burbing fridge

[MrRetired821]

My 2013 dometic 1350 quit cooling on a trip. Mobil repair tech found a blockage in the cooling unit. He suggested we removed the fridge and turn it upside down to burp the cooling unit. We did that and turned it right side up after a few minutes. The fridge started working like normal. My question is and which the tech couldn't answer, is this a permanent fix or will the blockage show up in the cooling unit somewhere else.
Anyone had this done to their fridge and did it fix the problem long term?
thanks

[MrRetired821]

Well mobile tech just installed the new cooling unit. Put fridge back into hole and it works like its supposed to.
thanks for all the replies.

[joebedford]

MrRetired821 wrote:
my better half says get a new cooling unit.

There's your answer.

[dougrainer]

MrRetired821 wrote:

dougrainer wrote:
Blockages are as hard as a weld and are attached in the upper coil area and CANNOT be broken loose. So, burping just rearranges the Ammonia temporarily to work a little longer. It works but NOT AS WELL AS BEFORE THE BLOCKAGE. IT WILL FAIL AGAIN. Rebuilders cut out the tubing where the blockage is on blocked units and then weld a new upper tube assbly in place, then charges the cooling unit. THERE IS NO WAY THAT MOBILE TECH FOUND A BLOCKAGE, UNLESS HE STUCK AROUND FOR 2 OR 3 DAYS AND DID VARIOUS TESTS. TEMPORARILY UNBLOCKING A UNIT REQUIRES THE REFER TO BE TURNED UPSIDE DOWN FOR 24 HOURS AND THEN RIGHT SIDE UP FOR 24 HOURS. Then start a cooling process. You could have just had a glitch and if the refer continues to cool (below 38 degrees in the refer and below 10 degrees in the freezer), I would not worry about it. Also, it could have been as simple as the rear cooling fans did not run. Did the Mobile tech checked those? Doug

PS, is the refer in a slide room?

The tech used a heat measuring gun and found the top tube hot on the left side and it cooled off right in the middle and continued cool the rest of the loop. Seems logical to me that where the heat stopped and the cool begin theres the problem.
The fridge is in a slideout. One of the fans was stopped up with mud dobbers nesting on it. Once flipped, it gurgled a few minutes and then we flipped it right side up. powered up and working still. Steady 34 degrees in fridge.
Note: we were camped in Davis Mountain State Park and temps got down to single digits a couple of days before it quit working.

thanks

Mod Edit: fixed the quote

AS I stated, NO BLOCKAGE. The fan was the problem. Also, to make the refer operate BETTER, I install an additional 12 volt cooling fan at the upper outside vent door blowing OUT. This is really needed for all slide room installed refers. IF any blockage, you would NOT get 34 degrees. The heat gun showed high temps because with inadequate ventilation the cooling unit overheated slightly. Doug

[trailrider]

Temps got down to single digits?
There is your problem.

[MrRetired821]

dougrainer wrote:
Blockages are as hard as a weld and are attached in the upper coil area and CANNOT be broken loose. So, burping just rearranges the Ammonia temporarily to work a little longer. It works but NOT AS WELL AS BEFORE THE BLOCKAGE. IT WILL FAIL AGAIN. Rebuilders cut out the tubing where the blockage is on blocked units and then weld a new upper tube assbly in place, then charges the cooling unit. THERE IS NO WAY THAT MOBILE TECH FOUND A BLOCKAGE, UNLESS HE STUCK AROUND FOR 2 OR 3 DAYS AND DID VARIOUS TESTS. TEMPORARILY UNBLOCKING A UNIT REQUIRES THE REFER TO BE TURNED UPSIDE DOWN FOR 24 HOURS AND THEN RIGHT SIDE UP FOR 24 HOURS. Then start a cooling process. You could have just had a glitch and if the refer continues to cool (below 38 degrees in the refer and below 10 degrees in the freezer), I would not worry about it. Also, it could have been as simple as the rear cooling fans did not run. Did the Mobile tech checked those? Doug

PS, is the refer in a slide room?

The tech used a heat measuring gun and found the top tube hot on the left side and it cooled off right in the middle and continued cool the rest of the loop. Seems logical to me that where the heat stopped and the cool begin theres the problem.
The fridge is in a slideout. One of the fans was stopped up with mud dobbers nesting on it. Once flipped, it gurgled a few minutes and then we flipped it right side up. powered up and working still. Steady 34 degrees in fridge.
Note: we were camped in Davis Mountain State Park and temps got down to single digits a couple of days before it quit working.

thanks

Mod Edit: fixed the quote

[wa8yxm]

If you plan on living in the RV.. Do you plan on MOVING it or parked on/near construction of new house site.

If the latter.. Consider the "new Fridge" for the new house... Have it on hand.. (You need not unbox it unless you fear warranty expiring) If the RV fridge fails.. Unbox. plug in and use.. Or better (less energy needed to run it) Use it instead of the RV unit... And when new house ready.. MOVE IT.

[dougrainer]

Blockages are as hard as a weld and are attached in the upper coil area and CANNOT be broken loose. So, burping just rearranges the Ammonia temporarily to work a little longer. It works but NOT AS WELL AS BEFORE THE BLOCKAGE. IT WILL FAIL AGAIN. Rebuilders cut out the tubing where the blockage is on blocked units and then weld a new upper tube assbly in place, then charges the cooling unit. THERE IS NO WAY THAT MOBILE TECH FOUND A BLOCKAGE, UNLESS HE STUCK AROUND FOR 2 OR 3 DAYS AND DID VARIOUS TESTS. TEMPORARILY UNBLOCKING A UNIT REQUIRES THE REFER TO BE TURNED UPSIDE DOWN FOR 24 HOURS AND THEN RIGHT SIDE UP FOR 24 HOURS. Then start a cooling process. You could have just had a glitch and if the refer continues to cool (below 38 degrees in the refer and below 10 degrees in the freezer), I would not worry about it. Also, it could have been as simple as the rear cooling fans did not run. Did the Mobile tech checked those? Doug

PS, is the refer in a slide room?

[MrRetired821]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Sal at Kool Fun and I spent a lot of time tracing down blockage issues with Dometic and Norcold. Since he built absorbsion cooling units and was a warranty station for OEM he was no backyard boltstripper.

We filtered out manufacturers welding SLAG from cooling unit media. Could be slop right out of manufacturing UF ring or broken loose later.

Before hassling with removal try shutting the unit down for several days. If it then operates normally Slag is percolating slowly but surely up through solution and will re block the same orifice.

Aftermarket replacement cooling units did not exist at that time so I have zero information about their success rate.


The blockage was where the dimples are at the top. Afer the burping its working fine. I did turn it off and let it sit for 24 hrs, turned it back on and it again working normal. Oh the unit is out of its cabinet and sitting on living room floor.
The unit if probadly 10-11 years old and this is first problem.
appreciate your response.

I do know with giant lithium bromide chillers used for mass cooling the manufacturers spend an enormous amount of time and resources flushing and reverse flushing their production line products. Violent velocity scrubbing to remove manufacturing welding slag.

Again remove the heat from your RV refrigerator and let it sit in place for several days then try it.

The practice of "burping" absorbsion refrigerators began 90 years ago with Servel brand stand alone units. They were made in Sweden with much thicker high alloy Swedish steel.

Hope this helps

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Sal at Kool Fun and I spent a lot of time tracing down blockage issues with Dometic and Norcold. Since he built absorbsion cooling units and was a warranty station for OEM he was no backyard boltstripper.

We filtered out manufacturers welding SLAG from cooling unit media. Could be slop right out of manufacturing UF ring or broken loose later.

Before hassling with removal try shutting the unit down for several days. If it then operates normally Slag is percolating slowly but surely up through solution and will re block the same orifice.

Aftermarket replacement cooling units did not exist at that time so I have zero information about their success rate.

I do know with giant lithium bromide chillers used for mass cooling the manufacturers spend an enormous amount of time and resources flushing and reverse flushing their production line products. Violent velocity scrubbing to remove manufacturing welding slag.

Again remove the heat from your RV refrigerator and let it sit in place for several days then try it.

The practice of "burping" absorbsion refrigerators began 90 years ago with Servel brand stand alone units. They were made in Sweden with much thicker high alloy Swedish steel.

Hope this helps

[MrRetired821]

Chum lee wrote:

MrRetired821 wrote:
Thanks for the responses. I guess I'm trying to convince myself to gamble with the burp thing. However, my better half says get a new cooling unit. BTW the fridge is still working like it should, but it's parked at the house.

You haven't stated HOW MUCH you DEPEND on your RV for the necessities of life. IMO, if it's a vehicle that you occasionally use to venture into the wild blue yonder and you have many options available to you, I wouldn't hesitate to take a chance on it. (It's not that hard to fix if/when it breaks, it's just $$$) But if you (and others) deeply boondock regularly and ALL your favorite perishable foods are stored there, . . . . well, I would replace it tomorrow. (at least the cooling unit if there's no other physical damage)

Chum lee

We are selling our house and plan on living in the 5th wheel until we find a new house. No idea on how long but could be several months.
thanks.

[Chum_lee]

MrRetired821 wrote:
Thanks for the responses. I guess I'm trying to convince myself to gamble with the burp thing. However, my better half says get a new cooling unit. BTW the fridge is still working like it should, but it's parked at the house.

You haven't stated HOW MUCH you DEPEND on your RV for the necessities of life. IMO, if it's a vehicle that you occasionally use to venture into the wild blue yonder and you have many options available to you, I wouldn't hesitate to take a chance on it. (It's not that hard to fix if/when it breaks, it's just $$$) But if you (and others) deeply boondock regularly and ALL your favorite perishable foods are stored there, . . . . well, I would replace it tomorrow. (at least the cooling unit if there's no other physical damage)

Chum lee

[MrRetired821]

Thanks for the responses. I guess I'm trying to convince myself to gamble with the burp thing. However, my better half says get a new cooling unit. BTW the fridge is still working like it should, but it's parked at the house.

[wa8yxm]

There is no such thing as a permanent Fix. Sooner or later either A: it will happen again or B: something else will fail.

NOTE: This statement also applies to replacing the cooling unit (Or the entire fridge) Sooner or later the new unit will also fail.. Unlelss it gets lucky and some nice semi driver totals the RV as happend to me (The new cooling unit did NOT fail..) (Note.. it really turned out to be a good thing as other thins were about to fail..but did not.. quite.. due to the insurance payment.. .I can't believe the issues I found during cleanout).

[Chum_lee]

I've found that the average life for Dometic RV two/three way absorption refrigerators to be around 9 to 14 years depending on the use/abuse cycle. Living in the RV full time or not using it at all, parking way off level, failing to keep the burner can/vents clean, operating in extremely hot/cold temperatures, and a lot of off road use (bouncing around), tend to reduce the life. Some units make it over twenty years without major repairs, . . . . but, not many. Do you feel lucky?

Chum lee