Does anyone know of a "segunda" or an esoteric hardware store anywhere in Baja or SoCal where you can find parts for a Porpane refrigerator? I know
someone in a small village who needs one small part to make his fridge run and I told him I'd check around for him. (I have an e-mail out to find out
what brand, but I know it is very old.)
Herb
jrbaja - 7-13-2004 at 07:31 AM
Try a Motor Home or Camper sales place up there.
We tried to find parts for them down here and struck out. Everyone said to get parts in the states.
Need help with delivery ?Probably in about 2 weeks back down. Let me know.
Thanks
Herb - 7-13-2004 at 08:11 AM
I'll check around and let you know. It's for Senor Arce. bajalou - 7-13-2004 at 09:25 AM
Need to find out if it's a Servel or the RV style - big difference in parts and I know a lot of very old Servels still working down here.
Herb
jrbaja - 7-13-2004 at 09:44 AM
This is from Cyndarou. She was having a hard time posting. www.appliancepartscenter.com 361 Andreasen Dr, Escondido 760-745-7521
I know you are farther north so theres that RV place on the 405 in Long Beach and the one in Irvine as well.
Howz about some trip report pictures? Sorry for the impatience but, you know.
Thanks to all!
Herb - 7-13-2004 at 09:50 AM
I am mechanically challenged, but yes, it sounds like the "thingy" that grover described.
And to bajalou, it looks like a normal home fridge (vs RV style) but I just can't recall the brand. Hoping to hear on that soon.
Pics coming soon, JR!bajalou - 7-13-2004 at 10:08 AM
Probably a Servel - they have been around for a looooong time I have one here thats about 50 years old and still works but not very efficient - uses
too much propane. They have a really different thremocoupler than the Dometic's etc. but there are still a few places that have parts and service
them - kind of tough to find tho. A guy in San Felipe does but he's gond for the summer now.
Servel Thermocouple
MrBillM - 7-13-2004 at 01:06 PM
I, too, still have (3) Servels, although I only typically
use one of them at any time since I bought a Sun Frost.
My Large one uses a 7.5 gallon tank every 10 days during
the summer. Years ago, the tab broke off on the thermo-
couple and I was unable at the time to find one. I drilled
a small bypass hole inside the burner housing to allow gas
to flow straight through. There is the potential for danger
there, but only if the flame should go out while there is
still gas available and the unit is in a closed space where
said gas could accumulate. I've got probably a half-dozen
spare burner assemblies all missing that one part.Dave - 7-13-2004 at 02:04 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by MrBillM
There is the potential for danger
there, but only if the flame should go out while there is
still gas available and the unit is in a closed space where
said gas could accumulate.
You've passed the final exam and are now a certified Mexican plumber.
I will take out an insurance policy on you with me as the beneficiary. please send all the particulars.
Peligrosa
MrBillM - 7-13-2004 at 05:05 PM
What, you think my neighbors know ? I haven't told them.
Seriously, the only real danger is the gas accumulating.
I did have a neighbor years ago who chided me for checking
propane lines for leaks with a butane BBQ lighter, but
again, it's the accumulation of gas that you have to worry
about.
Years ago in San Felipe, the only propane facility was a
fenced yard where they used the 25/27 gal tanks to transfer
to customer small tanks. The old guy who ran the yard had
a lit cigarette going the whole time he filled tanks. Never
blew up. No doubt dead now, but not from a propane explosion.
Servel Users
Fang - 7-14-2004 at 02:27 PM
All Servel users attention:
CPSC, Warns That Old Servel Gas Refrigerators Still In Use Can Be Deadly
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Government safety experts continue to warn consumers to stop using Servel gas refrigerators manufactured between 1933 and 1957 due
to the risk of carbon monoxide leakage in deadly quantities.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports there have been at least 39 incidents in the U.S. involving these old Servel gas
refrigerators, causing 22 carbon monoxide-related deaths and 55 injuries nationwide. There also have been incidents reported in Ontario, Canada,
causing 60 deaths.
Because historical sales and distribution records of these early Servel models are unavailable, it is not possible to determine who still owns and
uses these refrigerators. The Servels continue to be used in hunting cabins, vacation cottages and remote areas of the nation where there is no
electricity, or where gas is the preferred energy source.
Over a period of time, especially if the refrigerator has not been used recently, the gas burner can be fouled by dust, dirt, rust or other
obstructions. Any gas refrigerator with an improperly adjusted or partially plugged burner can produce substantial amounts of carbon monoxide.
Consumers can call the Servel Corrective Action Committee (SCAC) toll free at (800) 782-7431 anytime to receive a rebate package that includes
instructions for disposing of their Servel gas refrigerator. Consumers who properly dispose of their old Servels will receive a $100 rebate plus
reimbursement for reasonable disposal costs.
Since this recall program was launched in 1990, more than 22,000 refrigerators have been destroyed. On average, 100 new requests for rebates are
mailed to SCAC monthly, demonstrating that there are still many more in use.
Consumers who insist on keeping their old Servel refrigerators should move them to an outdoor shelter, shed or garage not connected to the house or
cottage. CPSC urges owners to secure or restrict access to refrigerators kept outside and, when discarding any refrigerator, to remove its door. This
will prevent children from playing in the refrigerator and possibly getting trapped and suffocating inside.
CPSC advises that all gas refrigerators be serviced regularly by licensed technicians in order to assure their safe operation. They also should be
inspected after they are moved and before they are turned on after a seasonal shutdown. Special attention should be paid to blockages in burners and
flues.
No longer in business, Servel manufactured gas refrigerators between 1933 and 1957. The Servel refrigerators in question are no longer being produced
and are in no way associated with the Dometic Corp., the current manufacturer of Servel brand name products.
El Jefe - 7-14-2004 at 06:04 PM
I just think it's b-tchin that a consumer appliance built between 1933 and 1957 is still working. It says a lot about the design.
Don't discount CO danger, however.
OLD NEWS
MrBillM - 7-14-2004 at 06:58 PM
That "Consumer Bulletin" is Old, Old news. The most heart-
breaking line in the bulletin is that they've destroyed 20k
refrigerators. Back when the recall program first came out
and they were offering $75.00 for each one turned in, I asked
an acquaintance that worked at the propane distributor to steer
the inquiries to me and I'd give him $20 bucks for each one that
I bought. Nothing came of it. The employees probably bought up
all of the good ones. If a Servel goes up for sale around here,
it is sold immediately.
As far as the "danger" involved due to Carbon Monoxide, I've got
my working Servel in a corner of the garage and I always keep
a window open. In addition, there is an exhaust turbine on the
roof. I mounted a battery operated CO detector on a shelf next
to the refrigerator and it has NEVER gone off.whodat54321 - 7-14-2004 at 07:13 PM
I bet more people die from CO poisoning from old dusty wall heaters than any fridge. Those heaters can be a nightmare.Anonymous - 7-16-2004 at 10:59 AM
I love my old Servel bulit in 1946. Works great in my house in San Felipe. I would not sell it or trade for anything.
To be on the safe side I do have a CO2 monitor over fridge, never has it gone off.
I certainly do not need the goverment looking out for my best interest.
Que Viva Servel .............
Baja LocoTaco de Baja - 7-17-2004 at 09:06 AM
CO2 monitors should be mounted near the floor.
CO2 is a heavy gas that likes low places.
If you mount it on a wall or ABOVE the fridge, by the time it goes off you will be DEAD . At a minimum it should be no higher than the height of your head on a bed, if it is in the same building as where you sleep, or no higher
than the height of the smallest member of the family, if it is in a garage (pets included).
[Edited on 7-17-2004 by Taco de Baja]
Herb
Baja Bernie - 7-17-2004 at 08:01 PM
What do I know? I think I wrote about it in my first book. We used to call them propane spiders and they would clog the orface with their webs. Get
a orface/ natural gas or propane tool from any place that sells and services propane equipment and they will tell you how to clean it out and allow
the gas to flow.
Amigo, I think I got it right.
You only have to worry about the CO2 if you live in an air tight home and I have never found one of them in Baja. If you are worried, I know the
Mexicans are not,put it in the garage.Corky1 - 7-18-2004 at 09:02 AM
about 18 years ago, I bought a replacement burner and Servel Manual from
a place in Northern California. They could be long gone by now, but here
is the info:
Commercial Gas and Refrigeration
13861 Lake Blvd., Redding, CA 96003
Tel 275-2045 (area code not shown).
Again, many years ago, I was given another vendor's address:
Jeff's Gas Refrigerators
1637-D So. Main St.
Willits, Ca 95490
Tel 707-459-5223
By the way, the monitors are for "CO" (Carbon Monoxide),
not "CO2" (Carbon Dioxide). My manual suggests mounting
it at eye-level.Herb - 7-19-2004 at 07:21 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by Baja Bernie
You only have to worry about the CO2 if you live in an air tight home and I have never found one of them in Baja. If you are worried, I know the
Mexicans are not,put it in the garage.
You got it, Bernie. It is for a Mexican village home, and the "room" it is in only has 2 and a half walls. I've been travelling over the last week but
will begin my search this week with all of the helpful information that has been posted here.
. At a minimum it should be no higher than the height of your head on a bed, if it is in the same building as where you sleep, or no higher
than the height of the smallest member of the family, if it is in a garage (pets included). 