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SamJenkins's avatar
SamJenkins
Explorer
Jun 16, 2023

Dometic Rm2652 hot exterior, hot interior

Unit is 2000 vintage, I believe.
Entire cooling unit gets hot...all sections including boiler tank, upper and lower tube, etc. I can hear the fluid inside make a pulsating squirting sound about every 1.5 seconds or so. After roughly 30+ minutes of operation (auto mode, gas switch set to off) what I belive to be the gas igniter starts clicking as if the unit has switched itself to gas mode.
When running the unit in gas mode, the gas end of the appliance runs properly, heats everything up, but still no cooling on the interior. After about 6 hours of operation, the interior fins start actually getting hot.

Using 120v shore power, bypassing the RV AC wiring and running an extension cord directly to the fridge. Coach battery is working as it should, and unit is well within 3 degrees of level. I have visually inspected, and nothing is jumping out at me. I cleaned the fuse cradles, tightened the DC screw terminals, etc. Also am not seeing any of the telltale yellow powder.

Any ideas?
  • Are you hearing the noise just sitting in the RV or only outside by the access panel?
    I'm going to guess that your cooling unit is blocked internally and needs replacement.
  • Connect the 120 element direct to that 120 extension cord for 24 hours. After 24 hours if freezer NOT below 10 degrees and the lower is NOT below 40 degrees you have a blocked Cooling unit. Doug
  • dougrainer wrote:
    Connect the 120 element direct to that 120 extension cord for 24 hours. After 24 hours if freezer NOT below 10 degrees and the lower is NOT below 40 degrees you have a blocked Cooling unit. Doug


    Thanks for the reply, Doug.
    Do properly functioning units make that squirting sound? It's not super loud, but it's perfectly audible from inside the access panel.
    Knowing nothing about these absorbtion units, it sounded to me like the refrigerant heating to the point of boiling whilst expanding and forcing itself through an atomizing orifice.
    How wrong of an assumption is this?
  • Also, is there anything worth trying to unplug/unclog a cooling unit, if that is indeed my issue?
  • Haw, my 2625 22 years old puked last Thanksgiving while on a long trip. Had to replace the cooling unit.
    Replaced it and it is working great!
    The noise you are hearing is not normal. If it is hot everywhere your cooling unit is toast.

    Jim.
    • Brooms1976's avatar
      Brooms1976
      Explorer

      I have old dometic refrigerator RM2652 didn’t have a thermo disc or thermal coupler. I replaced cooling unit and now a have where do the wires hook to

  • Haw, my 2625 22 years old puked last Thanksgiving while on a long trip. Had to replace the cooling unit.
    Replaced it and it is working great!
    The noise you are hearing is not normal. If it is hot everywhere your cooling unit is toast.

    Jim.