Gas Refrigerator Conversion

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Does anyone have any experience with coverting a natural gas refrigerator to propane. Can parts still be found for older Serval gas refrigerators.

Thanks in advance.

-- Scott T. (scotthom@hotmail.com), April 30, 2001

Answers

About the only needed parts should be correct sized orifices for both the pilot light and burner.

Once these are removed, just take them to an LP gas dealer that stocks repair parts, and they should be able to use a chart to match the numbers stamped in the old ones to the correctly sized new ones.

Here is the url for a web site of a company that repairs Servels. They too should be able to provide you with the right orifices. http://www.tcp-ip.com/business/Kerns/prices.htm/

Hoot, is this correct information?

-- Notforprint (Not@thekeyboard.com), April 30, 2001.

Hi, Scott,

It's been almost twenty-five years ago, but I had no problem converting a Servel Fridge from Natural gas to propane. All it took was a new orifice, which was very cheap, and easy to install (it must have been easy, because I don't remember anything about how I did it!)

I got the orifice from a local propane distributor.

JOJ

-- jumpoff joe (jumpoff@ecoweb.net), April 30, 2001.

I guess notforprint must have posted while I was typing!

I only had to replace one orifice. I didn't know there was a separate one for the pilot. Interesting.

JOJ

-- jumpoff joe (jumpoff@ecoweb.net), April 30, 2001.

Some pilot lights are adjustable, maybe Servel has one of those.

-- Notforprint (Not@thekeyboard.com), April 30, 2001.

You're right about the orifice change, thats all there is to it. If it's an electronic ignition, which most are, then it won't have a pilot. the flame on the smaller RV units is no bigger than a pilot flame anyway. Thanks for the Servel web address. I'm stashing that one for later reference.

CQ

-- Carter (chucky@usit.net), April 30, 2001.

All of the old Servels that I helped convert to LP from natural gas also needed a new "turbulator" in addition to the orifice. They might work with just the new orifice, but not as well as they could. I learned this from a retired fellow who had spent much of his working life working in New York/New Jersey where he maintained/repaired/installed thousands of Servels in apartment complexes starting back in the 1940's.

Jim

-- Jim (jiminwis@yahoo.com), May 02, 2001.

-- (noneofyour@biz.com), July 13, 2001