Not sure if I need a new converter or.............

[TakeNothin4Gran]

I have a Springdale TT with a Dometic fridge and the standard WFCO 3 stg converter. It's hooked up to the house so there's power in it.

Here are my Springdale's symptoms:

The refrigerator decided last week to shut down. But, it will will turn on if the M/W is being used or if I turn the hot water heater breaker on. Sometimes it will stay on for a day or so and sometimes it's stubborn and will turn off within a couple hours.

Now, when the fridge turns off, it doesn't kick it's breaker off. No breaker within the WFCO unit has ever kicked off. I just keep the water heater off since we don't use it so no need to pay the extra $$$.

Also, when it's on, the fridge works just fine. Keeps everything cold/frozen no problem. I've never used LP with it and actually gave my son the large tanks to use for his bbq & outdoor heater so I don't have them currently.

What do you guys/gals think my best course of action should be? Is there a way to just switch out the actual fuse part for the fridge or should I replace the whole unit or .........

Thanks for your expertise!!

Moved to Tech Issues forum from DIY.

[time2roll]

Just watch the battery voltage stays above 13.4 volts.
I think the battery will be slowly discharging once connected.

[marcsbigfoot20b]

$20 says you put a good battery back in and all will be good.
You may have "dirty" 12 v coming from converter.
Mine did that and my smart lights LEDs would freak out, new converter and all good.

[BFL13]

If he puts the battery back in, he won't be able to tell when the converter cuts in and out.

[TakingThe5th]

I would suggest putting the battery back in and see if the situation improves. The battery does improve the quality according to my manual.

As you install the battery, take note where you left the loose battery cables - is it possible that the positive cable is near a ground source? If so I bet you have a really crappy 12 volt source. As was pointed out, all your control boards use 12 volt power.

I hope it's that simple for you. Good luck.

[Old-Biscuit]

Check your converter DC output at the terminals on converter where battery cables connect........should be at least 13.4V DC.

Without batty hooked up the converter is supplying all the DC demand.
The 120V AC side is sagging or dropping out so converter DC output drops and DC control circuit fails.

You have a loose/bad connection on 120VAC side and your converter MAY be failing also.

Good luck on the search.

[TakeNothin4Gran]

When it rains it pours! Just had to do some major work on the "main" computer at home. One thing lead to another and it turned into a 6 hour project - and it's still morning!! I'm hoping to get in a couple hours on the trailer now to see if that problem can be resolved before I have to head to work.

Looks like the first thing I need to do is to check all the wiring and I have extra fuses so I may just go ahead and replace all of them while I'm at it. I've had no issues with sulphur smells anywhere so hopefully that's a good sign!!

First things first and I need to find my meter so at least that's handy too...... Thanks again!! I'm sure I'll be back - hopefully with good news that all it was is a loose connection!!

[aruba5er]

Without the battery in place to act as a voltage regulator or not having the 12 volts to run the refer makes me think you have a 120 ac volt problem. PERIOD.
Without 12 vdc the refer will not work. When the MW goes on it starts burning a bad connection and makes a contact because it is expanding. cooling down and the connection goes away. Start looking in the 120 vac box for loose or melted wiring. Or the cord and plug where the camper is plugged in (not so much) sounds like a loose neutral wire probably in the camper main fuse box. Don"t think anything is wrong with the convertor or the 12vdc side of it.

[rockhillmanor]

TakeNothin4Granted wrote:
I guess I'm confused smkettner because

I don't have the battery hooked up.

It's a direc connect to the house. .

Fridge and AC need 12 volt for their thermostats.

I fought that same battle me and the mobile repair guy trying to put blame all different things as to why they shut off.

I'd turn the air on, it started but come back later and it would be off.

Fridge would come on and later shut off.

Cause they all can START but they need DC to the thermostat to turn it back on after they reach the dialed in temp that shut them off.

In my case it was the converter frying the battery. It was putting out too much. When we opened it up one capacitor looked like it was shot with a 22.

And BTW the smell of sulfur we had been getting whiffs of for a few days was written off to a nearby well and the wind.....of course that was the coach battery frying!

Sorry for being long winded but if it helps just one person not go thru what I went thru for a week the last insult after the "3RD" repair guy came out and couldn't figure it out was:

When you check the output of your convertor:
LEAVE the tester on AFTER it reaches it's respected output.
2 repair guys put the tester on and pulled it off when it read in the correct range. I made the last guy leave it on and it kept climbing and climbing which was fry boiling my battery!

[enblethen]

A poor connection on the 120 side could still be the issue. When the micro is energized it arcs through the poor connection and things work.
I also think there is an issue with the 12 volt side. OP should not be loosing 12 volts. The 120 will drop off the converter but the battery should maintain the 12 volt load.

[wa8yxm]

I would use both a digital and an analog volt meter on a nearby outlet to check the 120 volts.. My suspicion is you have like 126 or 127 but when you fire up the microwave it's dropping to like 124 and from there.....

Also monitor the 12 volt side of life.. I'm guessing your WFFCO has failed in the regulator stage and is passing on the higher voltage.

NOTE: if this is the case, even if the voltage on the 120 side is normal (110-120) a drop of a volt or two may be the reason the microwave makes it work.

If you have to replace the converter stage of the WFFCO.. (Which I suspect is the cause).. May I suggest a Progressive Dynamics 9200 series.

[64thunderbolt]

Conv is toast. I just replaced my WFCO. The fridge controls are 12v even though the fridge itself is heated by 120v. You should keep a batt in it. You said it was not in the coach. Some conv need a batt. You are losing 12v power, period.

[TakeNothin4Gran]

Actually, the lights don't work when the fridge kicks off also. Sorry I failed to mention that. I had to stop as it began getting dark and there were some friends who stopped by so hopefully tomorrow will be a productive day to check into all the suggestions.

And yes BFL13 it does seem odd - to me at least, and I'm by no means an electrical engineer, but to have the fridge turn on when either the M/W or the water heater gets turned on seems odd.

How can turning one one circuit (the hot water heater circuit) have any affect on the fridge when both should have their own "electrical path" seems odd. As well as using the M/W having an influence on the fridge. I could see if either the M/W or the HWH were on the same circuit and the usage of them together might trip a breaker. But to allow the fridge to turn on when either of these 2 things get used is just........ strange for me to comprehend I guess lol......

Well, time for bed and I'll be at it again tomorrow! Thank you all very much. I can tell I'll be learning something new........

[BFL13]

TakeNothin4Granted wrote:
No Old-Biscuit, the light panel goes out when the fridge goes out and the LP detector goes out too.

You are losing the "12v" that you are getting from the converter while on shore power or else from the batteries if they are connected and not dead.

Mystery why turning on the microwave or water heater on electric will make the fridge work. That would mean no batteries, but the converter suddenly comes to life when the MW or WH is turned on, so now you have 12v for the fridge and LP alarm etc. (you didn't mention 12v lights--got any lights when the fridge quits?)

Seems there is something wrong with the buss bar in the AC dist panel (row of circuit breakers in the power centre) or the neutral (white wire) buss bar? Turning on that MW gets it all to come to life? Heats the buss bar up enough to activate the next door breakers now they fit better on the buss?

You need a multimeter to check lots of places and find out what is going on.

[time2roll]

Most stuff still needs 12v for the controls.
Do you have 13.5 volts getting to the fridge control board?