Fridge running on propane while plugged in

[gotlieb]

So I went into my camper today to throw a new box of baking soda in the fridge. Much to my surprise, the "Check" light was lit and the fridge was not running. Went around to the propane tanks and sure enough, the tank was empty. I switched to the other tank and everything seems to be working fine. We got back from camping last weekend and I have the camper plugged in to my garage outlet. The fridge is set to "auto", so I was expecting it to be running off electrical and not off propane.

I suspect that the fridge is constantly running off propane, even though it is set to "auto". I purchased the unit last fall and have only used the furnace 1 night and have not used the propane for anything else. Yet somehow the propane tank is empty. When the furnace was running it was because it was slightly chilly and did not run very much at all. Either the tanks weren't full or the fridge is pulling off the propane at all times.

My question is, how did the propane run out if I was hooked up to electrical? I checked the outlet and everything is running fine. Don't really feel like wasting propane, especially when you pay for electrical while camping.

Any help is appreciated. I am a newbie, so I'm probably missing something.

Thanks!

 

[danemayer]

Hi gotlieb,

You didn't mention the refrigerator model, but most have an indicator to let you know what mode it's actually running in. If the refrigerator were not plugged in, or the circuit breaker tripped, or there were a loose wire interrupting power to the outlet, in AUTO mode it would think you've unplugged shore power and run on propane all the time. Run that way for an extended period and you'll go through a tank of propane.

 

[gotlieb]

Thanks Dan. I don't know the model right off hand. It is a Dometic. Camper is a 2012. I only have 2 choices when running my fridge, Auto or Propane. I checked the outlet and breaker and all seem to be running fine. So it must be something with the wiring to the fridge. Any advice for checking that? Thanks.

 

[danemayer]

Some of the Dometics have a 5 amp fuse to the electric heater - probably on the circuit board, but could be an inline fuse somewhere in the wiring. Your manual might have a schematic of the board layout showing the fuse. If you can't find yours, we've got some Dometic manuals at this link.

 

[gotlieb]

The fridge is on one of the "main" breakers. All breakers and fuses are good in the camper. I will have to do some research on the wiring schematic. I'm not really good with electrical problems, so I'm lost. Is there a reason that the propane needs to be on if the electrical is hooked up? If I close the propane tank, the "Check" light comes on. And now that I'm thinking about it, the fridge didn't start after I bought the camper until I opened the propane tank.

Or does the fridge need the propane for some reason, even if it is hooked up to electrical? Thanks.

 

[danemayer]

Running on electric, the frig doesn't need propane. With propane off, the check light is telling you that it's not running at all. Look on the back of the refrigerator for fuses on the circuit board.

 

[cookie]

The 120 volt outlet for the fridge is protected by the GFI receptacle located in the bathroom.
Check to be sure the GFI is not tripped.

Peace
Dave

 

[gotlieb]

GFI's are fine, nothing tripped. Fuses are all good. If I turn the propane off, the "check" light comes on immediately. From what Dan is saying, my fridge doesn't work on electrical at all. Which would explain why I burned through more than a tank of propane.

What do I check next?

 

[gotlieb]

I think I'm done for the night. I'll let her run off propane and do more investigating tomorrow when I have natural light to work with. Thanks for your responses.

 

[danemayer]

gotlieb,

Try running an extension cord to a different outlet. Test the extension cord with a lamp or something else to make sure there's power. Plug the frig into that cord. If it's still not working, and the fuses on the circuit board on the back of the frig are ok, it's time to get a service tech involved. Your refrigerator is probably covered by a 2 year Dometic warranty.