New Dometic refrigerator problem

[RV-to-travel]

Dometic DM 2852 just installed.
I'm dry camping.
Refrigerator draws batteries down from full charge to 12.0 overnight.
When I turn off the refrigerator overnight, the batteries read normal, above 12.4, in the morning.
I don't use the furnace.
The batteries were reading okay before refrigerator install.
Could the dinosaur board be faulty? What could make the refrigerator have such a drain on 12v? I have set it on automatic and gas only with the same results.
Until I get it back to the shop, I'll shut it off overnight.

[SarahW]

Howdy and welcome to the forum. Did the DM2852 replace another fridge? How old are your batteries?

["007"]

Welcome to irv2.
What type of RV do you have?
Are you using your 12V lights, watching TV through inverter, using water heater, possible have LP Detector to house batteries they all draw down your house batteries.
Is your fridge working OK or is it registering a fault code?
Were the batteries fully charged before leaving home?

[Mr_D]

We draw ours down to less than 11.0 volts overnight.

The U-2200's are still the OEM's that were in it when we took possession on June 26th 2002. They still seem to work but the cases are bulging. I guess after 9½ years I should expect some troubles.

[RV-to-travel]

Refrigerator replaced same 2852.
2 Batteries are group 27, 2 years old. Travel trailer.
Have solar. The batteries were reading fine before refrigerator install. I like to keep them above 12.2.
Since I noticed a problem with battery draw the next day after the install, I only have the phantom draws at night -radio, propane detector, solar controller is left on. I'm not using lights or any other 12v after dark. No fault code on front panel lighting. 'Fridge is cooling normally.
Last night I left the refrigerator on, on gas only, and the batteries read: 12.63 @7:00 PM, 12.17 @ 10:30 PM. I then turned fridge off. At 6:30 AM, the reading was 12.25, and that was with the refrigerator off since 10:30 the night before.
I'm a full-timer, and dry camp frequently. Tonight I'll try the refrigerator again, and use the auto button, even though that button has given the same results. I just did a 9 hour generator charge two days after the install.

["007"]

I'd use a 12V battery charger with Gen operation, would charge faster than your Gen or converter.
Your batteries seem to be putting out what is needed from them, are your solar panels recharging the house batteries?

[GaryKD]

Hi RV-to-travel,
Welcome to iRV2. Can you provide some additional information?

1. When the batteries area full charge, what is the reading on your display?

2. What is the outside temp averaging overnight?

12.4 VDC = 80% charge

[chaunclm]

Why not use your gas setting. It is not very efficient to use your refrigerator on the AC setting through the inverter. You lose a lot of energy converting the 12 volt to 120 then using it to provide heat energy to the fridge. In our old trailer we had the ability to use the fridge on 12 volt and it would kill our two group 27 batteries in about 12 hours.

Set you refrigerator on gas and eliminate the 12 volt drain.

It just seems like a good and more efficient solution.

[GaryKD]

Hi chaunclm,
I could be wrong, but I doubt the OP's setup has the refer running on 120 VAC via an inverter. When on Gas, the Refer will draw 12 VDC from the batteries.

[chaunclm]

GaryKD,

"Tonight I'll try the refrigerator again, and use the auto button, even though that button has given the same results." Auto Button only works between 120 and gas."

Products - Dometic

This refrigerator only runs on 120 and Gas. When an absorption refrigerator is running on gas, it only draws a very little 12 volt for the motherboard and when the door is open for the light.

So you are very wrong on both your assertions. [moderator edit]

[RV Wizard]

Be sure the unit does not have a humidity control mullion heater that is turned on as this will increase the current draw quite a bit. If you had a digital DC amperage clamp on meter you could easily find out the amperage of the refrigerator or any other apparatus. Good luck and keep us posted.

[JimM68]

Damn Mike, you beat me to both of those.
I recently bought a clampon meter at menards for like $70. It totally kicks butt. Will read both ac and dc amps just by clamping it over a wire (read careful, the cheaper ones are ac only, my menards had both) it will read very low currents as well as very high, starting currents.
It also has regular meter leads as well, it is a full function VOM.

The humidity control is probably the problem. Make sure it is switched off.

[TXiceman]

Are you trying to run the frig on electric through an inverter? The electric heater element draws a fair amount of power. The way to run the unit si on propane as the fuel source. It uses very little propane. You will still need 12 VDC for the controls. Also, be sure the door heater is turned off.

ken

[zackdog]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RV-to-travel Dometic DM 2852 just installed. I'm dry camping. Refrigerator draws batteries down from full charge to 12.0 overnight. When I turn off the refrigerator overnight, the batteries read normal, above 12.4, in the morning. I don't use the furnace. The batteries were reading okay before refrigerator install. Could the dinosaur board be faulty? What could make the refrigerator have such a drain on 12v? I have set it on automatic and gas only with the same results. Until I get it back to the shop, I'll shut it off overnight.

I too, have had the same problem with a Dometic 2652LB refrigerator and came here trying to find the solution. I also contacted my trailer manufacturer and got this response from Dometic:

"The LB on the model is to indicate which side the door hinges are on. LB mean left hinge, black. There is no switch because on the newer units they eliminated the switch and made the climate control a built in feature that you cannot turn off.

We do not advise that the wiring be altered, and doing so would result in any warranty being voided. The wiring schematic shows which connector controls this on the board. It is tied in with the interior light, so if the customer does choose to disconnect the wire he would not have an interior light. Here is a breakdown with the wiring schematic at the bottom in case you do not have one.




Sincerely,

Dometic LLC"

Yesterday, I voided the warranty by cutting the wire to the Climate Control Heater and the refrigerator is running just fine. It ran for over 24 hours without draining the battery, something unheard of since I bought the trailer two years ago. I have no idea why they would choose to eliminate the switch to turn off the Climate Control, other than they assume no one dry camps any more.

Mark