The RVer's Open Forum

Swirve.com Links: Swirve.com Free Email Games Fantasy Sports E-Cards Movies Horoscopes Freebies Web Search

NOTICE: Beginning July 10th, 2008, this message board service will no longer be active or available for use.

The RVer's Open Forum / TECHNICAL RV HELP / Refrigerator/ repair or replace?

Russell
User ID: 9356783 Jan 3rd 11:08 AM
After smelling an odor in my RV I opened the refrigerator door and was practically knocked down with ammonia. I assume there is a leak in the refrigerator compartment. My question: Is this something that can be checked out and repaired or is replacement most likely. It is a 14 yr old Norcold and I am planning to sell the RV this winter.

Mike
Administrator Jan 3rd 12:11 PM
Russell,

See the information available at http://www.rvmobile.com/

Mike

Russell
User ID: 9356783 Jan 4th 8:28 AM
Mike, Thanks for the website. They make it sound simple to replace the cooling unit yourself. Has anyone tried this and how difficult is it?

Don-Savannah, GA
User ID: 9865253 Jan 4th 8:54 AM
New unit or replacing the coil depends on the condition of the Fridge box itself, IF it really shows its age it would be a negative selling point. Kind of like putting a new engine in a ratty old car.
I watched the Technician replace our Fridge cooling assembly, it was under Warranty. The Tech had never done one on a MH like mine so it took him a while to find out what bolts and trim had to be removed. The hardest part is getting it out of the hole, it took 2 people. My MH door was wide enough to take it outside, from there it was a matter of studying the new coil assembly to see what had to be removed to get the old one off the fridge. It is definitly a 2 man job for removal and installation. I am 70 years old and would not hesitate to do it if I could find a stronger person to do the bull work.......

Russell
User ID: 9356783 Jan 4th 9:00 AM
Don, Thanks for the reply. I think I will give it a try. It could save me around $500 if I do it myself.
Russell

BobJoh
User ID: 8506593 Apr 15th 12:16 PM
Ref. the fridge that would light pilot and burn but not cool. Bought an older, '76 Motorhome and was told the fridge didn't work. I cleaned the stack from the bottom and got out black balls of soot and rust flakes. My pilot then lit and the flame was nice and blue and it felt hot but no cool. Took off the oblong cap on the roof and found that fiberglass insulation had fallen over the top outlet from the flue.. Trimed some off and pushed other stuff back clearing the flue flow out the top. Now, within an hour had frost spot in freezer. That was four summers ago and this twenty six year old refrig still works fine,, even makes thin ice on the ice tea in the refrig section. All looked to work fine but a blocked flue kept the process from being complete.

Rob R.
User ID: 0603144 Jul 15th 1:07 PM
Just a note on rvmobile. If you get around Everett Washington it is worth stopping in and just looking around. I think they have one of every refrig. ever made for Motor Homes. They do have good stock of the bits and pieces also.

Susan
User ID: 1376304 Oct 14th 11:19 PM
The exact thing happend to us and we marched to Sears and bought a refrigerator that fint the hole exactly for under $200. If we would have replaced with an RV type it was going to cost $1,200. We love our new frig

jd
User ID: 9816503 Oct 15th 4:48 PM
Others have done what Susan did and been very pleased with the results. You probably get better performance that way, only downside is doing so requires availability of 120VAC, a Hookup. Those who always pre-cool the fridge at home and drive no more than a day to an electric site will do well. Either the RV type or the Apartment type will "hold" for a day if chilled through then not opened. God Bless, jd

Tom
User ID: 0422394 Apr 18th 5:21 PM
I helped a friend replace his cooling unit. The hardest part was getting the big frig he had out of his large class b (or small C) Once it was out taking the back off was no problem. A person should be methodical and have containers so you can keep track of the little parts and what screw go where. He got a rebuilt unit and then returned his old one in the same box. The same people will rebuild yours if you can be without it for a week or so. That would be my choice if it was possible, the reason being some of the sheet metal parts the holes did not line up 100% The boiler section of the cooling unit is cut out and replaced if the rebuild is done correctly. There are some whole patch what you have and get it working, but I think that is just asking for more trouble. There is a special putty that is applied between the cooling unit and the frig box itself, do a good job with that and the transfer of cold will be at it's best. The putty I think holds some moisture during use which is not a problem, but if you use your rig for a short time and then shut it down, the mositure during these down times I think is when the rusting takes place. As a rule I keep my door blocked open when not in use, this allows it to dry out completely between uses. The directions that came with the rebuild unit were good and anybody handy with a screw driver can do it.

Good luck

Tom

Frank
User ID: 1954724 Oct 4th 9:04 PM
We spent $300 to have computer board replaced, then lost the ammonia. At present we're using a frost free Magic Chef which was only $300. It will fit in the same hole as Dometic, and I'm seriously thinking about installing it there permanently, and 1000 watt inverter to operate it.

tk
User ID: 1662364 Oct 4th 10:15 PM
We have an original 1989 Dometic that works fine, though at the Big RV Rally in Oregon this year, one of the seminars by a Dometic tech said to clean the burner & flue and check the ignitor wire gap, which we just had done: I told him that when I "fix" something that isn't broken I will be upset if it quits working! One of the Dometic assistant's said it was a minor miracle that ours was still working with absolutely no maintenance since we've owned it since 1999, and I suspect no maintenance since 1989.
There is something to be said for that old adage of leaving well enough alone!

Russell User ID: 9356783	Jan 3rd 11:08 AM After smelling an odor in my RV I opened the refrigerator door and was practically knocked down with ammonia. I assume there is a leak in the refrigerator compartment. My question: Is this something that can be checked out and repaired or is replacement most likely. It is a 14 yr old Norcold and I am planning to sell the RV this winter.
Mike Administrator	Jan 3rd 12:11 PM Russell, See the information available at http://www.rvmobile.com/ Mike
Russell User ID: 9356783	Jan 4th 8:28 AM Mike, Thanks for the website. They make it sound simple to replace the cooling unit yourself. Has anyone tried this and how difficult is it?
Don-Savannah, GA User ID: 9865253	Jan 4th 8:54 AM New unit or replacing the coil depends on the condition of the Fridge box itself, IF it really shows its age it would be a negative selling point. Kind of like putting a new engine in a ratty old car. I watched the Technician replace our Fridge cooling assembly, it was under Warranty. The Tech had never done one on a MH like mine so it took him a while to find out what bolts and trim had to be removed. The hardest part is getting it out of the hole, it took 2 people. My MH door was wide enough to take it outside, from there it was a matter of studying the new coil assembly to see what had to be removed to get the old one off the fridge. It is definitly a 2 man job for removal and installation. I am 70 years old and would not hesitate to do it if I could find a stronger person to do the bull work.......
Russell User ID: 9356783	Jan 4th 9:00 AM Don, Thanks for the reply. I think I will give it a try. It could save me around $500 if I do it myself. Russell
BobJoh User ID: 8506593	Apr 15th 12:16 PM Ref. the fridge that would light pilot and burn but not cool. Bought an older, '76 Motorhome and was told the fridge didn't work. I cleaned the stack from the bottom and got out black balls of soot and rust flakes. My pilot then lit and the flame was nice and blue and it felt hot but no cool. Took off the oblong cap on the roof and found that fiberglass insulation had fallen over the top outlet from the flue.. Trimed some off and pushed other stuff back clearing the flue flow out the top. Now, within an hour had frost spot in freezer. That was four summers ago and this twenty six year old refrig still works fine,, even makes thin ice on the ice tea in the refrig section. All looked to work fine but a blocked flue kept the process from being complete.
Rob R. User ID: 0603144	Jul 15th 1:07 PM Just a note on rvmobile. If you get around Everett Washington it is worth stopping in and just looking around. I think they have one of every refrig. ever made for Motor Homes. They do have good stock of the bits and pieces also.
Susan User ID: 1376304	Oct 14th 11:19 PM The exact thing happend to us and we marched to Sears and bought a refrigerator that fint the hole exactly for under $200. If we would have replaced with an RV type it was going to cost $1,200. We love our new frig
jd User ID: 9816503	Oct 15th 4:48 PM Others have done what Susan did and been very pleased with the results. You probably get better performance that way, only downside is doing so requires availability of 120VAC, a Hookup. Those who always pre-cool the fridge at home and drive no more than a day to an electric site will do well. Either the RV type or the Apartment type will "hold" for a day if chilled through then not opened. God Bless, jd
Tom User ID: 0422394	Apr 18th 5:21 PM I helped a friend replace his cooling unit. The hardest part was getting the big frig he had out of his large class b (or small C) Once it was out taking the back off was no problem. A person should be methodical and have containers so you can keep track of the little parts and what screw go where. He got a rebuilt unit and then returned his old one in the same box. The same people will rebuild yours if you can be without it for a week or so. That would be my choice if it was possible, the reason being some of the sheet metal parts the holes did not line up 100% The boiler section of the cooling unit is cut out and replaced if the rebuild is done correctly. There are some whole patch what you have and get it working, but I think that is just asking for more trouble. There is a special putty that is applied between the cooling unit and the frig box itself, do a good job with that and the transfer of cold will be at it's best. The putty I think holds some moisture during use which is not a problem, but if you use your rig for a short time and then shut it down, the mositure during these down times I think is when the rusting takes place. As a rule I keep my door blocked open when not in use, this allows it to dry out completely between uses. The directions that came with the rebuild unit were good and anybody handy with a screw driver can do it. Good luck Tom
Frank User ID: 1954724	Oct 4th 9:04 PM We spent $300 to have computer board replaced, then lost the ammonia. At present we're using a frost free Magic Chef which was only $300. It will fit in the same hole as Dometic, and I'm seriously thinking about installing it there permanently, and 1000 watt inverter to operate it.
tk User ID: 1662364	Oct 4th 10:15 PM We have an original 1989 Dometic that works fine, though at the Big RV Rally in Oregon this year, one of the seminars by a Dometic tech said to clean the burner & flue and check the ignitor wire gap, which we just had done: I told him that when I "fix" something that isn't broken I will be upset if it quits working! One of the Dometic assistant's said it was a minor miracle that ours was still working with absolutely no maintenance since we've owned it since 1999, and I suspect no maintenance since 1989. There is something to be said for that old adage of leaving well enough alone!