Problems with Dometic Fridge

[JKW]

We've got a 2018 Forest River Forester 25' Diesel with a Dometic Fridge that runs on 110 or propane. Plugged in the unit and turned on the fridge to get it cold. Four hours later the freezer is nice and cold - the refrigerator section is 80 degrees and not even beginning to cool down. We've only had this unit for just a couple of months. Used it once and had no issues. We ran it on electric and freezer and fridge sections were plenty cold after just a few hours. Took it to the dealership to have other issues fixed after one outing and now the refrigerator section won't get cold. We did however switch the unit to propane and an hour later and it feels like it might be getting cooler - or perhaps it's just wishful thinking on our part. Any suggestions as to what the issue might be?

[Old-Biscuit]

Absorption fridges can take 12 hrs to effectively cool especially when fridge starts out HOT
Freezer has to get down in temp FIRST before food compartment can even begin cooling down
Its how the absorption process works

Cold water bottles in food compartment can help.....frozen ones better
Empty fridge/warm items in fridge slow down the cooling



What Dometic MODEL do you have?

[tap4154]

Best to start it the night before you're going to leave on 110 if you have it, and don't open it. As Old Biscuit said, put some cold drinks or other cold or frozen non-perishable items in the fridge section, and that will help. Freezer cools down first, then the fridge section. Chances are if you turn it on at 8:00 at night, when you wake up in the morning it's going to be just right.

[ve3nab]

Originally Posted by JKW

We've got a 2018 Forest River Forester 25' Diesel with a Dometic Fridge that runs on 110 or propane. Plugged in the unit and turned on the fridge to get it cold. Four hours later the freezer is nice and cold - the refrigerator section is 80 degrees and not even beginning to cool down. We've only had this unit for just a couple of months. Used it once and had no issues. We ran it on electric and freezer and fridge sections were plenty cold after just a few hours. Took it to the dealership to have other issues fixed after one outing and now the refrigerator section won't get cold. We did however switch the unit to propane and an hour later and it feels like it might be getting cooler - or perhaps it's just wishful thinking on our part. Any suggestions as to what the issue might be?

There appears to be a serious problem with the Dometic absorption type refrigerators over the past two or more years. My daughter has had TWO refrigerators replaced within the past two years. They seem to fail when initializing them after winter storage. The refrigerant is ammonia and is a closed system. Unlike Freon if there is a leak there is no easy way of repairing or “topping up the refrigerant”. Generally speaking the whole evaporator/ condensor/ boiler needs to be replaced. This is major surgery and the refrigerator needs to be removed. Generally speaking it is takes two people four hours if all goes well. The manufacturer tends to replace with a new refrigerator if you complain sufficiently.
If using electricity and you find the boiler at the back is hot and there is no cooling then the unit is defective. Also you may find a greenish residue either on the pipes at the back, or there is a smell of ammonia then again you have confirmed it is defective.
It took my daughter over four months to get a replacement due to backlog. These units tend to be extremely reliable and work for many years with no or little maintenance. I feel it is a quality control problem on specific series or production run of products and probably now have corrected the problem.
She was not the only customer with this problem. To have two fail in a row is almost inconceivable.
Make sure you respond ASAP and let them know you are aware this is a systemic problem with their product.
I have a 2018 FR with no concerns.
Wish you the best of luck.
Bob

[JKW]

It's the standard 6 cubic foot model that runs on propane or electric. And yes, we know how long it takes to cool one of these refrigerators down, which is why we started cooling it at about 1:00 PM to leave the next morning. And yes by morning the unit was perfect. But it was short lived. Before we took out our rig, we spoke with a Dometic rep, she said if the unit was working on propane we could probably go with no problems. It took us 1 3/4 hours to arrive at our destination and by the time we'd been there for four hours, the freezer had defrosted and the fridge with warm. Unit wouldn't work on propane or electric. And now the hot water wasn't heating on propane or electric either. So back home we went. Took the unit back to the dealership and still no word from them as to anything at all.

[JKW]

Originally Posted by ve3nab

There appears to be a serious problem with the Dometic absorption type refrigerators over the past two or more years. My daughter has had TWO refrigerators replaced within the past two years. They seem to fail when initializing them after winter storage. The refrigerant is ammonia and is a closed system. Unlike Freon if there is a leak there is no easy way of repairing or “topping up the refrigerant”. Generally speaking the whole evaporator/ condensor/ boiler needs to be replaced. This is major surgery and the refrigerator needs to be removed. Generally speaking it is takes two people four hours if all goes well. The manufacturer tends to replace with a new refrigerator if you complain sufficiently.
If using electricity and you find the boiler at the back is hot and there is no cooling then the unit is defective. Also you may find a greenish residue either on the pipes at the back, or there is a smell of ammonia then again you have confirmed it is defective.
It took my daughter over four months to get a replacement due to backlog. These units tend to be extremely reliable and work for many years with no or little maintenance. I feel it is a quality control problem on specific series or production run of products and probably now have corrected the problem.
She was not the only customer with this problem. To have two fail in a row is almost inconceivable.
Make sure you respond ASAP and let them know you are aware this is a systemic problem with their product.
I have a 2018 FR with no concerns.
Wish you the best of luck.
Bob

Thanks so much for the information, Bob! I will pass this along to the dealership and hopefully they'll replace it. We just bought it from a dealership that advertises that they go through every used rig before selling to make it as close to new as possible. But I'm not holding my breath. Can't believe the things that have been wrong with this rig - and it only has around 7K miles on it. In any case, thanks so much for your input.

[Old-Biscuit]

You stated fridge stopped working and the water heater wouldn't work either

Both require good 12VDC to function with electric or gas

Verify you have 12VDC to fridge. water heater

[JKW]

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

You stated fridge stopped working and the water heater wouldn't work either

Both require good 12VDC to function with electric or gas

Verify you have 12VDC to fridge. water heater

Thanks again for you input. Batteries have been checked and are fully charged. Our rig is stored plugged in 24/7, but checked the batteries out just in case when we noticed problem with the fridge. Appreciate your trying to help!!! We have never encountered a problem like this before.

[Old-Biscuit]

Originally Posted by JKW

Thanks again for you input. Batteries have been checked and are fully charged. Our rig is stored plugged in 24/7, but checked the batteries out just in case when we noticed problem with the fridge. Appreciate your trying to help!!! We have never encountered a problem like this before.

Got good DC while in storage but the issues with fridge/water heater occurred when out camping

So now in storage and good DC does fridge work, does water heater work?

[JKW]

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

Got good DC while in storage but the issues with fridge/water heater occurred when out camping

So now in storage and good DC does fridge work, does water heater work?

Neither worked after being plugged in overnight after we returned home. Our unit is up at the dealership right now - being checked out (fixed???) like it should have been before selling it to us, so have no idea if they've found the issues or not. They've had it almost a week now but I'm sure we'll get it back sometime shortly before hell freezes over - or the end of summer (whichever comes first). I even sent an email to the owner of the dealership telling him of all the problems we'd had with the unit and got no response their either.