Dometic Frig Pooped Out

[navyAZ1]

Our frig has always worked well, except during the first 6 months when it would not get real cool during hot weather, I installed one of those temp operated fans in the back compartment and all was well. So, for the past 5 years it has been fine, until now. We were at the GA Heartland Owners Rally and it worked fine all weekend. We got home hooked the BH up to shore power and decided to wait until today to unload the frig, well Ann went out to get the food out and it was 65° in the frig and all that stuff was thrown out. Raised the setting from 3 to 5 and waited a few hours and the temp got higher due to the heating of the day I guess. So, we switched to gas waited a few more hours and it was even warmer. I'm hoping someone will tell me there is a fuse to check or something simple like that. Or, is this one of those things that the little grimlins have found out that I have earned some extra money and they have found a way for me to spend the extra funds?

HELP!

Ron

 

[jnbhobe]

Any smell of amonia ?? Also check for the fuses on the board in the back if the fridg.

 

[2psnapod2]

Ron, sorry about your frig! Did you get to close to Jim's frig?

 

[navyAZ1]

Any smell of amonia ?? Also check for the fuses on the board in the back if the fridg.

Didn't know there were fuses in the back, I'll have to check tomorrow it's dark outside now. What scares me is I've been told that "if you got 5 years out of your frig you've done well".

Thanks,

Ron

 

[DougS]

Try looking at the fins inside the refrig. and check the plastic clip is on a fin. I moved mine from the first fin to the third fin and it works better. Also make sure all of the clip comes in contact with the fin.

 

[eddylives]

Also look in the back of the fridge from outside for any yellowish powdery substance around any of the exposed tubes and joints , coils etc.
The yellow powder indicates a leak and the unit is done.

 

[jimtoo]

HI Ron,

My understanding is the fuse on the panel outside on rear is for 120v, but have not checked for sure. But check outside at rear of fridge to see if you smell ammonia or see a yellow oiley deposit under the heating unit. You may need to take the tin fire shield off, (4-5 screws) to see better. If so you can get a replacement cooling unit and have it installed or maybe someone can rebuild yours. Either way it's not cheap. Let us know what you find tomorrow.

About the same thing happened to us... was gone on trip for week or so.. came home,, everything fine...took some stuff our,,, will empty fridge and freezer in a couple of days... Well ... I emptied it OK.. in the garbage... still has a smell also. Tried baking soda,,,charcoal .... news papers... smell good stuff cleaner..
Jim M

 

[hillsonwheels]

Bummer! Sorry to hear about the frig. And, outta my area of expertise. How close were you to Beletti's coach anyway? Just sayin'........

Dick

 

[jimtoo]

Bummer! Sorry to hear about the frig. And, outta my area of expertise. How close were you to Beletti's coach anyway? Just sayin'........

Dick

You know Dick,,, you may be on to something....Jim B drove within 2 blocks of my house and my fridge quit working.,, Now Ron's has quit after being close to him..... Do you think it's something he is spreading.. and it finally caught up with him... His brand new one quit...

Jim M

 

[cookie]

You know Dick,,, you may be on to something....Jim B drove within 2 blocks of my house and my fridge quit working.,, Now Ron's has quit after being close to him..... Do you think it's something he is spreading.. and it finally caught up with him... His brand new one quit...

Jim M

Bummer! Sorry to hear about the frig. And, outta my area of expertise. How close were you to Beletti's coach anyway? Just sayin'........

Dick

Oh man.....now it's one more thing I gotta keep an eye on. He touched my coach a couple of weeks ago.
Sounds like he's a carrier.

Peace
Dave

 

[jbeletti]

So I'm the "Refer Killer" now?

Taking my coach into Camping World in Seffner (Tampa), FL in the morning to have the Norcold 4-door refer replaced. Worked 4-days very well, then stopped cooling. Guess I got too close to it

Jim

 

[jbeletti]

Oh man.....now it's one more thing I gotta keep an eye on. He touched my coach a couple of weeks ago.
Sounds like he's a carrier.

Peace
Dave

I don't even need to touch the coach - I just think about it and can destroy any refer from remote

 

[Randy]

Ron, Make sure that the fan is working. Check to see that heat is being provided by either the gas or electric circuit.
If you can feel heat at the back base of unit and it is not cooling then I would guess you have a major problem.
The heat provides the cooling. Randy, Santha & the Poodles

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

Here is a picture of what the ammonia leak looks like. This is a failed cooling unit. We were lucky in that it failed during the 3 year warranty. The sad part is the replacement cooling unit from Dometic is identical to the original. So far so good though after 3+ years.

 

[57chevyconvt]

Ron, Since the refer is not working on gas or electricity, the first thing I would check to see if one of the 4 fuses is the 12 volt supply has blown. If your refer is in a slide, some of the folks have had problems with the 12 volt wire being pinched as the slide is retracted and as a results the 12 volt wire is grounded. Check the 15 amp fuse in the inside fuse panel first, then check the 4 amp fuse in the rear of the refer. In my case the refer is not in a slide but the 12 volt supply wire that comes thought the refer floor was drilled in such a location that the bottom sheet metal plate that the refer is mounted on actually slid up over the wire and cut the insulation. To correct this problem, I moved the refer out of the cabinet a few inches and took my Drimmel tool and elongated the hole so that the 12 volt wire was not pinched under the bottom sheet metal plate. There are two other small fuses located on the printed circuit board, i.e., control board. Sometimes the 3 amp spade fuse holder is loose and the fuse stabs are not making good contact. Anyone of these fuses could cause the refer not to cool on either gas or electric. Good Luck, and as you know by now. Stay away from two Jim's trailers. Your might say a 'little black cloud' seems to follow their refer. I really shouldn't be talking about refer problems, I have had my share, that is how I have learned more than what I want to know about these refers.

 

[jimtoo]

Ron, Since the refer is not working ****** ****** **** ***** Good Luck, and as you know by now. Stay away from two Jim's trailers. Your might say a 'little black cloud' seems to follow their refer. I really shouldn't be talking about refer problems, I have had my share, that is how I have learned more than what I want to know about these refers.

Mr. 57chevyconvt,,, Mr. "JIM" Hutt,,,,Have you looked at your name lately???? You are a JIM too.... have you been camping around anyone lately?? I went to visit in your area..and had problems afterwards ... Maybe it was not Jim B afterall... Let's see,,, you were in Florida...and I think also in Georgia... Now Ron (navyAZ1) is having fridge problems..

OK,,, maybe we should put out a warning... about anyone camping or being close to Jim B or H..beware of,,,or expect fridge problems.. I think they are both really nice guys and their wives are great ladies...but are the Jim's doing something to the fridge world??? You know,,,just wondering...

Jim M

 

[JohnDar]

Just a question: How many of you have your refrigerators "professionally" inspected and tested every year? Since I read it in the warranty statement on the Dometic manual as required to maintain the warranty, I've been getting it done. Taking the rig to the dealer April 4 to get it again for this season, along with the wheel bearing maintenance. I'll be having them do their "50 point Service Inspection" to check all appliances, electrical systems, and plumbing.

 

[57chevyconvt]

I knew sooner or later that the truth about me being a 'bad omens' as to refers would surface. I guess we will just have to hang out a sign warning folks not to park near our BH unless they want to have refer problems. I guess I will have to quit posting on this subject, i.e., after John post the aux. fan brief, so that I can once again gain some friends around the camp fire.

 

[wdk450]

Just a question: How many of you have your refrigerators "professionally" inspected and tested every year? Since I read it in the warranty statement on the Dometic manual as required to maintain the warranty, I've been getting it done. Taking the rig to the dealer April 4 to get it again for this season, along with the wheel bearing maintenance. I'll be having them do their "50 point Service Inspection" to check all appliances, electrical systems, and plumbing.

John:
It's my feeling that the main reason for requiring annual inspection by the RV refrigerator people is to avoid liability for the loss of life/RV in case of a refrigerator fire. The service is mainly blowing out the dust, checking for propane pressure and leaks, and making sure the electrical fire safety propane cutoff is in working order. I don't think this service does anything toward extending the life of the cooling unit.

I have heard about a company that makes improved replacement cooling units. They use thicker, better quality, tubing where it is needed. They have come up with their own proprietary mixtures of the cooling chemicals, which their research has found to cool better than the standard mixtures. The company is called Amish Refrigeration, and I suspect that their main clientele are Amish families who choose to use propane refrigeration. I would think that the Amish are thrifty and wants something that lasts a long time, too. Here is a quote from an internet question and answer site about the Amish use of refrigeration:

"The Amish don't oppose all technology, just technology that overly complicates their lives -- particularly if it links them to outside influences. So they can use electricity powered from a local generator, but they prefer to stay "off the grid".

Propane powered refrigerators are much more efficient than running an electric refrigerator off of an electric generator, so those that chose to use a refrigerator generally use propane. I think most of the ones who use refrigerators do so because of their dairy operations."
​

Here is a link to the company distributing the Amish refrigeration RV cooling units: http://www.rvcoolingunit.net/servlet/StoreFront

 

[slmayor]

Actually a replacement cooling unit from Dometic will be different that the one in your refer from 3-4 years ago. They kind of had some issues with the ones that were being built in Europe for them and about 2 years ago, built a new facility in Iowa where they now build their own cooling units. They seem to be holding up a little better.