Dometic 9 Cu Ft Cooling Problem and Solution

jhevern

Member
After two 100 degree days in a row the refrigerator temperature was sitting at 50 degrees and would not return to normal during the overnight periods. A digital thermometer in the freezer showed a temperatue of 22 degrees. So freezer working and refrigerator not. Technician ran some tests and everything appeared normal - so he suspected the boiler. Then we spotted it, a pinhole leak in the plastic water line to the ice maker was spraying water on to the heating element. Our conclusion - you wouldn't see the water leak because the heating element was evaporating the water. The water was cooling the heating process so the ammonia rising in the system was not as hot as normal. Transfered heat to the freezer allowing it to run at a normal temperature but not enought heat transfer for the refrigerator thus its abnormal temperature.
Water has been off to the ice maker for 24 hours and the refrigerator temperature is 34 degrees. The pin hole leak was a result of the plastic line running to close to the metal burner enclosure and chaffing the line. This will be an easy to fix but it is just another one of those annoying water leaks I have been experiencing for the past year - at least it wasn't in the basement this time.
 

newbie

Northern Virginia
FWIW, I have had 3 pin hole leaks in the plastic water line running to the fridge. None of them were related to being too close to a heat source. Just a crappy plastic water tube. I know others here have had leaks in the line as well. I wouldn't expect that to be your last leak. Glad you were able to fine the problem though.

John
 
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Wharton

Well-known member
In a normal home freezer the temp should be around 0 degrees and the refrig in the low 40s. 34 is way too cold for a refrig and 18 too warm for a freezer, keep looking for other problems.
 

cookie

Administrator
Staff member
In a normal home freezer the temp should be around 0 degrees and the refrig in the low 40s. 34 is way too cold for a refrig and 18 too warm for a freezer, keep looking for other problems.
I disagree. We keep both our home and RV refer temps at 34* and the freezer at 0, as read on a thermometer. Milk keeps almost forever.
The correct way to measure the temp is to place a probe in a glass of liquid in the refer compartment.

Peace
Dave
 

jnbhobe

Well-known member
I disagree. We keep both our home and RV refer temps at 34* and the freezer at 0, as read on a thermometer. Milk keeps almost forever.
The correct way to measure the temp is to place a probe in a glass of liquid in the refer compartment.

Peace
Dave

Milk don't last that long for me I drink it!!! lol
 

wdk450

Well-known member
I wonder if the problematic sections of the icemaker polypropolene water supply tubing could be replaced with something stronger. Copper tubing comes to mind, but I know that it has problems with failures due to metal fatigue from vibration. Is there anything better?
 
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sdagro

Well-known member
PEX tubing is **** near indestructible.

Why don't the manufacturers use these higher quality components? Probably not that much difference in the cost of a 8-10ft (estimated) length of small tubing. This is a trend of manufacturers in all facets these days. MAKE IT AS QUICK AND CHEAP AS POSSIBLE AND THEY WILL BUY IT!!
 

lwmcguir

Well-known member
A quick cheap solution to beef up the line is to run the 1/4 inch tube inside a 3/8 inch tube. This makes it difficult to get a nick. the 1/4 tube will easily stand a couple of hundred pounds pressure but wont stand to be kinked or nicked. Did this to mine after hearing about other folks getting leaks from nicks/wear points. Working so far.
 

KENNY COCHRAN

MCNEESE STATE COWBOYS #1
This would help as it would drain the water back to an area of my choice. The leak i just got in my line was not nicked by anything, nothing was near it or could even touch it. It was behind a drawer which was under the fridge, still got a very small pin hole leak of water spraying out. If i had had the 3/8 tube over it, it was have run down and to the outside of my rv, which i would have eventually found when camped on concrete. Good idea!
 
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