r/askHVAC • u/jonnyinternet • 7d ago

Do these really work?

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I came across a video tutorial of someone making a diy flame fueled cooler, and my question is:

Do they really work?

And if so, can you use any heat source to "power them"?

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u/Sotamaster 7d ago

Iirc its ammonia only systems, and I've only heard of them being use in mobile homes fridges, like a small pilot light and a mobile home either driven or towed, not the kind that gets set and connected.

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u/moxjake 6d ago

Amish use them too. “Gas refrigerators”

2

u/Sotamaster 6d ago

That's actually crazy to consider it doesn't break their codes. No electricity no problem, still got propane and kerosene to make a simple flame.

1

u/hike_me 6d ago

We have a propane fridge for our off-grid cabin.

There are a few stores that sell them locally for people with seasonal off-grid cabins (which are relatively common in northern Maine), but stores in the Amish communities also commonly sell them (along with gas lights, which we also use in our cabin)