Dometic fridge still using DC heater!!

[KyDan]

Discovered my new rig with Dometic DM2852 fridge has the #$%&* heater between the freezer door and fresh food door. That little strip of metal might be cold and "sweat" in certain conditions so Dometic installs a little strip heater behind it to keep it warm. This is probably OK if you never camp off the grid but if you do camp on battery/solar power you DON'T want this heater wasting your watts! My previous rig had a switch located above the
freezer door to shut off the heater. Current model has a heater but they went cheap and left out the switch!!
ARGH!! WHAT are they thinking??? IF the heater was 120vAC it would not
be an issue. Since it's on the 12v DC side it definitely IS an issue for some of us.
Luckily the power for the heater is fed from the same power lead that feeds
the interior door light switch. You can pull out the light switch and disconnect the wire to the heater.
How can you tell which wire goes to the heater?? Pull one and test.
If the interior light works you disconnected the correct wire. If the interior light does not work you pulled the wrong one. Try again!

Good luck!
Happy Trails!!

[KyDan]

Follow up- The light cover simply sides toward the rear and off.
There are 2 black wires on the rear end of the switch/light. Since both
wires were crimped into a single push on fitting I couldn't pull one.
I snipped the fatter black wire and the light still works.
I think it's safe to assume the fatter black wire went to the heater strip.

I taped the end and it would be possible to butt splice it back should that
ever be needed. I won't be doing that as we kept our previous one shut
off and never had a condensation problem.
Happy Trails!

[ependydad]

PIIIIICCCTTTUUUURRREEEESSSS. Share some pictures of the strip and where you'll pulling the wire at, if you can and it makes sense, please.

[ependydad]

LOL, boondocking just became a priority for me (T-Minus-5 days). I was reading another thread on it and they talked about this "door heater" and I wondered if it applied to me. Turns out, I have the same fridge you mention - Dometic 2852.

I also have the same 2 crimped black wires... looks like I'm going to be sniping one of them here shortly!

[rockfordroo]

Here's some pics.

The heater pulls about 0.5 amps.

If you don't mind losing the interior light, just pull the wire off pin J2.

[ependydad]

Thanks rockfordroo. Do you have any idea where I get those male/female connectors? I figure fulltiming and being in humid areas, I may ultimately need this heater when I’m on shore power.

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by ependydad

Thanks rockfordroo. Do you have any idea where I get those male/female connectors? I figure fulltiming and being in humid areas, I may ultimately need this heater when I’m on shore power.

Any auto parts store has them. Often you can buy a "kit" with a bunch of them in different sizes and a crimper to put them on with.

Actually, Home Depot has them, too:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Gardner-B...-67K/202518592

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

Any auto parts store has them. Often you can buy a "kit" with a bunch of them in different sizes and a crimper to put them on with.

Actually, Home Depot has them, too:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Gardner-B...-67K/202518592

Thanks. Looks like I know what I’m doing today!

[Iwannacamp]

LOL they call them "piggy-back" 1/4"(I think) connectors. Better check the width..either standard(1/4") or less. Seems mine were less, but that's memory and it is SCARY!!

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by Iwannacamp

LOL they call them "piggy-back" 1/4"(I think) connectors. Better check the width..either standard(1/4") or less. Seems mine were less, but that's memory and it is SCARY!!

Actually, they're called "spade connectors." If he's just cutting the red wire and then putting a male on one end and a female on the other end, it doesn't really matter what size, so long as they match. So if he gets a "kit," he just needs to match the two.

BUT: Assuming he got some with with the insulation around it (usually the female one, see pic below), he should put it on the wire coming from pin J2, as that one will always be "hot." If he didn't get any insulated ones, he should wrap electrical tape around the one from J2.

[Iwannacamp]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

Actually, they're called "spade connectors." If he's just cutting the red wire and then putting a male on one end and a female on the other end, it doesn't really matter what size, so long as they match. So if he gets a "kit," he just needs to match the two.

BUT: Assuming he got some with with the insulation around it (usually the female one, see pic below), he should put it on the wire coming from pin J2, as that one will always be "hot." If he didn't get any insulated ones, he should wrap electrical tape around the one from J2.

one of nine is piggyback... I assumed his might be with the male/female description