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Dometic check light always coming on
Yahoo Message Number: 97676
Hello all, my '94 LD has a 3-way fridge that works great when plugged into 120V, but when running on propane the check light is always coming on, even with a full propane bottle.  There isn't any obvious dirt or anything clogging things within the outside access panel.  Am kind of at a loss for how to fix.  Could this be low freon in the system?  Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated.  Thanks, Dave
Re: Dometic check light always coming on
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 97688
Quote
Hello all, my '94 LD has a 3-way fridge that works great when plugged into 120V, but when running on propane the check light is always coming on, even with a full propane bottle.

 It could be that you need a new board (if so, get a Dinosaur Board) or it could be the thermocouple.  There may be other causes, too, but these were the two things that caused the symptoms on two different occasions on a Dometic refer we had in a previous rig.

Linda Hylton http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=1167 http://earl-linda.blogspot.com/
Linda Hylton
Re: Dometic check light always coming on
Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 97689
Dave,
 Given that your fridge works fine on 120V, there is nothing wrong with the "cooling unit" portion of your fridge.  And the cooling unit uses a mixture of things, primarily compressed ammonia gas for the coolant, not freon!  Provided it's there, the source of heat  to keep the sealed cooling unit working is not much of a a factor.

The propane gas portion of your fridge has a problem.  Does the propane ignite OK?  Does the flame look reasonable, nice and blue? Any chance there's blockage in the "chimney"?  The products of combustion need a place to go.

I can't offer specific instructions, but focus on the propane subsystem.  Search the archives!

Alex Rutchka
'05 MB
Re: Dometic check light always coming on
Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 97691
Quote
Hello all, my '94 LD has a 3-way fridge that works great when plugged into 120V, but when running on propane the check light is always coming on, even with a full propane bottle.  There isn't any obvious dirt or anything clogging things within the outside access panel.  Am kind of at a loss for how to fix.  Could this be low freon in the system?  Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated.  Thanks, Dave
Burner tube and jet is the first place I would check just having the same problem.  I would take that jet out and soak it in alcohol and blow it and burner tube out with compressed air.  You might run a pipe cleaner in that burner tube to help clean.

Joe Hamm
Re: Dometic check light always coming on
Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 97710
Thanks to everyone who responded on my fridge problem. Much appreciated!  Will follow your advise this weekend and let you know how it turns out.

Dave

__ From: Dave Pyne dpjjg@...>
 To: lifewithalazydazerv@yahoogroups.com
 Sent: Friday, December 5, 2008 8:23:06 PM
 Subject: Re: [LD] Re: Dometic check light always coming on

Thanks very much Joe. Will give it a try tomorrow morning.
Dave

_____ __ __ __ From: Joe Hamm
 To: lifewithalazydazerv @yahoogroups. com
 Sent: Friday, December 5, 2008 9:19:13 AM
 Subject: [LD] Re: Dometic check light always coming on
Dometic check light always coming on
Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 97720
I had the same problem and it took right at a year to get it straightened out.  First, check the igniter and thermocouple, then check the board, next check the gas orifice (that turned out to be my problem).
If you live in a high altitude area you may need a larger orifice than the specs say.  I'll bet one of the above will solve your problem.

Rick Lechner
2015 27' Mid Bath
Re: Dometic check light always coming on
Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 97721
I, personally would stay away from the dinosaur board.  I have had 3 different repair shops say they were garbage.  That board was one of my problems with my fridge.

Rick L.
2015 27' Mid Bath
Re: Dometic check light always coming on
Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 97722
Quote
I, personally would stay away from the dinosaur board.  I have had 3 different repair shops say they were garbage.

Really?

That's the exact opposite from what I've heard.
 In fact, when we had a Dometic in a previous RV (before the Lazy Daze), we had to have the board replaced twice.
 The original board was replaced with one just like it which we had to have replaced again within about a year.  The second replacement was with a Dinosaur board and we never had another problem with the frig.

Linda Hylton http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=1167 http://earl-linda.blogspot.com/
Linda Hylton
Re: Dometic check light always coming on
Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 97726
"I, personally would stay away from the dinosaur board. I have had 3 different repair shops say they were garbage."
 That's very surprising--it's the first time I've ever heard anyone say anything against the Dinosaur replacement boards. On the other hand, over the years I've heard a lot of RV owners and RV techs praise them.

If any board is "garbage," it's Dometic's. In all respects it resembles the circuit board found inside a cheap electronic toy: single-sided, on a cardboard-phenolic substrate, with traces and pads that easily lift from the board when heated. I've worked with the board, and can testify firsthand to how cheaply made it is.
 By contrast, I've seen photos of the Dinosaur boards: double-sided, on an epoxy-fiberglass substrate, with solder-plated through-holes. The superior quality is obvious to this former electronics tech. And the Dinosaur boards carry a three-year warranty, which suggests that the manufacturer is pretty confident about them.

I personally would be suspicious of any tech who claimed that the Dinosaur boards were "garbage."

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: Dometic check light always coming on
Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 97742
Quote
That's very surprising--it's the first time I've ever heard anyone say anything against the Dinosaur replacement boards. On the other hand, over the years I've heard a lot of RV owners and RV techs praise them.
So I wonder what the answer is?  My last mechanic said the dinosaur board was very poorly made and he had nothing but problems with them. Said that he had to replace them more than any other board.  I know mine was probably bad from the get go.  Took a year to get my fridge working.  Once they replaced the board and orifice with dometic parts, everything worked fine.

Rick
2015 27' Mid Bath
Re: Dometic check light always coming on
Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 97743
"My last mechanic said the dinosaur board was very poorly made and he had nothing but problems with them. Said that he had to replace them more than any other board."
 Given that everybody else praises the Dinosaur boards, and that from what I've seen, they are made with much higher-quality materials than the stock Dometic boards, it's certainly puzzling that this person has consistently had problems with them. I don't know the answer, Rick. Is it possible this mechanic is doing something wrong? Pure speculation on my part, of course... but when 9 out of 10 people say a  product is good while the 10th one says it's garbage, you have to wonder whether maybe he's just not using it correctly. But obviously I can't prove that. :-)

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"