Refrigerator

[Buster52]

I have a 1989 30 foot Southwind that I just bought. I am finding several problems with it. I have had the refrigerator plug in for several days and it is not working. I can hear it working, but as yet it is not cooling. I remember someone long time ago saying take the frig and turn it over and let it stand for a day then turn it back over and it should start working. Dose anyone know if this will work? It looks like the rig has been standing for years.

Thanks

[wa8yxm]

Some folks are uncomfortable with Propane fridges, both Norcold and Dometic sell compressor fridges using a high effiency compressor that draws about 30-50 watts depending on the model.. the interior light is 25 watts give or take a bit for comparison.. Most residential fridges are 100 and up, up up (200-300-400) watts. I have a chest freezer next to me works very well, uses that same high efficiency compressor 3 amps at 12 volts.

Water pump.. There are only a couple of different companies making RV water pumps, they are interchangeable in most cases all about the same size, all 1/2 inch in and out,, You may need to use a bit of flex hose, in fact, you should as those pumps with hard PEX can be noisy but flex hoses tone them down a bit.

[Blaster_Man]

Refrig must have 12v to work. I have a 10 amp fuse that blows every now and then...refrig quits until I put a in a new fuse.

[Buster52]

I work in the HVAC field on large piece on machinery. The RV frig is like the absorber units I used to cool the University I work at. Both are chemical reaction. I can here the liquid peculate, bubbling, gurgling or trickling noise. I have looked at ebay for replacement Dometic RM2804 $525.00 for used/rebuilt and $580.00 new. Just trying to keep at cost down. I bought the rig at a lot that sell donated item for a homeless charity. I was told the tags where up to date. Wrong, hadn't been paid sense 2006. The tags where stolen,and $1,300.00 later it was mine. So far the generator will not run, the lpg heater does not work, I know the fresh water pump was missing, but a direct replacement is not available. A re-plumb job. I can not get the arms on the awning to move in or out. The dash a/c doesn't work. The two roof a/c need recharge. That I can do at work. Roof need paint and sealing. I hope that is all that is wrong with it.

[turbojimmy]

robatthelake wrote:
If You are hearing a gurgling sound in the back tubing the Cooling unit is Finished!Turning it over will Not Cure the problem!

This is the advice I got here an it's true. If you can "hear it working", it's not working.

I replaced the cooling unit in my '84 after it stopped cooling (I could "hear it working"). It's totally silent and super cold now. A typical cooling unit is about half the cost of a new fridge, but there is some labor required in installing it.

[old_guy]

hope you get it to work, upwards to $2000 for a new one

[robatthelake]

Can it be repaired? Yes ,but often it is a wiser investment to replace.

If You are hearing a gurgling sound in the back tubing the Cooling unit is Finished!Turning it over will Not Cure the problem!

If the rest of the fridge is clean and in apparent good condition then You will need order a replacement Cooling Unit !

[Old-Biscuit]

I have had the refrigerator plug in for several days and it is not working. I can hear it working, but as yet it is not cooling

A few questions....
IS the perk tube where electric element attached hot? (heating element actually working)
What do you 'hear working? (Absorption fridges don't have moving parts so there is no noise)
Do you hear 'gurgling' type noises?
Is the fridge 'level'?

Sounds like the cooling unit is plugged.......that means a new cooling unit or new fridge.

Off level operation causes a disruption in the normal gravity flow of the ammonia solution used for cooling. This disruption in flow causes overheating and the corrosion inhibitor then turns to a crystal and blocks sections of internal piping.
The damage is accumulative and permanent.

There are no 'fixes'.......turning it off/removing it and turning it upside down/kicking it etc. are just band-aid approaches that really don't do/fix anything. The blockage is attached to the inside of the tubes like a plague, is hard and does not return to solution.

[BobR]

Check to make sure the switch is not set to storage position. That setting is used to defrost the fridge.

[SooperDaddy]

Something about doing the "Topsy-Turvy" thing to an absorbtion RV refrigerator, causes the salts and ammonia inside the tubing to remix and unclog blockages. But eventually old age takes a toll!

Other tips from HERE!

Note that there are companies that do rebuilds on these RV refrigerators, reasonably prices and actually BETTER than new!

Bryant RV says A couple of tips- if the refrigerator has been working, and it suddenly stop cooling, turn it off for one to two hours, re-level the RV, and turn it back on. Sometimes the flow of ammonia can become "vapor locked", and turning it off will allow the pressures to equalize (the old method was called "burping", and consisted of taking the refrigerator out of the coach and turning it upside down.. newer models- built since the early 1980's, do not need this, nor will it help).

[oldchief7155]

After leak checking try it on propane. It might be time to break out the old wallet.