Dometic Refridgerator

[rainmanrv]

I have a Dometic ref. model #2852 with automatic temperature control that I turned on for the first time since I got the used trailer.
What I hear running is a fan motor noise that never turns off. The ref is cooling down and has been running for 4 hours and is cooling is that normal? Thanks in advance!!

[Joe417]

Rainmanrv, just for comparison, I can't hear my frig fan when inside the camper unless I put my ear directly on a solid surface that is attached to the frame. I can hear it if standing outside close to the frig vents.

I believe whether factory or add on, the frig may have a fan and it sounds from your question and statement that it's working pretty good. Is it in a slide.

What Old-Biscuit said is a fact of manufacturing. You sometimes see misguided manufacturing. Sounds like yours is o.k.

My TC frig application does not work without the fan and I'm positive of that.

[Old-Biscuit]

SoundGuy wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Well.......
Sometimes you just have to look in the right installation manual (DOMETIC Innovator Ventilation Installation Instructions).
Note: Instructions are per Dometic for proper installation of fridge, vents (lower/upper/roof) and fans as required.....RM2852 amongst many other Dometic models are included. Fan kit, baffles, wiring etc. supplied by Dometic for installation by RV mfg.

:h Just what I said - it's up to the installer whether a ventilation fan is installed or not. Dometic may offer a ventilation kit that may be used during installation of the fridge into the trailer but it's up to the manufacturer to decide if and what they're going to install in the trailers they're building. It's not part of the fridge but rather is an installation kit ... my previous Spree had one, presumably because KZ deemed it necessary, my current Freedom Express does not, presumably because they decided it wasn't. :S

RV mfg. does fridge install BASED on installation instructions from mfg.....norcold, dometic or atwood.

When fridge has cooling issues folks want to blame fridge mfg (norcold/dometic/atwood) yet most insufficient cooling issues are due to rv mfg. lack of proper installation (NOT following fridge mfg. instruction)

Regardless of what you think...fridge mfg. knows what clearances are needed. RV mfg. choose to ignore/disregard or follow.
Of course they make final decision, only because they
are the installers.
But when they don't do it right :H

Whack your head on that!

[SoundGuy]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Well.......
Sometimes you just have to look in the right installation manual (DOMETIC Innovator Ventilation Installation Instructions).
Note: Instructions are per Dometic for proper installation of fridge, vents (lower/upper/roof) and fans as required.....RM2852 amongst many other Dometic models are included. Fan kit, baffles, wiring etc. supplied by Dometic for installation by RV mfg.

:h Just what I said - it's up to the installer whether a ventilation fan is installed or not. Dometic may offer a ventilation kit that may be used during installation of the fridge into the trailer but it's up to the manufacturer to decide if and what they're going to install in the trailers they're building. It's not part of the fridge but rather is an installation kit ... my previous Spree had one, presumably because KZ deemed it necessary, my current Freedom Express does not, presumably because they decided it wasn't. :S

[Old-Biscuit]

SoundGuy wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Dometic does include a ventilation fan for fridge installed in a slide out in outside compartment due to the upper vent being on the side wall of slide out vs having a roof vent. Helps with draft flow of cooling air.

No where in the Dometic 2652 / 2852 installation instructions is a ventilation fan ever mentioned. AFAIK, whether any installation would include a fan or not is strictly up to the installer - i.e. the trailer manufacturer - and has nothing to do with the fridge manufacturer - i.e. Dometic, Norcold, or whomever. I've owned both Dometic and Norcold, some installations have had a thermostatically controlled ventilation fan, others such as the Dometic DM2652 I have in my current trailer do not. Frankly, I'm just as glad to not have one as that's one less drain on the battery when dry camping and in the two years we've owned this trailer the fridge has cooled just fine without it no matter how high the outside ambient temps have been. We dry camp enough now that if it did have a thermostatically controlled fan I'd add a kill switch to the circuit myself so I could turn the darned thing off.

As for cool down times mentioned by another poster, I've seen this warning so many times that a gas absorption fridge will take anywhere from 12 to 24 hrs to cool sufficiently for use that I'd almost believe it if I didn't know for myself that's not the case at all. Any 6 cu ft fridge I've owned has easily been ready for use within 4 hours of turning it on, including my current DM2652 ... anything longer than that and I'd be looking for an issue with the fridge.

Well.......
Sometimes you just have to look in the right installation manual (DOMETIC Innovator Ventilation Installation Instructions).
Note: Instructions are per Dometic for proper installation of fridge, vents (lower/upper/roof) and fans as required.....RM2852 amongst many other Dometic models are included. Fan kit, baffles, wiring etc. supplied by Dometic for installation by RV mfg.

[SoundGuy]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Dometic does include a ventilation fan for fridge installed in a slide out in outside compartment due to the upper vent being on the side wall of slide out vs having a roof vent. Helps with draft flow of cooling air.

No where in the Dometic 2652 / 2852 installation instructions is a ventilation fan ever mentioned. AFAIK, whether any installation would include a fan or not is strictly up to the installer - i.e. the trailer manufacturer - and has nothing to do with the fridge manufacturer - i.e. Dometic, Norcold, or whomever. I've owned both Dometic and Norcold, some installations have had a thermostatically controlled ventilation fan, others such as the Dometic DM2652 I have in my current trailer do not. Frankly, I'm just as glad to not have one as that's one less drain on the battery when dry camping and in the two years we've owned this trailer the fridge has cooled just fine without it no matter how high the outside ambient temps have been. We dry camp enough now that if it did have a thermostatically controlled fan I'd add a kill switch to the circuit myself so I could turn the darned thing off.

As for cool down times mentioned by another poster, I've seen this warning so many times that a gas absorption fridge will take anywhere from 12 to 24 hrs to cool sufficiently for use that I'd almost believe it if I didn't know for myself that's not the case at all. Any 6 cu ft fridge I've owned has easily been ready for use within 4 hours of turning it on, including my current DM2652 ... anything longer than that and I'd be looking for an issue with the fridge.

[Old-Biscuit]

Dometic does include a ventilation fan for fridge installed in a slide out in outside compartment due to the upper vent being on the side wall of slide out vs having a roof vent. Helps with draft flow of cooling air.

OEM fan would be center line of fridge just above absorber tubes. DC power would come from 12V DC terminal block by control module and would have in-line fuse (3A). Fan would be controlled by thermostat installed on far right fin of condenser (top of fridge)

IF fan is running continuously....either t-stat is stuck closed/failed
OR
previous owner installed fan and didn't use a t-stat for control...maybe an on/off switch.

[Joe417]

Norcold frig has/requires a fan if the unit is mounted in a slide.

I would imagine that Dometic needs the same. The reason is that a slide mounted fridge vents horizontally through the side and doesn't vent as well with natural thermal convection.

My Norcold has a thermostat that turns the fan on, I believe at 100 degrees. Fan failed last year and caused the frig to error, causing a bunch of headache while on vacation. I replaced it and added a second fan that is manually controlled just as a standby or to help on really hot days.

Your fan shouldn't be too loud unless it has a bad bearing.

I bought 2 replacements with same specs as the original, except for lower current draw, on ebay for $16 last year.

[jwmII]

There is probably a fan mounted outside in the vent behind the refrigerator. This is done frequently to assist and maintain cool down. The fan may be wired directly into the fridge 12volt feed. Ideally it would be better to connect a fan like this thru a temperature sensing switch so it will run only as needed.

[donn0128]

Absorbition refers have no moving parts. There may be a add on fan inside the box. Average cool down time is 12 to 24 hours.