Refrigerator has one setting - Freezing (Solved)

[phygenius]

Our used 2009 Roo 21SS has the Dometic DM2652 abosrbtion refrigerator. The only indication of a temperature control is a plastic clip that slides up and down one of the cooling fins in the main compartment with a decal on the side of the unit that suggests temperature control. As an engineer, this makes no sense.

Everything except on the bottom most shelf is frozen solid.

Any other adjustment available in the control unit?

[sirbob]

Hi Phy, i'm out of Thornton, CO. Good to see someone so close on the forums!

I have the same fridge and yeah, that lil plastic clip holding the sensor makes no sense to me either. It says to make things colder to slide it up, which to me would just expose the sensor wire more. How would exposing the sensor make the fridge colder, or vice versa, covering the sensor wire up, make the temp go down?

Your fridge being too cold is a new one for me. I'm use to reading that the fridge doesn't keep things consistantly cold, therefore using a small battery operated fan or switch controlled fan off of the fridge light power will help keep a more consistant temp. Others will correct me if i'm wrong.

[rockfordroo]

The sensor bulb is not supposed to move inside the plastic thing, it's supposed to move WITH the plastic thing. When you slide the plastic thing up and down, you raise and lower the sensor. Last time I started up my fridge it wouldn't get cold. The sensor had fallen out of the plastic thing and was laying on the shelf below. (It's not a very tight fit, unfortunately.) Based on that experience, I would have thought you'd have trouble keeping it cold, not with freezing. Anyway, move the sensor up and down and see what that does.

[VinceU]

Originally Posted by phygenius

Our used 2009 Roo 21SS has the Dometic DM2652 abosrbtion refrigerator. The only indication of a temperature control is a plastic clip that slides up and down one of the cooling fins in the main compartment with a decal on the side of the unit that suggests temperature control. As an engineer, this makes no sense.

Everything except on the bottom most shelf is frozen solid.

Any other adjustment available in the control unit?

The wire inside the slide is a thermistor, it reads skin temp of the fin and electronically controls the reefer thermostat system. If assembled correctly and in the right position it works. It been around for many years and for some reason Dometic doesn't inform the user very well how it works. You should position yours maybe a inch down and see how it does. Suggest a thermometer in the box when adjusting. Other wise something wrong in the control board keeps dirving the heat with no control.

[mbvell]

We have a similar if bot the same fridge. I have found, oddly, that the slider has the opposite effect of what is indicated. When I have the slider all the way towards "warm", my thermometer drops!

[Crusader]

I have the same fridge to. My thermistor was to far down inside of the clip. I moved the thermister up near the top of the clip, and the fridge works perfect now.Cold is cold and warm is warm.

[jmswms]

Thermister might also be bad

[F and E Damp]

Why they don't allow a settable temperature control boggles the mind. It's the same with the water heater. "We know best what you need, my boy, so there's no need for an adjustment". What a load of cod's wallop.

[rockfordroo]

"Why they don't allow a settable temperature control boggles the mind."

Why? That's easy - saves money!

[49 34]

I've found the only way to keep my fridge at about 38 to 40 degrees is to lay the sensor on the shelf and forget about the plastic slide. I got tired of messing with it trying to make it work right and constantly having to check to see if it moved.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by phygenius

Our used 2009 Roo 21SS has the Dometic DM2652 abosrbtion refrigerator. The only indication of a temperature control is a plastic clip that slides up and down one of the cooling fins in the main compartment with a decal on the side of the unit that suggests temperature control. As an engineer, this makes no sense.

Everything except on the bottom most shelf is frozen solid.

Any other adjustment available in the control unit?

The plastic clip contains a "thermistor" and sliding the clip up and down the fin regulates the temperature by calling for "the fixed temperature of the thermistor" at that elevation in the box. It is called a "Temperature Sensing Device" in the manual on page 5 (Under "LIMP MODE OF OPERATION").

I keep it in the center of the fin and it works perfectly. (Beer cold; eggs not frozen).

"coldest positions in the refrigerator are under the cooling fins and at the bottom of the refrigerator. The warmer areas are on the upper door shelves. This should be considered when placing different types of food in the refrigerator. Arrange all food in the unit to allow for free air circulation."
From the manual.

There is also a failure mode of the DM2652 that will cause the refrigerator to run constantly until a new sensor is installed and the system reset by removing DC power from the unit.

[phygenius]

Minutes after posting the question, I found the thermistor dangling at the bottom of the unit. I put it into the clip and now have some control on the temp.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by phygenius

Minutes after posting the question, I found the thermistor dangling at the bottom of the unit. I put it into the clip and now have some control on the temp.

Badda Bing...

[K_and_I]

Herk,
I know this is an old thread, but may I resurrect it to deal with a problem I am just having? My DM 2652 always stayed at 36-44 degrees depending on outside temp. On this trip, roads were rough and the plastic slider and thermistor fell off. I think I know how it went on, but when I replaced it, I cannot get the temp below 44 degrees. Doing a Google search, I found several people saying the thermistor must be in contact with the fin, which is not going to happen with this plastic slider. Do you (or anyone else) have a picture of how the thermistor fits in the slider, and the slider on the fin? Right-most fin? etc.
Thanks in advance.
K_and_I

[Crusader]

Originally Posted by K_and_I

Herk,
I know this is an old thread, but may I resurrect it to deal with a problem I am just having? My DM 2652 always stayed at 36-44 degrees depending on outside temp. On this trip, roads were rough and the plastic slider and thermistor fell off. I think I know how it went on, but when I replaced it, I cannot get the temp below 44 degrees. Doing a Google search, I found several people saying the thermistor must be in contact with the fin, which is not going to happen with this plastic slider. Do you (or anyone else) have a picture of how the thermistor fits in the slider, and the slider on the fin? Right-most fin? etc.
Thanks in advance.
K_and_I

I will get you a pic tonight when I get home. I installed a fan in mine, works great!!!

[raspivey]

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z...e/1f9d017f.jpg

[K_and_I]

Thanks- I'll watch for it. I see you're from Michigan. We're in a campground in the Leelaunau peninsula for the week.

K_and_I

[K_and_I]

Originally Posted by raspivey

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z...e/1f9d017f.jpg

Thank you for the picture. That is how I thought it should go, but I find that it is not changing the temp no matter where I put the slider.

[raspivey]

Mine doesn't change much. As I understand it, almost all of them are that way. All the way up, I'd notice drinks start to form ice in the door if I left it closed for 6 hours or so. About halfway down, the ice stopped, but it was still really cold. I've never checked the temps on it. It's possible that it's got a wire damaged or something like that if the temp won't come down and it used to (although it's more likely it would go the other way and be too cold...I'm not really familiar with how a thermistor works).

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by K_and_I

Thank you for the picture. That is how I thought it should go, but I find that it is not changing the temp no matter where I put the slider.

Thanks for helping as I am traveling ATM.