Dometic Refer Issues...

[Kelvin]

Good info, Ron. I'm learning more about these things than I ever
planned on.

Kelvin

> Try http://rvcoolingunit.com
> http://rvcoolingunit.com/Default.aspx
> http://rvcoolingunit.com/Standard-Size-Norcold-Units-C235946.aspx?sid=298
> for rebuilt or new cooling units for Norcold fridges.
> these Amish folks build a better cooling unit than Norcold, for less
> money.
>
> ronc
>
>
> On Sun, 09 Jul 2017 10:04:28 -0600 roy keen

>> Kelvin taking it out and beating on the pipes could work but maybe
>> not. This worked for me years ago but after a couple camping trips
>> the problem
>> returned so I bought a new better refrigerator. Another Motorhome
>> that I purchased had a similar problem but taking it out and turning
>> it upside down
>> and beating on the pipes didn't help at all so I went camping with a
>> freezer and a block of ice to cool the lower section. When I got
>> back I replaced
>> the internal piping unit of the refrigerator as this refer was very
>> expensive?
>> --
>> Roy Keen
>> Minden,NV
>> 76 X Glenbrook
>>
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>
> Ron & Linda Clark
> North Plains, ORYGUN
> 1978 Eleganza II
>
>
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[Kelvin]

Well, it looks like it might be the cooling unit. All signs point
towards my 3-1/2 year-old Dometic needing $600 worth of parts. Needless
to say this is NOT the 10-15 years I was hoping to get from a new refer.

We got it to work again by turning it off and taking a rubber mallet to
the big round part of the cooling system. According to many I talked to
the "burping" thing is pretty old school. A redesign in the 80s made
this useless, according to the relatively well-known Amish fellow I
talked to. And he even says the "rubber mallet" thing wasn't doing
anything. Since I turned it off AND smacked it with the mallet I have no
idea what worked. Either way, prevailing wisdom say it's a matter of
time before the cooling problem comes back because the coolant charge
wasn't done well at the factory and there's a air bubble. I have had it
turned off for 24 hours and turned it on at noon today. It's seems to be
cooling but that box (and the water bottles in there) was very hot.
We'll see what it's like in the morning.

But yeah... looks like this won't be a cheap fix. I'm hoping it'll work
for at least one more trip before I install the new cooling unit.

Thanks for the help. I know way more about these things than I wanted
to know.
Kelvin
'73 23' in Eugene, OR

> I bought a Dometic RM2620 refrigerator from Applied in late 2013.
> Installed it then and it's been great.
>
> This weekend while camping the fridge part of it didn't seem very
> cool. We ran it on 120V and propane see if one or the other was
> problem. The freezer section was fine on both.
>
> We got home and the fridge section is basically nothing but a plastic
> box. No cooling to speak of.
>
> I cleaned the propane flame tube and that seemed to make the flame a
> little bigger but no change in cooling.
>
> One odd thing that might mean nothing. If we plugged anything into
> the circuit that runs the microwave OTHER than the microwave that
> whole circuit would go dead. Flipping the breaker did nothing.
> Eventually the microwave would come on (hours later?) and would work
> fine as long as you didn't plug a toaster in. That circuit works just
> fine when plugged in at home. Was the 30A circuit at the campground
> below 110V, perhaps? Could that have friend the control board on the
> Refer?
>
> That's all I got. The freezer is running between 11° and 19° and the
> fridge section is around 65° on an 80° day. 120V or propane. Running
> on propane might keep the freezer a little colder than 120V.
>
> Any ideas? I haven't called Dometic yet. I figure the Brain Trust
> here will be more useful than them saying, "You need to take it to an
> Authorized Dealer"
>
> Thanks,
> Kelvin
> '73 23' in Eugene, OR
>
>
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[Ken H.]

Kelvin,

A wild idea, which I haven't investigated at all: If you're going to have
to replace the unit anyway, have cooling in the freezer but not in the
lower compartment, how about cutting a big hole between the two so the cold
air can descent.

I don't think I'd try that wild idea if I planned to just install a new
cooling unit though.

Now if you were just closer by, you could do that to your 1/2 working unit,
then take the perfect cabinet needing a cooling unit that's been setting in
my shop for a few years.

Ken H.

> Well, it looks like it might be the cooling unit. All signs point towards
> my 3-1/2 year-old Dometic needing $600 worth of parts. Needless to say this
> is NOT the 10-15 years I was hoping to get from a new refer.
>
> We got it to work again by turning it off and taking a rubber mallet to
> the big round part of the cooling system. According to many I talked to the
> "burping" thing is pretty old school. A redesign in the 80s made this
> useless, according to the relatively well-known Amish fellow I talked to.
> And he even says the "rubber mallet" thing wasn't doing anything. Since I
> turned it off AND smacked it with the mallet I have no idea what worked.
> Either way, prevailing wisdom say it's a matter of time before the cooling
> problem comes back because the coolant charge wasn't done well at the
> factory and there's a air bubble. I have had it turned off for 24 hours and
> turned it on at noon today. It's seems to be cooling but that box (and the
> water bottles in there) was very hot. We'll see what it's like in the
> morning.
>
> But yeah... looks like this won't be a cheap fix. I'm hoping it'll work
> for at least one more trip before I install the new cooling unit.
>
> Thanks for the help. I know way more about these things than I wanted to
> know.
> Kelvin

 

[w schurman]

Beating my dead Norcold cooling unit with a rubber mallet sounds like a
what the heck way to perhaps bring the cooling unit back to working. My
unit just flashes "no co" which a Norcold service technician says is a
cooling unit problem. He never mentioned the mallet "fix". Should it work
I'll call him back.
He did say that very cold temps ( I live in Steamboat Springs, CO, he in
Laramie, and the winters can be rather cold) can cause ammonia crystals to
form.Funny thing that the Norcold worked perfectly this summer, except, of
course, over the 4th when I had company. Ain't it the way ?

On Thu, Jul 13, 2017 at 8:51 PM, Ken Henderson
wrote:

> Kelvin,
>
> A wild idea, which I haven't investigated at all: If you're going to have
> to replace the unit anyway, have cooling in the freezer but not in the
> lower compartment, how about cutting a big hole between the two so the cold
> air can descent.
>
> I don't think I'd try that wild idea if I planned to just install a new
> cooling unit though.
>
> Now if you were just closer by, you could do that to your 1/2 working unit,
> then take the perfect cabinet needing a cooling unit that's been setting in
> my shop for a few years.
>
> Ken H.
>
>

>
> > Well, it looks like it might be the cooling unit. All signs point towards
> > my 3-1/2 year-old Dometic needing $600 worth of parts. Needless to say
> this
> > is NOT the 10-15 years I was hoping to get from a new refer.
> >
> > We got it to work again by turning it off and taking a rubber mallet to
> > the big round part of the cooling system. According to many I talked to
> the
> > "burping" thing is pretty old school. A redesign in the 80s made this
> > useless, according to the relatively well-known Amish fellow I talked to.
> > And he even says the "rubber mallet" thing wasn't doing anything. Since I
> > turned it off AND smacked it with the mallet I have no idea what worked.
> > Either way, prevailing wisdom say it's a matter of time before the
> cooling
> > problem comes back because the coolant charge wasn't done well at the
> > factory and there's a air bubble. I have had it turned off for 24 hours
> and
> > turned it on at noon today. It's seems to be cooling but that box (and
> the
> > water bottles in there) was very hot. We'll see what it's like in the
> > morning.
> >
> > But yeah... looks like this won't be a cheap fix. I'm hoping it'll work
> > for at least one more trip before I install the new cooling unit.
> >
> > Thanks for the help. I know way more about these things than I wanted to
> > know.
> > Kelvin
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>

--
William S. Schurman
box 772806
Steamboat Springs, CO
80477
1978 Palm Beach
TZE168V100258