Lesson learned the hard way...

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Humidi-T

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Joined
Mar 6, 2007
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9
When we pulled out Friday night, I shooed a few wasps away from the refrigerator opening. I figured they'd abandon the nest if it were gone a few days. Wrong. When I backed the camper back into it's spot this afternoon, here come the wasps. So armed with the wasp spray, I pulled the fridge cover off, located the nest and gave them a shot of the good stuff.

Here's the lesson part. I decided to give the area around the entire fridge a shot of spray. Unfortunately, the fridge was still running on propane. Sooooo. poof! All of a sudden my fridge is on fire. I ran around to the door, grabbed the extinquisher, ran back around to the fridge and put the fire out. It came right back. So I ran to the tanks, shut them off, then hit the fridge with another blast from the extinguisher. Fire's out. Looks like I have only some singed insulation and a compartment full of dry powder.

Now I got to blow the fridge out with some compressed air to try to get some of the powder out. I don't think any harm was done other than that.

NOTE TO NEW USERS! Shut the gas off before using any kind of flammable sprays around the fridge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Glad you're ok! My first thought was that when you sprayed the fridge, all the wasps got p***ed off and came flying out with stingers ready. Thanks for the laugh....and the warning !!
 
There's nothing inherently wrong with leaving the fridge or other appliances on (well, maybe not a frying pan on the stove) while traveling, and I doubt she was running alongside at 55 mph while spraying the wasps! :) The point is that there can be open flames on the fridge and water heater, and you have to be aware of that.
 
Read the label on any aerosol can - nearly all of them are FLAMMABLE! We get so much in the habit of spraying things that we forget theyare dangerous around open flames.

Example: Ever seen or used a potato gun?
 
This could be another possible reason to travel with the gas off; see this URL:
http://www.dometicusa.com/recall.php

I got my notice of a recall for my Dometic refrig a couple of weeks ago.
 
??? how do you travel with your propane off and keep your food cold?  As far as I know it works on electric or gas....we have no electric while driving.  Am I missing something?

Thanks for the warning.  Glad you're ok.  Hope there is no serious damage to your RV.

JoAnn
 
You know that Dometic recall won't make any difference if you drive gas on or gas off.  If it's going to go, it goes, and if it's running on gas, it burns, don't matter if you are driving or boondocking, same problem

It is a bit like an accident I assisted at one night on my way home.  The N/B Ford Explorer hit the e/b Cadillac in the right rear quarter panel, The Caddy had stopped for the red light, and when it turned green proceeded.  Now, as it happens this intersection the green is "Delayed" which means the light for the N/Ber was good and red before he ran the light.  No question at all about that (He did admit to seeing the light red just before CRASH)

This was well after the tire recall on Explorers.. So what was he wearing  OEM Firestones of course.

As loud and as long as they have been publishing the recall.. >There is not much excuse any more for having a recalled unit.

Though I do admit my MH is subject to an unsatisfied recall.. (Which will be attended to next time it moves)
 
JoAnn said:
??? how do you travel with your propane off and keep your food cold?  As far as I know it works on electric or gas....we have no electric while driving.  Am I missing something?
Click to expand...

We always turn off the refrigerator when we stop for gas. Often, we forget to turn it back on, sometimes for an hour or more. Hasn't ever hurt the food in the fridge or freezer. After all, it's pretty much a big icebox.
 
Wendy, I am aware the refrigerator should be turned off when having the gas filled up.  We always do.  However, the post said    "Rule to live by is Never travel with propane on!"    Most of us travel for many hours at a time, that's impossible to do.  I agree, being turned off for an hour or so won't hurt anything, but "traveling" more than that will. 
 
Humidi-T said:
When we pulled out Friday night, I shooed a few wasps away from the refrigerator opening. I figured they'd abandon the nest if it were gone a few days. Wrong. When I backed the camper back into it's spot this afternoon, here come the wasps. So armed with the wasp spray, I pulled the fridge cover off, located the nest and gave them a shot of the good stuff.

Here's the lesson part. I decided to give the area around the entire fridge a shot of spray. Unfortunately, the fridge was still running on propane. Sooooo. poof! All of a sudden my fridge is on fire. I ran around to the door, grabbed the extinquisher, ran back around to the fridge and put the fire out. It came right back. So I ran to the tanks, shut them off, then hit the fridge with another blast from the extinguisher. Fire's out. Looks like I have only some singed insulation and a compartment full of dry powder.

Now I got to blow the fridge out with some compressed air to try to get some of the powder out. I don't think any harm was done other than that.


Welol, that's one way to get rid of wasps. ;D ;D

NOTE TO NEW USERS! Shut the gas off before using any kind of flammable sprays around the fridge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...
 
Wendy: "We always turn off the refrigerator when we stop for gas. Often, we forget to turn it back on, sometimes for an hour or more. Hasn't ever hurt the food in the fridge or freezer."

I use a visual reminder. I put my paper towel dispenser on the driver's seat when I temporarily turn the fridge off.
 
rhmahoney said:
I use a visual reminder. I put my paper towel dispenser on the driver's seat when I temporarily turn the fridge off.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip, Russ. I'll have to think of something to put in Mike's seat, something non-lethal (our towel dispenser is one of those stand-up pole ones). I'd put something in my seat but usually Sam parks himself there when we stop.
 
Humidi-T said:
NOTE TO NEW USERS! Shut the gas off before using any kind of flammable sprays around the fridge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

Not good enough!   Turn off the refrigerator completely at the fridge control.   Turning off the gas eliminates the flame, yes, but it does not eliminate the fridge unit from trying to ignite the absent propane.   Absent the propane, your aerosol spray could substitute just fine and BOOM.

Shut off the fridge at its control panel.    Shut off the gas if you are nervous about it.   However, that will do little good if the fridge keeps trying to ignite it.   Same applies to the furnace and water heater.   
 
I've said this before too, it's not the propane that's the danger, it's the igniters and as Carl says, they'll try to ignite even if the gas is turned off.  So turn off the appliances, but you can leave the gas on if you choose.
 
Ned said:
So turn off the appliances, but you can leave the gas on if you choose.
Click to expand...

That's what we do. Only time we turn off the propane, that I can think of, is when they're filling the propane tank or when Mike was fiddling with the regulator trying to get the furnace to work.
 
Or going through some tunnels, especially on the east coast.  Crossing the Chesapeake was one such place.
 
Ned said:
Or going through some tunnels, especially on the east coast.  Crossing the Chesapeake was one such place.
Click to expand...

Ah, yes, I recall one under Mobile Bay. But I usually don't remember much from tunnels as I have my eyes shut the whole time.
 
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