I am having problems with my Dometic refrigerator. It is great at keeping everything cold and frozen, but there is frost build up in the refrigerator and freezer. In the refrigerator, the fins frost up badly so I need to remove the frost every 5 to 7 days. The frost is building up on the fins on the side where the door opens. In the freezer, the frost is building up where the door opens as well.I have the battery powered fan to circulate the air and it has not helped. I did the dollar bill test on the door seals and they seem to be fine. I was going to replace the door seals but they do not make them anymore and I would need to replace the doors.First question: if I keep the refrigerator, should I replace the doors? Is there something else that can be wrong? It is the "pizza" refrigerator with the zig zagged doors.Second question: I am taking the coach back to Newmar for some updates and I could replace it with a residential refrigerator. However, there is no room to add batteries and I have 4 house batteries. Newmar says that they would not run it off the inverter and it would stay cold when we are traveling. We rarely dry camp - we have dry camped once in the 3 years we have owned it. But I worry about the refrigerator staying cold while on the road for 8 hours. Would I need to run the generator for a while during the day, for example, when having lunch?Third question: How long do the Dometic refrigerators typical last? The one I have is 12 years old now. Should I be worried about it having to replaced sometime soon?Thanks for your help.

Have you done the "dollar bill test" to check the door gaskets-- what did you find.Is there either a drip loop or restrictor in the refrigerator condensate drain line? If open/no drip loop, it will allow in a LOT of outside air (heat rises).

1. REALLY need the model number. From your description, it sounds like a 1402 series which has a defrost system.2. Going to residential, EXTRA batteries are not needed unless you do Boondock, which you do NOT. When in transit and the Inverter is running the refer, The chassis Alternator is supplying the power to run the Inverter and you are not draining the batteries. Also, a residential will NOT run that much to reach the preset temp versus a RV absorbsion refer. So it will not run that much in transit.3. Frost/Ice buildup is normal. It all depends on the humidity and how often you open the doors. 4. There are 2 drains on the side by side Dometic refers. One at the Bottom back wall of the freezer and the other in the drip pan of the refer evap tray. IF those two drains are not correctly sealed from outside air intrusion, you get excess frost/Ice inside the refer. Doug

Frost will build up because of air entering the box and/or freezer. This can be caused by opening the doors too much, too often or as Wolfe stated, a defective drain line. I can't help you with the first one, that's on you. As for the drain line, that is the 1/4 line running out the back of the box into a small metal cup. Remove the outside access panel and find that line. It runs from the cup to the plastic tray that runs under the cooling fins inside the box. Make sure the one end has NOT come loose from the tray and look for a small plastic plug in the end that goes into the tray. This plug MUST be in place to keep air from getting into the box thru the hose. Finally, inspect the hose for brittleness. If it's brittle at the exposed end, then it's most likely brittle all the way up. This causes the hose to leak which will cause your problem....Dennis

Third question: How long do the Dometic refrigerators typical last? The one I have is 12 years old now. Should I be worried about it having to replaced sometime soon?I do not know. My Dometic side by side is almost 21 years and 97,000 miles old. It seems to work fine.

Information Needed for Refrigerator Decision | Good Sam Community

-Gramps-
Explorer
Oct 16, 2015
Frost will build up on the fins if you have a bad thermister. Its that thing with wires attached to the fins.
pianotuna
Nomad III
Oct 16, 2015
Hi,

I added a fan that sucks air directly from the fins. No more frost build ups, and quicker cooling too!
deandec
Explorer
Oct 16, 2015
Third question: How long do the Dometic refrigerators typical last? The one I have is 12 years old now. Should I be worried about it having to replaced sometime soon?

I do not know. My Dometic side by side is almost 21 years and 97,000 miles old. It seems to work fine.
Executive45
Explorer III
Oct 16, 2015
Frost will build up because of air entering the box and/or freezer. This can be caused by opening the doors too much, too often or as Wolfe stated, a defective drain line. I can't help you with the first one, that's on you. As for the drain line, that is the 1/4 line running out the back of the box into a small metal cup. Remove the outside access panel and find that line. It runs from the cup to the plastic tray that runs under the cooling fins inside the box. Make sure the one end has NOT come loose from the tray and look for a small plastic plug in the end that goes into the tray. This plug MUST be in place to keep air from getting into the box thru the hose. Finally, inspect the hose for brittleness. If it's brittle at the exposed end, then it's most likely brittle all the way up. This causes the hose to leak which will cause your problem....Dennis
dougrainer
Nomad
Oct 16, 2015
1. REALLY need the model number. From your description, it sounds like a 1402 series which has a defrost system.
2. Going to residential, EXTRA batteries are not needed unless you do Boondock, which you do NOT. When in transit and the Inverter is running the refer, The chassis Alternator is supplying the power to run the Inverter and you are not draining the batteries. Also, a residential will NOT run that much to reach the preset temp versus a RV absorbsion refer. So it will not run that much in transit.
3. Frost/Ice buildup is normal. It all depends on the humidity and how often you open the doors.
4. There are 2 drains on the side by side Dometic refers. One at the Bottom back wall of the freezer and the other in the drip pan of the refer evap tray. IF those two drains are not correctly sealed from outside air intrusion, you get excess frost/Ice inside the refer. Doug
wolfe10
Explorer
Oct 16, 2015
Have you done the "dollar bill test" to check the door gaskets-- what did you find.

Is there either a drip loop or restrictor in the refrigerator condensate drain line? If open/no drip loop, it will allow in a LOT of outside air (heat rises).
wolfe10
Explorer
Oct 16, 2015
Have you done the "dollar bill test" to check the door gaskets-- what did you find.

Is there either a drip loop or restrictor in the refrigerator condensate drain line? If open/no drip loop, it will allow in a LOT of outside air (heat rises).

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