I have a question about our refrigerator. I have a digital thermometer inside on the upper shelf and a small battery operated fan on the middle shelf. The temperatures have been showing 34 - 46 degrees. I have the temperature set for the coldest setting (5). When the outdoor temps are above 70 degrees I don't see the temps inside the refig getting below 41 degrees. If the outdoor temps drop into the 60's or lower (mostly at night now) then the refig will get into the 30's. But all day (when the temps are in the 80's ) it is mostly showing 45 degrees. We are not opening the door a bunch. No grand kids with us right now. I pulled the covers off the slide and had a look inside at the back of the refig. I see there is a fan near the top, but I have yet to see it running. There is a set of fins at the very top and on the one end is what appears to be a thermostatic switch. The mounting screws were loose and the switch was not making firm contact with the fin. I remedied that situation but I think the cooler night temperatures helped more. When should I expect to see that fan run?Dometic DM2862LBFX in a slide.

When your chimney fan will come on is a guess if you don't know the temp setting for the snap disc. I have two on my rig one set at 150* on the boiler tube to supply electrical power (so that the fans will only run when the frig is on) and the other set at 90* in the upper chimney to turn the fans on (I have two). With temps @ 100+ outside in the desert my frig has stayed cold. I put my battery operated cool can fan on the bottom shelf to take advantage of the colder air there and blow it upward I also make sure there is space between the items in the frig to ensure proper circulation of air. good luck.

Theoretically, the fan will run when temperatures are above 100- the switch itself closes at 150 and opens at 130.I would prefer to have the fan come on at a lower temp- the single door fan kit has a switch that closes at 105 and opens at 90- it is Dometic p/n 3104723.006.I would try just jumping across the thermo switch to run the fans for a while- they should make a huge difference.

flyfishing48 Take your small fan on the inside of the fridge and place it on the top shelf pointing directly at the fins near the thermistor. Your temp will go down a few degrees fairly soon.

Thanks for all the input. So far today. It's holding 36 dregs on the middle shelf. It's in the low 70's outdoors at noon. Maybe tightening the screws on the switch is helping. I will look into changing out the switch to the lower temp one also. Great idea.

Our Norcold 641 (2005 mdl) fan quit working last year with the same result as you are having except when higher temps occurred the Norcold would display a "no cooling" error and shut down, requiring a manual reset. Of course it didn't happen until we were traveling.When we returned home, I pulled the fridg, cleaned everything, and replaced the fan which corrected the problem.As a backup, I also added a second manually switched fan. I've found that in very hot weather the additional fan seams to help.

Refirig fan questions | Good Sam Community

20 Replies

TechWriter
Explorer
Jun 25, 2015
Old-Biscuit wrote:
TechWriter wrote:
Besides fans, you can also get an adjustable thermostat like Snip the Tip.

This is a great kit to replace a defective thermistor.
But why replace one that is functioning properly?

To give you more leeway during very hot weather.
mchero
Explorer
Jun 25, 2015
I suggest you download the service manual That has all the info you will ever need on that fridge. Get those fans on the rear running.

I replaced the colling unit with an Amish cooling unit. It has two pancake fans on the back that cycle on & off. I have also just purchased a internal fan for the fins, works like a charm!

Keep us posted
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Jun 25, 2015
TechWriter wrote:
Besides fans, you can also get an adjustable thermostat like Snip the Tip.

This is a great kit to replace a defective thermistor.
But why replace one that is functioning properly?

Besides the OP fridge (Dometic DM2862LBFX) has an adjustable temp control (1-5 settings) so having a rheostat (or moving thermistor location on fin) will not have an affect on temps.

Moving thermistor (UP/DOWN)on fin does have a minor affect (4*F-6*F) on fridge that does not have adjustable temp control (preset factory auto temp models)

Proper air flow across cooling unit with fridge in a slideout has more affect on cooling.
TechWriter
Explorer
Jun 24, 2015
Besides fans, you can also get an adjustable thermostat like Snip the Tip.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Jun 24, 2015
HERE is a fan control t-stat kit......comes on when condenser fin temp reaches 130*F turns off when fin temp drops below 115*F

Fridge in slide really need/benefit from outside fan during daytime.

Got to move air flow across cooling unit to maintain food section temps
Joe417
Explorer
Jun 24, 2015
Our Norcold 641 (2005 mdl) fan quit working last year with the same result as you are having except when higher temps occurred the Norcold would display a "no cooling" error and shut down, requiring a manual reset. Of course it didn't happen until we were traveling.

When we returned home, I pulled the fridg, cleaned everything, and replaced the fan which corrected the problem.

As a backup, I also added a second manually switched fan. I've found that in very hot weather the additional fan seams to help.
flyfishing48
Explorer
Jun 24, 2015
Thanks for all the input.
So far today. It's holding 36 dregs on the middle shelf. It's in the low 70's outdoors at noon.
Maybe tightening the screws on the switch is helping. I will look into changing out the switch to the lower temp one also. Great idea.
Puttin
Explorer
Jun 24, 2015
flyfishing48

Take your small fan on the inside of the fridge and place it on the top shelf pointing directly at the fins near the thermistor. Your temp will go down a few degrees fairly soon.
Chris_Bryant
Explorer II
Jun 24, 2015
Theoretically, the fan will run when temperatures are above 100- the switch itself closes at 150 and opens at 130.
I would prefer to have the fan come on at a lower temp- the single door fan kit has a switch that closes at 105 and opens at 90- it is Dometic p/n 3104723.006.

I would try just jumping across the thermo switch to run the fans for a while- they should make a huge difference.
SeaDog_BRR
Explorer
Jun 24, 2015
When your chimney fan will come on is a guess if you don't know the temp setting for the snap disc. I have two on my rig one set at 150* on the boiler tube to supply electrical power (so that the fans will only run when the frig is on) and the other set at 90* in the upper chimney to turn the fans on (I have two). With temps @ 100+ outside in the desert my frig has stayed cold. I put my battery operated cool can fan on the bottom shelf to take advantage of the colder air there and blow it upward I also make sure there is space between the items in the frig to ensure proper circulation of air. good luck.

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