Fridge stopped working.. Any Thoughts?

[War Eagle]

Our 2017 21' has a 2663. Although we don't have that many hours on it, it has always been stationary and running on 120V AC - so far. No problem - yet....

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by Mark&Elaine

I don't think the fuses are the culprit. I have been an appliance technician for 40 years. My experience has been that when this type of thermal fuse opens, it is the result of another issue.

You could be right Mark. I'll defer to your expertise here.

Originally Posted by Mark&Elaine

Why some fail and some do not is puzzling.

Indeed. Which is why I mentioned defective fuses, But, it could be a fault elsewhere that only affects some fridges.

[H46Driver]

Originally Posted by Mark&Elaine

My fuse opened while I traveled to Oregon running the refrigerator on propane. I'm wondering if this was the case for others. Or did theirs fail while stationary. Mark

Mine have failed while on propane and driving. Also that is when the button on the stack has popped. Has not been a problem while running frig on AC at campgrounds or driving using DC (not my preference but we gave it a try on a sunny day with the solar panel getting good sun).

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Santiago

I know Dometic is big in the RV and marine industry but they can't be only company making propane fired fridges ? Really ?

No, as Robert mentioned, there is also Norcold (part of Thetford)... they have models in suitable sizes for Escapes, but they're probably not a solution to problems with Dometic appliances. We have a Norcold (in a previous RV to what we are currently using) which has only thawed everything in the freezer once.

Dometic owns a lot of brands, having acquired many over the years, but personally I've never heard of an absorption (propane-fired) refrigerator sold under any of their brands other than "Dometic"; they didn't need to buy an absorption refrigerator maker to expand their line, because they already were the big name in that business. They do have portable and mobile refrigerators using compressors, which have been (at least in the past) been sold under other brands (including Waeco).

The other portable refrigeration brands that I have seen (Engel, Truckfridge, Nova Kool) use compressors, rather than a propane-fired absorption cycle.

[Santiago]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

The other portable refrigeration brands that I have seen (Engel, Truckfridge, Nova Kool) use compressors, rather than a propane-fired absorption cycle.

Thank you Brian, let's not forget Vitrifrigo 12vdc electric units in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and capacities. I almost went for one but chose Nova Kool. I wonder if Dometic swallowed them too ? At least it's simple dc without boilers, flames and ....

[Tin]

Originally Posted by Mark&Elaine

I don't think the fuses are the culprit. I have been an appliance technician for 40 years. My experience has been that when this type of thermal fuse opens, it is the result of another issue. Just replacing the fuse does not correct the primary issue. The genesis of the problem must be found and corrected and to date that hasn't been done. Bypassing a safety feature,even temporarily, is not a good idea either, even though I bypassed my own until I had it repaired. It appears the repair was to only install another fuse. I ordered another fuse from the Dometic dealer that repaired my refrigerator. I suspect at some point Dometic will address the primary issue. Soon, I hope! How wide spread the problem is, is a good question. Why some fail and some do not is puzzling. My fuse opened while I traveled to Oregon running the refrigerator on propane. I'm wondering if this was the case for others. Or did theirs fail while stationary. Mark

Agreed, ours failed while driving on propane outside temps in the low 80's ( left @ 4:30AM in lone pine by 9:00 am) there are several summits (inclines) 6% for several miles but have made this trip 100 of times and never had a problem with other rigs. I do not believe it is a faulty fuse, this issues has been well documented for over 10 years dometic just covered their (ass) liability rather than deal with the real issue, leaking cooling unit due to repeated over heating resulting in stress fractures in tubing/boiler ect.

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...er-131331.html

[Tin]

see also;

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Santiago

... let's not forget Vitrifrigo
...
I wonder if Dometic swallowed them too ?

Apparently not: Vitrifrigo is part of the Vitri Alceste Group (VAG).

There's a much wider range of manufacturers in the compressor-based refrigeration business than in absorption refrigerators for RVs.

[casejh]

Originally Posted by H46Driver

Mine have failed while on propane and driving. Also that is when the button on the stack has popped. Has not been a problem while running frig on AC at campgrounds or driving using DC (not my preference but we gave it a try on a sunny day with the solar panel getting good sun).

I am not clear on this. What is "the button on the stack" that "popped".

[Mark&Elaine]

Originally Posted by casejh

I am not clear on this. What is "the button on the stack" that "popped".

The "button on the stack" is another thermal fuse mounted on the vent stack. This thermal is a resettable fuse. If it opens electrically, pressing the button resets or electrically closes it again. Excessive heat causes it to open. It is wired in series with the non-resettable thermal fuse that has been the issue of this thread

[Tin]

Originally Posted by Mark&Elaine

The "button on the stack" is another thermal fuse mounted on the vent stack. This thermal is a resettable fuse. If it opens electrically, pressing the button resets or electrically closes it again. Excessive heat causes it to open. It is wired in series with the non-resettable thermal fuse that has been the issue of this thread

That is what is so puzzling to me, you have two fuse in series. the first fuse (melt fuse) is there due to catastrophic failure meaning a fire which then shuts everything down frig power/LP gas and is sevarl inches away from the heat stack. It is followed by the re settable disk thermal fuse directly attached to the boiler heat stack which should trip due to over heating. ? then why is the melt fuse which is designed to cut out @ 305 degrees melting before the high temp fuse trips. Seems odd to me, what temp does the high temp fuse trip @ ? I mean how hot would the boiler/heat stack need to be in order to melt the fuse several inches away (dam hot) ? when normal boiler operating temp are around 350 degrees just seems odd ?
Hoping I made sense and someone with a better understanding than I could chime in ?

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Tin

That is what is so puzzling to me, you have two fuse in series. the first fuse (melt fuse) is there due to catastrophic failure meaning a fire which then shuts everything down frig power/LP gas and is sevarl inches away from the heat stack. It is followed by the re settable disk thermal fuse directly attached to the boiler heat stack which should trip due to over heating. ? then why is the melt fuse which is designed to cut out @ 305 degrees melting before the high temp fuse trips.

This is only a guess, but perhaps the resettable device on the stack is to shut down in case of high boiler temperature (due, for instance, to operation for too long continuously or without sufficient ambient air circulation) and the melting fuse is to shut down in case of fire in the compartment or seriously obstructed ventilation (a situation never encountered in normal operation). In that case, it makes sense for the melt fuse temperature to be lower than the boiler device's temperature, but still much higher than the compartment would reach during safe operation; the melt fuse handles the case of the whole compartment being at a temperature that only the boiler should reach.

[Tin]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

This is only a guess, but perhaps the resettable device on the stack is to shut down in case of high boiler temperature (due, for instance, to operation for too long continuously or without sufficient ambient air circulation) and the melting fuse is to shut down in case of fire in the compartment or seriously obstructed ventilation (a situation never encountered in normal operation). In that case, it makes sense for the melt fuse temperature to be lower than the boiler device's temperature, but still much higher than the compartment would reach during safe operation; the melt fuse handles the case of the whole compartment being at a temperature that only the boiler should reach.

True and understandable just seems strange that the melt fuse would go before the high temp trips. Unless the high temp is faulty thus causing the melt fuse to cut out. Hum ? Does anyone happen to know the high temp cut out temp ? Oh and not sure if any one would be interested but look whats on E Bay.looks like both fuses are in the kit.

[War Eagle]

Not sure if the rationale/design holds true for a propane refrigerator, but our home natural gas water heater has two safety features: 1) the thermocouple that shuts off the gas should the pilot light go out, and 2) a thermal switch that shuts off the gas should the combustion chamber get too hot from too little air flow due to a blocked vent (like a tree branch falling into the exhaust stack or dryer lint clogging the air inlet). I was told the thermal switch was added in case someone spilled a combustible fluid near the heater's flame causing a catastrophic fire and the whole tank goes up in flames - the thermal switch will shut off the gas (or propane) so at least that will not keep adding to the problem. Could the thermal switch redundancy in the Dometic refrigerator serve some similar combination of purposes (excess exhaust stack temperature vs minimizing catastrophic flame-up)? Not sure if what I'm saying even makes sense.

[Tin]

Originally Posted by War Eagle

Not sure if the rationale/design holds true for a propane refrigerator, but our home natural gas water heater has two safety features: 1) the thermocouple that a shuts off the gas should the pilot light go out, and 2) a thermal switch that shuts off the gas should the combustion chamber get too hot from too little air flow due to a blocked vent (like a tree branch falling into the exhaust stack or dryer lint clogging the air inlet). I was told the thermal switch was added in case someone spilled a combustible fluid near the heater's flame causing a catastrophic fire and the whole tank goes up in flames - the thermal switch will shut off the gas (or propane) so at least that will not keep adding to the problem. Could the thermal switch redundancy in the Dometic refrigerator serve some similar combination of purposes (excess exhaust stack temperature vs minimizing catastrophic flame-up)? Not sure if what I'm saying even makes sense.

Hi War Eagle,
LOL Yes you make perfect sense. I think Iam the one with the sense issues.

[Beaver]

We just had our Dometic fridge repaired because of the thermal fuse shutting it down. Our dealer informed us that the Dometic recall was because the location of the fuse caused it to blow when it should not have. They relocated the fuse as directed by the Dometic recall, they explained. Hopefully this will solve the problem permanently. We took delivery of our 19 in early Feb 2017. Our dealer thought that Escape should have received the recall by then and fixed the problem.

[Tin]

Originally Posted by Beaver

We just had our Dometic fridge repaired because of the thermal fuse shutting it down. Our dealer informed us that the Dometic recall was because the location of the fuse caused it to blow when it should not have. They relocated the fuse as directed by the Dometic recall, they explained. Hopefully this will solve the problem permanently. We took delivery of our 19 in early Feb 2017. Our dealer thought that Escape should have received the recall by then and fixed the problem.

Interesting I was not aware of a Dometic recall regarding the fuse able link relocation ? would you happen to have the recall number and or pictures of this relocation ? Thanks
Tin

[War Eagle]

Originally Posted by Beaver

... Our dealer thought that Escape should have received the recall by then and fixed the problem.

The statement by your dealer makes it sound, again, like it is somehow Escape's responsibility to fix Dometic's problem. I don't get that....

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by War Eagle

The statement by your dealer makes it sound, again, like it is somehow Escape's responsibility to fix Dometic's problem. I don't get that....

I think the suggestion is that ETI should have received the recall notice and changed the location on new builds.
Of course, this is supposition and speculation. Maybe they got the notice and maybe they didn't. Doubtful that they would have received the notice and ignored it.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by War Eagle

The statement by your dealer makes it sound, again, like it is somehow Escape's responsibility to fix Dometic's problem. I don't get that....

Yeah, it's difficult to know if they were even notified. While a dealer may get notice of a recall, Escape isn't a Dometic dealer. They sell Dometic fridges only as part of a trailer, not Dometic fridges separately to the general public.