Propane Refridgerators

[joesohum]

does anyone know where i can buy a propane or kerosene refridgerator in thailand. seems like the way to go when you live in a place with no electricity and have to haul ice. anyhow please let me know if they even sell them here. cant seem to find any on google.

thanks alot

[gregb]

The only thing close to absorption refrigerators I have ever seen in Thailand are used hotel mini bar refrigerators. A couple of decades ago, compressors were very loud and so hotel mini bar fridges were ammonia absorption, but they were driven by an electric element. New hotel mini bar refrigerators all use ultra silent compressors, so you must find ones that are 20 years old.

If you can find a working, old hotel mini bar absorption style refrigerator at an auction, then you can simply replace the electric heating element with a similar sized LPG heating element and you're done. You of course would need to wire the control which powered on/off the electric element to a servo controlled gas valve instead. If you don't want a pilot light you'd also have to set up an electric ignition system.

But if this all sounds too complicated and you are looking for an RV style absorption refrigerator, all I can tell you is I have never seen those here. I've looked as I needed one for a project in Cambodia. I would say importing on from the states is your only option. Just look at www dot gasrefrigerators dot com. Lots of different models, but they're all expensive and they all come with customs headaches.

Would be interested to know if anyone else knows of a local source.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Perhaps you could contact the Electrolux branch here in Thailand, they might have one rusting away in their warehouse.

I used several of their kerosene powered refrigerators lots of years ago when I was upcountry in Laos. These were pretty large perhaps 14 cu ft or so, had a freezer compartment in addition to the larger cool area. Worked fine, unless there was a wind to blow out the flame.

Seemed to use a fair amount of kerosene but not a problem as I just swiped a drum of Jp4 from Air America/CASI stocks when need be.

Mac