Fridge not working properly May 24, 2020, 11:18:47 am I might have done something stupid that damaged my fridge. It is the original fridge and it was for the last two year working fine.The RV was stored in my driveway for some months. Yesterday I connected it to shore power (before I used only the solar system) and turned on the fridge. This morning I had 3 °F in the freezer and 39 °F in the fridge. I then wanted to check the water level of the batteries, and for that I disconnected the shore power. I'm not sure whether I turned off the fridge before disconnecting the shore power or after that. But I think I turned on the fridge before I reconnected the shore power. Since the fridge was on "auto" it tried to switch to propane - but my propane tank was still closed (I had forgotten to open it). A little later I realized this and turned off "auto." However, the fridge did not switch to AC. It stayed on propane, and a little later the check light came on. I then turned the fridge off, opened the propane tank, and turned the fridge on again (and had it on "auto"). Now - with AC and propane available - the fridge should have used AC but it did not and stayed on propane (and I can hear the propane burning when opening the fridge door on the outside).The freezer temperature went up to 9 °F. I switched the fridge to its coldest settings, and for now the temperature went down to 7.5 °F again. Is there something that I can check or do to try to have the fridge switch to AC again? I have to admit that I am kind of worried, especially since I'm on my way out of my (sold) house and (full-time) into the RV on Tuesday. I could, of course, live for quite some time with a fridge that runs on propane only (I will anyway be mostly boondocking), but I like a fully working fridge better. Klaus
Re: Fridge not working properly Reply #1 – May 24, 2020, 11:34:00 am All working again. Oh my goodness, I am so relieved!For whatever reason the GFI breaker had tripped. I did not notice that for a while because the microwave light stayed on, and that is where I usually check whether there is 110V power.A couple of seconds after resetting the GFI breaker the fridge switched to AC - and I could relax again (and learned that the microwave is not the best checkpoint for 110V power).Klaus
Re: Fridge not working properly Reply #2 – May 24, 2020, 12:38:21 pm Hi Klaus; I'm mystified why you would disconnect shore power to check water in your batteries? The batteries are only at 12 volts combined, maybe as high as 15 volts. The danger isn't voltage, it's excess current, and that isn't affected by whether shore power is on or not. Even if the battery disconnect (if you have one) has disconnected the batteries, each battery can still spot weld a wrench to ground. With the caps open there is hydrogen gas around; sparks are a bad thing! Just don't drop any metallic items across the battery terminals, wrenchs, flashlights, mirrors etc. I'm glad that everything is working again well. I'm not sure why the GFCI tripped, but maybe it wasn't a ground fault, and it was too much 'inrush' current somewhere? Did you have a lot of AC items plugged in also? The fact that you could reset the GFCI and the 'fridge switched to AC properly, means your heater element isn't shorted to ground. RonB
Re: Fridge not working properly Reply #3 – May 24, 2020, 12:48:24 pm Quote from: RonB - May 24, 2020, 12:38:21 pmI'm mystified why you would disconnect shore power to check water in your batteries? I thought it would be a good idea to let the batteries "rest" a little without being charged after being charged so that the fluid does not bubble anymore. Is that unnecessary?I have a Pro-Fill battery watering system and therefore don't have to open the battery caps. This device makes refilling water very easy.Klaus
Re: Fridge not working properly Reply #4 – May 24, 2020, 01:01:33 pm Hi Klaus. If it daylight, the solar is charging it also, it doesn't matter anyway. Those bubbles are hydrogen gas, mixed with oxygen gas. Decomposition products of water caused by charging. It doesn't recombine well, so you add raw materials, H2O, to make up for that. That is also why that is a vented compartment. It souldn't bubble much, unless the batteries were discharged a lot and are being charged at a high rate. RonB
Re: Fridge not working properly Reply #5 – May 24, 2020, 01:44:21 pm "Microwave is not the best checkpoint..."In addition to the quick glance I give to the microwave (yeah, I do it too!) I have an AC Monitor plugged into a spare outlet (see link). I've been using this item since the rig was nearly new and have come to depend on it, not only when first connecting to shore power but many other times as well. ;) AC Voltage Meter | Camping Worldhttps://www.amazon.com/Camco-PowerGrip-120V-Voltage-Meter/dp/B000SQWVO4/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Analog+ac+power+meter&qid=1590343105&sr=8-1 1 Likes As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Fridge not working properly Reply #6 – May 24, 2020, 01:50:13 pm Quote from: Klaus - May 24, 2020, 12:48:24 pmI thought it would be a good idea to let the batteries "rest" a little without being charged after being charged so that the fluid does not bubble anymore. Is that unnecessary?As Ron pointed out, lead-acid batteries bubble when charged at higher rates, that's normal.What isn't normal is rapid bubbling caused by excessive charging current or continued charging when the battery is full.The old electromechanical converters often overcharged, heating and boiling off the electrolyte too quickly, this can overheat or dry the battery, possibly causing the battery case(s) to warp. One sign is excessive water use and the smell of boiling acid.Keep an eye on the battery and water use, if excessive consider a more modern, solid-state converter.Another 'must have' for full-timers is a battery capacity gauge. It tracks usage and charge rates, and it shows the charge capacity, and charge levels, it's a gas gauge for the battery. https://www.amazon.com/Victron-Energy-MONITOR-VTBMV-S-BMV-712-Battery/dp/B075RTSTKShttps://www.amazon.com/Xantrex-84-2031-00-Link-Battery-Monitor/dp/B001E4DX0UIf a battery continues to charge a high rate after is it fully charged, it is a sign the converter is overcharging. Be careful with the refrigerator, it's very old and nearing the end of its life, our 2003 LD's refrigerator died at the age of 14 and our previous LD's refrigerator lived to 20.The tubing will eventually rust through, dumping the yellow fluid and releasing ammonia gas. If you smell ammonia when opening therefrigerator door, you will know itLarry 1 Likes As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Fridge not working properly Reply #7 – May 24, 2020, 05:29:41 pm Quote from: Larry W - May 24, 2020, 01:50:13 pmBe careful with the refrigerator, it's very old and nearing the end of its life, our 2003 LD's refrigerator died at the age of 14 and our previous LD's refrigerator lived to 20.The tubing will eventually rust through, dumping the yellow fluid and releasing ammonia gas. If you smell ammonia when opening therefrigerator door, you will know it.If I wanted to replace the current refrigerator (Dometic RM3662) with a new one before it fails - are there any recommended models, and can they usually get installed by most RV repair shops, or even Camping World?I see, for example, that Camping World sells a 6 cu. ft. model "Dometic Americana II" with Fan (DM2672RBF1) for $1,500 and without fan (DM2672RB1) for $1,250 (plus shipping, door panels, and without installation). Their size is identical to the size of my old refrigerator. Are these recommended models?KlausPS: I found Dometic refrigerator replacement charts - from 2009 and 2011. If somebody knows where a current version can be downloaded, please post the link here. Thanks.
Re: Fridge not working properly Reply #8 – May 24, 2020, 05:56:33 pm Without looking up your proposed models, mine is 20+ YO and doing well. I plan to do what Lazy Bones (aka Steve) did and hop on up to Montclair to have LD do it. More that it takes two people to wrestle the old one out, and new one in through the window. Larry Wade did detail the changes that should be made to the shape and insulation changes to the 'flue' behind the 'fridge. This will improve the cooling ability of the new one. RonB 2 Likes
Re: Fridge not working properly Reply #9 – May 24, 2020, 06:28:18 pm Quote from: RonB - May 24, 2020, 05:56:33 pm... mine is 20+ YO and doing well. Mine is also right now doing well. It's 85 °F outside, the fridge is set to "3," and I have 3.5 °F in the freezer and 41 °F in the fridge. However, there is no doubt that we have old refrigerators, and they will probably fail at some point. I am growing to the idea to have my fridge replaced some time this year pre-emptively - and therefore hopefully will have the time to check out what to get and where to have it done.Klaus
Re: Fridge not working properly Reply #10 – May 24, 2020, 06:41:49 pm Klaus,My refrigerator quit working late last summer. Same model as yours. Below is a post to the forum after I had the cooling unit replaced last August. So far, no trouble at all. Maybe something to look into. It was less expensive than an entirely new unit. The complete thread is at: Refrigerator Replacement"An update: I called a local RV repair facility and asked for a price on a replacement for my RM3662. The service manager asked a few questions. I explained that both heat sources were working properly but no refrigeration and I could smell NH3. He suggested that rather than a new unit, I just replace the cooling unit. He said "we do lots of them, many more than just replacing with a new unit, and have had very good luck with them". I was reluctant at first, but it would end up being less than a new one, they could do it in four hours while I waited, and, I could come out and see the enclosure while the unit was out to see what the insulation looked like so I could take the unit out later and upgrade the insulation if I wanted to. Though my rig\fridge is 16 years old, the original owners were very gentle with the appliances, so the refrigerator cabinet, shelves, etc. are still in very good condition. Given what I've read about the components in the newer models, I decided to go with the cooling unit replacement.They ordered the replacement (a rebuilt Dometic, identified as a Nordic 39-5462), and I arrived at their shop at 9:00 AM yesterday morning. They came and got me around 10:00 once the unit was out of the wall to have a look, which was as Andy had described earlier in this thread. Came around again at 1:00 PM to let me know it had taken longer than expected to get the old cooling unit removed from the cabinet. By 2:30 they had finished, cleaned up, leak tested and had the unit ON. About 3:20 I walked out with a service person and could feel the outside coils were warm, though still no cooling as expected inside, temps. in fridge and freezer at ambient (84 degrees). Drove home and checked it at 10:30 PM, freezer was 18 degrees and fridge was at 36 degrees. It cooled down faster than I expected." Bill 3 Likes
Re: Fridge not working properly Reply #11 – May 24, 2020, 07:27:17 pm Thanks, Bill. Great information. Who did the work for you, or where was that? Who knows where I am ending up all this year, and if I'm close to that company I would like to talk to them.Klaus
Re: Fridge not working properly Reply #12 – May 24, 2020, 07:39:00 pm Quote from: Klaus - May 24, 2020, 06:28:18 pmMine is also right now doing well. It's 85 °F outside, the fridge is set to "3," and I have 3.5 °F in the freezer and 41 °F in the fridge. However, there is no doubt that we have old refrigerators, and they will probably fail at some point. I am growing to the idea to have my fridge replaced some time this year pre-emptively - and therefore hopefully will have the time to check out what to get and where to have it done.Any RV shop should be capable of installing a new refrigerator, it isn't rocket science but it does need two strong people to lift and pass the old and new refrigerators through a window opening. Beyond that, a couple of wires and a gas line needs connecting and a few screws.Our RM3663 worked great until the day it died, on the first day of a month-long, summer trip.It was replaced with a RM2662. the RM2762 you listed will fit too. I didn't see the fan option you mentioned on Dometic's site.When it comes to Dometic absorption refrigerators, I believe the cooling system is going to be the same for any 6-cu/ft model that fits in the Factory opening. If you get a chance to insulate the refrigerator compartment, when the old one is out, do it.A rebuilt cooling unit is fine too, as long as the plastic interior of the old refrigerator is still in good condition and has not become brittle. The effectiveness of the repair is up to the techs installing it and how careful they are in sealing and insulating the new cooling unit in place. Look for a shop that specializes in this.If your rig is going to be your long term home, you might want to do soon this before it fails. Things rarely fail at a convenient time and you may be in a place where it will take several days to order and install a new one. Losing the use of the refrigerator in the summer's heat isn't much fun.BTDTWaiting for the fun to start.Larry
Re: Fridge not working properly Reply #13 – May 25, 2020, 12:42:27 am Quote from: Lazy Bones - May 24, 2020, 01:44:21 pm"Microwave is not the best checkpoint..."In addition to the quick glance I give to the microwave (yeah, I do it too!) I have an AC Monitor plugged into a spare outlet (see link). I've been using this item since the rig was nearly new and have come to depend on it, not only when first connecting to shore power but many other times as well.I'm interested in the spare outlet where you plug in the AC monitor. Is there an outlet on the outside of the rig that is handy?
Re: Fridge not working properly Reply #14 – May 25, 2020, 03:29:28 am My GFCI tripped due to an object in the cabinet with it getting pushed against the TEST button. Took a while to diagnose that one.
Re: Fridge not working properly Reply #15 – May 25, 2020, 10:07:56 am Quote from: Lazy Bones - May 24, 2020, 01:44:21 pmIn addition to the quick glance I give to the microwave (yeah, I do it too!) I have an AC Monitor plugged into a spare outlet I have an AC monitor, too. That's how I found out that something else than "just" the fridge was not OK. Unfortunately there is no AC outlet in the Lazy Daze that I can look at straight when I enter the rig. The outlets in the kitchen and above the dinette (where I have the monitor plugged in) point downwards and I can read the monitor only with some neck gymnastics. However, now I know that I can - at least when I'm on shore power and have the fridge on auto - also use the fridge "AC" light as an AC monitor. Klaus 1 Likes
Re: Fridge not working properly Reply #16 – May 25, 2020, 04:19:45 pm "Thanks, Bill. Great information. Who did the work for you, or where was that? Who knows where I am ending up all this year, and if I'm close to that company I would like to talk to them."Klaus,Crabtree RV in Alma, Arkansas are the folks that did the replacement of the cooling unit. They're right off of I-40 at Exit 13. RV Dealer in Arkansas | RV Sales, Parts, and Service in AR | Crabtree RVBill
Re: Fridge not working properly Reply #17 – May 25, 2020, 06:07:47 pm "I'm interested in the spare outlet where you plug in the AC monitor. Is there an outlet on the outside of the rig that is handy?"JudyOn my 30' there is an outlet under the fold down shelf, at the end of the sink which I can see when standing by the open door. There is also an AC outlet in the exterior fridge compartment, half of which is used by the fridge and the other half should be unused. Luck!
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