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TechWriter · 10-02-2013, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brockx

If you are looking to buy a used RV then wait until you get it and use the unit before you worry too much about the fridge. I have a 17 year old Dometic that works wonderfully, rock hard ice cream, no frost-up problems. corrected all that by adding an old computer fan and a foot of wire. Refer runs at mid setting now in Florida heat. If you have any problems they are all solvable and not new, all the help is on this forum. If you are buying new specify a residential and you will have the proper inverter and battery pack from the get go, it is the coming trend.

My experience with my 11-year-old Dometic was not the same as yours -- I replaced the cooling unit, added fans, and even modified the fridge's thermistor. To no avail, as the inside fridge temp kept climbing over 40 degrees F -- above food safety limits.

If I was part-timing, I think I could have lived with this, but not for full time RVing.

Some residential fridge advocates would have you believe that Dometic & Norcold absorption fridges are blowing up every minute. They're not.

I worry more about the inside temps than a fridge fire.

Ray,IN · 10-03-2013, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerichorick

These experiences are tragic for certain. But, techknowledge type for techknowledge type, absorption refrigerators, the standard RV type, have destroyed more RVs than the modern residential refrigerator has destroyed housed. .

TTFN

Would you please provide the data from which you made that statement?

jerichorick · 10-04-2013, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

Would you please provide the data from which you made that statement?

I personally know of two such fires. One was in Lindale, TX and the folks rig was a total loss... refrigerator fire was the cause. Another was a motorhome that a friend bought to restore. The refrigerator had caught on fire but the coach was saved. The damage was to the outside wall behind the refrigerator and surrounding area. He had some other friends restore it and sold it for a profit.

Here are a few references for you: Refrigerator-Fires
RV Appraisals & Investigations of America

I don't know the value of this one because of the nature of the site. That is to be your call: Dometic/Norcold Refrigerator Recall | RV Fire Lawsuit Attorney

How many houses are there with refrigerators in them? Silly question, I know. But more importantly, how many houses have you heard of, out off all that have residential refrigerators, that have caught fire because of the refrigerator?

Here is a Bing search that I did:

residential refrigerator fires - Bing

Please, let me not be the influence here. Judge for yourself.

I hope I have answered your very valid question. Thanks for the challenge.

Happy trails,
Rick

TechWriter · 10-04-2013, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerichorick

I personally know of two such fires . . .
How many houses are there with refrigerators in them? Silly question, I know. But more importantly, how many houses have you heard of, out off all that have residential refrigerators, that have caught fire because of the refrigerator?

Mmmmmm . . . not the best data collection methodology.

But more importantly, your list of links had one link that pretty much deflated the Residential Fridges Are Safe argument: Consumer Reports - Home Appliance Fires.
Did you know that Maytag recalled over 1.6 million fridges because of a potential fire hazard?

Papa_Jim · 10-04-2013, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TechWriter

Did you know that Maytag recalled over 1.6 million fridges because of a potential fire hazard?

I didn't know that. I think that's what Norcold should have done.

jerichorick · 10-05-2013, 06:09 AM

The key word here is "potential". Norcold and Dometic are frequently posting recalls and it is our job to find them. I don't know if this is true for Maytag. I could be wrong. But, how often do we hear of a house burning down because of the refrigerator? I am not aware of any personally. And what is the percentage ratio of fire potential for the types of units manufactured? I am just guessing that it is much greater for the absorption refrigerator used in RVs.

Ray,IN · 10-06-2013, 04:00 PM

That's the beauty of living in the U.S.A. We all have the freedom to choose what we buy and use. We have the right to deride a product when we are actually without factual data to support what we say-up to the point of slander. Websites trolling for participants in a class-action lawsuit are not sources of factual data. None of the websites in the simple search results that I opened even mentioned a percentage of refrigerator fires per xxxx number of RV.s Of course we all know everything published on the internet must be true_. I support your right to speak your mind.

This article from consumerreports.org is the one bright star of statistics from that entire Bing search. "over 150,000 appliance fires a year" "microwave fires result in class-action lawsuit" That one website does contain a lot of hard data, none of it however pertains to the subject of this thread; MH refrigerators.