Forum Discussion
dougrainer
Aug 19, 2018Nomad
Unplugging the refer did nothing. That Heat Strip is 12 volts. Some models have 2 switches. Doug
The "Climate Control" switch controls a 12 volt heat tape behind the metal frame around the refrigerator and freezer doors. Much like a cold glass of water sweating on a humid day, the cold frame around the doors can cause water condensation to form and accumulate and even drip off the front of the refrigerator in high humidity conditions. Since this switch controls a source of heat that the refrigerator has to dissipate, it should only be used if condensation on the frame is noted. Use of this switch does cause the refrigerator to work harder, especially if just started, and can cause a delay in coming to temperature. It is also an electrical draw on the battery system when “dry camping”.
The "Low Ambient Temp" switch is found on certain refrigerators models. Its function is to create a heat load within the refrigerator compartment thereby causing routine cycling of the cooling unit when outside temperatures drop below freezing and the unit would otherwise cease to cycle. When this switch is turned on, it will keep the refrigerator interior light on. Many people mistakenly think the door light switch is broken because the interior light won't turn off (or are having to replace bulbs frequently). The purpose of keeping the interior light on is to create a source of heat to force the cooling unit to cycle on when outside temperatures drop below freezing and help regulate food compartment temperature. This switch should only be turned on when outside temperatures are expected to drop below freezing, as use of this switch during normal temperatures will cause unnecessarily heating of the interior of the food compartment. Some newer models are equipped with an automatic thermostat for this function and do not have this switch.
The "Climate Control" switch controls a 12 volt heat tape behind the metal frame around the refrigerator and freezer doors. Much like a cold glass of water sweating on a humid day, the cold frame around the doors can cause water condensation to form and accumulate and even drip off the front of the refrigerator in high humidity conditions. Since this switch controls a source of heat that the refrigerator has to dissipate, it should only be used if condensation on the frame is noted. Use of this switch does cause the refrigerator to work harder, especially if just started, and can cause a delay in coming to temperature. It is also an electrical draw on the battery system when “dry camping”.
The "Low Ambient Temp" switch is found on certain refrigerators models. Its function is to create a heat load within the refrigerator compartment thereby causing routine cycling of the cooling unit when outside temperatures drop below freezing and the unit would otherwise cease to cycle. When this switch is turned on, it will keep the refrigerator interior light on. Many people mistakenly think the door light switch is broken because the interior light won't turn off (or are having to replace bulbs frequently). The purpose of keeping the interior light on is to create a source of heat to force the cooling unit to cycle on when outside temperatures drop below freezing and help regulate food compartment temperature. This switch should only be turned on when outside temperatures are expected to drop below freezing, as use of this switch during normal temperatures will cause unnecessarily heating of the interior of the food compartment. Some newer models are equipped with an automatic thermostat for this function and do not have this switch.
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