Some have wondered why Dometic didn't install the lower wattage element as part of the recall. They should have, based on their comments as the reason for the original failures:
"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."
But it would have done no good. I think it was timsrv who wondered why a slight (within tolerance) heat difference should crack the boiler weld. He was correct, and Dometic was wrong, as shown by the the second recall which added units from June 2003 to September 2006 (all of which presumably had a newer 325 watt element).
Poor construction of all of the elements whether 354 watts or the later 325 watts (perhaps too hot a lower tip, hot spots, etc) may have contributed to the problem, but it appears that (as others have mentioned) the real cause of failure was metallurgical (wrong metals, weld, heat treatment...).
Perhaps Dometic figured it out. Anyone know how the 2007 - to - present units are holding up?
