Gas Fridge?

[carni 10,094]

I have Just read in Katyjays' post some date information about fridges and freezers and it was very interesting. Chris says he

remembers my Mam and Dad having a gas fridge. He remembers Dad showing him it and telling him it was gas. I can't remember at

all. Was Dad joking or was there really Gas Fridges. This was late 1960s.

[Commo 1,292]

There most definitely were gas fridges, though I always was confused as to how they worked ! I remember going into the gas showrooms on Parliament St in 1968 to price them up, but stuck with convention and eventually bought a electric one, but not until 1970 when we had saved up for it.

Gas fridges are still available today, but primarily for caravans, boats etc.

[Cliff Ton 10,505]

Amazing but true. Yes they did exist. The first fridge we ever had at our house in Clifton was gas powered. We had it second-hand around 1967/68; it came from relatives who'd had it and used for a few years previously, so it must've been manufactured at least around 64/65.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

They work the same as the electric none compressor type, using a heater, only with gas, it is the heater....The first fridge the Ex and I had was an electric heater type.. I don't think they are near efficient as compressor types are..

They are still made for RV's, usually three way, 12 volt while your driving, propane while stopped, and for when you're in the campground and have an electric hook up, mains.

[Limey 242]

Yep - gas fridges in RVs - they work just fine! Newer ones are only 2-way: 110v when hooked up, and propane otherwise. Not sure why the 12v option went away, maybe the propane became more efficient.

Not only gas and electric, when I lived in Swaziland, the "country" stores had paraffin (kerosene) fridges. Typically they had no electricity, and my guess is that propane was expensive, and difficult to keep getting refilled. Photo is of one of my favorites - note the wire going to it was telephone! No electricity. They had paraffin refrigerators that seemed to keep beer at an acceptable temperature!

[Rob.L 1,091]

The fridge in most trailer caravans are three-way, using 12v when on the road (powered from the car alternator), and switching to either mains electricity (if available) or mains power.

[dgbrit 258]

Gas fridge burnt my moms house down.

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

My brother in law works for a company that makes solar powered fridges.

My grandmother had a gas fridge about 1960.

[darkazana 1,736]

Yep gas fridge was our first one.....didn't have to keep the milk in buckets of water anymore!

And yep regarding caravans. Our fridge is gas and electric in the 'van. Runs off the car, while we're travelling, it's own leisure battery or the mains if we get a hook up (which is standard when we are working) but is great for a bit of wild camping, or if the power goes down onsite which is not unknown, when we can run it off the LPG.

[NewBasfordlad 3,599]

Remember prefabs? They had a built in kitchen complete with a modular gas fridge, a standard design all over the country. They were a bu99er to work on though.

[Trevor S 2,003]

The Kero fridge was popular out here in Oz in the 60s, particularly in the country (no mains power).

It was probably the most cost efficient fridge produced and regardless of the outside temp, the inside of the fridge was ice cold. Just the same as a normal sized household fridge with a freezer, etc but with a kero tank and lit wick underneath.

Still being used in many homes and on farms outback today, particularly as beer fridges out in the back shed.

[The Pianoman 1,535]

Remember prefabs? They had a built in kitchen complete with a modular gas fridge, a standard design all over the country. They were a bu99er to work on though.

Just remembered on reading that. Me dads brother lived in one of the prefabs on Bracebridge Drive and he had a gas fridge.

[StephenFord 866]

Same here on Aslockton Drive - 1950-54.

[loppylugs 8,429]

Got a Morphy Richards frig' for a wedding present in 1965. This was electric but it used heat to circulate the refrigerant. Slow to cool down compared to a compressor type. Nice and quiet though.

[colly0410 1,183]

I remember the warnings about not breaking up gas fridges as they contain ammonia which isn't nice stuff. Our new-ish freezer uses isobutane as a refrigerant, hope it never leaks out. Our older fridge uses R 134a which is a freon type refrigerant & safe I think..

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Yeah that new refridgerant has a problem, doesn't work when the temperature gets below a certain temp...Old fridges here used to end up in the garage as a drinks fridge, ones with the new gas, won't work in winter. So old fridges are fetching premium prices.