I have a Dometic refrig. that is located on our slide. Both the freezer & refrig. seem to work ok in cooler weather. When we vacation in Myrtle Beach the freezer works great but the refrig. doesn't seem to be able to keep the food cool. Any ideas what could be causing this? I have the slide by the fins to regulate the temp. I put it all the way as cold as it can go. Seems like at night when the sun is down it cools better but still not great. Any help on this would greatly be appreciated. Thanks
Dometic freezer ok refrig problem cooling in warm weather?
- Thread starter CeeCee
- Start date
danemayer
Well-known member
Hi ceecee,
Usually if the freezer works great but the refrigerator compartment doesn't, it means the cooling system is ok. You might have an air leak through seals or door flaps, or not enough air circulation inside the frig, or doors are staying open too long. Take a look at our Dometic RM1350 Troubleshooting Flowchart.
Also, some of us have recently installed an inexpensive dual fan on the refrig compartment fins to get better air circulation. It really gets the cold air circulating. Here's a link to that thread. The first post has a link to the Ebay page.
Usually if the freezer works great but the refrigerator compartment doesn't, it means the cooling system is ok. You might have an air leak through seals or door flaps, or not enough air circulation inside the frig, or doors are staying open too long. Take a look at our Dometic RM1350 Troubleshooting Flowchart.
Also, some of us have recently installed an inexpensive dual fan on the refrig compartment fins to get better air circulation. It really gets the cold air circulating. Here's a link to that thread. The first post has a link to the Ebay page.
Rickhansen
Well-known member
Hi CeeCee,
There have been a ton of threads on this problem over the past several years. A simple search on the forums will yield hours worth of reading. In fact, if you scroll down to the bottom of this page, the website provides likely matches as "similar threads." That owner history and ingenuity is worth a ton, impossible to replicate here, and will include pictures, sources, etc.
There could be some real issue with your door seals or something going on like that, but there are a few inherent problems with refrigerators installed in slides that match your symptoms. The single biggest contributor is a lack of airflow (heat buildup) behind the rear of the refrigerator. The heat removed from the box is dissipated there and has a hard time getting out of the upper vent on the side of your rig on its own.
The net result is that the refrigeration system runs out of capacity and since the freezer gets the lions share of cooling it appears fine. I'll also bet it is not near zero degrees where it should be.
Many of us have installed additional condenser fans, and airflow baffles to help get the heat out. Another helpful 'mod' is to add insulation where possible between the top and side of the refrigerator and the slide ceiling. A small fan (available from many sources and ebay) inside the refrigerator by the fins also helps to even the interior temperature. These 'mods' do a lot to help.
I'd encourage you to do some searching and reading so that you can determine the cause of your particular problem and solutions that you might implement.
There have been a ton of threads on this problem over the past several years. A simple search on the forums will yield hours worth of reading. In fact, if you scroll down to the bottom of this page, the website provides likely matches as "similar threads." That owner history and ingenuity is worth a ton, impossible to replicate here, and will include pictures, sources, etc.
There could be some real issue with your door seals or something going on like that, but there are a few inherent problems with refrigerators installed in slides that match your symptoms. The single biggest contributor is a lack of airflow (heat buildup) behind the rear of the refrigerator. The heat removed from the box is dissipated there and has a hard time getting out of the upper vent on the side of your rig on its own.
The net result is that the refrigeration system runs out of capacity and since the freezer gets the lions share of cooling it appears fine. I'll also bet it is not near zero degrees where it should be.
Many of us have installed additional condenser fans, and airflow baffles to help get the heat out. Another helpful 'mod' is to add insulation where possible between the top and side of the refrigerator and the slide ceiling. A small fan (available from many sources and ebay) inside the refrigerator by the fins also helps to even the interior temperature. These 'mods' do a lot to help.
I'd encourage you to do some searching and reading so that you can determine the cause of your particular problem and solutions that you might implement.
You might want to look into this:
http://www.rvnetwork.com/index.php?showtopic=105862&hl=refrig#entry635155
http://www.rvnetwork.com/index.php?showtopic=105862&hl=refrig#entry635155
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