Refrigerators March 21, 2017, 02:02:42 pm I heard there had been some kind of recall for some models' refrigerators. Is this true?
Re: Refridgerators Reply #1 – March 21, 2017, 03:58:03 pm Do a web search on Dometic and Norcold RV refrigerator recalls; many references will come up. Most of the recalls were from several years ago, but if you think that your particular refrigerator hasn't had the "band-aid" applied, you might want to check with the manufacturers' web sites for more information. 1 Likes
Re: Refridgerators Reply #2 – March 21, 2017, 04:10:14 pm "... but if you think that your particular refrigerator hasn't had the "band-aid" applied,..."The fridge that came with my 2004 30'IB just died! After 13 years of nearly continuous service (sitting plugged in and turned on) on the road and in my side yard it had provided very dependable service through that entire time.Yes, it was one of those that was on the recall list (the "Band-Aid") but realizing that the mod was no more than smoke and mirrors I chose not to have it done. And since then it has gone chugging along faithfully doing it's duty.But alas, it is no more. If the extreme odor of Ammonia is any indication the cooling unit is the culprit! There are many options for replacement (whole or in part) but I will drive the 400 miles to the Mothership and come away knowing that the job will have been done right, regardless of cost.
Re: Refridgerators Reply #3 – March 21, 2017, 04:38:17 pm May I recommend replacing it with a 3-way so you can cool with 12 volts when the engine is running?We did that and with a relay on the heating element wire. When the engine stops, cooling stops. Perfect for gas stops.
Re: Refridgerators Reply #4 – March 21, 2017, 04:40:12 pm It's pretty easy to tell if the recall has been performed. Do a google search as mentioned above then click on images. Before and after pictures come up. I just checked mine last week because I wasn't sure if it was done.
Re: Refridgerators Reply #5 – March 21, 2017, 05:04:13 pm Quote from: Duro - March 21, 2017, 04:40:12 pmIt's pretty easy to tell if the recall has been performed. Do a google search as mentioned above then click on images. The aluminum piece on the right is the recall part as far as I understand it. 1 Likes
Re: Refridgerators Reply #6 – March 21, 2017, 06:10:39 pm Once more I'd like to reiterate, that when I had the opportunity in August 2006 to accomplish the modification (Dometic Recall NHTSA Campaign ID 06E076000) I did not do it.Paraphrasing from the Recall document it says "A fractional percentage of the potentially affected refrigerators have experienced a fatigue crack that may develop in the boiler tube...""In April of 1997 Dometic modified the design of the affected refrigerators by increasing the wattage of the heating element from 325 watts to 354 watts. All production of the affected units from April 1997 through May of 2003 utilized the 354 watt heating element. In May of 2003, in order to improve the operating life of the refrigerators, Dometic returned to the use of the 325 watt heating element which it continues to use today."The recall and the subsequent metal baffles that were installed was all smoke and mirrors in order to satisfy the corporate law dogs.
Re: Refridgerators Reply #7 – March 21, 2017, 06:39:32 pm Quote from: Traxless - March 21, 2017, 05:04:13 pmThe aluminum piece on the right is the recall part as far as I understand it.When most Dometic's rot out and start leaking, it is usually in the boiler area, next to the propane burner.If the flame or spark is present, when the leakage starts, the released gas, containing hydrogen, will burn, possibly setting the surrounding, flammable materials afire. The interior of the refrigerator compartment is all wood.The galvanized-steel, sheet-metal shield helps contain any resulting fire inside the non-flammible sheet metal.The shield is what we refer to as the 'band-aid'. The recall only deals with the possible results of a blown boiler, doing nothing to cure the underlying poor construction.You will notice Dometic continues installing the shield. They are dedicated to building the cheapest possible product.Larry
Re: Refridgerators Reply #8 – March 21, 2017, 06:42:23 pm Quote from: hbn7hj - March 21, 2017, 04:38:17 pmMay I recommend replacing it with a 3-way so you can cool with 12 volts when the engine is running?We did that and with a relay on the heating element wire. When the engine stops, cooling stops. Perfect for gas stops.Unless you have the propane turned off at the tank, or have a full manual mode of control, you will need to switch the fridge OFF at gas stations to avoid having it auto-switch to propane mode...Steve
Re: Refridgerators Reply #9 – March 21, 2017, 08:27:08 pm "Unless you have the propane turned off at the tank, or have a full manual mode of control, you will need to switch the fridge OFF at gas stations to avoid having it auto-switch to propane mode..."Not true. The 3-way fridges (special order) in LD's will not switch from DC to propane automatically which is the reason I recommend a 3-way fridge. You can disable the auto mode if you are running it on an inverter but I don't think it left the factory connected to an inverter. It will not switch from DC when the engine turns off which is the reason for the relay in the DC heater circuit controlled by the alternator output. (Center post of the separator) Without the relay you would have a ~20 amp drain during fueling. Again, auto mode, which can be disabled, switches from AC to propane and back. AC has priority.Also, turning the propane off at the tank will not be much safer. If the fridge had been running on AC from an inverter and auto switched to an empty propane line the ignitor will still spark which could be as dangerous as an open flame.
Re: Refridgerators Reply #10 – March 21, 2017, 09:52:07 pm I think I can safely say that Lazy Daze has not offered a 3-way fridge in quite some time (if ever). In fact, in so far as I'm aware most, if not all, manufacturers do not offer them either (but don't quote me on that). I cannot speak to the reason but it seems to me that they (3-ways) have fallen out of favor.But, there is another aspect of this thread that intrigues me! Looking at the floor plans of the current models I find that all refrigerators are located on the curb/passenger side of the RV. The ONLY exception is the 27' mid bath! Now think about this: when you pull in to a service station to pump your fuel, which side of the RV is closest to the island? Ignoring the location of the water heater and furnace, the only other sources of ignition, don't you think that there is adequate separation between the minimal gas fumes and the fridge ignition source? Most modern service stations today have strict emission control devices to reduce fumes from their pumps.Now I am going to make a statement, for which I expect to be roundly chastised, to the effect that during the ten years that I towed a TT and the additional thirteen years (total 23) that I have owned my 30'IB I have not ever bothered to turn off my fridge while pumping gas. 3 Likes
Re: Refridgerators Reply #11 – March 22, 2017, 12:22:20 am "I think I can safely say that Lazy Daze has not offered a 3-way fridge in quite some time (if ever). In fact, in so far as I'm aware most, if not all, manufacturers do not offer them either (but don't quote me on that). I cannot speak to the reason but it seems to me that they (3-ways) have fallen out of favor."They put a three way fridge in for me (2006). All I had to do is ask ($100). For another $100 they put in a wire from the engine compartment to the back of the fridge to run the heater element relay. Works great.Years ago in another class C I failed to turn off the fridge. Standing near the fuel filler I noticed a river of fuel flowing out from under the coach from someone else's pump. Needless to say I was hustling to get my fridge off ASAP. A 3-way with a relay solves all of that.
Re: Refridgerators Reply #12 – March 22, 2017, 09:34:55 am Quote from: Lazy Bones - March 21, 2017, 09:52:07 pmI think I can safely say that Lazy Daze has not offered a 3-way fridge in quite some time (if ever). Steve, 3-way fridges were standard, I believe, in the pre-90's LD's. I know my '85 had one. Not sure when they stopped using them. My 2007 Hi-Lo trailer also had one but they are rare birds nowadays.Quote from: Lazy Bones - March 21, 2017, 09:52:07 pmMost modern service stations today have strict emission control devices to reduce fumes from their pumps.At least in California, not so much in other states like Arizona!
Re: Refridgerators Reply #13 – March 22, 2017, 09:53:00 am "30'IB I have not ever bothered to turn off my fridge while pumping gas."Steve, you weren't the guy driving the LD who was smoking a cigarette while pumping gas, were you?😱Ed 😉 1 Likes
Re: Refridgerators Reply #14 – March 22, 2017, 10:12:36 am Quote from: Ed D. - March 22, 2017, 09:53:00 am"30'IB I have not ever bothered to turn off my fridge while pumping gas."Steve, you weren't the guy driving the LD who was smoking a cigarette while pumping gas, were you?😱Ed 😉Or this guy?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeskbiJjCXI
Re: Refridgerators Reply #15 – March 22, 2017, 10:49:24 am "Steve, you weren't the guy driving the LD who was smoking a cigarette while pumping gas, were you?"Naw, that wasn't me... maybe you are thinking of my Father who checked the level of the gas tank with a lighted match! 3 Likes
Re: Refridgerators Reply #16 – March 22, 2017, 12:21:10 pm Quote from: hbn7hj - March 21, 2017, 08:27:08 pmNot true. The 3-way fridges (special order) in LD's will not switch from DC to propane automatically which is the reason I recommend a 3-way fridge. You can disable the auto mode if you are running it on an inverter but I don't think it left the factory connected to an inverter. It will not switch from DC when the engine turns off which is the reason for the relay in the DC heater circuit controlled by the alternator output. (Center post of the separator) Without the relay you would have a ~20 amp drain during fueling. Again, auto mode, which can be disabled, switches from AC to propane and back. AC has priority.A little confused by your reference to an inverter, since you say it has a DC heater, or is that a reference to 2-way fridges on an inverter others may be using? Are you saying with your fridge that if set to DC mode, it will not automatically switch to propane when the relay is off, and you need to put it back on AC/propane auto mode when camped? Or, is there some timed delay before it switches automatically?Steve
Re: Refridgerators Reply #17 – March 22, 2017, 02:56:03 pm Our 1983 LD's refrigerator was a three way. When running on 12-volts, it would turn off for 15 minutes, when the engine was shut down, to provide a safe period for refueling.The downside was forgetting to switch it back to propane, once parked. The battery will only last a few hours if left on 12-volt operation.Only killed the battery once before giving up on it. Larry
Re: Refridgerators Reply #18 – March 22, 2017, 06:43:51 pm Those running a 2-way fridge on a 12v-->120V inverter while underway, any idea what your 12V current draw is? Based on dataplate, it calculates out at about 420 Watts for mine, but that's probably a worst-case, locked-compressor startup number, not the usual "goin' down the road keeping the Fresca cool" number. And does it get along with a stepped-sinewave inverter, or is it pure sinewave only?Chip
Re: Refridgerators Reply #19 – March 22, 2017, 08:53:52 pm A 2 way fridge on an inverter is running the AC current through a resistor, not a compressor and the draw would be somewhere around 20 amps of 12 volt power. (I think. Never measured it.) A resistor doesn't care about the quality of a sine wave.The Dometic 3-way fridges commonly installed in the US will not automatically switch to propane from DC. They have no way to know whether or not the engine is running. While traveling, a 3-way fridge on DC with a relay to disconnect the DC heater when the engine is off is perfect. I am amazed few do it. A dead battery is not possible nor is lighting up the gas station. You drive up to the pumps and turn the key off. Nothing else needs to be done.Leisure Travel installs a fridge that switches from DC to AC to Solar and keeps track of whether or not the engine is running.
Re: Refrigerators Reply #20 – March 23, 2017, 02:19:03 am Unfortunately, most of us are stuck with the 2-way models LD installs as stock. Our fridge draws 350 - 360 Watts, which through an inverter comes to about 35 amps at 12 VDC. Our 3-way in our '83 drew much less, but also did not have the cooling power as when on AC or propane. This may or not still be the case with current models.Steve
Re: Refrigerators Reply #21 – March 23, 2017, 08:27:06 am I may have a chance to set up and measure this in the next few days. Nameplate current draw is mainly used for wire/circuit sizing, and seldom represents the steady-state, real-world consumption. Although in this case, if it's only running a resistor, that's pretty easy to estimate and likely much more accurate than, say, a stereo system, where current consumption is directly proportional to volume of the tunes. But if there's actually no compressor running, as HBN states, then it's likely darn accurate. I'll need to understand the system more to grok refrigeration without compressor... but since it runs on propane only, then he's right that there must not be one.
Re: Refrigerators Reply #22 – March 23, 2017, 12:38:11 pm The reading I got is from an external reading directly via the fridge's AC plug - so it is accurate for my model Dometic (RM2662). Also note that all other functions of the fridge run from the coach batteries/converter, so the only item the inverter need power is a heater.Steve
Re: Refrigerators Reply #23 – March 23, 2017, 04:25:06 pm Quote from: Chip Chester - March 23, 2017, 08:27:06 amI'll need to understand the system more to grok refrigeration without compressor... but since it runs on propane only, then he's right that there must not be one.This is a start.Absorption refrigerator - WikipediaIt takes a bit of time to wrap your head around a refrigerator the runs on heat.The heat is what powers the transfer of heat through a chemical process, unlike a compressor refrigerator, which uses the compression and expansion of gas to transfer heat.Checking our 2-1/2 year old Dometic RM2662, its AC heater uses 320-watts @ 120-VAC, measured with a Kill a Watt.Our old RM3662 had a similar draw as Steve.The new heater's lower draw may explain why it usually cools better on propane.Larry
Re: Refrigerators Reply #24 – March 23, 2017, 05:11:36 pm "The new heater's lower draw may explain why it usually cools better on propane."----Larry, I don't know what my RM3662 draws, but it has always cooled "better" (faster cool down, more stable/colder temperature maintenance in both box and freezer) on LPG than on AC. (Heat makes cold; maybe the burner jet produces more heat than the electric element?)Anyway, here's a basic primer on how an absorption refrigerator works:Gas Electric Refrigerators
Topic: Refrigerators (Read 612 times)
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