Odd fridge issue. Dometic brand

{tpc} · 07-08-2019, 04:08 AM

Forgive me as I don't have the part number of the fridge in question.

Anyway, we went camping this past weekend, and prior to camping I did my usual...brought trailer home, plugged into house power with adapter, and started the fridge. Typically I just run it on propane because it cools better, but this time I thought I'd go with AC for a couple hours while I did other stuff. Did that, came back and it was cooling pretty good, but I switched it to propane anyways, since we were headed out the next day.

Loaded it up and did what I normally do before leaving, flipped off the main breaker in the trailer. Look over, fridge still running, disconnected from house power, everything still running fine.

Get to campsite, set up, plug into shore power, turn that breaker on, go inside and turn on the main, leave the fridge on propane. Everything fine while we are there.

When we are packing up to leave, I went outside, turned the breaker off at the pole, disconnected the cable, and went back inside to turn the main off in there. So that step I kinda reversed in that I turned off the pole before I turned off the main at the converter.

When I turned off the main at the converter, the fridge turned off. Mind you I am disconnected from shore power, but the fridge should still be running. I push all the buttons on the fridge and nothing. So I flip the main breaker on, and the fridge comes back to life.

Shine a light into the fuse area on the converter, all the fuses I could see look good, I push on them, all feel seated, and its time to go, so I left it liked that since it was working.

Got to the storage yard, fridge still running fine and cold, empty it out. Switch the main breaker off again (to see if the fridge shuts off), and it doesn't, it stays on and running.

Any idea what could have caused this seemingly temporary issue? I thought I remembered someone else having a similar issue but I could not find the thread.

Maybe there is a bad or loose connection on the solder joints of the fuse panel on the converter? And it was just a coincidence that the connection went loose when I turned the main off and made a connection when I turned it on? Because I don't think any of the "breakers" on the converter connect to the AC of the fridge, I feel like that connection is already made and just switched in. Even if a breaker does run to the fridge, the lights and control operation is run off of DC anyways.

I know my battery is up for replacement just due to years of service imo, but it has been holding a charge, as the radio the drains it all the time was fully lit and bright when this happened.

Its just odd..

Pull Toy · 07-08-2019, 06:00 AM

Hi Tony,

When you say main breaker, I assume you mean 110 volt breaker. This should have no effect on your propane refrigerator issues, as running on propane should only involve your 12 volt system, and propane. Is it possible that you have the 'fridge selector switch set to automatic? This would default to 110 v any time that the system is plugged in to shore power.

My first guess would be that your battery is not doing its job, or your propane tank is empty if it will not run on LP.

Good Luck,

{tpc} · 07-08-2019, 07:00 AM

Oh no it runs just fine on both AC (at least before we left, didn't check again) and propane and the tanks are full.Its just confusing behavior because at one point i switched off the main breaker on the converter panel and the fridge went out. This was while only connected to battery power. Switched it back and it worked again. Got home and switched it off, and it stayed working (which is correct behavior).

travelin texans · 07-08-2019, 08:36 AM

Why are you turning the main breaker off in the rv?
Been rving 40+ years & have never done so, unless working on the wiring.

{tpc} · 07-08-2019, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelin texans

Why are you turning the main breaker off in the rv?
Been rving 40+ years & have never done so, unless working on the wiring.

Just how I have always done it. I mean if I go to the pole and flip the breaker and I hear or see sparks, I'd rather have as much of the trailer disconnected as possible.

Should not matter, should not hurt anything, and shouldn't have had an effect.

MarkEHansen · 07-08-2019, 12:29 PM

I have an EMS to protect my trailer inards. This also protects my trailer in cases other than an issue switching the breaker at the park pedestal. I too have never switched my breakers inside my trailer, except when specifically necessary to prevent power to a specific circuit.

LHaven · 07-08-2019, 01:18 PM

I agree -- switching off the inside breaker is kinda belt-and-suspenders. But again, it should have had nothing to do with the (DC) power to your fridge UNLESS there was also a loose fuse or intermittent wiring connection on the fridge circuit, in which case the physical snap could have temporarily unseated it. You pushed in all the fuses, perhaps you should also disconnect the battery and check the tightness of all the screw down binding posts in the fusebox.

{tpc} · 07-09-2019, 04:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LHaven

I agree -- switching off the inside breaker is kinda belt-and-suspenders. But again, it should have had nothing to do with the (DC) power to your fridge UNLESS there was also a loose fuse or intermittent wiring connection on the fridge circuit, in which case the physical snap could have temporarily unseated it. You pushed in all the fuses, perhaps you should also disconnect the battery and check the tightness of all the screw down binding posts in the fusebox.

Thank you, this is what I was thinking as well. All the flipping of the breakers yes and no stuff, doesn't really matter to me other than its possible effect on this circuit. I don't own a surge protector for the trailer, but I may look into one. After 5 years of ownership, I've not had an issue.

Getting back to the issue again, now that I have "seen" the behavior, I can't just throw a surge protector on it and leave the main on all the time anyways, at least until I come to a conclusion. I've had the converter partially open or out before (I can't recall if I pulled it out or just took covers off to see everything) due to a improper recall repair by the dealer on the AC unit. Since the dealer also replaced this fridge, I wouldn't be surprised to find something similar.

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