Fridge doesn’t work

[PuppyDogMom]

Just set up camp and our refrigerator (Dometic) stopped cooling on electricity. Open the door, light goes on. Circuit breaker is good. Electricity is running to the fridge. Tried running it off LP. Nope...no cooling. I’m about 2 weeks over on warranty, so it’s not an old refrigerator. I don’t know what to check next. Or who to check with. Yep, I’m camping...

[Bama Rambler]

If you're just two weeks over warranty, I'd call the mfg. of the fridge first thing and see if they'll approve repairing it anyway. A lot of times they'll do a good will extension if it's that close. Don't rely on the dealer to help you in this case. Call the mfg. yourself.

Also most appliances have a longer warranty than the RV itself.

[kenandterry]

Any chance your RV has been parked at an angle steeper than you would camp or sleep at?

If refrigerators are tilted they can stop functioning because the fluid in the cooling pipes blocks the flow.

[PuppyDogMom]

Originally Posted by kenandterry

Any chance your RV has been parked at an angle steeper than you would camp or sleep at?

If refrigerators are tilted they can stop functioning because the fluid in the cooling pipes blocks the flow.

Been level...not sloped. So I don’t think that’s an issue.

[PuppyDogMom]

Originally Posted by Bama Rambler

If you're just two weeks over warranty, I'd call the mfg. of the fridge first thing and see if they'll approve repairing it anyway. A lot of times they'll do a good will extension if it's that close. Don't rely on the dealer to help you in this case. Call the mfg. yourself.

Also most appliances have a longer warranty than the RV itself.

I’ll give them a call in the morning. Hopefully, they’ll be nice. I don’t have anything that indicates length of warranty, but the dealer told me the camper was out of warranty a couple of weeks ago. Perhaps she didn’t take into account a specific warranty on the refrigerator.

[MR.M]

Originally Posted by PuppyDogMom

Just set up camp and our refrigerator (Dometic) stopped cooling on electricity. Open the door, light goes on. Circuit breaker is good. Electricity is running to the fridge. Tried running it off LP. Nope...no cooling. I’m about 2 weeks over on warranty, so it’s not an old refrigerator. I don’t know what to check next. Or who to check with. Yep, I’m camping...

I'm sure the dometic fridge comes with a 2 yrs warranty . first thing is check all electrical connections . lots of spade connectors that may not be making full or good contact . did it fire up when you went to lp mode ? did you check the thermal disc and thermal fuse ?

[PuppyDogMom]

Originally Posted by MR.M

I'm sure the dometic fridge comes with a 2 yrs warranty . first thing is check all electrical connections . lots of spade connectors that may not be making full or good contact . did it fire up when you went to lp mode ? did you check the thermal disc and thermal fuse ?

Oh, you’re talking to a person who has no knowledge of such technicalities. I’m probably pretty useless. Did have a guy out here who said the electricity was fine. He connected it to lp and said that it fired up. But alas, nothing got cold.

[birdman77]

How long has it been on? It can take a while to cool down... Especially if it's hot outside.

[MR.M]

Originally Posted by PuppyDogMom

Oh, you’re talking to a person who has no knowledge of such technicalities. I’m probably pretty useless. Did have a guy out here who said the electricity was fine. He connected it to lp and said that it fired up. But alas, nothing got cold.

if the boiler tube is hot meaning the lp fired up and stayed lit and or the electric element is hot hence a hot boiler tuber . you can find it take the cover off and to the right is the burner for lp and above it the boiler tube if it's hot and not cooling you may have a blockage . shut unit off let it cool off a couple hrs then restart . also how long has it been on ?

[PuppyDogMom]

Originally Posted by birdman77

How long has it been on? It can take a while to cool down... Especially if it's hot outside.

Been on most of the afternoon. Not hot outside, so that isn’t a contributing factor.

[PuppyDogMom]

Originally Posted by MR.M

if the boiler tube is hot meaning the lp fired up and stayed lit and or the electric element is hot hence a hot boiler tuber . you can find it take the cover off and to the right is the burner for lp and above it the boiler tube if it's hot and not cooling you may have a blockage . shut unit off let it cool off a couple hrs then restart . also how long has it been on ?

OK guys...no laughing. I can do this, but right at this moment we’re stuck inside the camper because of the horrible smell of pig dodo wafting in the wind and I don’t have a clothes pin. This has not been the greatest camping trip.

[MR.M]

Originally Posted by PuppyDogMom

Been on most of the afternoon. Not hot outside, so that isn’t a contributing factor.

most of the afternoon my not be long enough ! feel the inside back of freezer . is it cold ?

[Bama Rambler]

If it's just been on an afternoon, then don't panic. As mentioned above, give some more time and see if it gets cold.

[PuppyDogMom]

Nothing overnight in the freezer. Fridge still warm. Will give it the rest of today as advised. Thank you

Trying to get ahold of Dometic and CW. Not much luck on either.

[Flybob]

If you put food ( especially warm food/drinks) in the fridge and started it once you got to the site, it will take a long time to get cold. It is best to start it a day ahead of time and chill everything before adding it. RV fridges do not have the cooling capacity that residential ones have. Also they depend on items ( mass) in the unit to keep it cold when you open the doors. If you keep opening the doors to an empty freezer to check it it will take a long while to get cold.

[Decon Blue]

Originally Posted by PuppyDogMom

Nothing overnight in the freezer. Fridge still warm. Will give it the rest of today as advised. Thank you

Trying to get ahold of Dometic and CW. Not much luck on either.

1st mistake , CW.

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by Decon Blue

1st mistake , CW.

Not necessarily a mistake, more like a personal choice.

That being said, I'd call an independent service only shop/mobile. The RV park probably has a list.

[Flybob]

The warranty on the fridge is directly from Dometic. Most all RV service places are authorized Dometic repair facilities. You don't need FR or CW involved.

[PuppyDogMom]

Agreed, but it’s kind of the only game in town.

[Bama Rambler]

As eluded to above, call Dometic directly and ask for the warranty department. Ask them if they'll authorize a mobile repair as Scott & Liz suggested.

You'll probably have to pay the service call, but that beats it sitting at an RV dealer waiting on them to repair it.