Refrigerator doesn't work

georgetown50 · 10-30-2010, 11:47 PM

We just got back from a week long trip out of town. When we came back we found the refrigerator smelled as the freezer and refrigerator had both not been working. Things were thawed out in the freezer.

We cleaned out the refrigerator but can't seem to get the refrigerator to work even though the front panel looks like it normally does. Correct indicator lights are lit.

The freezer seems to be getting colder but the refrigerator does not.

Any suggestions on how to fix this problem other than calling a technician?

Boyd · 10-31-2010, 08:53 AM

Give the fridge a few hours to do it's magic. If it doesn't get cold, check to make sure you have propane in your tanks. ~ That's a start, now the experts will guide you through the next steps....should they be required.

**Herk7769** · 10-31-2010, 09:02 AM

Dry camping or hookups?

If dry camping and your battery voltage drops the DC controls on the fridge will quit and the fridge will shut down even with full propane.

The Fridge pulls 1.2 amps DC as long as it is running on Propane.

Boyd · 10-31-2010, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by herk7769

Dry camping or hookups?

If dry camping and your battery voltage drops the DC controls on the fridge will quit and the fridge will shut down even with full propane.

The Fridge pulls 1.2 amps DC as long as it is running on Propane.

Herk, How low can the battery go before the fridge shuts down?

Thanks,
Boyd

Shaker11 · 10-31-2010, 11:54 AM

Make sure you are level ground, if you are not level that can create an issue, if on propane make sure you are not low or even out. If plugged into @ least 15 amps @ home & level just give it a chnace 3-5 hours.

**Herk7769** · 10-31-2010, 11:57 AM

To be perfectly honest, there are too many variables to be sure.
(I know... A cop out answer)
However, it depends on your board and what quits on it first.
Like any computer, low voltage does crazy things.

I would bet any dc voltage below 11.5 is going to cause problems.

camprat · 10-31-2010, 02:07 PM

All good advices above. I don't don't know what make it is , on my refg. there is pig tail temp. sensor that is clip on the fin that came lose . Acted the same as your.

Boyd · 10-31-2010, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camprat

All good advices above. I don't don't know what make it is , on my refg. there is pig tail temp. sensor that is clip on the fin that came lose . Acted the same as your.

I talked with a manufacturer's represenative of my fridge, (Dominic) and was told the sensor elevation on the freezer fin, up/down, only accounts for a temperature variation of three degrees.

Who knows, I may have been talking with a corporate executive and his expertise was exclusive to the bean counting department.

I pulled my sensor off the fin and moved it down as far as the connecting wire would allow. I'm now getting, at least, 6 degrees colder below the freezer.

One time, and only once, for some unknown reason, the temperature in the non-freezer department dropped to 28 F degrees....Go figure.

jimh · 10-31-2010, 03:30 PM

that sounds like a bad thermostat. if it were a conventional ref, that would be what i have changed to correct a proplem like that (where it freezes in the frig part then work almost normal). on the absorption frig, i don't know what that clip is in conjunction with.
perhaps someone knows if that clip on is a thermocouple or what. i don't know the control system on that type frig; maybe someone here does and knows what part that clip plays in it.

bad1032 · 10-31-2010, 03:43 PM

Do you have the dm 1350 fridge? if so its a known problem with the junk.Mine would do it until i did the fan mod and that took care of the problem, until I traded it in.

camprat · 10-31-2010, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boyd

I talked with a manufacturer's represenative of my fridge, (Dominic) and was told the sensor elevation on the freezer fin, up/down, only accounts for a temperature variation of three degrees.

Who knows, I may have been talking with a corporate executive and his expertise was exclusive to the bean counting department.

I pulled my sensor off the fin and moved it down as far as the connecting wire would allow. I'm now getting, at least, 6 degrees colder below the freezer.

One time, and only once, for some unknown reason, the temperature in the non-freezer department dropped to 28 F degrees....Go figure.

With me it was more a 10 degree rise. The refrigerator was working good for a year & don't know if I did it OR it just fell off fin. I put it back on the fin & 1 1/2 hr back to 40-43 in the refrigerator. the freezer you could keep ice hard.

This has up to now been good unit. hope my luck hold out. Even out of level it work good. IT a Dometic DM2852

camprat · 10-31-2010, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bad1032

Do you have the dm 1350 fridge? if so its a known problem with the junk.Mine would do it until i did the fan mod and that took care of the problem, until I traded it in.

I think the fan is the way to go. They had some on ebay that looked like hard drive cooler to me, which hook up to the refig. light.

bad1032 · 10-31-2010, 08:36 PM

if ya do a search on northwest jeeper, he did a complete diagram of the mod, i did the same on mine and added one on the bottom of it also inside the outside compartment door the blew up and the 2 on the top vent to suck the air out, never had a problem after that. good luck

camprat · 10-31-2010, 09:12 PM

dad1032 I am going to have as you have done with the fans. My grandkids going in out of the refig, mess with the temp recovery time in the summer when dry camping.

georgetown50 · 11-01-2010, 11:14 AM

I'm not dry camping and have propane. If there was an electronic problem, it should shift over to propane I thought. I checked a couple of fuses outside and they are good. The light indicators on the front of the fridge looks like everything is fine.

Hankster · 11-01-2010, 11:53 AM

I know this may not apply, but make sure your fridge is not on the Dometic recall list. Just because your unit is newer, doesn't mean the fridge is new. Fridges on the recall list will lose their refridgerant and eventually catch on fire.
The Hankster

camprat · 11-01-2010, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hankster

I know this may not apply, but make sure your fridge is not on the Dometic recall list. Just because your unit is newer, doesn't mean the fridge is new. Fridges on the recall list will lose their refridgerant and eventually catch on fire.
The Hankster

I would check the recall list. If it is on the list save your self some time & let the dealer deal with it. If not you may want to switch to propane & see if it fire up. Go to the service panel on the outside for the refg & see if you can hear it. If it dose not fire up on propane or shore power & can't find any fuse bad, It maybe a bad control board & need to go in for services.

When you switch to propane do it manual ,not auto. Sometime it may take a few manual starts. You may have bad air lock on the propane & shutting down. When it switch on Auto.

pondlady · 11-01-2010, 01:39 PM

Here's what an RV tech told me. He removes fridges and turns them upside down so the bubbles get out of the ammonia. Then the fridge works. Go figure. But that's how he makes a living.

Mine takes 2 full days to get cold again after I unhook/hook back up to electricity. Just enough time to ruin all the food in it.....

bad1032 · 11-01-2010, 06:18 PM

mine worked fin on electric, just when it was on gas it suck, i deleted the emails and dometic said it goes into defrost mode ever?? hours , what would haven it would get overheated and not cool down, i did the fan upgrade and never had a problem after that, find the post that nwjepper started it goes into detail how he fixed his and i basicly did the same thing.

red.jimbo · 11-02-2010, 06:02 AM

This thread has good advice so far. I have been struggling with my refrigerator this year as well, that has led to some debugging tricks of my own.

First, an over-simplified primer on how the refrigerator works. The absorption cooling system must get hot, before it can get cold. There is a burner on the back of the refrigerator behind the external access panel. The burner must get hot. There are three types of heaters for the burner: Propane, AC electric, and on some high-end models DC electric. No mater which is used to heat the burner, the burner must get hot. Next, everything is controlled by the controller board. The input to the controller board is the thermistor inside the refrigerator. The two wires to the thermistor connect to a plug in the upper left of my controller board. When the temperature of the thermistor is 33 to 35 degrees F, the impedance of the thermistor is approximately 7K Ohms to 10K Ohms. At that temperature, the controller should cycle the burner off.

Simplified troubleshooting tips:
1. Does the refrigerator appear to be working properly? Are the lights on the inside control panel lit as they should be? Is the "check" light off? does the light inside the refrigerator turn on when the door is open? If so, proceed to step 2. Otherwise, possible issues include no power, no propane, or a defective controller.

2. Is the burner getting hot? If not, possible issues are no propane, no AC power, no DC power to the burner, a clogged propane burner, or a defective AC or DC heating element. If all of these potential issues are eliminated, then proceed to step 3. If it is hot, proceed to step 5.

3. Unplug the thermistor wire from the control board, put the thermistor inside the refrigerator in a glass of ice water for 3 minutes and measure the impedance at the end of the wire. it should be between 7K Ohms and 10k Ohms. If not, the thermistor needs replacing and this could be your problem.

4. (This is an advanced step and if you get to this point, you have sufficient reason to take the refrigerator in for repair. Proceed only if you feel confident working with AC voltages) Disconnect the AC burner from the control board and connect it directly to AC power. After a while, the burner should get hot. If so, and it was not hot before, you likely have a defective controller board that must be replaced.

5. The burner is hot, but the refrigerator and freezer are not cold, or cold enough. At this point, you need to make sure the unit is level or moving down the road. If that is the case, it is likely you have a defect in your absorption colling unit. The defect could be a leak or it could be blocked. In either case it may be time to visit a repair facility because it may be repaired by turning it upside down, or the cooling system may require replacement. Either way, this is job best done by the repair technician; at least that is the case in my household.

I hope all this is helpful. I don't claim this is comprehensive, but it is the process I used to troubleshoot my unit.

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