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riggarob's avatar
riggarob
Explorer
Mar 27, 2014

Dometic NDA 1402 ammonia smell

good day all. I have a dometic NDA 1402 fridge, and I have an ammonia smell coming from inside the coach, between the right side fridge door and the incasement. I can't smell anything when I remove the outside vent. I turned it off and unplugged it and called the mobile service repair that Dometic referred me to . I'm at the Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville Florida, has anyone had this problem before? I don't dare to run it, although I can see no leaks anywhere, and the fridge temps were at three degrees freezer, and 36 degrees refrigerator. Any info would help. Thanks, robbie
Class A
  • Old-Biscuit's avatar
    Old-Biscuit
    Explorer III
    Mar 27, 2014
    Only thing to add.........

    DON'T turn it back ON.

    It is leaking ammonia.

    As suggested.....place a fan in lower compartment blowing out and keep it flowing air to rid area of ammonia.
  • riggarob's avatar
    riggarob
    Explorer
    Mar 27, 2014
    yeah, I'm tempted to plug it back in and run it up. Also, I don't have a roof vent, I have a lower intake, upper exhaust in the slide type fridge. Maybe if I have a G&T and think about it, I'll get gutsy enough to plug it back in just for a moment see if I get the smell back again. Anyway thanks everyone for the information, and if anyone else out there has any thing that they would like to add, please do ! thanks again, Robbie
  • dougrainer's avatar
    dougrainer
    Nomad
    Mar 27, 2014
    riggarob wrote:
    good day all. I have a dometic NDA 1402 fridge, and I have an ammonia smell coming from inside the coach, between the right side fridge door and the incasement. I can't smell anything when I remove the outside vent. I turned it off and unplugged it and called the mobile service repair that Dometic referred me to . I'm at the Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville Florida, has anyone had this problem before? I don't dare to run it, although I can see no leaks anywhere, and the fridge temps were at three degrees freezer, and 36 degrees refrigerator. Any info would help. Thanks, robbie

    You have a leaker, but it obviously just started. Since it just started, it still has enough ammonia to still cool. The leak will smell bad no matter how small the hole. The leak will continue but will leak faster if you leave the refer ON. I would remove the outside lower access door and install a 120 volt fan blowing OUT to help pull the ammonia smell from going inside. SORRY, DO NOT RUN IT AT ALL. I GUESS I LEFT THE IMPRESSION TO RUN WITH AN EXTRA FAN. THE EXTRA FAN WAS TO REMOVE THE AMMONIA LEAKING AND IT WILL STILL LEAK. NEVER RUN A REFER THAT IS LEAKING AMMONIA. PERIOD. Doug
  • dougrainer's avatar
    dougrainer
    Nomad
    Mar 27, 2014
    Ivylog wrote:
    I agree an ammonia smell is usually not good news but to not smell any inside the outside vent does not make any sense. All of the guts of the unit are on the back side only so I would go on the roof and see if you can smell it in the roof vent as ammonia gas is lighter than air . If still no smell I'd probably turn it back on and monitor the temps of the flue and coils but I know what normal temps are.


    On a 1402, which is a SIDE BY SIDE, the ammonia tubes go into the upper freezer section about 10 inches and is what transfers the heat/cold for the freezer and icemaker. I do not mean to make you mad, but this is something that an experianced tech would know, but a lay person, would not. It just goes to show that ALL RV systems and appliances are NOT the same in operation and design regardless of the Brand of the appliance. Doug
  • Ivylog's avatar
    Ivylog
    Explorer III
    Mar 27, 2014
    I agree an ammonia smell is usually not good news but to not smell any inside the outside vent does not make any sense. All of the guts of the unit are on the back side only so I would go on the roof and see if you can smell it in the roof vent as ammonia gas is lighter than air . If still no smell I'd probably turn it back on and monitor the temps of the flue and coils but I know what normal temps are.
  • riggarob's avatar
    riggarob
    Explorer
    Mar 27, 2014
    that's what I'm going by, but I can't smell anything from the outside which confuses me. Generally it's a tube leakage that you can either see or smell from the outside vent. Anyway, that was my course of action and, thanks for the quick response. robbie

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