Servel Fridge - It Works!!!

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58limited

58limited

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 27, 2006
Messages
2,209
Location
Port Arthur, Texas
I successfully hooked the fridge up to gas today. I had to run 30 feet of plastic hose from my meter to the fridge in the garage. I lit the burner and two hours later the freezer is down to 25 degrees. I posted a picture of the interior on the previous thread "My newest find" #10378. When I move my washer and dryer inside, I will put this in the washer's old spot in the garage, the meter is on the other side of the wall and it will be easy to run a gas line to the fridge.

This fridge is missing the freezer door. If anyone has a parts fridge, please let me know. The fridge is a 1947/48 model 800.
 
~Out of curiosity, what type of plastic hose and how was it hooked up?

3/8" dia. clear plastic hose from the hardware store - same setup they use when testing gas heaters.

There is a 3/8 plug in the gas line at the meter, I popped that out and installed a fitting, connected the hose to it, and ran it to the fridge where it hooks up with a standard flare fitting.

Here's a pic:
 
And There's More...

In addition to gas refrigerators, there are kerosene refrigerators. They work on exactly the same principle- in fact, they're often the same units as gas reefers, just fitted with a kerosene burner instead of a gas one. Lehman's has them; they used to be sold under the Servel name, but now the brand name is Dometic, even though the units are exactly the same as the old Servel ones.

They actually sound intriguing as an off-the-grid alternative to an electric reefer.
 
Dometic and Servel are one in the same. Dometic was the common name used for the RV line of absorbtion refrigerators, while Servel was used for home use. Both of these brands are from Sweden and are owned by...guess who? Electrolux! :) In my old seventies vintage camper, it has a Dometic fridge with a label on it that says "Manufactured in Sweden By Electrolux"
 
My fridge is an old Dometic (Electrolux) from late sixties or early seventies. The spec label is in imperial measures, AU went metric in 1974. The auto defrost doesn't work but it is set to the warmest setting and still keeps the food very cold. I rescued it from the rubbish dump about 10 years ago, it was discarded because the electric element had burned out. Works perfect on gas. It currently runs direct from a gas bottle in the lounge, as it isn't going into place in the kitchen till the floor tiles are done and I have resprayed the fridge.

Chris.
 
pumper

Its not much different than a gas water heater. It heats a sealed sytem of liquid ammonia. It has a safety valve that will not allow it to operate unless there is heat from the flame - like a gas oven. When I lit mine, it took over six minutes to get the valve hot enough to open and fire the burner - talk about getting a cramp in my back and neck.

Carbon monoxide is my main concern - I'm going to clean the firebox and burner to minimize this, plus it stays out in the garage.
 
Do be careful

I agree with your concern. My cousin and her husband suffered neurological damage from the amount of CO that accumulated in the house over time from their Servel fridge (which probably malfunctioned at the time due to a need for cleaning/service/etc.)

I remember her noting that the houseplants started losing their leaves(!). Eep!
 
I believe that cleaning is important with this type of fridge, but so is proper ventilation if it is in the house, like a gas water heater it needs a direct vent. The one I found looks like it had a vent box mounted directly to the louvered opening on the back: there is a large square area that was not painted over when the owners took a paint brush to it, and a little sealant/caulking is stuck to this area.
 
what concerns me is because it's probably been sitting for ages, it could have some pinhole or other defect allowing gas or CO to seep out. it definitely belongs outside. even my gas dryer, furnace and stove concern me. i'm a big chicken when it comes to gas. i prefer not to die in a fiery explosion.
 
I deliver to Dometic, in Lagrange, Indiana, daily. This plant makes RV awnings, but they also distribute refrigerators, and roof air conditioners. The 'fridges are still made in Sweden, but I don't think Electrolux is the owner anymore. I'll check it out.

kennyGF
 
Lennox Pulse furnace,

If ya really want to worry about a co problem i sugest you get one of theese! We own two from 1983 when my house was built. EXTREMELY eficent (98%) but EXTREMELY noisy. There is a BIG recall dut to CORRODING combustion chambers. You must get them pressure-tested each year to check for corrosion. just the other day the downstairs one needed a new purge fan. They use mini-explosions instead of a standing flame. They sound like a car without a muffler, in fact they have thier own mufflers
 
David

That sure bring back some memories, We had a Servel A/C unit in East Texas in the late 50s that thing would freeze us out on the Hottest days... Lasted for many many years.
 
Prophylaxis

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
28.375 grams of prevention is worth 454 grams of cure. (LOL LOL LOL some things just don't "translate").

1- Natural gas (methane)rises-
2- Smoke rises
3- Liquified Propane gas settles
4- Carbon Monoxide settles

Detectors for 1 & 2 go on the ceiling
Destctors for 3 & 4 go near the floor.

Avoid corners where air is stagnant; the detectors won't be effective. Stay out about a foot (30cm) from corners.

http://www.alibaba.com/productsearch/Gas_Leak_Detector.html
 
Agreed.. In the old place I had a gas fireplace insert. When i moved in i installed a CO detector. It whent off within two hours of being there. The fireplace was leaking very badly, i am shocked no one got sick. I turned the gas off to it and never used it, and before i moved, i had it yanked it out. BTW-My condo that was destroyed ahd a Lennox Pulse Furnace.. It was an odd ball thing too.. The furnace guy from a local lennox dealer would come through the complex twice yearly and check out everyones furnace free.. I always wonderd why.. Mine was fine and worked like a champ.
 
detectors

Well, when you have family members who disconnect them when they go off instead of finding out WHY they have gone off...
I did install a CO detector in the furnace/water heater room of my folks house, at waist level.
So far nobody has unplugged it...but the fire detectors all got pulled when the old microwave was fixin' to go...everytime it was turned on they screeched.
Solution? Pull their batteries!
I am so frustrated I could scream.
It find it interesting that the gas powered absorbers here in Europe used in RVs all must be installed with outdoor air in and exhaust. Sealed combustion.
Makes sense. Properly maintained and exhausted, these units are just plain nice. I had a LINDT absorber in my condo from 1995 to 2001. It was the last of its kind...cooled fast, recovered fast. Noiseless and the freezer compartment really did stay at -20°C without the swings I was used to in compressor systems.
Hated giving it up.
 
Exploder,..........

Did you like your pulse furnace? I think they are TOOO noisey but they are (98%) efficent!

-a-
 
One More Thought...

58limited:

I just had one sobering thought, which I'm passing on for what it's worth...

Since there is a long-standing, well-known recall on these units, if you have a fire or carbon monoxide issue resulting from its use, you may not be covered, or may have to fight very hard for compensation. I'd suggest checking your policy very closely before putting that Servel into regular use.
 
Danemodsandy

Good point, I'll check with my insurance company next time I call them.

I'm about to disconnect the fridge so I can refurbish it: clean burner and firebox, repaint, replace hard as a rock door gasket, rechrome door handle, etc. If my other projects are an indicator, I'll probably be done in 2011 or so...
 
It was fine.. I hardly noticed the noise from it.. I only used it three or four months b4 the place was flooded out and destroyed.
 
goatfarmer

Yes, the freezer door area is about 27" X 6 1/2" and the fridge is a model US-800, 1947 or 1948 year. Next time you go, let me know. I still need a few other parts for my other fridges if they are available. Thanks for your help.
 

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