Servel Natural Gas Refrigerator

[combo52]

Located in Beltsville Maryland, Needs a new home,

 

I can turn it in for scrap under the buy back program and get around $150 for it but would rather it go to someone that wants it.

 

It still works but produces lots of carbon monoxide, best used in a well ventilated space.

 

[maytag85]

Never seen a gas refrigerator, but it for sure is interesting.

 

[norgeway]

FABULOUS!!!!

If I could figure how to make it work on propane I would love to have that!

 

[ea56]

Hans.

our neighbors that had a Servel ran it off of Propane, as there was no natural gas service. I don’t know what was done to modify it, but they ran theirs that way from about 1939 until the house was sold in 2015.

They really are just about indestructible. John’s looks really nice condition and would be a nice extra fridge for someone.

Eddie

 

[norgeway]

I would definately have it running for a extra fridge

They are fantastic Im not afraid of them.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Notice the tall, open space on the right side of the evaporator? That side was the coldest so that is where milk bottles and champagne magnums were stored. The meat pan is under the evaporator. Old food sciences textbooks used to show the proper placement of foods around the evaporator to take advantage of the convection currents.  Motor homes with gas refrigerators sometimes use little battery-powered fans placed on the lowest shelf to help move the cold air upward.

 

I would imagine that if the burner orifice were cleaned, it would produce less CO. John, you should call Washington Gas and ask them if they service gas refrigerators.

 

[combo52]

Servel Gas Refrigerator

This ref would cost around $10 a month to run on NG @ national average rate of .60 cents per 100,000 BTUs, so you can double it for propane to around $20 or so.

When we had this running outside we we were getting nearly 1000 PPM of carbon monoxide on our meter, so this ref should differently be used outside.

john

 

[tomturbomatic]

Send it as a gift to Mar-A-Lago for bedside snacks in the Presidential Suite, but maybe have it gold plated first so as to be irresistable.

 

[de409]

You need to advertise this in Lancaster county. The Amish are nuts for this kind of thing because it neatly circumvents the prohibition on electricity.

 

[appnut]

Never seen a gas refrigerator, but it for sure is interestin

My street was the 1961 Houston Parade of Homes and our house and the house next door were both an all-gas house.  Both kitchens had a gas fridge for the home show.  The next door neighbor kept the fridge that was in their kitchen during the show.   It was a Norge gas fridge and had an ice maker.  The gas jet that was behind the fridge was there all the years we lived there from September 1961 through May 2002 or 2003.  One of the subsequent owners did a complete kitchen redo.  They put the new gas cooktop in the spot where our fridge was and about a year after I saw the most recent real estate listing for the house, it occurred to me that was a logical choice given that's where the gas fridge was.  

 

One of my aunts had a gas fridge from the late 1940s until she replaced it with a one-door GE in 1959 or 1960.  

 

[goatfarmer]

Looks a bit older than mine.

 

I've turned in a few of those over the years. IIRC, all you had to do is say that you disposed of it properly ,produce a receipt, and they sent you a check.

 

[supersuds]

Bob and Ray explain the miracle of gas refrigeration

“Doesn’t it seem paradoxical to you that a refrigerator is made cold by a flame?”



Bob and Ray explain the miracle of gas refrigeration

 

[turbokinetic]

Wish I were closer... and not in the middle of a long work assignment with no end in sight.

 

[appnut]

“Doesn’t it seem paradoxical to you that a refrigerator is m

John, our all-gas house included a gas central a/c.  When the Astrodome was built, gas a/c was used to maintain cool temperature as it was more economical.  But electric system was turned on to bring the temp down for events.  

 

[combo52]

Gas Fired Central A/C

Had a short run in the DC metro area from the early 60s till the mid 70s, but you never see one any longer.

 

It was promoted by the Natural Gas Industry and gas companies to help them sell gas during the summer months.

 

It was a big bust, It was complicated and broke down several times as often as electric systems.

 

It was less powerful and did not dehumidify as well, it had a very hard time getting a house cooled down.  A neighbor of ours had a Bryant system and they went away in the summer and turned the house temp up about 15 F, she said it took over two days to get the temp back down to 72F, she said she would never do that again.

 

But the biggest problem was it cost more to run, almost 50% more than a good all electric system. Initially the gas company gave you 40% all the gas your home used every year, year around to get people to buy these over priced under powered systems, but once the energy crisis hit in the early 70s they abruptly took away the discount and as the systems brook down they just disappeared, I have not seen a working one for at least a decade.

 

John

 

 

 

[norgeway]

Dinah Shore

Advertised Gas AC Arkla Servel, If I ever get my hands on a Servel fridge you can bet I will use it, We have power outages here in the South occasionally

 

[supersuds]

Thank you, Bob, I didn't know that about the Astrodome. I wonder if low gas prices might bring back gas AC in some applications?

The Bob and Ray clip is just a comedy bit, as Mr. Science can't really explain how a flame creates cold.

 

[jamiel]

Local gas company will have NOTHING to do with an old gas refrigerator after the CPSC banned them (and recalled them).

 

[fan-of-fans]

My uncle has one of these at their camp cabin down in the Everglades. No electrical service down there, so everything has to run on propane. So this fridge works great so they don't have to keep a generator running. I don't recall what kind of stove was there though.