Dometic Refer Recall - Possible Fire Hazard -Update 2/13/07

[MELM]

Click here to go directly to Updates.
Update Number 1 Nov 23, 2006
Update Number 2 Dec 5, 2006
Update Number 3 Jan 10, 2007
Update Number 4 Jan 19, 2007 - Recall Instructions - click here: Dometic Recall You need your model and serial numbers.
Update Number 5 Feb 13, 2007 - Added links to new info on the NHTSA website including the info/form for claiming reimbursement for a failure. These are at the end of the post below where all the updates are posted.

Also, edited the below Recall to include the change made prior to the Dec 5 update showing the proposed remedy.

Below is information from the NHTSA website on a recall of certain Dometic refrigerators. This recall is in its very early stages, and there is no resolution in place as of Nov 1, 2006.

From the NHTSA website:

Dometic Recall NHTSA Campaign ID 06E076000

Make / Models : Model/Build Years:
DOMETIC / NDR1062 9999
DOMETIC / RM2652 9999
DOMETIC / RM2662 9999
DOMETIC / RM2663 9999
DOMETIC / RM2852 9999
DOMETIC / RM2862 9999
DOMETIC / RM3662 9999
DOMETIC / RM3663 9999
DOMETIC / RM3862 9999
DOMETIC / RM3863 9999

Manufacturer : DOMETIC CORPORATION

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 06E076000 Mfg's Report Date : AUG 28, 2006

Component: EQUIPMENT: RECREATIONAL VEHICLE

Potential Number Of Units Affected : 926877

Summary:
CERTAIN DOMETIC TWO-DOOR REFRIGERATORS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN APRIL 1997 AND MAY 2003: SERIAL NOS.
713XXXXX THROUGH 752XXXXX;
801XXXXX THROUGH 852XXXXX;
901XXXXX THROUGH 952XXXXX;
001XXXXX THROUGH 052XXXXX;
101XXXXX THROUGH 152XXXXX;
201XXXXX THROUGH 252XXXXX;
301XXXXX THROUGH 319XXXXX,
INSTALLED IN CERTAIN RECREATIONAL VEHICLES AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT AND SOLD AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT. A FATIGUE CRACK MAY DEVELOP IN THE BOILER TUBE WHICH MAY RELEASE A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF PRESSURIZED COOLANT SOLUTION INTO AN AREA WHERE AN IGNITION SOURCE (GAS FLAME) IS PRESENT.

Consequence:
THE RELEASE OF COOLANT UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS COULD IGNITE AND RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy:
THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS OF RECREATIONAL VEHICLES THAT HAD THE REFRIGERATORS INSTALLED AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT AND DOMETIC WILL NOTIFY OWNERS OF THE AFTERMARKET REFRIGERATORS. DOMETIC WILL INSTALL A SECONDARY BURNER HOUSING FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN BETWEEN APRIL AND JUNE 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOMETIC AT 888-446-5157.

Notes:
CUSTOMERS MAY CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.

The following is extracted from the notice provided by Dometic to the NHTSA dated 8/26/06:

The potential defect is associated with cooling unit at the back of the refrigeration cabinet.

A fractional percentage of the potentially affected refrigerators have experienced a fatigue crack that may develop in the boiler tube in the area of the weld between the boiler tube and the heater pocket. A fatigue crack may release a sufficient amount of pressurized coolant solution into an area where an ignition source (gas flame) is present. Dometic's investigation has shown that a simulated release of cooling solution (refrigerant) in the area of the boiler, under certain conditions, could be ignited by the presence of an open flame. A boiler fatigue crack with the loss of cooling solution without ignition would result in a non-operational refrigerator that is not a safety issue. Under certain conditions, the released coolant could ignite and result in a fire. In order to have a fire, at a minimum, all of the following conditions must exist:

1. The refrigerator must be on and normally operating and gas burner must be lit;
2. 'There must be an oversized heating element in the refrigerator;
3. The boiler tube must develop a throughway fatigue crack of a
specific size;
4. There must be a release of the cooling solution at a rate which will
allow the accumulation of the cooling solution at a concentration within its range of flammability; and
5. There must be ignition source (gas flame) present.

If any of these conditions are not present, a release of the cooling solution will not result in a fire.

In April of 1997 Dometic modified the design of the affected refrigerators by increasing the wattage of the heating element from 325 watts to 354 watts. All production of the affected units from April 1997 through May of 2003 utilized the 354 watt heating element. In May of 2003, in order to improve the operating life of the refrigerators, Dometic returned to the use of the 325 watt heating element which it continues to use today. It is now believed that the use of the higher wattage heater contributed to abnormal fatigue in the boiler tube.

The products in question are all refrigerators used in the original manufacture of recreation vehicles or as replacement equipment for recreation vehicles. The total population of refrigerators potentially containing the defect is 926,877. Dometic estimates a potential maximum incident rate of 0.01% related to boiler fatigue cracks that leak and may result in a fire. There have been no incidents of injury or death related to the affected population of Dometic refrigerators.

Dometic became aware of the occurrence of fires which may have involved their products and retained an independent engineering testing laboratory to fully evaluate and investigate any potential defect in their refrigerators which might result in a fire. A number of returned units were analyzed and microscopic fatigue cracks which could release coolant into the area of the burner were identified in the boiler tube metal in the area of the weld between the heater pocket and boiler tube. Tests simulating the cracks were conducted the week of August 18, 2006 and confirmed a possible cause of fire in the refrigerators under certain conditions. These test results prompted the preparation of this notice.

Dometic continues to gather information on the potential defect and will forward additional relevant information as it becomes available.

Dometic has not yet identified a proposed remedy for the potential defect. Dometic will continue a testing program designed to identify and evaluate possible remedies. This evaluation will take place both in the United States and in Sweden. Once a remedy has been identified, Dometic will initiate or participate in a remedy campaign initiated by the original equipment manufacturers and aftermarket suppliers who have purchased, sold, and distributed these products. A list of original equipment manufacturers and aftermarket suppliers to whom Dometic has sold the potentially defective refrigerators is being prepared and will be provided to the NHTSA upon its
completion.

The following is extracted from the NHTSA response on 9/18/06:

Please provide the following additional information and be reminded of the following requirements:

Dometic must provide an estimated dealer notification date as well as an owner notification date including the day, month, and year. You are required to submit a draft owner notification letter to this office no less than five days prior to mailing it to the customers. Also, copies of all notices, bulletins, dealer notifications, and other communications that relate to this recall, including a copy of the final owner notification letter and any subsequent owner follow-up notification letter(s), are required to be submitted to this office no later than 5 days after they are originally sent (if they are sent to more than one manufacturer, distributor, dealer, or purchaser/owner).

Dometic must file a sample of the envelope which you intend to use to mail the recall notice to owners. The words "SAFETY", "RECALL", "NOTICE" in any order must be printed on the envelope in larger font than the customers name and address.

[balvert]

Mine has been on gas for the last three weeks. It is still standing and no charred hulk. Will load it soon for vacation and then it will be on as the resources dictate. Camping season is here again. YES!

[CrossCountryNom]

Crabbypatty wrote:
Just like all the rest, I replaced and repositioned into the 12vlt tube. I also turned the gas petcock off at the rear of the unit as per instructions. So the question remains is how many people are now back to using the refer full time?

I just did the same last weekend. Our refer will be on full time while we are in Key West all next week.

[Crabbypatty]

Just like all the rest, I replaced and repositioned into the 12vlt tube. I also turned the gas petcock off at the rear of the unit as per instructions. So the question remains is how many people are now back to using the refer full time? I just plugged it back in and it has chilled nicely and it will only be off when crusing over the road. Once at the cg it stays on.

[ausdoug]

I think you wouldn't want to make a change to the depth of the sleeve. At 120 volts, my old (Dometic) heater = 38.3 ohms.. 376 watts. My new rvmobile heater = 45.6 ohms.. 315 watts.. a difference of 61 watts. Plus I put the heater in the DC sleeve (which btw is about 1/2" lower than the AC sleeve.

[timsrv]

Claude B wrote:
I wonder if raising the element by 1 or 1.5 inch in the tube would help so that the max heat would be away from the beginning of the weld. I think it is fairly easy to do just by adding a stopper (peace of metal sheet and small screws) where the element start the 90 deg bend. May also have too cut a bit the top metal sheet and I will of course replace the actual element (38.2 ohms) with a 325 watts model. What do you think ?

That's intuitive thinking, but not sure what all the ramifications might be. I'm also not sure if all elements have the same hot spot as the one I tested. It might be a random thing, although I sort of doubt it. Not having the upper portion of the element exposed to the cooling effects of the pocket may cause other problems as well. This is worth thinking about. I would really like to know Dometic's thoughts on all of this. You would think their engineers would have considered all of this. What about a shorter element? I know many Norcold elements have a little bead of weld near the top to control their depth in the pocket. I've never seen this on Dometic's elements though. Food for thought I guess. Tim

[DWilson296]

Claude, I don't know if your proposal has any merit but I did what several here have suggested; Picked up a new heating element from RVMobile and stuffed it in the 12 volt pocket.

[Claude_B]

I too received my letter from Dometic and made an appointment for the recall. Now, I look back at page 41 of this thread (pictures) and knowing that the hotest part of the 120 volts heater is the tip of it and the most critical part of the well tube is where the weld begin (exactly where the crack is located), I wonder if raising the element by 1 or 1.5 inch in the tube would help so that the max heat would be away from the beginning of the weld. I think it is fairly easy to do just by adding a stopper (peace of metal sheet and small screws) where the element start the 90 deg bend. May also have too cut a bit the top metal sheet and I will of course replace the actual element (38.2 ohms) with a 325 watts model. What do you think ?

[timsrv]

Yeah, I guess "planned obsolescence" is nothing new, the problem with this one is there is also that pesky safety issue attached (damn the NHTSA for pointing that out). On the point of longevity only, it was a bigger deal in the early 80's when manufacturers stopped galvanizing the cooling cores. Prior to that cooling cores typically lasted 20+ years no problem. I still have customers using refers from the 60's. The only real issue they face is the refers get rather cosmetically gross and disgusting over the years (who wants their food sitting on a rusted shelf). As long as they are not run off level, they just keep on going. Due to current manufacturing practices (the biggest one being no more galvanizing), the typical life span for a cooling core is only around 12 years. IMO This latest problem with these Dometic refers just represents one more step along the road we're on (the road to decreased quality and increased price). You can see the progression in almost every product we purchase and consume. Pretty soon they'll all be coming form China....Heck parts of them probably already are. Tim

[Empty_Nest__Soo]

DWilson296 wrote:
"This is not a safety issue, so it is not subject to NHTSA recall regs."

I'm not sure I understand your statement regarding a "safety issue." The envelope I received from Dometic explaining the recall is clearly marked in large red letters on the outside "SAFETY RECALL NOTICE" and includes language that it is mandated by the NHTSA. Please explain.

The way I see it, there are two very distinct problems here:

FIRST, there is the risk of fire if the boiler tube springs a leak while operating on gas. Fire is a safety issue because people can be seriously injured or killed, although there are no known fatalities as yet.

Dometic has chosen to respond to this safety issue by issuing the recall and installing baffles so that when the boiler tube cracks, the flammable coolant mixture will not come in contact with the gas flame. No contact, no fire. Presumably, the baffles will effectively eliminate the risk of fire.

It is understandable that the risk of fire is low (reportedly 0.01%, or about 1 in 10,000) because of the nature of the failure. The boiler tube leaks because of a too-hot out-of-spec electrical heating element which overstresses the boiler tube. It catches fire only if the fridge is operating on gas at the moment the leak occurs. It stands to reason that most of the leaks will occur while operating on electric, because it is the electrical heating element which overstresses the tube. If figures to fail on gas only if it has been worked to the very edge of failure by the electrical element.
------------------------
SECOND, there is the risk of a premature failure of the refrigerator without fire. Premature failure of the refrigerator without fire is not a safety issue. (Expensive, but not safety related.)

From all reports, Dometic will do nothing to correct this problem.

The root of both problems is the defective electrical heating element. There are almost a million of them out there. The Dometic spec for the electrical element is 325 watts. The affected units have electrical elements that are closer to 400 watts. This concentrated heat overstresses the boiler tube at a weld.

I see nothing to suggest that the risk of this failure is low. After a sufficient number of cycles, the boiler tube will fail where it is overstressed. Although I have no comprehensive statistics, the anecdotal evidence shows that this failure is very common. Ask your own local dealer how many of these he has seen. Extrapolate that number to the rest of the country. I suspect that there have already been tens of thousands of these failures. Left uncorrected, I expect there will be hundreds of thousands of these early failures.
-------------------------
What bugs me is that it would cost Dometic maybe an extra $15 per unit to largely solve the second problem also by replacing the defective electrical heating element with one that meets Dometic’s own specifications. This could be done as part of the recall for only the cost of the replacement element; the additional labor would be negligible.

Instead, Dometic figures to reap a bonanza selling replacement cooling units/refrigerators in a couple of years when the recall has run its course and hundreds of thousands of refrigerators fail without fire because the owners are still using the out-of-spec electrical elements which are the root cause of the problem.

I believe that Dometic is at fault here because for so many years they installed almost a million defective heating elements when it would have taken but a few seconds to test the elements (or a sample of the elements) with an ohmmeter. Dometic either failed to perform this simple quality test or they chose to accept the defective elements from their supplier.

Wayne

[DWilson296]

"This is not a safety issue, so it is not subject to NHTSA recall regs."

I'm not sure I understand your statement regarding a "safety issue." The envelope I received from Dometic explaining the recall is clearly marked in large red letters on the outside "SAFETY RECALL NOTICE" and includes language that it is mandated by the NHTSA. Please explain.

[timsrv]

lotto38 wrote:
On another note, if only 93 units (as stated in this thread) out of approximately one million, sees to me that the recall would not generate that much discussion. JMHO

Yeah, but it would suck if you were one of the 93. As far as uneventful failures go, I am a one man mobile service, and I've personally seen around 50 that failed in this manner. Is that an indication of how many really failed? I don't know if that number will ever be known. I wonder if it's in Dometic's best interest to be conservative in their failure estimates?:h Tim

[Empty_Nest__Soo]

As I understand it, the 0.01% rate is for fires resulting from failure of the boiler tube, not for total premature failures of the boiler tube.

There may be tens of thousands of Dometics that have died an early death without fire due to the out-of-spec electrical heating elements. We will probably never know the number. This is not a safety issue, so it is not subject to NHTSA recall regs.

[lotto38]

Received a call from my service center today. Made an appointment for April 10 to have part of this problem fixed. It is going to be a shield to prevent fire, but that does not help the boiler tube problem. Dealer says they have kits already in stock.
HOOO RAHHHHHHH

On another note, if only 93 units (as stated in this thread) out of approximately one million, sees to me that the recall would not generate that much discussion. JMHO

[ausdoug]

When I called Dometic and registered, they ask me what dealer I wanted to use and I told them the name of the dealer where I bought the RV. Dometic then said that my dealer was an authorized dealer.

The recall letter says this in step 5.

The rework kit will be available on April 16, 2007. At that time, call your preferred service center and set up an appointment. For help in locating a service center, or for the most up-to-date recall information, call 1-800-446-5157.

Please do not simply go to a dealer or service center without an appointment, since some facilities will not be performing this work, and the ones that are doing this work will need to the appropriate parts from us. Please bring this letter with you at the time of your scheduled service.

So, my dealer took my name, address, and phone number, and added my name to the list of customers who need the kit and said they would call me when they have the kits. From what I understand I was added to a list and they would be working down the listed. I would believe the dealer has a Dometic number to call and tell them they need a kit for customer X and Dometic knows who customer X is since customer X registered.

Included with the recall letter (which is a form letter) is a separate page with my name and address and it contains a bar code number. I expect this is what the dealer will ultimately used when I take my RV in.

[Community Alumni]

ausdoug wrote:
My dealer has an on-line form you can ask a question. I ask the dealer when could I bring my RV in for the refrigerator kit. The dealer called me and said they have added my name to their list and would set up an appointment as soon as kits starting arriving. The dealer did not need to see my recall notice.

I assume your dealer has contacted Dometic directly; did he say the kits would be shipped automatically? My rv repair shop, who is a Dometic repair center, said that he was advised that he could only order kits for recall letters.

... Eric