The Advantages of a Propane Gas Refrigerator

What are the advantages of a LP powered refrigerator?

A propane refrigerator is an efficient way of cooling food when one is living off the grid. There are many propane fridge advantages. Since there are no moving parts on a propane refrigerator, this then means that there are no parts to wear out.

With the propane price at $1.859 a gal., a refrigerator will cost approx. $0.60 a day to operate in warmer climates. In cooler climates such as in northern CANADA , higher altitudes, etc., a refrigerator will operate at approx. $0.45 a day. With this amount of propane gas usage a person should be able to get 20 days of use with only a 20# propane cylinder.  This sure beats using a cooler and ice packs to carry to your cabin every time you get there.

The initial cost to purchase a propane gas refrigerator is quite a bit higher than an electric refrigerator but cheaper than a 12VDC refrigerator. But to compare an electric refrigerator with a propane refrigerator is not comparing apples with apples. An electric and 12VDC refrigerator runs with Freon and a compressor pump. A propane powered refrigerator operates with a propane gas flame to heat the ammonia and distilled water using hydrogen gas to circulate steam vapor and liquid ammonia to cool it down. No electric lines or inverters and generators to power the refrigerator.

All propane gas refrigerators are hooked up with a 3/8” copper or flexible gas line to feed the gas.

If I were to purchase a refrigerator whether electric, 12VDC, or propane, which would I choose?

Most people may think that it depends on what the application would be. This being true, I personally use a propane powered refrigerator at our house. And if I were asked why, I would say that in order to live in a house off the grid, I still believe it would be the most cost effective to operate a propane refrigerator in the long run. This is based on the amount of maintenance to operate vs. a 12VDC refrigerator. Since there are no moving parts on a propane refrigerator there is hardly any maintenance to use this type of refrigeration unit. Generally speaking, a gas refrigerator usually needs to be cleaned only twice a year by cleaning the burner area and flue tube. No compressor unit to go bad . No batteries to charge.

For more information regarding Propane Refrigerators contact Warehouse Appliance at either 928-636-1955 or by visiting our website at http://www.warehouseappliance.com/.

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Comparisons of Propane Refrigerators

The older style SERVELS were much heavier in weight than the newer style ammonia cooling systems are. These older units weighed as much as 400- 500 lbs. The newer refrigerators weight anywhere from 150-275 lbs. This again is due to lighter materials and higher quality workmanship. There is also a larger amount of selection available on the market to choose from today compared to 50 years ago.  Warehouse Appliances provides the necessary information for deciding which propane refrigerator is right for you. 

When SERVEL in Evansville, IN sold out the business to ELECTROLUX, ELECTROLUX then sold it to DOMETIC Corp. in Sweden. The SERVEL name was still being used by DOMETIC until 2005. This refrigerator is now called a DOMETIC refrigerator which is still being produced by DOMETIC.

Some of the newer propane refrigerators for backwoods and off the grid living that are on the market today are ; DIAMOND, EZ-FREEZE, DOMETIC, CONSUL, and DANBY. These are all ammonia absorption systems that run off of either, propane, natural gas, or butane burners. The DOMETIC refrigerator is the only one that is still available with kerosene

The CONSUL and DANBY refrigerators are manufactured in BRAZIL S.A. Both made by the same company.

The DIAMOND and EZ-FREEZE refrigerators are manufactured in the USA. by separate independent companies.

As was mentioned before, an average absorption cooling unit today runs for 10-15 years. The cause of this difference in length of performance compared to the older style SERVELS is based on 1 primary thing. When SERVEL built those huge old refrigerators, the materials used on the cooling units was so much heavier and thicker, thus adding all the extra weight, that they hardly ever rusted out. The evaporator also was galvanized to prevent rusting. Rusting is a primary cause for leakage in the cooling units itself.

There are times in hard, heavy use that an ammonia absorption refrigerator will block up in the boiler section [perk tube] in 5-10 years. When this happens, the refrigerator can be recharged again. This is done by first removing the ammonia solution and then removing the blockage in the perk tube. When the unit is repaired and welded together, the unit is recharged again with new solution.

When doing propane fridge comparisons, in times past, the SERVEL built in the 1930's -1950's lasted for generations due to the fact that their design was made with the intent to last a long time. In later times, the refrigeration units have become more streamline with less heavy duty materials for lighter weight and still have quality performance.

An average propane gas refrigerator today will last approx. 15 yrs. By that time the box will be looking quite tattered under normal use.  For more information regarding Propane Refrigerators contact Warehouse Appliance at either (928)636-1955 or by visiting our website at http://www.warehouseappliance.com/.

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Consul Propane Refrigerator- Parts

Do you have a Consul propane refrigerator? Since they are no longer being made, it is a valuable gas fridge. Some of the controls and critical parts are still available for gas fridge repair and maintenance. Most Consuls that are in need of repair or service can be fixed. Parts like thermostats and cooling units are not available, but most of the burner parts are. We have supplied a list of parts below that we carry in stock.

DYN-201 Gas Refrigerator Repair DVD
DYN-202 Flue Extension Pipe
DYN-203 Flue Brush
DYN-205 Baffle with wire
DYN-207 Burner
DYN-208 Piezo Electrode
DYN-209 Thermocouple
DYN-212S Orifice - Low Altitude 0-2500'
DYN-212H Orifice - High Altitude 2501- and up
DYN-213 Air Intake Fitting - Brass
DYN-223A Gas Feed Line
DYN-232 Piezo Sparker and Wire

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How We Repair Propane Gas Refrigerators- Warehouse Appliance

Are you having continuous problems with your propane gas refrigerators? Seeking professional and a renowned company that can provide you with quality refrigerator and technical service? Warehouse Appliance offers solutions to all your problems in one place.

Purchasing the right freezer or refrigerator that has the ability to keep the food fresh is vital for any business or home. We have been sellers of all the major brands of propane gas refrigerators as well as users of these products. We have trained at the factories for service issues. Our staff has over 30 years of experience in troubleshooting and servicing gas refrigerators. This is not just a Discount Supply House, we actually have service.

We offer in shop service at our location. Walk in service with your unit or we can have your unit shipped to our location for a repair and shipped back to you. Our valued customers also get free live telephone service. Our staff can walk you through the diagnosis process and guide you through a fix or repair. We are the only company in the home gas refrigerator industry that has developed and produced Repair & Service DVD's. Dynamx, Inc has produced a series of Set up, Service, and Maintenance DVD's for different brands within the industry. The Danby or Consul Repair DVD guides the viewer through a complete gas refrigerator repair service of an actual refrigerator that has been neglected over the years and was considered "dead" by the owner. We brought the fridge back to life in this twenty plus minute DVD. We show all the tricks and tips to keep a Danby Refrigerator or Consul Refrigerator operating like new for years and years to come.

The Diamond Gas Refrigerator DVD set includes a Set-up, Service, & Maintenance DVD along with a Cooling Unit Replacement DVD. If your Diamond gas powered refrigerator suffers from a shortened lifespan or a leaking cooling unit, this DVD will guide you through the replacement procedure of the cooling unit. This brand is not as susceptible to a cooling unit clog failure as other brands, but it is common in the 2005 models and more recent models will have fuse leaks or fill valve leaks. We have also seen many defective welds.

The EZ Freeze brand has the least amount of warranty or repair issues of any brand we have sold through our 30 years within the industry. We offer the Maintenance DVD free of charge to all our EZ Freeze LP fridge customers. It describes typical annual maintenance suggestions as well as the simple set-up procedure.  All of this information and more can be found at our website http://www.warehouseappliance.com/.  You can also reach us by phone at (928)636-1955.

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