I removed the fridge and turned it upside down overnight. I read that the 110V cord is only for the heating element and the fridge still needs a 12V source to operate. This doesn’t sound right, but what does everyone else think? I need to know what to check to find the problem. There are no signs of leaks, no smell etc. I plan to hotwire the heating elements to check them but then what?
1976 Myself and Wife
1999 Daughter
2001 Son
2009 ?????
1995 Chevy Z71
2000 Chevy Astro
1975 Bethany Citation 86
1980 Winnebago Minnie Winnie
on Chevy G30 Chassis
If that refer is the original one that is in your 1980's Winnie, it may have manual controls and not need 12-volts for operation.
If your refer has a control knob, not button, that you turn to change from gas to electric, then that model doesn't have a control board and doesn't need 12-volts to operate on gas or electric.
Directly wiring the heating element to 110-volts will be a good test.
Steve
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Its an absorption refrigeration system, and only need heat to operate, that heat can come from a 120V heating element, or an LP Gas burner, some even had a 12V DC element. The newer unit also use 12V to power a control board, but the older one dont have that.
The refrigerator you have at home is a mechanical refrigeration system, and uses a compressor to compress a gas and make it change states from a gas to a liquid, and back, moving heat with it.
There totally different types.
If it works on one source of heat, it can be made to operate on the other.
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Thanks for all the replies! I've been to the rvmobile site and got most of my testing info there. It is indeed the original fridge from 1980, three way. It has two heating elements, one for 12V, the other for 120. I can switch it with three buttons, one for each power source. When I turned the fridge back right side up today, I heard the fluids going back down to the tank and I hope that's a good sign. I found that the switch (110V/12V/LP) seems to be stuck, and found a broken wire on the 120V heating element. How do I know which replacement element to buy? It states on the rear panel that it's a two stage element, and has 3 wires but thats all the info I have on it.
I would try to get it to work on LP Gas first, if it wont work on gas, it might not work on any heat source. Also I would forget the 12V heater I dont think you will ever use it, just the gas and 120V, and maybe only gas. If you have a volt Ohm meter you could find out if the heaters work, most used units I see have bad 12V heaters, and they dont get replaced, they just run your battery down fast.
So try the gas, first get a pilot then set the thermostat down and the small flame should start. And it will take it 2 to 4 hrs to start to get the freezer's metal back and floor cold. If it does, then worry about the 120V element. And if its bad you can order it by the model and Ser# of the refrigerator.
Remember you want just the right amount of heat, not to much or to little, so dont change that, and if you ever smell ammonia, stop, and get rid of it, its junk.
lwbfl wrote: Thanks for all the replies! I've been to the rvmobile site and got most of my testing info there. It is indeed the original fridge from 1980, three way. It has two heating elements, one for 12V, the other for 120. I can switch it with three buttons, one for each power source. When I turned the fridge back right side up today, I heard the fluids going back down to the tank and I hope that's a good sign. I found that the switch (110V/12V/LP) seems to be stuck, and found a broken wire on the 120V heating element. How do I know which replacement element to buy? It states on the rear panel that it's a two stage element, and has 3 wires but thats all the info I have on it.
So this answers the question about the 12-volts. Your model doesn't need 12-volts to operate on gas or electric.
As Mike said, test the unit on gas. You can use a 20# bulk tank with a regulator and hose with a 3/8" flare fitting on the end that will thread onto the refer's gas valve/inlet.
If it cools on gas then I would look for a heating element. THIS is a good source for older RV appliance parts.
As far as the three wires on the element, I don't ever remember three wire elements but it's been a while since I have worked on the older Dometics. You will need to have the model and serial number to order parts.
Also, many, if not all, of the cosmetic parts aren't available anymore for the older refers. If you have missing and/or damaged liner, shelves or door liners that are no longer available, it may be better to look for a used or rebuilt refer.
BTW, one of the hardest things to sometimes do is get an old heating element out of the sleeve, the reason being is the sleeve is steel and the case of the heating element is brass.
When I changed-out defective cooling units, I always included a new element so I wouldn't have to screw around getting the old one out.
When just changing out the element, I sometimes needed to remove the entire refer so I could use a long punch to drive the defective element out of the sleeve from the bottom. Argh!!!!!
* This post was
edited 07/21/08 12:28pm by javaseuf *
After more research and a few calls, I've found some more info. The three wire is the 120V and it's a two stage element. They both slid out easily as the exterior of the elements are porcelain. Both had broken wires, but the part #'s were plainly printed on the elements. They are common dometic elements and I have found them locally. As soon as I get the switch "unstuck" I'll buy the 120V element and try it on that. The gas approach would cost more as I need a few replacement parts due to rust and corrosion. I don't mind spending the $25 to test it.
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