Dometic refrigerator not working, help! 1995 T-1950

[fairlaniac]

I'll list the facts as they happened. This is from my first attempt at getting the camper ready this season. My battery was dead at this point with 1.3V.

-I plugged in the camper for de-winterizing and cleaning. I was checking all systems and when I turned on my 2 way refrigerator it did not turn on and actually tripped the breaker in my garage where it was plugged into. I did this numerous times until I was confident I was getting no where.

-I then pulled the 120 plug at the refrigerator and tried to start it but no go. Then I held a match to the burner and it ignited and cooled. If I shut it off it would only reignite with a match. So I am getting gas and it cools. I'll assume the igniter/electrode is shot? Any tips on a replacement? I am going camping in three weeks so I need to get it working soon. Any help is appreciated. Since I have gas flow, would a new electrode and board replacement be a "cure all"? I'm trying not to waste too much time so it's not a last minute thing in two and a half weeks from now.

Any other testing I should do?

Thanks!

[kanyonkitty]

Hi Doug,

Glad to see you joined the Sunline Club. As to your refridgerator, I'm sure one of our techincal gurus will be along before too long and offer you some advise,

Kitty

[JohnB]

Does your fridge look like this?



Here is the PC board


Here is the 120 volt heating element where I am reading the resistance.


Have to figure out what actual model you have. What is it?

You are describing 2 problems.

The 120 VAC short is most likely from the heating element shorted. The 120 only works that element. If you have a VOM meter and know how to use it, measure the element to case ground for a short. If a short = replace.

The igniter is on 12VDC. It could be the PC board or the actual igniter coil itself.

Since you said you actually have it running on gas with match start… Then the PC is working to some level and so is the electrode itself. If you have the moldel that looks like mine, the electrode does 2 functions. One to spark, the next to give feed back the flame is lit. You seem to be missing the spark as the gas valve turned on once the match heated up the saftey circuit.

Question: When you select to run on LP only and you turn the fridge on, do you hear click, click click outside?

If you hear clicks and no light that means one thing, but no clicks at all suggests the physical igniter or the igniter is not being told to fire.

Tell me your model number so I can look up a wiring diagram and find out what you have. .

If you are not electrically friendly, do not trouble shoot this, there is shock hazards. 10,000 volts jumps an inch and the igniter has a kick to it.

Hope this helps

John

PS I see you have an 05 SD. Have to compare brake controller notes once you get your fridge fixed. Does yours lock the brakes with the manual lever?

[fairlaniac]

JohnB,
Sorry not to respond. We left for a vacation last Thursday. I've yet to try any of your advice. I hope to get time this weekend to start sorting out the refrigerator. Thanks and I'll be back in touch.

[fairlaniac]

It's been 10 months so no now I'm again going to tackle the refer problem. Here is a pic of my unit. It's a Dometic RM2612 2-way.
I just checked the element and it had a reading of 44.1 ohms. I think I did it right. I don't check electric often and it's been 31 years since I had the class in high school. So what to make of that? Now I can't get it to manually light this year. I'm going to run out and get my tanks filled after the email. My hot water and stove work but maybe the low gas it's doing it for the refer? The outlet in the garage still trips the breaker when I turn on the refer. So I have the time to work on it but you all are probably CAMPING!

Thanks,

[JohnB]

Hi Doug

I missed your post, sorry...

Have you made it very far yet in the debugging process?

The comment about you tripping the breaker in the house if the fridge is plugged in? Need some more info on this one.

Does the breaker in the camper trip? There is not a lot a lot 120VAC in the fridge. Actually the electric element that you measured with 44 ohms, is all there is. And 44 ohms is good.

If you pull the 120 VAC plug at the fridge does the breaker in the house still trip?

If it trips while the fridge is plugged in and does not while it is unplugged, then this points to "maybe" a dead short to ground. That is assuming you are not running some other high loads of AC power in the camper the fridge element just took you over the top of the total electrical load.

Assuming you only had the fridge on and no micro wave, no AC, no toaster etc. and are tripping the breaker, unhook all power, including 12 volts and 120 VAC and pull the 120 VAC plug at the fridge. Then use your ohm meter across the blades of the plug on both the hot and neutral wire one at a time and check each blade to earth ground. And 1st make sure ground actually is good.

If there is a path to ground in that AC circuit that is your problem. Then have to figure out where it is touching somewhere. Once you find the problem at the plug, unhook a wire on the AC side down stream starting at the element 1st, one at a time remove a wire in the fridge and go hunting. Keep the meter on the plug blade and to ground and see when it stops being grounded.

The AC only goes to the relay and then out to the electrical element. There may even be a short in the element. Check each side of the element wires to ground. Actaully that is the most likely spot unless some wire insulation wore thru.

Not lighting on gas, where do you stand with that now? Does gas even flow or no sparking?

Hope this helps

John

[BobNKaren]

Hi Doug

What JohnB told you about the AC side is good information. The 110 heating element could be shorted to ground.

On the gas side in the first post you stated that if you lit the burner with a match it would come on. Some time has passed and now you say that you can’t get it to light at all. If I have the propane tanks turned off for some, when I try start up the fridge on propane I found that if I purge the lines by starting the stove it takes less try’s to get the fridge on.

At looking at the photo you posted I see a lot of corroded connectors. I had a problem with my hot water tank not staying on, it would come on and then shut down with in a few seconds. Problem there was the igniter wire the had corroded off inside the probe to the burner. It was close enough for the spark to jump the gap but the flame sensor did work. Quick and dirty fix was to strip off about 1/8” of insulation and jammed the wire back into the probe. Used some silicone to hold the wire in place. My neighbor was having problems with his fridge. Just would not come on. I saw some corroded connectors. Had him de power the trailer and pulled each connector one at a time and cleaned them with some contact cleaner from RS. Powered back and all is working OK

Good luck

[fairlaniac]

Originally Posted by JohnB

Hi Doug

I missed your post, sorry...

Have you made it very far yet in the debugging process?

The comment about you tripping the breaker in the house if the fridge is plugged in? Need some more info on this one.

Does the breaker in the camper trip? There is not a lot a lot 120VAC in the fridge. Actually the electric element that you measured with 44 ohms, is all there is. And 44 ohms is good. The camper breaker does not trip, only the house breaker

If you pull the 120 VAC plug at the fridge does the breaker in the house still trip?No

If it trips while the fridge is plugged in and does not while it is unplugged, then this points to "maybe" a dead short to ground. That is assuming you are not running some other high loads of AC power in the camper the fridge element just took you over the top of the total electrical load. Nothing else running

Assuming you only had the fridge on and no micro wave, no AC, no toaster etc. and are tripping the breaker, unhook all power, including 12 volts and 120 VAC and pull the 120 VAC plug at the fridge. Then use your ohm meter across the blades of the plug on both the hot and neutral wire one at a time and check each blade to earth ground. And 1st make sure ground actually is good. I'm not sure if I follow you on this, I've never grasped the "ohm checking" thing. Do you meanr the refrige plug? I'm currently focusing on the gas side as we're going camping on Friday. So it's either gas or the cooler. I'll do some testing when we get home next week.

If there is a path to ground in that AC circuit that is your problem. Then have to figure out where it is touching somewhere. Once you find the problem at the plug, unhook a wire on the AC side down stream starting at the element 1st, one at a time remove a wire in the fridge and go hunting. Keep the meter on the plug blade and to ground and see when it stops being grounded.

The AC only goes to the relay and then out to the electrical element. There may even be a short in the element. Check each side of the element wires to ground. Actaully that is the most likely spot unless some wire insulation wore thru.

Not lighting on gas, where do you stand with that now? Does gas even flow or no sparking?

Hope this helps

John