Dodged a huge bullet

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Dodged a huge bullet

February 07, 2022, 07:49:42 am

Just after pulling out of rv park heard loud popping sound and noticed smoke in rear view passenger mirror. Here is what happened. Luckily got fire extinguisher and it did its job. VFP came and put a little water where the ac plug was because of a little smoke. They used a infrared camera to check for hot spots inside and out.
The fire chief along allowed use to drive home if all windows open because of the strong ammonia smell around refrigerator area.

Re: Dodged a huge bullet

Reply #1 – February 07, 2022, 08:00:18 am

You were very lucky. Glad to hear all worked out okay and you are on your way home! Praise God!

Re: Dodged a huge bullet

Reply #2 – February 07, 2022, 08:15:29 am

Very lucky indeed. Happy for you all that you did not loose the coach.

Suggest you consider a compressor driven replacement. A residential 120 vac or perhaps a 12 vdc marine one. But, choose the one best from you all.

Re: Dodged a huge bullet

Reply #3 – February 07, 2022, 08:31:32 am

If it had to happen, that was a much better time than in the middle of the night.

Glad you caught it early and were able to contain the damage.

Re: Dodged a huge bullet

Reply #4 – February 07, 2022, 08:58:16 am

Norcold?

Re: Dodged a huge bullet

Reply #5 – February 07, 2022, 09:18:13 am

Quote from: erniee – February 07, 2022, 08:58:16 am

Norcold?

The flamy hot stuff is on the right, the fire was on the left where the electrons do their magic square dance.

Re: Dodged a huge bullet

Reply #6 – February 07, 2022, 09:53:31 am

Wow! So glad you caught it before any more damage could be done.

Re: Dodged a huge bullet

Reply #7 – February 07, 2022, 10:14:39 am

I'm glad this turned into a mostly positive story. Kudos to you for having an extinguisher handy and acting quickly.

Re: Dodged a huge bullet

Reply #8 – February 07, 2022, 10:27:06 am

Quote from: kpbowser – February 07, 2022, 07:49:42 am

The fire chief along allowed use to drive home if all windows open because of the strong ammonia smell around refrigerator area.

Good catch! When dealing with ammonia gas, since the gas and water have a great affinity for each other, it's helpful to hold some heavy cream or in a pinch milk in your mouth and breath over the cream. When the cream gets a little too sour, spit it out and refill. Things we used to do before there was readily available PPG.

Re: Dodged a huge bullet

Reply #9 – February 07, 2022, 10:39:37 am

This is a good reminder for all of us to go and check your fire extinguisher(s). First make sure you have one then look at the dial to see if it still has pressure or if had leaked out.

About 2 weeks ago we were cleaning out our garage and wife looked at dial on extinguisher we have in garage and dial was showing that the pressure had all leaked out. I need to make sure I go and pick one up this PM on way home and check the one in the coach.

Re: Dodged a huge bullet

Reply #10 – February 07, 2022, 11:05:47 am

Quote from: Old Toolmaker – February 07, 2022, 09:18:13 am

The flamy hot stuff is on the right, the fire was on the left where the electrons do their magic square dance.

Electrons don't smell like ammonia.

Re: Dodged a huge bullet

Reply #11 – February 07, 2022, 11:07:31 am

Now that you have to take it out, line the fridge compartment with Hardie Backerboard. Even a blowtorch won't get through it. The factory wiring was also sloppy so took care of that at the same time. See my old post on how to do it. I also did it in the engine compartment. While it won't stop an engine fire, it gives time to evacuate and possibly fight the fire. I keep a couple of dry chemical extinguishers and a pressure water extinguisher on board.

While the later Foretravels have slightly better protection in the fridge compartment, the early coaches like yours are just waiting for a small amount of burning hydrogen to quickly turn into a big fire. I even lined the duct up to the roof. If you have the OEM fridge, you will have to modify the compartment floor to take a Norcold (what we have now) or a residential fridge.

Change out the plastic outlet boxes to metal with metal cover.

Pierce
Retired SBFD Firefighter

Re: Dodged a huge bullet

Reply #12 – February 07, 2022, 01:12:33 pm

Quote from: craneman – February 07, 2022, 11:05:47 am

Electrons don't smell like ammonia.

No they don't but the fire department people and the original poster did smell ammonia and that leaves the question: What caused the leak? With that lead dress I'd entertain and electric arc and with all of the heat concentrated in that corner of the door away from the boiler I'd also guess electrical fire. The horizontal tank contains the "weak liquor" and as such is one half filled with mostly water. The small vertical pipe is the hydrogen gas return line to near the top where the hydrogen encourages the water and ammonia gas to recombine.

Re: Dodged a huge bullet

Reply #13 – February 07, 2022, 03:04:12 pm

Rust and or corrosion if operating on propane, high resistance in one of the 110V outlets if on electricity are good possibilities. The vented outside hatch lets moisture, salt spray from the ocean in and can be the cause. Operating with the fridge out of vertical can cause overheating in a couple of pipe areas. I have an old Japanese RV fridge out of 1978 that still works. Opening the outside door and cleaning the debris/dust bunnies helps also. The wood below the outside door mount will be rotted and will need replacing. Easy to see when the fridge is out.

We bought our 1993 with a bad Dometic fridge. The seller had smelled ammonia and immediately ran for the door.

Bottom line is that there is a very limited amount of hydrogen released when a pipe failure occurs. If the compartment is fire resistant and there is nothing to burn on the floor of the compartment, it will quickly go out. If it's electrical, the circuit board and components plus the plastic outlets can burn a lot longer than the hydrogen and with a lot of smoke.

Pierce

Re: Dodged a huge bullet

Reply #14 – February 08, 2022, 08:24:27 am

The fridge was a dometic rm3804. Now need to get smell out of coach. Here is what it looks like inside. Wood seems to be solid except for a little top crust on 2x2 in corner. Peeled off back of paneling that was burnt.

Re: Dodged a huge bullet

Reply #15 – February 08, 2022, 08:35:56 am

Quote from: kpbowser – February 08, 2022, 08:24:27 am

Now need to get smell out of coach.

Spray OdoBan or Febreze plus bowls of baking soda and activated charcoal?

Re: Dodged a huge bullet

Reply #16 – February 08, 2022, 08:41:10 am

Quote from: kpbowser – February 08, 2022, 08:24:27 am

The fridge was a dometic rm3804. Now need to get smell out of coach.

Some people say wipe down with vinigar and leave plates with vinigar laying around.

Used car lots use a ozonoe generator. I believe you can rent these for rental places. Not sure how long you leave it going but they say it take out all of the Cigarette smell that was in the plastic and seats.

Re: Dodged a huge bullet

Reply #17 – February 08, 2022, 10:05:55 am

Quote from: turbojack – February 08, 2022, 08:41:10 am

Some people say wipe down with vinigar and leave plates with vinigar laying around.
Used car lots use a ozonoe generator. I believe you can rent these for rental places. Not sure how long you leave it going but they say it take out all of the Cigarette smell that was in the plastic and seats.

This is the ozone generator I bought for a SUV that a smoker had owned. They work great but may need repeated treatments if it comes back a little. Cheap to buy at less than $50 delivered. It has a timer but for a coach, it would need to be maxed. No pets as it will kill anything living. Let it set for a few hours and then open it up and let it air out. Commercial Ozone Generator 20000mg Industrial Air Purifier Machine 20g...

Pierce

Re: Dodged a huge bullet

Reply #18 – February 08, 2022, 01:05:35 pm

Quote from: kpbowser – February 08, 2022, 08:24:27 am

The fridge was a dometic rm3804. Now need to get smell out of coach.

The odor of ammonia? Fans. The odor of burnt? I don't know.

Re: Dodged a huge bullet

Reply #19 – February 08, 2022, 01:59:46 pm

Glad you all made home and you still have your Foretravel.

Re: Dodged a huge bullet

Reply #20 – February 09, 2022, 11:32:06 am

Has anyone switch to a 12 volt compressor refrigerator?

Re: Dodged a huge bullet

Reply #21 – February 09, 2022, 11:37:22 am

Many here have, do a search.

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