My ref. is part of the recall.
I removed the heating element yesterday. It's clearly stamped with the words 120v 325 watts. Towards the back of my year 2000 Dometic Model 3662 ref. owners manual is a parts list. It clearly says the heater is a 325 watt unit.
How does that fit in with this Dometic statement?
"In April of 1997 Dometic modified the design of the affected refrigerators by increasing the wattage of the heating element from 325 watts to 354 watts. All production of the affected units from April 1997 through May of 2003 utilized the 354 watt heating element. In May of 2003, in order to improve the operating life of the refrigerators, Dometic returned to the use of the 325 watt heating element which it continues to use today. It is now believed that the use of the higher wattage heater contributed to abnormal fatigue in the boiler tube."
Year 2000 is right in the middle of the 1997 - 2003 time period yet I clearly have a 325 watt heater. Or maybe I do.
Two possibilities:
1) Both the info. in the owners manual and the info. stamped on the element are incorrect and, in fact, the heater is a 354 watt unit per the Dometic recall information.
2) Dometic doesn't really know what elements were installed in what units. If this is true, just because your unit is not on the recall list, doesn't mean you're out of the woods on this issue. :?
I have verified my model/serial number three times so it's not simply an error on my behalf.
Anyone on the recall list check their owners manual parts list to see what heater element it specified?
Inspected the heater to see what wattage it is?
Ed
Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of men?
