If there was a failure point on the refrigerator, neither Fridge Defend or the Norcold High Temp Sensor would have prevented a fire due to an issue with propane delivery. It would be interesting to hear what they determine.
Sad Event at Quartzsite (with a silver lining)
- Thread starter Kevin Means
- Start date
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Rene T
Site Team
Has anyone ever thought of putting a smoke detector behind the fridge? That would give you plenty of time to get out and it would alert a neighbor to call the fire dept.
Might not be easy to access?
Professor David
Well-known member
Seems like a good thought but wondering if there is a smoke detector available that would function properly in that type of area? I suppose you could turn the smoke detector on once you are parked. Driving around with the smoke detector on may activate it with exposure to moisture and/or dust?
CharlesinGA
Well-known member
I think they just shut down the 12v power which will cause the propane valve to close (unless it is stuck). So yes, If they sense the fire they will stop the propane, hopefully before the fire keeps spreading on its own.
An automatic fire extinguisher is great for the traditional fridge fire, where it leaks the ammonia and hydrogen gas out and is ignited by the gas flame. However, it won't do any good on a propane fire, where the fire is fueled by excessively high pressure propane. This is where having a fire sensor that actuates a spring loaded off gas valve (much like the ones used on older motor homes) would be great to have.
Having a stainless steel flame shield would stop the flame from spreading due to high pressure gas, at least long enough for a thermal switch to shut the gas off.
While that motor home looks like a mess, it is the plastic that did most of the burning, and remember the roof is made of styrofoam, that is why it is gone completely. I'll bet if Blll digs in the mess his flight jacket is still there, possibly in cleanable condition. Leather is very resistant to burning, that is why they were used for flight jackets. Much of the mess is the roof having fallen in on everything. Ever set fire to a small white styrofoam cup? it just melts and shrivels to a gooey mess. The Luan plywood burned as it is very thin and doesn't take much to get it going. The sidewalls are largely intact, except for the hole in the side just aft of the fridge. That is why I say the gas pressure possibly went high and turned it into a blowtorch. That one hole is not easily explained away.
I will be very interested to see what brand of gas regulator it had in it.
Charles
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HueyPilotVN
Well-known member
I actually have an idea about why the area to the right of the fridge might have received more damaged than normal.
I had a tool bag full of MIlwaukee tools sitting on the floor in that exact location.
I believe that all of the small LIthium batteries for the tools were located in chargers located in the upper cabinet above the couch in the front of the RV where I normally keep them.
It may be possible that one of the batteries may have been still plugged into a tool in the tool bag.
I do not know if a small lithium battery would be ignited by the fridge fire and burn at an accelerated rate, or if even there was one in there.
Just another idea.
I had a tool bag full of MIlwaukee tools sitting on the floor in that exact location.
I believe that all of the small LIthium batteries for the tools were located in chargers located in the upper cabinet above the couch in the front of the RV where I normally keep them.
It may be possible that one of the batteries may have been still plugged into a tool in the tool bag.
I do not know if a small lithium battery would be ignited by the fridge fire and burn at an accelerated rate, or if even there was one in there.
Just another idea.
Attachments
Rene T
Site Team
On a fridge located in a slideout the top access door would work. On a regular install, you could build some type of hook and just reach up as far as you can and hook it on anything.
UTTransplant
Well-known member
The Protemg product is designed specifically for this type of installation, but it is pretty expensive. I have a few friends who full time, and they installed them. Luckily none of them have had a situation where they were needed though.
You'd need to replace battery or unit unless it had long life battery.
Me too.
HueyPilotVN
Well-known member
Charles wrote:
While that motor home looks like a mess, it is the plastic that did most of the burning, and remember the roof is made of styrofoam, that is why it is gone completely. I'll bet if Blll digs in the mess his flight jacket is still there, possibly in cleanable condition. Leather is very resistant to burning, that is why they were used for flight jackets. Much of the mess is the roof having fallen in on everything. Ever set fire to a small white styrofoam cup? it just melts and shrivels to a gooey
mess.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________-
The flight jacket was sitting on top of a tool case on the passenger seat.
Looking at the picture below. I am sure the jacket is toast.
While that motor home looks like a mess, it is the plastic that did most of the burning, and remember the roof is made of styrofoam, that is why it is gone completely. I'll bet if Blll digs in the mess his flight jacket is still there, possibly in cleanable condition. Leather is very resistant to burning, that is why they were used for flight jackets. Much of the mess is the roof having fallen in on everything. Ever set fire to a small white styrofoam cup? it just melts and shrivels to a gooey
mess.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________-
The flight jacket was sitting on top of a tool case on the passenger seat.
Looking at the picture below. I am sure the jacket is toast.
Attachments
Tulecreeper
Well-known member
Wasillaguy
Well-known member
I'm definitely in that club. Though not often in a Huey, my pilots were very often Vietnam vets. Just a handful of guys that I had the pleasure of getting to know well over the years.Those of us who have been in the passenger seats, in Alaska, in January, in inclement weather.
I got spoiled. Young pilots make me nervous. Especially flying the cheesy Robinsons that are showing up in more and more fleets.
Don C
Well-known member
Just finished the installation of Fridge Defend in my Toy Hauler. Not ideal installation weather when it only gets up to 40 but it is ready when we head out in February.
Merlin TC
Well-known member
MikeCoke
Well-known member
Im last here but how about cutting the mural off and framing it and attaching it to the new RV, From the pics it looked like it survived.
HueyPilotVN
Well-known member
The murals are graphic prints of two of the paintings by Joe Kline.
I already have ordered and received the two murals.
I am just waiting for a nice day to install them. I get a little nervous installing them.
I did it before and I am sure I can do it again but they cost $497.00 so I do not want to hurry and get wrinkles in them.
I tried to attach the proof but it was to large, so I took pictures of the murals with my phone and transferred them to the computer.
I already have ordered and received the two murals.
I am just waiting for a nice day to install them. I get a little nervous installing them.
I did it before and I am sure I can do it again but they cost $497.00 so I do not want to hurry and get wrinkles in them.
I tried to attach the proof but it was to large, so I took pictures of the murals with my phone and transferred them to the computer.
