Another Dometic fridge not cooling

[nstate]

Hello,
I tried searching but couldn't find a thread replicating my scenario.

Dometic 8cu,ft. freezer/fridge combo in a 08 Host Everest Camper, mounted in a slidout(no roof vent).
Plugged into electric at home, was working fine. Switched to propane on the road to N.Calif coast. Working fine. Each day we were parked(aver. temps 70deg's daytime,58deg's evening through night) temps dropped until food spoiled. Camper was level, checked burner was lite, boiler tube warm, tried turning on/off multiple times, each time it relit, no check light problems.
Left camp site, drove 30 miles to another and reparked and leveled. Fridge was cooling again? Throughout the day, stopped cooling? Drove home, 4hour drive, got home, fridge cold again?
Host factory no help, Dometic zero help, called RV places no help(want it brought in of coarse). I have read where ammonia in system can get a bubble? Or remove fridge, turn upside down, to get ammonia from settling?
Any suggestions are appreciated in advance.

[nstate]

Thanks guys. Just getting back to this thread.Cooling stopped on both fridge and freezer. Not much of any breeze, slight. I'll have a look with all your suggestions. Thanks again

[midnightsadie]

door gaskets leaking.

[lap527]

Just curious, did you have any wind on the side of camper where refrigerator is located?

[Ivylog]

In a slide, these things need all the help they can get to improve the air flow. Open the top vent and you will probably find a dead air space above the vent... no baffle at an angle to the top of the vent. Many install two computer fans in this vent opening to help the hot air out... on their own switch.
You also need to check the air space between the coils on the back and the outside wall. You want the coils an inch from the wall which makes the air flow over the coils. Unfortunately you have to pull the refer to install a baffle to decrease this distance. While you have it out install a pair of wires to the Tstat on the coils so you can manually turn the fans on that are mounted midway in the coils.

[Old-Biscuit]

Typically the t-stat turns fan on when condenser fin temp reaches 130*F and turns fan off when condenser fin temp drops below 115*F


Did freezer stay frozen when food compartment warmed up?

[nstate]

No, but being such a cooler climate I am not sure they would have ever needed to activate. Or am I wrong? Not sure honestly if I've ever heard the fan come on. We haven;t used the camper since last October, so it has sat foe a while. Does the fan come on at a certain ambient temp or a temp of the system? Maybe a back thermostat or fan possibly. Maybe you're right. As the trucks driving down the road a venturi acts as the fan, thus it begins working?

[Old-Biscuit]

Flipping fridge is a bandaid method of temporarily getting an absorption fridge to work..........sorta.
Idea is that there is clog and the flipping/turning upside down will dislodge the blockage.

Horse pucky!

Blockage occurs when fridge is operated off level and overheats.
Crystals are foamed form the overheating which plate out on inside of tubes. It is accumulative and PERMANENT.
If you did dislodge any of it it would just block someplace else cause the crystals will NOT go back into solution.

End of that Internet fairy tale......


As for your problem.
Loss of cooling capabilities

Ventilation issues.
Check for air flow obstructions by removing upper/lower vents on sidewall and LOOK
Check if FAN works.......in slide out it should (needs) a fan. It should be center line mid area and controlled by a t-stat on upper condenser (right hand fin). 12V DC with in-line 3A fuse from DC terminal block.
Also should have very narrow clearance between fridge and wall...otherwise should have a baffle to direct airflow up/thru tubes/coils

No ventilation issues........
With RV set up level and AC power available
Unplug thermistor leads from control module.
Place large jug of water in food compartment with a thermometer in the water
Turn fridge ON electric and let it run 12 hrs......check thermometer. Temp should be down to 43*F or lower. Run for another 12 hrs. Recheck temp.

IF temp doesn't come down or stay down...........COOLING UNIT is bad.
Blockage.

Just curious.....when temps where fluctuating and food got spoiled---did freezer stay frozen?

[newman_fulltime]

did you hear the fans running in the back of the unit?