BUSHMAN DC-X Series DC65-X 65L Caravan Fridge and Freezer Owner’s Manual

: June 4, 2024
: BUSHMAN

BUSHMAN DC-X Series DC65-X 65L Caravan Fridge and Freezer

BUSHMAN-DC-X-Series-DC65-X-65L-Caravan-Fridge-and-Freezer-
product

Congratulations on your purchase of a Bushman DC-X fridge. Please read these instructions carefully before installation and use. Please be safe and use common sense and caution when installing, operating, and cleaning this appliance. If you are unsure about any of these instructions, contact your local stockist before proceeding.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Do not lay your fridge on its back, top or sides or at any angle exceeding 30º. If your fridge has been incorrectly handled, ensure that the fridge is placed in a level upright position for 12 hours to allow the internal fluids to redistribute evenly. Never operate your fridge directly from a 240 V or AC power supply. Do not use a modified sine wave inverter to operate your fridge.

PRIOR TO INSTALLATION

DELIVERY

At delivery, please check that the fridge is complete and is not damaged in any way. Remove all packaging and securing tapes from the fridge. To avoid injury and causing damage to the appliance, be extremely cautious when using sharp or pointed tools to complete this task. Do not connect an appliance that has been damaged, contact your local dealer immediately.

INSTALLATION

Installation of the DC-X range of fridges must be completed by a suitably trained professional only.

POWER SUPPLY

Your fridge must be connected to a stable and regulated 12 V or 24 V DC power supply only. The compressor will automatically detect which voltage is present and adjust accordingly.
If you are using a generator or other power supply, the output must be a pure sine wave. Any fluctuations in the generator current may damage the compressor.

WIRING

Wire your fridge on a dedicated circuit, directly to your battery bank. For optimum results, do not go via a bus bar, shared circuit or battery management system. You will need the correct sized wire depending on the distance from your power supply to the fridge. Please also ensure the earth is wired directly to your battery, not to a chassis. If your wiring is insufficient, your fridge may not perform correctly or may be even be damaged.

We recommend installing an isolation switch for the fridge circuit as close to your battery bank as possible. Any switches must have a breaking load not less than 20 A on 12 V or 10 A on 24 V. The power supply wiring must also be protected with a 15 A fuse. Ensure the wiring polarity is correct. Connect the red wire to the positive terminal (+) and the black wire to the negative terminal (-). Never connect bare electric wires. Use only connections of a size suitable for the cross-section of the wire being used.

INSTALLATION INTO A CAVITY

DC-X fridges are designed to be installed in a cavity. A gap of a minimum 50mm is recommended for the rear. Refer to the following table for the recommended cut-out dimensions. If you are using the mounting kit, allow an extra 5mm .width for the mounting kit frame and screws.

MOUNTING KIT

The mounting kit is first affixed to the side and top of the fridge cabinet using the screws provided. Once the fridge has been connected to the power supply and moved into its final position, the mounting kit can be affixed to the front of the cavity.

INTERNAL MOUNTING SLEEVES

There are 4 internal mounting sleeves on the inside of the fridge cabinet, and 2 internal mounting sleeves on the inside of the freezer compartment. Access is provided by gently levering off the plastic caps. M5 screws or bolts] need to be used. Drill 4mm pilot holes through the plastic sleeve and right through the fridge cabinet sides. Put a small nylon washer onto the screw/bolt heads before inserting. Ensure that the exterior of the fridge cabinet is flush\ with your cabinetwork before affixing the screws/bolts. If there is a gap, pack it out with a suitable hard material. Check for screw/bolt tightness after your first trip.

VENTILATION

Ventilation will have a significant impact on the efficient operation of your fridge. A minimum of 2 vents need to be provided from the rear of the fridge cavity to the outside environment, or to the main room where the fridge is located. The vents should be located at the bottom and top of the fridge cavity and have a free cross-section of a minimum of 400cm2 each. Note that a 400mm x 200mm vent will have only a free cross-section of approximately 400 cm2 (not 800 cm2).

IMPORTANT STEPS FOR EFFECTIVE OPERATION

THERMOSTAT

The thermostat should be set on the lowest number to keep your fridge cold. Do not use setting 7 as this causes very quick ice build-up. Start the fridge at setting 3 and see how it goes after 24 hours. 7 is the coldest setting and 1 is the warmest.

EQUALISING THE FRIDGE

During the first 24 hours of operation, your compressor will operate for longer than usual. This process allows the internal air temperature, food, drinks, condenser, and insulation to equalize.

KEEP HOT / WET ITEMS OUT OF THE FRIDGE

Try and keep hot or wet items out of the fridge as they are a prime source of moisture and ice build-up.

SPACE ITEMS, ESPECIALLY ON THE TOP SHELF

It’s important to keep some space between your items in the fridge so that the cold air can circulate. This is critically important on the top shelf so the cold air from the freezer can fall into the fridge cabinet. Round items like cans and jars are good for the top shelf as they allow space around them. Packets of meat etc are probably the worst items as they create an insulated barrier between the top shelf and the rest of the fridge.

RUBBER SEALS ARE CLEAN

Keep your rubber seals clean and free from stickiness. You can clean the rubber seals and the front edge of the fridge cabinet with warm, soapy water.

HAVE GOODS INSIDE THE FRIDGE

The fridge will not operate properly if it is empty, as air does not hold temperature well. If you are using a wireless thermometer the temperature readout will fluctuate significantly with the changes in air temperature, whilst your drinks inside the fridge will not vary much at all.

DEFROSTING

Defrosting needs to be carried out when the ice layer reaches a thickness of 5mm. Turn off the power to the fridge and move your food and beverages to another cool place. Do not use any objects to remove the ice or frost, it must be allowed to melt naturally. Once the ice has melted, thoroughly dry the inside of the fridge and freezer compartment. Re-start the fridge on setting 4 and monitor after 24 hours.

CLEANING

Always keep the inside of the fridge clean and dry. Wash the inside of your fridge with lukewarm water and mild soap. Never use abrasive or corrosive cleaning agents, steel wool or scouring sponges. A soft sponge, towel, or soft brush is recommended.

STORAGE

Keep the door of the fridge ajar when the fridge is not in use, to allow fresh air to circulate inside the fridge compartment.

REMOVING THE FRIDGE DOOR – MOVING THE HINGES TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE

REMOVE THE DOOR

To remove the fridge door, position the fridge on a bench with the front edge overhanging so you can access the bottom hinge screws.

Take the top hinge off first
Gently lift off the main door
Unscrew the bottom hinge. There is a small washer on the bottom hinge, make sure this doesn’t stick to the bottom of the fridge door!
Reposition the bottom hinge and screw into place
Sit the main door onto the bottom hinge (and washer)
Affix the top hinge screws finger tight only.
Align the door so it is square to the cabinet and closes freely without rubbing.
Tighten the top hinge screws fully.

MOVING THE DOOR HANDLE

Remove the 2 screws which hold the door handle in place. Access is provided under the logo sticker. You can more easily remove the sticker by applying moderate heat from a hair dryer.
Gently lift the door handle off.
Reposition the door handle on the preferred side.
Drill 2 small (2mm) pilot holes through the door handle for the original screws.
Reaffix the door handle using the original screws.
Reapply the logo sticker onto the door handle by applying moderate heat to the sticker.
Use the supplied DC-X Series sticker to cover the old screw holes.

REPLACING THE FRONT DOOR PANEL

Follow steps 1 to 2 under “Moving the door handle” above.
Gently remove the bottom door profile which supports the door panel. Using a screwdriver gently lever the bottom door profile outwards only. Do not lever it down.
Gently slide the original door panel down and out of the door.
Slide the new door panel upwards and into place.
Reposition the bottom door profile to be flush.
Continue from steps 3 to 7 under “Moving the door handle” above.

ADJUSTING THE DOOR LATCH

Whenever the door or hinges have been moved, please adjust the top metal rail that the door latch clips under. Loosen the screws and move the top metal rail towards the rear of the fridge cabinet until the plastic door latch justm makes light contact. If there is more than 1mm of movement, this will need adjusting.

See the diagram below

RUBBER DOOR SEALS

It is important that the rubber door seals are making contact 100% of the way around the fridge cabinet.
There are magnets inside the rubber seal which pull towards the metal fridge cabinet to keep it airtight.
After you have adjusted your door latch, check to see that the rubber seal is making contact with the fridge cabinet on all 4 sides. If there is even a small gap, this will affect the performance of your fridge.
With the fridge door closed, start from a corner, gently heat up the rubber seal with a hair dryer, or light heat from a heat gun (be careful not to overheat the rubber or it will melt). As the rubber heats up, the magnets inside will pull the seal towards the fridge cabinet. Slowly work your way along the rubber from one corner to the other until it is fully sealed. Leave the door closed in this position for 10 minutes for the seal to cool down.

DIMENSIONS

MODEL: DC50-X
MOUNTING KIT
COOLING UNIT
SCALE: (MM)

BUSHMAN-DC-X-Series-DC65-X-65L-Caravan-Fridge-and-Freezer-
fig-5

MODEL: DC65-X
MOUNTING KIT
COOLING UNIT
SCALE: (MM)
MODEL: DC85-X
MOUNTING KIT
COOLING UNIT
SCALE: (MM)
MODEL: DC130-X
MOUNTING KIT
COOLING UNIT
SCALE: (MM)

VENTILATION OPTIONS DC-X

Exterior Ventilation

interior Ventilation Option 1
interior Ventilation Option 2
interior Ventilation Option 3
interior Ventilation Option 4

WARRANTY

DP Refrigeration Pty Ltd trading as Bushman Fridges ABN 94 615 295 255 (Bushman) warrants, to the original owner, that this product is free from defects in workmanship and material for a period of three (3) years from the purchase date. This warranty shall be limited to repairing or replacing, at Bushman’s option and without charge to the purchaser, defective components. All warranty work shall be performed at a Bushman-approved facility. Shipping charges related to returning the product to the Bushman facility are not covered under this warranty. However, this] warranty covers shipping charges related to returning the repaired product to the customer. This warranty does not apply to damage or wear to the product caused by accident, abuse, misuse, neglect, unauthorized alteration or] repair, or if the product was not used in accordance with Bushman printed installation and operating instructions. To obtain service under this warranty, the defective product must be returned to Bushman together with a copy of the original purchase receipt. Any product repaired or replaced under this warranty will be warranted for the balance of the warranty period with respect to the originally purchased product. Bushman is not liable for any incidental or consequential loss or damages whatsoever because of use or misuse of this product. Any statutory warranty also applies.

TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE

Please check each of these 4 points. All 4 need to be right for your fridge to operate correctly.

VOLTAGE

The most common cause of an incorrectly functioning fridge, or a fridge that starts and stops and doesn’t get cold, is a lack of consistent voltage. Danfoss compressors have built in battery protection and need the following minimum voltage for the compressor to start (Cut-in) or to continue running (Cut-out).

Note that when the compressor starts it will draw approximately 8A for 1⁄2 second to turn the compressor over. When this 8A load is applied, the voltage can drop by 2V – 3V, causing the compressor to turn off again.] This often happens at night when the battery gets a bit lower (no solar input) or when the car alternator hasn’t been started for a while (no alternator input) or if there is a weak spot somewhere in the electrical system (weak join, weak solder, undersized wire, worn battery).

To isolate this problem, use a different, direct power supply

Connect the red and black power wires from the compressor directly to a different 12V power source (for example a fully charged deep cycle 12V battery). It is important to run these two wires directly to the power source, without any Unnecessary connections, plugs, solar, battery management, power distribution or buss bars. If the fridge now runs correctly, there is a power supply issue somewhere.

Get an electrician to check

The polarity of the connections are correct
The wiring between the fridge and battery is correctly sized – see page 2
Any connections or joins in the wire between the fridge and the power source are 100%
The battery is not wearing out and is capable of consistently providing 12 volts when a 10 amp load is placed on it
The voltage to the compressor is still 12V when a 10 A load is placed on the wires

VENTILATION AND AIR-FLOW

There is adequate ventilation and free airflow to the compressor area – see page 3 + 8
The fridge is not installed in a sealed cavity, container or canopy
The condenser fan is operating

ICE BUILD-UP

Ice will slowly build up on the freezer section over many weeks. This is a normal part of the operation of a low-power cooling system. Excessive ice build-up is a problem as the ice eventually insulates the cooling element and hinders the fridge’s ability to cool. In this instance, turning the thermostat up to flat out (6 or 7) will cause ice to build up even faster. Therefore, slowing the ice build-up from the start is the key. Please follow these 4 steps:

Check the rubber door seal is touching the fridge cabinet all the way around on all 4 sides – see page 5
Check the door closes freely without rubbing on anything – see page 4
Check the door latch has a tight fit when closed – see page 5
Defrost the fridge, dry it out and start again on the thermostat setting 4 or 5 see page 4

OPERATING THE FRIDGE

Space items in the fridge, this is critically important on the top shelf – see page 3
Set the thermostat to the lowest number possible – see page 3
Only open the fridge or freezer door for short periods of time and when necessary
Do not place hot or wet items inside the fridge

RED LED ERROR LIGHT

From mid-2021 onwards all Bushman DC-X series are fitted with a red LED error light.