New Member Has Referigerator Problems

[callmebobalou]

Hi,

I'm new to the forums and to my new/used motorhome. I need help troubleshooting the refrigerator. It's a Dometric Royale RM3862 in a 1999 Gulf Stream motorhome.

It has 2 separate boxes, one for the freezer and below it a second one for the refrigerator. When running on 120v AC both boxes chill great, very cold. However on LP gas the freezer gets very cold but the refrigerator stays warm. Any ideas are needed and appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Dave

[kaypsmith]

The only difference between LP gas and 120 volt is that there is a gas flame when on gas, and 120 volt there is a heating element that causes the gas to move. The gas flame is usually low down behind the refer, the element just above.

I would check that flame isn't a little high causing more heat which may cause the lower portion to heat up. Be sure that there are no restrictions that will lessen air flow behind the unit, and make sure that the path to the roof vent is also free.

I would certainly check insulation around the unit to make sure that it is in place.

Check the chilling plate at the top of the chill box, making sure that it doesn't need defrosting.

Welcome to FMCA and good luck finding the problem.

Kay

[callmebobalou]

Thanks for the reply. The freezer gets very cold and the refrigerator stays room temp only when on gas. The chilling plates stay warm and have no ice. Any thoughts?

[kaypsmith]

Only other thought, is, are you sure that there is a gas flame when on gas.

The freezer may be just staying cold because it is already frozen, makes no sense that both seem to work well on ac voltage, same absortion unit supplies the same amonia on gas or electric.

But check that you do have a flame, my old dometic had an indicator on the door that showed AC or LP. If it indicated NF, that means that there is no flame. As I mentioned before, proper ventilation from the outside, is critical.

There is a fan assembly that can be added to the chimney that will greatly improve performance, as it is important to get the excess heat out from the refer unit.

[wolfe10]

callmebobalou,

Welcome to the FMCA Forum.

Start by doing a "burner area tune-up" as described in your refrigerator owners manual.

Many small things can cause this-- all addressed in the tune-up. No parts and only simple tools are needed.

Basically, there are a number of things that can limit the size of the flame and therefore the ability to cool. The coolant goes to the freezer first, then the refrigerator. If insufficient cooling is available, you get the symptoms you have.

Debris in the burner tube, a spider nest there, a spec of dirt in the propane jet, etc. They all reduce efficiency.

[modemem]

I had the same problem after buying my 1997 Rexhall Vision MH. Freezer worked great but the fridge stayed warm. I pulled the unit out far enough to access the flame/vent tube (tube runs vertically from the burner and is about the 1" diameter and about 3ft tall). Removed the clip on diffuser that dangled inside the tube and then pulled steel wool up and down the insde of the tube a few times. The steel wool removes rust and dirt from the inside of the tube so put a rag of some type on the burner to keep dirt from getting into the burner holes. I had the steel wool attached to a 3ft long piece of coat hanger type wire. Re-assembled the unit and set it to run on propane and it worked great on freezer and fridge. It takes very little dirt or rust to screw up the propane operation of the unit and you also want to make sure the motor home is level when parked to acheive optimum cooling. The entire cleaning process can be done by one person and took me about 45 min.