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Assistance with Caravan fridge
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JackNorris
 


Member Since: 06 Jul 2012
Location: Beds/Bucks Border
Posts: 1877

United Kingdom 2005 Discovery 3 4.4 V8 HSE Auto Tonga GreenDiscovery 3
Assistance with Caravan fridge

Evening all,

So.... in my Swift 2016 caravan I've got a Dometic fridge, currently, as always running on 240V.

Chilled the fridge down last night and this morning it was 4 degrees, perfect!

Drove to site tonight with it in 12V and it rose to around 10. Assumed it was due to heat and back to 240V on arrival.

However, since then it's been getting warmer, I have a thermometer in there which is reading 14 degrees. Now, it's possible my thermometer is dead, its one of the fake mercury ones but holding it in my hand does see temp rise.

Anyone got any ideas why this won't cool? It's currently on full whack trying to get it cold.

Cheers
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Post #182987023rd Jun 2017 9:16 pm
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JackNorris
 


Member Since: 06 Jul 2012
Location: Beds/Bucks Border
Posts: 1877

United Kingdom 2005 Discovery 3 4.4 V8 HSE Auto Tonga GreenDiscovery 3

I should add that the vents outside are blowing hot air suggesting the heat exchanger is working?
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Post #182987823rd Jun 2017 9:26 pm
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riverblanche
 


Member Since: 31 Aug 2010
Location: retford'ish
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Hi,
is it worth trying it on gas Question

ISTR that caravan fridges work best on gas, may not cure it but would add to the info best of luck

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Post #182988623rd Jun 2017 9:46 pm
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Washwipe
 


Member Since: 19 Apr 2013
Location: Bucks Oxon Herts Border
Posts: 3169

England 

If it helps 2015 Swift, my fridge has failed, died last week of May, was connected to mains, everything thawed out and fridge at 18 degrees, all the lights of the fridge flashing, switched to battery, back to mains, the lights stopped flashing but nothing else, tried it on Gas, vents emitting heat but after eight hours on gas temp never dropped.
If I disconnect the mains then connect up again, after a while all the fridge lights start flashing again.

Pity you never noticed sooner, I had to get a Dometic, 240v, Gas, 12v portable fridge a bit quick as we were going away at the weekend, worked well, got me out of a hole, you could have borrowed it your not far from me.

Mine goes in next weekend for a service and the fridge fault to be sorted. Only just inside warranty also.

There was a problem with the fridges a couple of years ago, at the time mine was fine, Russell had a problem with his.

http://www.disco4.com/forum/topic144883.html?
  
Post #182989623rd Jun 2017 9:59 pm
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Russell
 


Member Since: 23 Aug 2007
Location: Kent
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United Kingdom 

I have a Swift Elegance 2015 with dometic fridge it failed after 12 months swift fitted new condenser but this did not work they then fitted new fridge
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Post #182989923rd Jun 2017 10:30 pm
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sputnixb51
 


Member Since: 23 Apr 2013
Location: Morayshire
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As has been mentioned try it on gas that will then tell you if your x 2 electrical elements are causing it or the evaporation unit, unfortunately I suspect evaporator failure.
  
Post #182990123rd Jun 2017 10:56 pm
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JackNorris
 


Member Since: 06 Jul 2012
Location: Beds/Bucks Border
Posts: 1877

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Thanks for the offer washwipe and the replies from all

I left it overnight on full and we achieved 5 degrees which is liveable. Obviously not right but means the milk will be ok lol!

Tried on gas and same issue so I'm guessing evaporator unit is on its way out.

I'll call dealer Monday, I'm guessing it will be a case of, we can fit you in in two months sir And we need the van for a week! Big Cry
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Post #183009424th Jun 2017 6:35 pm
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sailormike
 


Member Since: 04 Apr 2007
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Some older fridges have separate cooling circuits / systems for mains and gas. If they stopped working one trick was to pull the whole unit out and turn it upside down for a few minutes. This worked for me on an old ammonia type caravan fridge that would not work on gas. But would not work with a compressor type fridge.
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Post #183014724th Jun 2017 8:18 pm
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JackNorris
 


Member Since: 06 Jul 2012
Location: Beds/Bucks Border
Posts: 1877

United Kingdom 2005 Discovery 3 4.4 V8 HSE Auto Tonga GreenDiscovery 3

Thanks Mike, this is only a year old... Big Cry
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Post #183041025th Jun 2017 6:39 pm
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sputnixb51
 


Member Since: 23 Apr 2013
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It's a couple of years since I last regularly worked on tourers and motorhomes on an almost daily basis, now mostly Statics,Latterly I was replacing a lot of evaporation units and electrical elements on fridges that were only a few months old or maybe just a couple of years at the most, prior to the new breed Dometic etc I only rarely had to replace elements and hardly ever evaporation units, like the above gentleman said turning the older ones upside down and breaking air locks usually sorted them. The gas burners were more trouble in those days because the fridges were hardly ever removed and so got full of muck and then created soot.
  
Post #183052125th Jun 2017 11:06 pm
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Sidestick
 


Member Since: 22 Apr 2012
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I have a dometic like your, the problem is the movement, to work properly it needs to stay still.
Best performances are reached by gas,
acceptable by 240v
at 12v it just keep cool what inside (if not opened) trying to maintain the existing temperature (not to drop it) and should be used only for transfert.

I put in mine almost freezed goods just before depart and switch to the gas bottle as soon as i stop at destination.

hope this helps Thumbs Up
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Post #183059626th Jun 2017 9:45 am
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BorisBarKeep
 


Member Since: 13 Dec 2012
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Noticed similar issue last year in Italy when the fridge would not drop below 10c - tried everything which has been suggested here and a lot of googling later came to the conclusion that was about as good as these fridges get in hot weather!

We were away over May BH when it was hot and tried removing the top vent and placing a small solar powered extraction fan to pull air over the fins quicker which took the temp down to around 6c

For Italy trip this year will be taking our old camping fridge - while bulky it is a condensor unit and stays cold!
  
Post #183065526th Jun 2017 12:29 pm
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Washwipe
 


Member Since: 19 Apr 2013
Location: Bucks Oxon Herts Border
Posts: 3169

England 

Sidestick wrote:
I have a dometic like your, the problem is the movement, to work properly it needs to stay still:


Mine had been sat on the drive for two weeks, connected to the mainland working, then packed in, it couldn't move far, a wall behind it and telescopic posts either side the A Frame.
  
Post #183079726th Jun 2017 5:05 pm
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Washwipe
 


Member Since: 19 Apr 2013
Location: Bucks Oxon Herts Border
Posts: 3169

England 

Update on mine, collected yesterday, new Absorption Unit fitted, on the drive connected to 240v for eighteen hours, was at -18, even adjusting it down to three bars lit it is sitting at -1.
  
Post #183993723rd Jul 2017 8:41 am
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