startup from storage period.  It should be a bright blue.

We hope you enjoyed these tips.  Gas Fridge has many styles of propane refrigerators for you to choose from.  Please visit us at http://www.gas-fridge.com.  You can also call with questions at 928-636-6674.  Let Gas Fridge assist you in making a great decision with your propane refrigerator.

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Gas Fridge gives some tips on how to set up your new Gas Refrigerator.

Congratulations on your new gas refrigerator!  Now is it time to set it up correctly.  Gas Fridge is here to help and has some tips for you to follow.


1.    Gas pressure must set correctly - Too high or too low of gas pressure may lead to poor performance or permanent damage to your gas refrigerator.

2.    Make sure the gas fridge is level - This is for both directions since the absorption system works from gravity, it is vital to the proper flow rate that the unit is level.

3.    Proper ventilation on all sides -  Minimum ventilation space around the gas fridge is usually 2" on the left and right sides, and 8" above with 2" at rear.

4.    Test for leaks - Use a solution of soapy water and brush around all gas connections before lighting the gas refrigerator.

5.    Turn on unit.

6.    Let refrigerator chill down – You will want to wait approximately 12 hours before loading it with food.

7.    Start with small portions - Load warm or room temperature foods in smaller portions a couple hours apart initially. 

8.    Let the unit stabilize -  Wait a few days before making adjustments to the thermostat. 

9.    Don’t overload -  Try not to put too much room temperature liquids such as large jugs of water.

10.    Load the freezer with ice trays or objects to be frozen prior to bed time - This way the unit will have all night to recover. We recommend using aluminum ice cube trays due to their ability to make ice much faster than their plastic counterparts.


We hope you found our installation tips helpful.  Gas Fridge is here to help.  Please visit us at http://www.gas-fridge.com.  You can also call with questions at 928-636-6674.  Let Gas Fridge assist you with all of your off grid refrigeration needs.

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Gas Fridge discusses the benefits of using a Propane Refrigerator.

So your thinking of buying that dream property that has acres and acres of space for you to play on.  No neighbors, noise or traffic to worry about.  You can build your dream home exactly the way you’ve always wanted. 

There is only one problem.  Because your property is so far out and away from the local town, you are not going to be able to access the power grid.  What are you going to do about power?  How are you going to keep your food cold?  You can’t possibly run to the grocery store daily.

Gas Fridge has the answer.  Propane Refrigerators.  Gas Fridge discusses some of the benefits of using a propane refrigerator:


•    Totally off grid design.

•    Low on maintenance.

•    Completely silent.

•    Clean Energy.

•    Readily available power source.

•    Won’t lose power in a storm.

•    Will save you money.


Gas Fridge has many styles to choose from.  Please visit us at http://www.gas-fridge.com.  You can also call with questions at 928-636-6674.  Let Gas Fridge assist you in making a great decision with your propane refrigerator choice.

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Excerpt from: "The History of Gas Refrigerators and How Gas Refrigeration Works"

What is the history of the absorption refrigeration system?

HISTORY - The ammonia refrigeration cooling system which is also known as an absorption cooling system was first discovered in 1824 by Micheal Faraday who tried to liquefy gases which, among them was an ammonia gas. This experiment was used in taking ammonia vapor in a glass tube with silver chloride in it and allowing it to absorb in the silver chloride powder. He then heated the chloride -ammonia mixture and watched the ammonia liquid evaporate out of the silver chloride and become cold. This experiment later was the birth of the ammonia absorption cooling systems [HEREAFTER CALLED PROPANE REFRIGERATORS].

In 1926 Albert Einstein and a former student, Leo Szilard, embarked on a venture to develop a safer refrigerator since the electric refrigerators of the time were known to leak toxic gases through broken seals. Such an incident of a German family killed by fumes caught the attention of Einstein and sparked this project. Einstein insisted that a better refrigerator design must be possible.

Their goal was to design a device with no moving parts or mechanical motion and eliminate the wear and tear factor. They used their knowledge of thermodynamics to produce an absorption refrigerator. This device would drive a combination of safer gases and liquids through three interconnected circuits. It required only a small gas flame as a heat source and was totally sealed and safe. Some experts estimate the sealed system could last 100 years.

Einstein and Szilard applied for and received 45 patents in 6 countries for this type of refrigeration technology. None of their inventions ever reached customers. The introduction of the less-toxic coolant freon and better judgment kept Einstein and Szilard from continuing the project.

Download the FREE Gas Refrigerator and Absorption Refrigeration eBook

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