# Dometic Help (We Are T The Camp Site)



## jayger (Sep 29, 2011)

Freezer seems fine but fridge is 45deg. I moved the thermistor up and down but nothing, I'm thinking it may be bad or stuck ... So how do I trick the fridge to go into safe mode ie full cooling?, frozen food is beeter than bad food. Did I mention this is day one of a 5 day trip.

Thanks for your help


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Normal cooling is between 34 and 38 degrees for the fridge and -10 to 0 for the freezer.

Anyway to force the fridge into full cooling mode. Open up the outside access to the fridge. You will see a small black box with several wires entering it. Open the box and you should see a plug with two wires. Following this from the box it should enter the back of the fridge. This is the thermistor that the control board uses to turn the fridge on and off. Disconnect (pull the plug) the thermistor from the control board and it defaults to run the fridge all the time.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

CamperAndy said:


> Anyway to force the fridge into full cooling mode. Open up the outside access to the fridge. You will see a small black box with several wires entering it. Open the box and you should see a plug with two wires. Following this from the box it should enter the back of the fridge. This is the thermistor that the control board uses to turn the fridge on and off. Disconnect (pull the plug) the thermistor from the control board and it defaults to run the fridge all the time.


Sometimes you just sit back and ask yourself.... "How in the world does CamperAndy know all this stuff" ?


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## Leedek (Nov 28, 2010)

Oregon_Camper said:


> Anyway to force the fridge into full cooling mode. Open up the outside access to the fridge. You will see a small black box with several wires entering it. Open the box and you should see a plug with two wires. Following this from the box it should enter the back of the fridge. This is the thermistor that the control board uses to turn the fridge on and off. Disconnect (pull the plug) the thermistor from the control board and it defaults to run the fridge all the time.


Sometimes you just sit back and ask yourself.... "How in the world does CamperAndy know all this stuff" ?






















[/quote]

Agreed....



































Oh Great and Powerful CamperAndy


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## jayger (Sep 29, 2011)

Thanks. I can do that. In the mean time I wrapped the thermistor in a hot damp paper towel and the temp has dropped to 39 so I'm guessing it bad. Oh, the trick I use to check the temp without doing the peak a boo is I put my wireless outdoor thermostat in the firdge so I can monitor it anytime, even driving. It's a Acurite I got at Walmart

Thanks again


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## jayger (Sep 29, 2011)

Dose it say how to reset it?

This morning it's 37deg

Thanks


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

jayger said:


> Dose it say how to reset it?
> 
> This morning it's 37deg
> 
> Thanks


I can tell you how to test the thermistor but I doubt it is the problem.

Plug it back in and see if it continues to maintain temp. Force it to gas mode and you can tell if it is cycling on and off just by listening to the flame.


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## KTMRacer (Jun 28, 2010)

Here is another tip:

on the dometics with no temp control, just the thermistor slider on the fins, install the external add on temp control from dinosaur electronics. It's a handy device. plugs into the thermistor wire and mounts in the fridge outside control compartment. Basically a variable resistor you can adjust to give way more temperature control of the fridge. temp adjuster


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

KTMRacer said:


> Here is another tip:
> 
> on the dometics with no temp control, just the thermistor slider on the fins, install the external add on temp control from dinosaur electronics. It's a handy device. plugs into the thermistor wire and mounts in the fridge outside control compartment. Basically a variable resistor you can adjust to give way more temperature control of the fridge. temp adjuster


I like that mod. Too bad it is not already built into the fridge.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Oregon_Camper said:


> Anyway to force the fridge into full cooling mode. Open up the outside access to the fridge. You will see a small black box with several wires entering it. Open the box and you should see a plug with two wires. Following this from the box it should enter the back of the fridge. This is the thermistor that the control board uses to turn the fridge on and off. Disconnect (pull the plug) the thermistor from the control board and it defaults to run the fridge all the time.


Sometimes you just sit back and ask yourself.... "How in the world does CamperAndy know all this stuff" ?






















[/quote]

I read the manuals on occasion. I could quote from the manual but that does not help the OP with an actual answer.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

robertized said:


> Dose it say how to reset it?
> 
> This morning it's 37deg
> 
> Thanks


Jayger after reading through the Operating Instructions I have not found a specific reference to a reset button for these units. Assuming you are not getting a CHECK indicator lamp that requires pressing the ON/ OFF button to reset and restart the cycle I don't see a reset button anywhere on the wiring diagram. There is a Test Point shown on the wiring diagram that would be used by a service technician and possibly used to reset the circuit board after replacing the thermistor. Other appliances in the trailer just require you to remove all power [AC/DC] to the unit for a short period of time to reset their circuit boards. It sounds like your unit is operating, and looking at the TROUBLESHOOTING section in the manual under Symptom, [Refrigerator or freezer is not cold enough] the last item on the list offers this. Over packed refrigerator? The unit will have to work harder if the refrigerator is stuffed, and results in higher cabinet temperatures. Arrange the food in the unit to allow for free air circulation. I know we try to get as much in ours as we can and the problem could be that simple. You can buy battery operated fans made to help with this problem at Camping World. The refrigerator unit I have been referring to is the one installed in our trailer which is the Americana DM2652. Good Luck. 
[/quote]

You seem to question why over packing is an issue. The reason over packing causes the fridge to be too warm is due to the area around the thermistor is actually cold enough to cycle the fridge off but the rest of the contents are basically insulated from the fins and stay warm. Fans only help if there is enough room to actually move the air around the fins and to the rest of the fridge. A partial blockage kind of thing.


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## jayger (Sep 29, 2011)

Thankd for the helpf

It's strange that the fridge would maintain temperature then out of nowhere is would start to warm. It didn't matter what time of day, gas/electric, unplugged thermistor or if we were in and out of it. It was not over packed and I have added electric fans last year. When we got home I let it run for a few days empty and still had the temperature fluctuating. I periodically pulled the outside cover off to feel if the heating element and column was hot and it was always too hot to touch as it should.

For all I know it's done this from day one and I only noticed it when I put a wireless temperature transmitter in it.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

jayger said:


> For all I know it's done this from day one and I only noticed it when I put a wireless temperature transmitter in it.


Knowledge is power but it can also cause fear. As you say it could be normal but I would suggest that you continue to monitor the temps and see if the trend is repeated. Then it may be normal for your fridge.


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## Jay Tee (Jan 8, 2012)

jayger said:


> Thankd for the helpf
> 
> It's strange that the fridge would maintain temperature then out of nowhere is would start to warm. It didn't matter what time of day, gas/electric, unplugged thermistor or if we were in and out of it. It was not over packed and I have added electric fans last year. When we got home I let it run for a few days empty and still had the temperature fluctuating. I periodically pulled the outside cover off to feel if the heating element and column was hot and it was always too hot to touch as it should.
> 
> For all I know it's done this from day one and I only noticed it when I put a wireless temperature transmitter in it.


Where is your temperature sensing unit physically located?
I found out that the lamp (that turns on when the fridge door is open) can rapidly change local temperature.
I have a digital thermometer that hangs on the rack and it was just below the lamp.
While camping this week we were amazed that the temperature readout was around 60 until we realized we had been in the door for a bit and the lamp heated up the thermometer. I moved the unit over to the center of the rack and the problem is solved.

This may / may not be your issue...but worth a try. It didn't take long for the lamp to heat up the sensor.
Now we're reading a fairly consistent 37 degrees in the fridge.


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## jayger (Sep 29, 2011)

That is interesting, never thought about the light putting off heat but I had it setting on the opposite side. Thanks though


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## KTMRacer (Jun 28, 2010)

does your fridge have a fan on the heat exchanger exhaust ??? If so, do you hear it cycling on and off??? In order for the cooling unit to operate properly, heat MUST be exhausted from the coils. Usually there is a 12V fan and thermal switch on one of the coils that will cycle the fan on and off to insure proper cooling. If it fails you may not be getting good circulation on the exchanger etc. Especially a problem in warmer weather.


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