Ammonia fridge has leak - want to evaporate out ammonia from unit

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
T

TommyIndigo

New member
Joined
May 20, 2019
Posts
1
Hi!

We have an old camper from the 80's with an ammonia-based fridge.  It has an ammonia leak.  Rather than replacing the fridge (it can't come out without removing all the cabinetry) we're just gonna use it as a pantry space and get a small dorm fridge...that's all we need.    The ammonia smell is HORRIBLE and dangerous...but only exists when the unit is turned on.  I'd like to run the unit with all the windows open for a couple days and hopefully evaporate out all the ammonia.    Again, we're not interested in repairing this, but just want the ammonia out.

Question for the group:  will this work to get rid of all the ammonia?  I'm assuming YES, and especially with it running will expose all the ammonia which will evaporate.  Then we can enter a few days later after it's been doing that and airing out the whole time.

Thoughts/advice?  Thanks!
 
There is a fire danger running a leaking absorption fridge. My recommendation is absolutely do not run it, just pull it and the smell will dissipate quickly
 
Back2PA said:
There is a fire danger running a leaking absorption fridge. My recommendation is absolutely do not run it, just pull it and the smell will dissipate quickly
Click to expand...

X's 2 ...It's not worth the risk and once out it will give you a space for a dorm fridge.
 
The other thing that RV fridge ammonia leaks produce is a fine yellow powder. It usually collects near the leakage site, and I'm not exactly sure WHAT it is... but I'm sure it is toxic and is not something you want left behind in the rig, if you're staying there!

Our 1994 Class A's fridge began leaking and I removed it myself. It wasn't real easy, but wasn't real difficult either. I hauled it to the local scrap yard and I think I even got $12 scrap value for it. Bonus! We did the same thing, replaced it with a dorm fridge temporarily and sold the RV soon after (for other reasons). If we had kept it longer, I would have put a few simple shelves above the dorm fridge, or replaced it with a proper-sized electric residential fridge.
 
The yellow powder is sodium chromate and yes, it can be toxic.  However, the real danger in a leaking fridge is the hydrogen gas that the ammonia combines with in the cooling system.  If the fridge is leaking ammonia, it's also leaking hydrogen and the latter is highly flammable - remember the Hindenberg?

If your refrigerator's cooling unit is leaking, turn it off and leave it off.  As far as removing the fridge from the cabinetry, it's usually held in place by a couple of screws in the rear along the bottom edge (you can get at them through the outside access panel) and several screws either underneath the interior trim lip or just inside the door frame.
 
The ammonia/hydrogen mix will slowly leak out even while it is off, so that's the safest (little fire hazard) way if you can't get it out.  Usually, though, you can pull off a cabinet facing or similar and have room to slide it out.
 
Fix it!
I have an '87 Lindy and the fridge gave up the ghost last year.
BAD ammonia smell.
Did a little research online and found I could replace the back of it, the contraption that makes it cold (example of my knowledge of the thing).
So I ordered it online, pulled the fridge out from the cabinet, made the dining room table into a bed and laid it there while I operated.
Was not bad at all and now I have what amounts to a new fridge for under $400.
Seems the motorhome was built around the fridge because that thing wasn't coming out either, but it didn't have to.
Plus it's a true 3-way fridge which I love.
It came with instructions and you get to ship the old unit back for free or else pay the core charge.
Worth it on so many levels and works like a charm.
 
^^^^ This. I had a older Lance Truck Camper, and your right, they don't fit out the door, even with the frig door removed to get it out of the rv, they must of installed it first and built the rest of the Camper. I bought the cooling tower for about 400.00 ( price with returning the core ) and replaced it laying on the convertible dinette table. It  is not a hard job, and there is YouTube that will show you how to do it. The Thermostat was about a extra 25.00. Get some help from a handy friend and you'll have a running frig again,,,gregg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 1,212 (members: 28, guests: 1,184)

Forum statistics

Threads
131,984
Posts
1,388,637
Members
137,733
Latest member
[email protected] Ke
Back
Top Bottom