How To Determine If Your RV Refrigerator Cooling Unit Has Failed -PLUS- RV Fridge Component Overview
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Certified Mobile RV Technician, Darren Koepp, takes you on an RV absorption refrigerator journey. Watch as he describes the ways to tell if your fridge’s cooling unit has failed as well as many other helpful cooling performance tidbits about your RV refrigerator.
If you are in need of RV Repairs in the Olympic Peninsula area of Washington state, submit a service request on our website at http://myrvworks.com today!
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This is a great video; thanks. I looked at my Dometic installation in a custom tiny home, and it's full of air gaps. ( the freezer works, but it doesnt get cooler than 12 degrees celcius) Someone just built a box and placed it on top of the fridge, uninsulated. There is a 1" gap beside the fridge and a 2" gap above and easy 3" gap behind. I made baffles directing the air as you suggested, but am currently unable to make the curled top baffle. How does the collecting of heat at the top of the fridge affect performance? The top of the box inside the home is warm for sure, but would that impact fridge perfomance greatly, or will the air eventually escape through the vent? Regardless, you are very good at explaining these systems. Thank you. Oh, do you think I could just fill the top gap with spray foam insulation, or is that a ridiculous idea?
Regarding baffles…the exhaust for the gas burner is within the chimney. Shouldn't it have it's own escape route to the outside? Otherwise heat from the gas burner is heating-up the cooling effect of the chimney…or have I misunderstood something?
I've been reviewing several of your videos re: fridge/freezer, due to my having problems with mine. On at least 2 videos (so far), you've mentioned fans start at 130F and switch off at 105F, but you've never stated why. Could you provide explanation, please?
Great information, do you have any trouble shooting on a nocold n7v ? Freezer works but fridge does not. Is there a way to check circuit board ? Could that be the problem ? Thanks
Great info👍
Thanks!
Was hoping you would touch on boiler and coils. Have a 335 degree boiler no heat in coils
You are a great teacher .i wish I had you in my 99 fleet wood Southwind. God bless all our camping friends. Stroke x 3 brain surgery survivor
I need some help from you guys in the biz. I am a fairly new RV owner but I'd call myself pretty mechanically inclined. I have a Norcold N8 series fridge that the Freezer is a 0 degrees F, but I cannot get my fridge area below 50 degrees no matter what I do. I have followed the guidance and installed proper baffling (better than the factory did) in the back, along with 2 additional fans with no luck. I am at a loss. Anyone out there have a similar experience?
As someone who would tear something apart to see how it works this video is excellent for me. I learned so much watching it. Most people probably could care less how it works until it stops working. I never knew that much about the RV refrigerator before. Now if it quits working I know where to start. Like the idea of the loop in the drain. Ive been getting bees in my drain and into to frig. Now I'll add…. the screen at the end and a loop. I've subscribed so I can watch more of your informative videos. Again, excellent video.
Hi, I tried the ice cup with the thermistor in it. Went to the back and tested the clip for resistance, ohms, and the is none. Any ideas?
Your video was great in diagnosing our non-cooling fridge. We had the yellow residue at the bottom, indicating that we needed to go no further. We're trashing our 10 year old Norcold unit and placing with a compressor unit. Thanks for the easy diagnosis.
Darren,
I’m trouble shooting my not cooling refer. I’ve checked a lot of things you mentioned in this vid. I removed the thermostat on the inside last night and this morning it’s a bit cooler but not cold. I went outside and felt that the boiler was very hot but that the coils are not hot at all. What’s my next step?
Thanks in advance.
Super informative. Really appreciate it
My regular fridge broke, so I ripped the one out of the 1985 RV. In the house the ventilation is not ideal, and it was never getting cold. I added a fan like you say is needed for the popout ones and it's much better. -17c freezer, 3.7c fridge in 4 hrs, almost there! I guess I need to build a box for it? Do you have any other suggestions for running one of these in the house? I'm using a 12v 1a wallwart for the 12v it needs, I'll probably get some 12v computer fans to replace the one I'm using, right now just one about a foot below the top coil. A Dometic RM3801 AES.
How do I find the correct thermistor part number for my model ?
What if you smell propane from the exhaust?
My RV DOMETIC fridge I bought is not working it’s super super hot inside the lights work at the top showing auto on and it’s orange. Fuses are fine but it is hot and I have tried everything I’m not sure what to do next?
my Dometic has power. all the lights come on. it has a full propane tank but does not cool down. it ran out of propane, and i refilled it. it doesn't work on the AUTO setting either. my food is ruined. i have shut the fridge off then on to try to reset it. i live off grid so i don't have AC power. can anyone help?
Thank god for the 12 volt fridge!
Hi – I came across your youtube while researching leaking absorption refrigeratotrs since mine looks like something is dripping down from the fins in the food section. My question is very basic. To remove the outside cover, do I turn the screwdriver slots to the left a quarter turn? I've tried doing that but it didn't turn and I didn't want to apply more pressure and damage the slot. Thanks for such a detailed tutorial because now I know what to expect when I do get the cover removed on my Dometic frig.
Great video. I have a dometic 2652 and it cools down fine on propane (25 ° in freezer). On electric, freezer gets to 32°, frig 50°. Thermistor ohms good, heating element ohms good. No smell, no residue and air channel good. What would be my next check?
I like those sunglasses…..
Hello guys, can someone send me the connections for the RV380 refrigeration unit and the digram
The best RV refrigerator troubleshooting tutorial on YouTube! From theory of how it works, to how to fix… this covers it all! Performed visual inspection, and accomplished a much needed component wipe down and cleaning of the cooling airflow path using a handheld leaf blower. Freezer compartment was 34F… it’s now 21F and dropping! Thank you!
Soo I have the yellow sulfer leaking out the boiler. Do I need to replace the cooling unit as a whole, OR do I replace the boile
r by itself? The cooling unit appears to be $600 soo I don't want to go there, if that's not the fix.
Thank you for sharing your expertise. I learned a lot and followed your advise to close up the air escape gaps on the back of my fridge.
Please help me figure out my problem with my Dometic RM 8501 in my Northstar truck camper.
The boiler is working on both gas and electric, but the heat is not rising up the tubes. The boiler gets very hot and the tube gets warm on the first few inches where it exits the boiler. The rest of the tubes are not getting warm.
I have let it run for more than 24 hours on both gas and electric. I would appreciate your feedback.
Thank you, Richard and Bonnie from Vermont
I just wanted to thank you for your accurate troubleshooting process for poor working RV refrigerators. After watching one video I added 4" of insulation to one side of the refrigerator and 1" of insulation to the other side. This provided improved inconsistent results. I felt I was on the right track. I watched a second video of yours which mentioned having less than 1" of air space on the backside of the refrigerator. I found I had zero insulation on the backside. I then added 6" of insulation to the backside (across the whole back, from bottom to top). This provided superior results which caused me to turn my refrigerator down from 5 to 3 to keep my food from freezing. thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. I am disappointed in the RV manufacturer for using the insulation as a cost savings on a brand new RV. The personal satisfaction outweigh the disappointment.
Why did it take me so long to find this channel? Been dealing with a fridge where my 5am fuse keeps blowing and fridge wasn’t working. Had a guy come out today and replace my 5 with a 20 which I switched back and just rigged fans to make sure it keeps it cool and go from there
So my freezer is 28 but my fridge is 43 . My cooling fins are thawed . Do you think it’s my seals
Thank you so much I was thinking I was going to need a new refrigerator but in fact the previous owner sealed off the chimney on the roof I just cracked it open and I can feel the warm air coming out!!
beautiful and very useful video, only one question: when you talk about setting the thermostat to 130 °, do you mean degrees centigrade or fahrenheit?
Thanks for the great videos.!
My problem is that the Dometic Fridge auto light is on both gas and electric, but compressor is not running.Thank you Darren!
Please help does the blue wire go to anything its hanging loose behind the outside fuse circuit board
Thanks for the great video!
Our problem is that our freezer is working GREAT, but the refrigerator section is not. We’ve tried our best to diagnose the problem but can’t find an answer. We have turned it off for about 12 hours and are now watching to see if it will cool. Any suggestions would be welcome.
Question – you are pointing to the "high limit fuse back here" – is it in the wire you are moving back and forth or is behind the metal panel behind the wire? My boiler is tripping the reset button after having an electrical surge, so I am assuming it's a fuse which is either the high limit fuse or somewhere in the control board.
Great video very good info,but mine is really messing me up freezer work great but frig won’t cool. Any thought
Very Nice Videos. Thank You
👍👍👍
thanks for these videos. My uncle hired me on and began to train me to service and repair rvs. He died of a heart attack last May. I was a year in and had one season of hot and cold. the plan was I was going to cover all the service calls and he was gonna stay at the shop do rebuilds and run his business. Im going into my first year by myself. Your videos make more sense now than a year ago. Anyways you have helped this rookie tech a great deal by making these instructional videos and i want to say thank you very much. Give a man a fish feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish feed him for the rest of his life.
Awesome video! I learned a lot! Any idea where I could get a service manual for a Norcold 875EG2 Thanks
Great video, do you have a repair manual/troubleshooting for A DM2652?
my fins inside my Norcold Refrig Keed freezing up on the right side
Great video! Good job!
how would you check your dampers? My freezer is not freezing but my reefer is dialed in. The termistor is set for 37 deg and the thermometer is showing 36 deg. My freezer is at 40 deg. I have dometic 2652.
I pulled my sons fridge out and laid it on the ground on its side overnight but now I'm thinking it may just be the control board or something due to no yellow stuff. Do you think it hurt it to lay on its side overnight? Its now sitting up right and I feel venturous trouble shooting it.
I appreciate the video and the manual library. I was able to find the one for the Dometic Americana (RM2862) on your site, which I need badly, since mine just stopped cooling a couple of days ago. Hopefully can now figure it out and get it back in use. Thanks a million.