Slow and Clumped Ice from Replacement Dometic RM1350 Refer

[wheeler]

Hi. The original Dometic refrigerator failed after fourteen years. A new Dometic RM1350 MIMSS was just installed by a tech shop. Where we live the outside temperatures are cool, only 68°. Setting on cooling level 4 or 5 (maximum coldness), on constant shoreline AC power, with a refer temperature reading of 34°, and with normal 50 pound PSI city water connection, the new refer’s icemaker has been extremely slow to make ice cubes.

Whereas the icemaker in my 2004 Dometic refer would fill its ice bin in 24 hours, it takes 8 days to fill the icemaker bin to full, without removing any ice. This is MUCH slower than any icemaker I’ve ever heard of and ice production is so slow I don’t think it could keep up with me. 🙂 Moreover, after five days of not opening the freezer one time, today I found the entire bin of ice cubes stuck and clumped together.

Not sure if the freezer’s automatic defrosting cycle is the cause of the stuck together ice cubes. The installing tech shop owner says the slow ice making and clumped together ice is “normal” or usual operation.

I’m not pleased with the icemaker experience in this new (and terribly costly) refer. I’d like to get other users’ opinions as to what normal icemaker operation should be for a recent Dometic model 1350. Thanks.

[dougrainer]

1. You CANNOT use an IR thermometer on Refers and AC's. You will not get an accurate read
2. The ONLY way to check is a small glass of water after 24 hours with a digital thermometer
3. IN a Slide room, you need an extra fan blowing out the upper door to get the hot air completely out
4. Also, the area at the back by that door. It needs room to flow the air out. Since you changed models, the rear ventilation may not be to spec and needs modified to fit your 1350.
5. From the upper door outside you will be able to look down and see the fans. Doug

[wheeler]

Hi, Doug, thanks for your input. Yes, the refer location is in a slideout. The refer’s digital temperature readout for the refrigerator section has been steady at 32°. Using my infrared thermometer I’ve found the floor of the freezer compartment in front of the icemaker to be around 20° but I don’t think I’ve captured a 10° temperature at any point or time in the freezer.

There are two removable exterior access panels, one high and one low. How many fans are there, are they visible from the access panels, and do they run constantly? Anything else I can check about the rear ventilation? Since I’m getting pushback from the installer, I’m trying to understand the facts as I move to next steps. Another disturbing aspect is- this poor performance is while the outdoor temperatures are 70° and cooler- performance on a hot day would be much worse. Thanks again.

[dougrainer]

There is no Defrost on the icemaker. The refer is NOT performing to specs. The production of Ice in an RV refer is dependent on the FREEZER TEMP. It must be below 10 degrees for the icemaker to cycle. So, if the Freezer does not get to 10 degrees or takes a long time to get to 10 degrees, the production will be slow. Since you had melted clumped Ice, that points to a problem with the refer cooling correctly. You need to verify the Main refer is cooling to spec. On MAX(5) the refer should be close to 32 degrees(glass of water after 24 hours). The rear fans need to be verified they are running. Also, the rear ventilation needs checked. Is this refer in a slide room? Doug

PS, I would NOT trust that it was installed correctly due to the brush off by the Company that installed it.