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PapillonOne's avatar
PapillonOne
Explorer
Jan 02, 2015

1972 Shasta Compact Refrigerator Thermostat Questions

I bought this travel trailer and was not able to confirm how well the fridge worked prior to purchase. It has a Dometic Refridgerator (sp?)propane and electric type. I found the thermostat cover was off along with the little knob that turns it in the kitchen drawer! :(

I put them back on but find that when the fridge is on electric, (haven't tried the propane yet) and have the dial turned all the way to the left as far as it will go the fridge is still showing a temperature of anywhere from 10 to 25 degrees though that is with no food in it yet. Anyone know if that is normal?

Also the dial does not want to stay on the stem...it has a little extra opening where it goes over the thermostat stem but that opening does seem to want to fit or work to actually move the thermostat, not sure what I am doing wrong there as it does not look broken.

Also, I took pictures of this but do not know how to post them to my question. Can anyone help me with that as well? Thanks so much.

Janet
  • PapillonOne's avatar
    PapillonOne
    Explorer
    Jan 08, 2015
    I sure appreciate all of your input. Thanks so much for some great information and suggestions. I'll check in to seeing what can be done.
  • Naio's avatar
    Naio
    Explorer II
    Jan 08, 2015
    westend wrote:

    I would contact a local appliance repair shop to see if someone can help with the replacement. Who knows, they may have a failed cooling unit with a good thermostat.



    Yes. Some shops even specialize in fixing older appliances :). Someone like that would probably get a kick out of consulting on your project!

    I also think the timer circuit is not a terrible idea. Or (this is what I would do because I am cheap and also paranoid about antique wiring) just run the fridge during the day and unplug it at night. It will stay cold.

    BTW, the best way to determine the temp of a fridge is to put your thermometer in a glass of water, in the fridge, for many hours or overnight. Fridges often take 12-24 hours to stabilise at a new temperature after you adjust the setting. Anyway this is what my appliance guy told me.
  • Caveman_Charlie's avatar
    Caveman_Charlie
    Explorer II
    Jan 08, 2015
    westend wrote:
    Why not replace the thermostat?


    X2 If the fridge still makes it cold in the compartment it should be possible to make it work as original. On gas too.
  • westend's avatar
    westend
    Explorer
    Jan 07, 2015
    PapillonOne wrote:
    westend wrote:
    Why not replace the thermostat?


    Norcold no longer sells the thermostat for this fridge nor does it offer an update kit. I called Camping World here and they are gonna price a new Model 663EG (Imagine that?! They have a replacement fridge but no replacement parts!!) I was told I could put a timer circuit on the power line or just replace it all together. I guess with a replacement it would give me a more efficient better insulated fridge at least I would hope so as long as I don't buy a GE product since they have been known in the past for skimping on door insulation! (My home side by side fridge was a GE that had this problem except that GE didn't bother to notify many of us that there was a recall going on!)

    If anyone else has a suggestion, would love to hear it.

    Instead of trying to find a direct replacement, perhaps it's possible to find a thermostat that has the same function. Basically, these fridge thermostats are a circuit interrupter, ie. a switch. That is why it's easy to wire around a failed thermostat so the fridge runs non-stop.
    I would assume that your thermostat has a bulb type of element within the box that transmits temperature to the actual thermostat. It may be necessary to find a similar thermostat with sender. I would contact a local appliance repair shop to see if someone can help with the replacement. Who knows, they may have a failed cooling unit with a good thermostat.

    BTW, the Sam's Club $25 membership is good for a healthy discount at Camping World stores.
  • PapillonOne's avatar
    PapillonOne
    Explorer
    Jan 07, 2015
    JiminDenver wrote:
    Hey the fridge works! That's the good news. Unfortunately you have to go through and check everything out before you buy, even if you buy new. Sounds like a neat trailer if that's all it needs.

    How about some pictures of the rest of it. :)


    Yeah, the Pollyanna approach is one way to do it. :B I've been reading horror stories about new campers with major problems. Very sad that we have such******manufacturing here!:( I guess there's no longer much pride or integrity among the owners of these companies... all comes down to greed for the almighty $$.

    Speaking of problems, anyone think the Good Sam membership is worth the $25 annual fee? or is it more of a feel good but no real substance membership.

    Thanks much.
  • PapillonOne's avatar
    PapillonOne
    Explorer
    Jan 07, 2015
    westend wrote:
    Why not replace the thermostat?


    Norcold no longer sells the thermostat for this fridge nor does it offer an update kit. I called Camping World here and they are gonna price a new Model 663EG (Imagine that?! They have a replacement fridge but no replacement parts!!) I was told I could put a timer circuit on the power line or just replace it all together. I guess with a replacement it would give me a more efficient better insulated fridge at least I would hope so as long as I don't buy a GE product since they have been known in the past for skimping on door insulation! (My home side by side fridge was a GE that had this problem except that GE didn't bother to notify many of us that there was a recall going on!)

    If anyone else has a suggestion, would love to hear it.
  • JiminDenver's avatar
    JiminDenver
    Explorer II
    Jan 07, 2015
    Hey the fridge works! That's the good news. Unfortunately you have to go through and check everything out before you buy, even if you buy new. Sounds like a neat trailer if that's all it needs.

    How about some pictures of the rest of it. :)
  • PapillonOne's avatar
    PapillonOne
    Explorer
    Jan 06, 2015
    westend wrote:
    I would guess that the thermostat is broken and is allowing the fridge to run almost full time. An empty fridge is not going to be that much cooler than a full one,once all the food is cooled down.

    I'd question the accuracy of your measuring (without knowing specifics) as most folks are unable to obtain that temperature with their absorption refrigerator. 30f->40f degrees is typical, some having difficulty reaching -40f from ambient. Have you tried placing a container of water in the fridge? A glass of water should freeze within a few hours at those temps you are stating.


    You sound "spot on" as they say. The thermostat is broken and was bypassed by the previous owner and jury rigged to be on all the time (found new wiring in the back of the fridge compartment and the original wiring unplugged!) Guess when I asked the seller if the fridge worked, he didn't "quite understand" that I meant "did it work correctly!" Too bad there are such low lifes types out there selling!! I really wanted a fridge that could run on propane but I guess that's not gonna happen!

    Any suggestions as to a work around for this?

    Thanks!

    Janet
  • westend's avatar
    westend
    Explorer
    Jan 03, 2015
    I would guess that the thermostat is broken and is allowing the fridge to run almost full time. An empty fridge is not going to be that much cooler than a full one,once all the food is cooled down.

    I'd question the accuracy of your measuring (without knowing specifics) as most folks are unable to obtain that temperature with their absorption refrigerator. 30f->40f degrees is typical, some having difficulty reaching -40f from ambient. Have you tried placing a container of water in the fridge? A glass of water should freeze within a few hours at those temps you are stating.

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