Refrigerator Check Light

rmdrifter · 08-01-2012, 05:05 PM

Have trailer hooked up to house AC and refrigerator check light is on with auto button pressed. Fridge seems to be cooling...is this a problem and if so, is there a fix? Thanks.

MtnGuy · 08-01-2012, 05:11 PM

What make and model of fridge ??

The check light will appear on many Dometic models when the gas fails to ignite. But if you have the fridge on electric, then that should not occur.

The only other idea is that the fridge is not getting electric current....either the breaker is thrown, or the fridge is not plugged into the recetacle behind the fridge on the outside of the camper. The fridge does not "see" 120 volts, so it defaults to gas, but that fails to light causing the check light to come on. But if your fridge is cooling, I don't see how that could happen.

rmdrifter · 08-01-2012, 05:22 PM

As an experiment, I unplugged the fridge in the back of the trailer, opened a propane tank, the burner lit to run the fridge off gas, and the check light went out. It only seems to go on when I'm plugged into 120. Does the propane have to be open when you are plugged in for this check light to go out? Perhaps, I don't understand how the system works. Any comments would be valuable, thanks.

**Herk7769** · 08-01-2012, 05:31 PM

The "problem" - While plugged into shore power the fridge "ON" but not running on shore power. If Shore power is not available for any reason (to the fridge), it will try to light on propane to save your food.

There are 3 things it could be in order of probability:

1) The AC circuit breaker that powers the outlet that the fridge plugs into has tripped. Turn ALL the breakers OFF; then back on. If that corrects the power problem, the check light should go out.

2) The AC heating element FUSE had blown. It is located behind the exterior fridge cover panel on the outside of the camper (looks like the photo).

3) The "eyebrow" control board has locked up (or failed). Remove ALL power (including DC by pulling the fuse in the power center); wait 2 minutes and reconnect. This should reset the board. If that fails replace: Dinosaur Electronics Home. High quality circuit boards for RV appliances.

rmdrifter · 08-01-2012, 06:05 PM

Thank you for the very detailed and helpful response--I appreciate it--and hopefully it will not come down to replacing the circuit board.

**Herk7769** · 08-01-2012, 06:38 PM

I forgot on more thing (should fall under #1)

Check all GFCI outlets. It is possible your fridge is plugged into a GFCI protected outlet downstream from the actual outlet. Press all resets in the camper.

rmdrifter · 08-01-2012, 06:53 PM

Thanks for your help. Also possible that I am having AC ripple voltage from house circuit. I will be taking rig to RV park tomorrow and will plug into a 30A pedestal. If check light does not come on, then the problem is in home outlet.

**Herk7769** · 08-01-2012, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmdrifter

Thanks for your help. Also possible that I am having AC ripple voltage from house circuit. I will be taking rig to RV park tomorrow and will plug into a 30A pedestal. If check light does not come on, then the problem is in home outlet.

What? What is ripple voltage in regards to line AC?

I understand AC converted to DC then passed over a capacitance filter has some AC ripple on the DC signal. Never heard of the other way around.

Does your TV work in the house?

mikey · 08-01-2012, 09:58 PM

Have you checked your 12 V battery. Even with 110 VAC available the fridge still needs 12V for its control circuit.

Dennis and Julie · 08-02-2012, 12:14 AM

Whenever we've had our fridge on auto running on gas and plug into shore power the check light flashes until we switch off fridge and turn back on and everything runs a okay.

Md Jeff · 08-02-2012, 05:19 AM

The light on mine stays on as well when plugged in, if I have a problem then the light flashes.......no flashing, mine is working well. I don't believe you have a problem.

**Herk7769** · 08-02-2012, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dennis and Julie

Whenever we've had our fridge on auto running on gas and plug into shore power the check light flashes until we switch off fridge and turn back on and everything runs a okay.

Do you turn off the site breaker when you connect and disconnect?
No idea why the check light should "flash" as it is not a "flashing" kind of light.

It comes on when the fridge is initially turned on as the eyebrow control board "boots up"; stays on until the control board detects shore power available (then goes out); or stays on until the burner lights on propane and then goes out when it does.

It should never "flash" (like on, off, on, off, etc) unless you have 12 volt electrical problems like low battery or converter output problems.

**Herk7769** · 08-02-2012, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Md Jeff

The light on mine stays on as well when plugged in, if I have a problem then the light flashes.......no flashing, mine is working well. I don't believe you have a problem.

Are you talking about the "check light" or the "auto" light?

rmdrifter · 08-02-2012, 08:38 AM

Good Morning all,

First, thanks for all the responses on this one. After a day yesterday of thrashing with the check light, I just got up and opened the WFCO fuse box per Herk's suggestion. Lo and behold, the third down 15A fuse, marked "appliances", is in the middle position and will not go to either right or left positions. Does this mean it's blown, and could this be the cause of the check light? I thought an LED light was supposed to go on if a fuse is blown, but I don't see one on.

Also, the fridge did seem to work last nite despite the check light being on in that the bottles I put in the fridge were somewhat cold and the ice in the freezer barely melted.

Thanks again and hope to get this one straightened out before we take off on the first trip of the year in a few hours (my wife despite having the patience of Job is starting to tap her foot.)

RM Drifter

rmdrifter · 08-02-2012, 08:48 AM

Just read through the rest of the postings and want to clarify a few things. To answer one of Lou's questions, the refrigerator is a Dometic model #2652. The power center is a WFCO, model WF-8955C.

And curious about MD Jeff's posting above referencing the check light being on. My situation is exactly the photo posted by Lou above: "on" and "gas" buttons depressed, check light on. Since I have no operational baseline on these appliances not having ever used one before, I did run the unit all night with the refrigerator portion staying cool, and the freezer colder with ice I put in yesterday afternoon only slightly melted.
What is the correct performance measure for these units. Thanks!

rmdrifter · 08-02-2012, 08:59 AM

Just called WFCO tech support. He said that if that breaker won't stay in right or left position, then it needs to be replaced. Passing a few RV stores on the way to our destination, and will try to take care of it. Still wondering if this will fix the check light issue and not clear what the "appliance" designation associated with this breaker means?

**Herk7769** · 08-02-2012, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmdrifter

Lo and behold, the third down 15A fuse, marked "appliances", is in the middle position and will not go to either right or left positions. Does this mean it's blown, and could this be the cause of the check light? I thought an LED light was supposed to go on if a fuse is blown, but I don't see one on.

Also, the fridge did seem to work last nite despite the check light being on in that the bottles I put in the fridge were somewhat cold and the ice in the freezer barely melted.

Left or right? Are you talking about a blue fuse or a black circuit breaker?

The 120 VAC circuit breaker (black) has a "tripped" position (in the middle).
It has nothing to do with the "DC" part of the fridge (a blue fuse). If the FUSE blows, NO LIGHTS AT ALL will be on in the fridge. (and you will get a red led next to the blown fuse).

If the AC breaker trips you won't get the led since the led only works with the fuses. If the breaker will not reset; OFF; then ON and stay you have a problem.

1) the circuit breaker could actually be broken and you need a new one
OR
2) you have a short circuit in the AC part of the system (a dangerous situation that should be corrected before your trip unless you run on propane only and leave the breaker OFF).

**Herk7769** · 08-02-2012, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmdrifter

Just read through the rest of the postings and want to clarify a few things. To answer one of Lou's questions, the refrigerator is a Dometic model #2652. The power center is a WFCO, model WF-8955C.

And curious about MD Jeff's posting above referencing the check light being on. My situation is exactly the photo posted by Lou above: "on" and "gas" buttons depressed, check light on. Since I have no operational baseline on these appliances not having ever used one before, I did run the unit all night with the refrigerator portion staying cool, and the freezer colder with ice I put in yesterday afternoon only slightly melted.
What is the correct performance measure for these units. Thanks!

LOL this one is SIMPLE!

Pressing the gas button IN forces the fridge to run on gas and ignore the availability of shore power. Press it again and it will turn off the check light.

As to the breaker, it should stay in the OFF position even if you have a short in the circuit. If it will NOT; the breaker is definitely broken. An easy fix too.

rmdrifter · 08-02-2012, 09:38 AM

Lou, sorry for not being clear, it is the breaker which remains in the middle position. If I attempt to toggle left or right, it just bounces back to middle. In other words, will not stay in left or right position. According to Cheng tech (WFCO), this is a bad breaker and needs to be replaced. I assume from your second point that if I replace the breaker and it still reset, then I have a much more serious issue.

Dennis and Julie · 08-02-2012, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by herk7769

Do you turn off the site breaker when you connect and disconnect?
No idea why the check light should "flash" as it is not a "flashing" kind of light.

It comes on when the fridge is initially turned on as the eyebrow control board "boots up"; stays on until the control board detects shore power available (then goes out); or stays on until the burner lights on propane and then goes out when it does.

It should never "flash" (like on, off, on, off, etc) unless you have 12 volt electrical problems like low battery or converter output problems.

Yes the check light flashes the auto light stays on and no do not flip the breaker just the switch on fridge to off and the back on and it goes out. Out last camper would do the same thing. Our fridge works fine stays between 36 and 40 degrees and freezer runs at around 10 degrees, no matter what the weather outside.

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