Refrigerator Question

[lhetsler]

When you get that done, it would be great if you could post some pictures to help others see the fix.

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

Here is the update on our refrigerator......Dometic was very nice and said there was a design flaw.....all the heat was escaping through vents and not going over heating coils....so the refrigerator was not getting the proper heat source for cooling. Dometic had rv shop temporarily install baffle to direct all heat over the heating coils. Wow, what a difference. The refrigerator is now a chilly 32 and the freezer is a chilly 0 and it is holding all day long even in the extreme heat. Can't believe the difference. Now the rv shop has to permanently install the baffles and I should be good to go. Heartland needs to notice this design flaw and fix the problem in future models. Easy fix to a very frustrating situation. Thanks Dometic for your help!

You say this is a temporary fix? What do you think they might do to make it a permanent repair? In Heartlands defense, I believe they install the units according to the manufacturers guidelines. If Dometic changes the installation requirements and doesn't update the information the RV builders have, who is responsible? Hopefully Heartland will notice this thread and maybe contact Dometic.
It's good to hear though that all is well with the fridge. Maybe that's why the fan/fans are installed at the top of the unit, to pull air across the coils. As previously posted, if you can post a couple pictures of the fix, that would be great.

 

[musicman]

RV Shop is going to have to build some brackets to hold the baffles. I will take some pics when I pick it up next week. I will be gone for a week. Should pick up the rv on Saturday, June 12. Thanks for all the support from my HL family. Looking forward to a COLD refrigerator.

 

[musicman]

I am sorry if I sounded upset with Heartland. I am in no way upset with Heartland. They have been wonderful thus far in this whole process of buying our 1st 5er. I was just reporting back what Dometic said to RV Shop about the refrigerators in the slide of the BH 3185RL. All the heat was just escaping out the vent before heat got to heating coils. I am just glad there was nothing wrong with our fridge. Easy fix. I will post pics of permanent fix soon! Thanks HL family for all your support.

 

[CrazyScotsman]

I have had same poblem since day one with our fridge. It had baffles put in it, but still to this day it still gets warm in the fridge in the summer. I guess one day we will get it fixed.

 

[wdk450]

"All the heat was just escaping out the vent before heat got to heating coils."

Steve:
I am a little confused by this sentence. The adsorbsion RV refrigerator has 2 systems involving heat. The primary one is to heat the boiler of the coolant system and involves the electric heater or propane flame. The 2nd system is the venting, which is to remove the heat present on the external fins to the atmosphere. The residual heat from the boiler heating is also added to the upper end of this venting warm air flow. Sitting still with no fans, warm air rising (like in a chimney) causes the airflow to be from the lower vent, past the external fins (2 sets), up and out the top vent. The added fans just assist this natural air flow.

 

[Recovered from 25-May-2010]

Steve and Karrie,

I hope all is well with your Bighorn 3185RL. Please keep us posted on the Fix. Thanks for your input.

 

[Recovered from 25-May-2010]

Thank you everyone for your input. Your comments helps us look at issues in the field and make sure we are building the best product on the market. We have Dometic audit our installation process every couple of months to insure our processes are up to code.

 

[wdk450]

Kary:
Thanks for your e-mail and letting us know that Heartland IS listening to our postings/problems.
Have a good weekend!

 

[mimipaca]

had same problem I put fan in back of refrig works 100 percent better. my refrig is in slide doesnt have good air flow . i full time in desert it works great.

 

[musicman]

Here is the update on our refrigerator. IT IS FIXED!......Yea.....What was happening was the heat was escaping through the outside vent before it crossed over the fins of the refrigerator. Installed a baffle to direct the heat over the fins before escaping through the outside vent. Wow, what a differnce. Fridge is on 4 and it is 36 degrees all day long. I put the fridge on 5 and it was 33 all day long. What a simple fix. Thanks to Keith Burns at Pittsburg RV for coiming up with the solution. He documented temperataures for 4 days before installing baffle and then monitored temperature for another 3 days after installing baffle. Very pleased and satisfied. Hope this helps others who are having the same problem.

 

[jimtoo]

Hi Steve,

Glad they got it fixed for you. Is there any way you could a picture or two of the baffle they made and post them? It might help some of the others that are having a problem.

Jim M

 

[karykatz]

Steve and Karrie,

Glad you were able to get the issue resolved. Thank you very much f0r the input. It is very helpful.

 

[wdk450]

karykatz and All:
Look at the next to the last diagram at the bottom of this page for an illustration of how a slide-mounted RV refrigerator should be vented (including baffles): http://www.rvmobile.com/tech/Trouble/vent.htm

 

[karykatz]

Bill and Deborah,

Thanks for the info. We are always looking at ways to build the best product in the market place.

 

[musicman]

Above is a picture of what we did to fix the refrigerator. All hot air now goes over the fins/coils before exiting the vent on the outside of the slide. Refrigerator temp remains between 35 and 38 all the time. It is great. Hope this helps!

 

[Rickhansen]

View attachment 9102

Above is a picture of what we did to fix the refrigerator. All hot air now goes over the fins/coils before exiting the vent on the outside of the slide. Refrigerator temp remains between 35 and 38 all the time. It is great. Hope this helps!

I get an "Invalid Attachment" error. I'd love to see the picture.

 

[lhetsler]

Would like to see your picture, but the attachment did not work.

 

[karykatz]

Thanks Steve and Karrie.

I will pass it on to our engineering.

 

[Bobby A]

Steve, we have the same fridge. Our slidy thing, the thermistor, is located on the fins in the back of the fridge. Our thermistor is positioned on the fifth fin from the far right side and about halfway between top and bottom of the fin. We had the same issues as you did early on and a technician installed a resistor kit that fools the control panel into thinking the fridge needs to cool more. That worked for us. Your fridge is in a slide out. This makes it easier for you to check the cooling fan/fans that are mounted above the coils on the back of your fridge. Remove the top panel outside on the back wall of the slide out. Make sure there are no obstructions to air flow and see if those fans are working. They are controlled by a thermal switch so it must be warm enough for them to work.
Your best bet is to have your dealer look at it so that everything can be documented in case you have issues later on.

I just defrosted my fridg today and the thermistor (white thing) in on the first fin to the right. Not sure, does it matter ?? What fin is everyone elses at ??