Dometic NDR 1062 fridge quit, won't run on AC or propane

Question

The fridge and freezer just quit. The "eyebrow" is still illuminated and I can switch to AC or propane, and the propane burner will even light, but the fridge will not get cold nor will the freezer work. I have checked the fuses on the lower control board, I have power from the 120v cord going into the control board, I have verified the thermistor is working (I had replaced it last year anyhow), and I have made sure there are no loose grounds or wiring issues. There is no yellow matter anywhere nor any smell of ammonia.

I am stumped. The only thing I have not done yet, due to horrendous weather, is check power going from the lower control panel to the heater while on AC power. I was a little nervous to do that because I did not want to get cooked. Can anybody help me figure out what may be going on? I fear the worst, that the cooling unit gave up the ghost. The reason being that if it won't run on propane even when it lights then that means it's not the lower control board. Is that a fair assumption? Appreciate the help.

newman_fulltime · Answer

Look in the burner area for yellow my bet the cooling unit blew

joe417 · Answer

I assume you know it take several hours before cooling starts after the unit is turned on, so it sounds as though you are correct in your assumptions since it doesn't cool with the burner operating, but I would verify it.

I would disconnect the 2 leads to the 120V heating element and connect them directly to a 120V receptacle with an external power cord, bypassing the control board. Leave it on overnight, some say 24 hours. This assumes the heating element is good.

If the heating element is heating correctly and it isn't cold the next day, the cooling unit is bad.

restlessways · Answer

I've wired a cord directly to the heater, leaving the fridge unplugged since it's not going through the board anymore. I wish I would have tested the heater with my multimeter beforehand. Should the flue area be warm or hot to the touch? I had left it on propane all night and the fridge never cooled down but the flue was warm, not hot.

joe417 · Answer

Ours gets pretty warm, almost too hot to hold your hand on down near the burner.

Can't remember the exact resistance value but I believe the heating element in our Norcold is around 300 watts. At 120 volts that's around 2.5 ohms. You'll need to look up the value for your model Dometic.

It won't make much difference if you unplug it for a minute to measure the element resistance.

It's sounding more and more like you may have a blocked or empty cooling unit.

restlessways · Answer

Thanks for the replies, Joe. I think you're right, the cooling unit is dead. I left the fridge and freezer doors closed for 3 hours while I had the heater directly wired on, and the temp in the freezer never even rose a degree. When it was working, the fridge and freezer would already be cold by then, and that was in the summer.

I have a decision to make, either get a Frigidaire residential fridge for $400 and change, or replace the cooling unit in this fridge for $655+ shipping.

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Dometic NDR 1062 fridge quit, won't run on AC or propane

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