Dometic - Up or Down

[bobcouch]

Actually two questions...
We got flooded out of our house by Imelda, and will be living in our 5th wheel for the foreseeable future.
We have a brand new Dometic fridge that is running almost cool enough on max setting. I know moving the slide up or down the fins changes the temp, but I can't remember which way is which.
question 2 - I know it cools faster on propane, but should it maintain the temp I want on AC? Outside temps 80s to low 90s.

[dougrainer]

bobcouch wrote:
Thanks for all the replies - especially Old Biscuit's - mine does have temp settings 1-5, but I moved the slide up a bit anyway. Everything in the freezer is frozen hard as a rock this morning - running on AC

1. Sliding the Thermister on an adjustable Tstat controlled unit has no affect
2. Sliding the Thermister is for AUTO temp refers. Sliding it will only change the bottom temp by about 4 degrees.
3. RV refers(not side by side models), the FREEZER will get as cold as it gets regardless of Temp setting. The temp setting does not control the freezer temp.
LAST, LP and 120 will cool the refer the SAME. They have the same BTU parameters. LP will start about 5 minutes quicker on a hot refer(it takes about 5 minutes for the 120 element to reach full temp). The factors that change LP and 120 will be 120 LINE VOLTAGE. If low Voltage the refer will not cool as well. If the burner is dirty or the LP pressure below 11.5 inches WC then it will not cool as well on LP. Doug

[bobcouch]

Thanks for all the replies - especially Old Biscuit's - mine does have temp settings 1-5, but I moved the slide up a bit anyway. Everything in the freezer is frozen hard as a rock this morning - running on AC

[CaLBaR]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Moving the thermistor can affect the overall fridge temps by 4*F-6*F on the Models that have 'AUTO TEMP CONTROLS' (NO temp adjustment settings)
UP on the Fin....COLDER
DOWN on the Fin..WARMER



Models WITH Temp Setting controls (1-5 & 1-9) should have the thermistor left in the OEM position (mid FIN on fin specified by RV MFG.----far right/far left/10th fin etc)
Fridge Thermostat is factory calibrated to control temp based on feed back from thermistor on specific position on fin


Propane will START the cooling process quicker then Electric due to the initial heat transfer by the hot flame
Electric and propane are sized to produce roughly the SAME heat required to boil the ammonia into a sufficient quanity of vapor for the cooling process

Thanks for this. I didn't realize that with the Temp control settings that the thermistor was not attached to the fins. Our fridge was running warmer than normal with milk starting to get weird after a few days. Was worried that it might be on it's way out. Once I read your post looked inside and notice that the thermistor had slipped all the way to the bottom of the fins. Moved it back to the mark on the fridge and all is nice and cold again.

[wa8yxm]

Hot air rises so the higher the clip the "hotter" the air it's exposed to.
And thus the COLDER the fridge

Addition of fans to the INSIDE (And outside) of the fridge can improve performance as well.. I have two "Computer type" fans (12 volt fans) in the outside compartment blowing UP. there are multiple designes for these fans and multiple locations you can put 'em (bottom or top of stack) these improve cooling.

and I have two more inside circulating air.. They help too.

There is a light/fan "kit" that mounts at the top of the fidge that is about 100 bucks from I think CW and other suppliers that I plan to add once I get the Fridge working..again.

[wopachop]

Might look into fridge fans if you're still full timing by next summer.

A fan inside the fridge and also at the roof hot air exit both help.

My fridge like yours will be over 41F in spots. Especially the swinging door. No biggie if camping for a week but might spoil food that sits in there for months.

[SidecarFlip]

Ditch it and get a compressor fridge and be happy.

[lap527]

I was waiting on you "Old Biscuit" to chime in.... Thanks!

[Old-Biscuit]

Moving the thermistor can affect the overall fridge temps by 4*F-6*F on the Models that have 'AUTO TEMP CONTROLS' (NO temp adjustment settings)
UP on the Fin....COLDER
DOWN on the Fin..WARMER



Models WITH Temp Setting controls (1-5 & 1-9) should have the thermistor left in the OEM position (mid FIN on fin specified by RV MFG.----far right/far left/10th fin etc)
Fridge Thermostat is factory calibrated to control temp based on feed back from thermistor on specific position on fin


Propane will START the cooling process quicker then Electric due to the initial heat transfer by the hot flame
Electric and propane are sized to produce roughly the SAME heat required to boil the ammonia into a sufficient quanity of vapor for the cooling process

[Nutinelse2do]

My experience is Dometic fridges do better at 7-8, instead of max.

Try going down a bump with the outside setting, wait 24 hours, then readjust as needed with the thermostat inside

Yes, it should maintain temp on electric.

[lap527]

DutchmenSport wrote:

lap527 wrote:
hmmm.....we were always told that sliding it up meant colder. Inquiring minds sure would like to know. Would it matter what kind of rv refrigerator it is?

OK, you are correct. I looked up a couple YouTube videos and "UP" is colder. Sorry, my bad.

I guess I had the wire stretched to the max with the slide going up.

Whew....thanks for the correction...makes me feel better about our fridge.

[Nutinelse2do]

Up is colder, down warmer

Get a snip the tip, and then you don’t have to worry about moving it

[2oldman]

A new fridge should have the proper fin setting printed on the wall next to it.

[DutchmenSport]

lap527 wrote:
hmmm.....we were always told that sliding it up meant colder. Inquiring minds sure would like to know. Would it matter what kind of rv refrigerator it is?

OK, you are correct. I looked up a couple YouTube videos and "UP" is colder. Sorry, my bad.

I guess I had the wire stretched to the max with the slide going up.

[lap527]

hmmm.....we were always told that sliding it up meant colder. Inquiring minds sure would like to know. Would it matter what kind of rv refrigerator it is?