Dometic Refrigerator

[butterfly9]

Our NDR1292 refrigerator is not cooling or freezing and I have checked the fuses.

Is it better to have it rebuilt or to buy a new unit?

[wolfe10]

Welcome to the FMCA Forum.

We will need a little more information to be able to give you good advice.

What steps have you gone through to conclude that the refrigerator doesn't work:

1. Do you have 12 VDC to the refrigerator? Even when running on 120 VAC, it needs 12 VDC to run the PC board.

2. How long did you let it run? Most take 24 hours to achieve normal freezer/refrigerator temperatures.

3. Any sign of a leak-- ammonia smell, yellow powder? If so, do NOT run it!

4. Have you tried it on propane as well as 120 VAC?

As far as repair or replace, it depends on several factors:

1. What is wrong with it? Most expensive is the cooling unit itself.

2. How old is it-- different advice if this is 2 years old or 12 years old?

Brett

[gstofer]

After trying the previous suggestions try the following:

I have a 2008 Fleetwood Discovery 40X with the refrigerator in one of the slideouts. The rig spent weeks at a service center, refig. was tested okay with no food inside, but would not cool below 40 degrees, which Dometic insisted was OK (not according to U.S. government food safety guidelines). It turns out unit was not installed correctly. We insulated both the top and sides, installed a baffle (insulation) to direct the heat out the side vent, installed two computer fans under the coils at the bottom of frig. and it now works fine 33 and 1 degree in freezer. Don't need fans on unless trying to cool fast or it is very hot.

Not sure what your rig is, but if it is in a slide out try the above, if not try a roof vent fan.

[wolfe10]

No question, improper installation is a common issue with RV refrigerators and often leads to sub-par performance.

Always a good idea to pull up your refrigerator's installation manual and VERIFY that installation clearances ARE correct.