# Propane frig. question



## Freyadog (Jan 27, 2010)

Hope this where this question needs to be.

We took a propane frig out of an old motor home. It is freezing ice at the moment. 

However I can smell ammonia. We see nothing dripping we just have smell is it suppose to do this. If not what could be wrong.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

NO! If it is actually leaking ammonia that is scary stuff, have to say that it is really rare for them to leak though, in my experience. It won't be the liquid that will leak it would be the pressurized gas.


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## Freyadog (Jan 27, 2010)

is there a way to find the leak?

It is freezing ice just fine. we have it outside on the deck plugged in to see if it worked. would make a nice little emergency frig. since it is propane, 110 and 12v.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Yeah they are handy little units, I am surprised to hear that it is leaking. When installed in a rv it is vented to the outside but there are plenty of propane fridges in houses. If you are using it outside it should be fine but if it is continuously leaking then eventually it will stop working.
I imagine it would be possible to find the leak and possibly solder it up, don't recall what pressure those typically operate under but it isn't too high. Soapy water should find it unless it is hidden. Hopefully someone comes along with a second opinion, maybe this is more common than in my experience.


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

Ammonia that's used in refrigeration is a gas and not a liquid.

http://www.goodway.com/hvac-blog/2009/08/ammonia-as-a-refrigerant-pros-and-cons/

"Ammonia (chemical formula NH3) is a gas comprised of two other gases - nitrogen and hydrogen. Whether found in nature or made by man, ammonia is colorless but has a sharp, pungent odor. Ammonia, frequently used commercially in large freezing and refrigeration plants is also called 'anhydrous ammonia' because it contains almost no water (it is 99.98% pure)."


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## Freyadog (Jan 27, 2010)

thanks cowboy for the information. Thumper can see if tomorrow he can find the leak and attempt to fix it. I really would like for this thing to get fixed. Like I told Thumper it could very well save our bacon(literally).


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## Freyadog (Jan 27, 2010)

BillS said:


> Ammonia that's used in refrigeration is a gas and not a liquid.
> 
> http://www.goodway.com/hvac-blog/2009/08/ammonia-as-a-refrigerant-pros-and-cons/
> 
> "Ammonia (chemical formula NH3) is a gas comprised of two other gases - nitrogen and hydrogen. Whether found in nature or made by man, ammonia is colorless but has a sharp, pungent odor. Ammonia, frequently used commercially in large freezing and refrigeration plants is also called 'anhydrous ammonia' because it contains almost no water (it is 99.98% pure)."


thank you for this information Bill. We will attemp to fix this frig. Maybe call an rv repair shop and see what they say about it. If it can be fixed I definitely want to invest some money into it if not too much.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

Just double checking, is it ammonia or propane you are smelling? The testing process is the same. With an ammonia leak strong enough to smell I wouldn't expect it to run for very long.


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## Freyadog (Jan 27, 2010)

Caribou said:


> Just double checking, is it ammonia or propane you are smelling? The testing process is the same. With an ammonia leak strong enough to smell I wouldn't expect it to run for very long.


It was hooked to the electric not the propane. It smells like strong pee.


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## DocDiesel (Nov 10, 2012)

These little units seem simple, but unless you are set up to service these units, I wouldn't service it. Take the unit to an rv center that is equipped to do it. I wouldn't think that repair of this unit would be over $200 to $300. I service heating and cooling systems for a living, but I don't do ammonia systems. I don't have the equipment and they don't fail that often. You should be able to find the leak rather easily unless your sniffer doesn't work very well. In a well ventilated area, inspect all pipe joints and sniff, . Also look for a spot that vibration could cause pipes to rub on each other and leak. 
I remove them and install them, but I take them to a service center if it needs leak fixing.
By the way the joints are silver soldered or brazed in all the units I have seen. I suppose the temps run too high for solder and vibration would be an issue as well.
When working properly, they are quite economical to run on propane. They don't consume much more gas than a pilot light on a gas furnace or stove.
Good luck, Doc.


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