Dometic pilot problems

[Channing]

Why does the pilot on my dometic refrigerator only stay late at night? During the day I turn it on and it lights. It may stay lit a minute or it may stay lit an hour. But at night time it will stay lit all night, usually. I have cleaned the electrode the burner and burner orifice and everything that area. I banged on the flume and very little comes out. Anybody have any ideas?

[Gary RVRoamer]

Few Dometic fridges have a pilot light - most all models in the last two decades are DSI (spark) ignition. The little flame you see is all there is for gas operation and it is lit whenever it needs to be to provide cooling.


Please identify the Dometic fridge model so we can give a more accurate response.

[153stars]

My dometic 7030 has an electrode/flame detector rod. It needs to be partially in the flame to keep it lit. It's also equipped with a re-igniter it will try to relight for a few seconds before shutting down . Most likely it needs to be properly adjusted for flame detect and to jump to ground to ignite. You may to remove and clean the gas orifice with alcohol and just blowing through it with mouth, no poking anything most have a glass bead as an orifice .

[Old-Biscuit]

Originally Posted by Channing

Why does the pilot on my dometic refrigerator only stay late at night? During the day I turn it on and it lights. It may stay lit a minute or it may stay lit an hour. But at night time it will stay lit all night, usually. I have cleaned the electrode the burner and burner orifice and everything that area. I banged on the flume and very little comes out. Anybody have any ideas?

How do you KNOW flame is staying lit ALL Night?
Flame cycles based on fridge temp requirements.....via thermistor in Food Compartment (temp sensor) and the Thermostat that controls 'heat cycles'



Flame intermittant.......is FRIDGE COLD?
Freezer VERY cold and Food Compartment Cold (40*F or lower)?

IF YES>>>>>>>flame is coming on as needed ---controlled by thermostat/thermistor sensing

If NO........then flame MUSt engulf the thermocouple which is used on your vintage fridge to sense flame is lit/staying lit




SO is Fridge COLD/staying COLD?????????


MODEL is ALWAYS helpful!!!!!!!!


BUT suspect your 1987 RV uses the Dometic RM3862 model
http://techsupport.pdxrvwholesale.co...ser-Manual.pdf


Wiring diagram
http://techsupport.pdxrvwholesale.co...2-38514030.pdf

[Channing]

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

How do you KNOW flame is staying lit ALL Night?
Flame cycles based on fridge temp requirements.....via thermistor in Food Compartment (temp sensor) and the Thermostat that controls 'heat cycles'



Flame intermittant.......is FRIDGE COLD?
Freezer VERY cold and Food Compartment Cold (40*F or lower)?

IF YES>>>>>>>flame is coming on as needed ---controlled by thermostat/thermistor sensing

If NO........then flame MUSt engulf the thermocouple which is used on your vintage fridge to sense flame is lit/staying lit




SO is Fridge COLD/staying COLD?????????


MODEL is ALWAYS helpful!!!!!!!!


BUT suspect your 1987 RV uses the Dometic RM3862 model
http://techsupport.pdxrvwholesale.co...ser-Manual.pdf


Wiring diagram
http://techsupport.pdxrvwholesale.co...2-38514030.pdf

You asked if the fridge is staying cold. No, the fridge is not staying cold. Why would I be trying to fix a fridge that is working?
You asked, how do I know the pilot isn't staying lit. I think the first clue that gave it away was the check light which was on inside the coach on the display panel on the refrigerator. But then after repeatedly, turning the refrigerator off and then back on so it would reset, the check light kept coming back on that pretty much told me that it just wasn't staying lit. So, I went outside the RV took off the outside cover which revealed the back bottom side of the refrigerator took off the heat shield, pulled up a lawn chair, sat down in it, facing the pilot light and I watched the pilot light and sure enough it wasn't staying lit That's how I figured it out. Now, I am trying to figure out why it all of the sudden doesn't stay stay lit during the day when the weather is hot outside I don't know if it's a external temperature thing, I don't even know if it can determine or sense the outside temperature.
Model number rm3801

[Bob_C]

You know that, but you're asking for help.....being rude will not get you anywhere......following troubleshooting steps always work....got a meter?

[Channing]

Originally Posted by 153stars

My dometic 7030 has an electrode/flame detector rod. It needs to be partially in the flame to keep it lit. It's also equipped with a re-igniter it will try to relight for a few seconds before shutting down . Most likely it needs to be properly adjusted for flame detect and to jump to ground to ignite. You may to remove and clean the gas orifice with alcohol and just blowing through it with mouth, no poking anything most have a glass bead as an orifice .

I did clean the orifice with alcohol and I took a small (in diameter) hose. It was actually a vacuum hose I temporarily snatched off of my carburetor which fit perfectly in the orifice and blew into it, a few times. I saw nothing come out and there was no change in the performance of the refrigerator. My owner's manual says it's a model RM 3801 but it also says that it covers rm3662 rm3663 rm3862 and rm3863 and upon for the review I guess it isn't a pilot light it is a direct ignition but there is what looks like a pilot light that's what won't stay lit during the day when temperatures are hotter.

[Channing]

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

How do you KNOW flame is staying lit ALL Night?
Flame cycles based on fridge temp requirements.....via thermistor in Food Compartment (temp sensor) and the Thermostat that controls 'heat cycles'



Flame intermittant.......is FRIDGE COLD?
Freezer VERY cold and Food Compartment Cold (40*F or lower)?

IF YES>>>>>>>flame is coming on as needed ---controlled by thermostat/thermistor sensing

If NO........then flame MUSt engulf the thermocouple which is used on your vintage fridge to sense flame is lit/staying lit




SO is Fridge COLD/staying COLD?????????


MODEL is ALWAYS helpful!!!!!!!!


BUT suspect your 1987 RV uses the Dometic RM3862 model
http://techsupport.pdxrvwholesale.co...ser-Manual.pdf


Wiring diagram
http://techsupport.pdxrvwholesale.co...2-38514030.pdf

For model number the owner's manual says rm3662, rm3663, rm3862, and rm3863 doesn't the flame come out of the thermocouple and the spark electrode has to be engulfed in the flame?

[Channing]

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

How do you KNOW flame is staying lit ALL Night?
Flame cycles based on fridge temp requirements.....via thermistor in Food Compartment (temp sensor) and the Thermostat that controls 'heat cycles'



Flame intermittant.......is FRIDGE COLD?
Freezer VERY cold and Food Compartment Cold (40*F or lower)?

IF YES>>>>>>>flame is coming on as needed ---controlled by thermostat/thermistor sensing

If NO........then flame MUSt engulf the thermocouple which is used on your vintage fridge to sense flame is lit/staying lit




SO is Fridge COLD/staying COLD?????????


MODEL is ALWAYS helpful!!!!!!!!


BUT suspect your 1987 RV uses the Dometic RM3862 model
http://techsupport.pdxrvwholesale.co...ser-Manual.pdf


Wiring diagram
http://techsupport.pdxrvwholesale.co...2-38514030.pdf

For model number the owner's manual says rm3662, rm3663, rm3862, and rm3863 doesn't the flame come out of the thermocouple and the spark electrode has to be engulfed in the flame?

[Old-Biscuit]

Finally some details of what is actually going on and a mpodel number

'Check' Light is a fault/error code
Means Flame has failed to PROVE it has lit
Mo Flame Proving...DC to gas va;ve gets shut off so raw fuel doesn't accumulate

Your model
Spark electrode provides the HIGH Voltage spark to ignite the gas
Should be directly over burner slot and have a spark gap of 1/8" - 3/16"
Flame is lighting (that is the MAIN Flame -- no pilot flame used)

Thermocouple is flame proving device
Flame heats up thermocouple which generates millivolt current that circuit board uses as proof flame has lit
Thermocouple needs to be directly over flame, tip needs to be clean (soot/carbon impede), wiring to circuit board need to be clean/tight

With flame lighting but not staying lit...sounds like thermocouple
https://pdxrvwholesale.com/products/...ple-2932052018

[Channing]

Originally Posted by 153stars

My dometic 7030 has an electrode/flame detector rod. It needs to be partially in the flame to keep it lit. It's also equipped with a re-igniter it will try to relight for a few seconds before shutting down . Most likely it needs to be properly adjusted for flame detect and to jump to ground to ignite. You may to remove and clean the gas orifice with alcohol and just blowing through it with mouth, no poking anything most have a glass bead as an orifice .

I think you're right. I'm thinking it's something that I did accidentally. Before I started having problems with it there was a day it was windy, and the flame kept going out I thought it was the wind blowing it out so I went to loosen the heat shield and maybe adjust it a little I tried to take it off but I was having problems. It didn't want to come off but I took it off and I may have bent the spark electrode or knock it out of whack or something it looks like it's in a good position but maybe it's not I'm going to take a closer look at that right now.

[Channing]

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

Finally some details of what is actually going on and a mpodel number

'Check' Light is a fault/error code
Means Flame has failed to PROVE it has lit
Mo Flame Proving...DC to gas va;ve gets shut off so raw fuel doesn't accumulate

Your model
Spark electrode provides the HIGH Voltage spark to ignite the gas
Should be directly over burner slot and have a spark gap of 1/8" - 3/16"
Flame is lighting (that is the MAIN Flame -- no pilot flame used)

Thermocouple is flame proving device
Flame heats up thermocouple which generates millivolt current that circuit board uses as proof flame has lit
Thermocouple needs to be directly over flame, tip needs to be clean (soot/carbon impede), wiring to circuit board need to be clean/tight

With flame lighting but not staying lit...sounds like thermocouple
https://pdxrvwholesale.com/products/...ple-2932052018

Finally some details?
You tell me how to be rude?
I have considered the thermocouple, and that may be it. But I'm thinking I've bent the spark electrode trying to take off the heat shield. I'm going to check that first. Thanks

[Channing]

Originally Posted by bob caldwell

You know that, but you're asking for help.....being rude will not get you anywhere......following troubleshooting steps always work....got a meter?

Finally some details?
You tell me how to be rude?
I have considered the thermocouple, and that may be it. But I'm thinking I've bent the spark electrode trying to take off the heat shield. I'm going to check that first. Thanks

[Channing]

Originally Posted by bob caldwell

You know that, but you're asking for help.....being rude will not get you anywhere......following troubleshooting steps always work....got a meter?

I understand that but obviously my refrigerator isn't staying cold that's why I'm working on it, Right? I don't know maybe that isn't as obvious as I think it would be. I apologize to anybody who thought my refrigerator was working.
Yes I have a meter I just haven't gotten that far yet I'm just cleaning and trying to determine if I should clean out the flu looks like the whole refrigerator would have to come out for that I've been told to turn it upside down and shake it I guess it's called burping I would probably pull out the meter before I pull out the fridge.

Bob Caldwell, that was my great grandfather's name.