Dometic Refrig heater element shorted

[GM Airstream]

Wow... this was a eye opener... brought the refrig up to get ready to travel.. went to the store and got the provisions.. got home and instead of it being cold it was warm.

Got into testing it and found that the gas side still worked but the shore power side didn't.

Found that the heater measured 2.4 ohms on the meter... should measure 44 ohms.... yep shorted... but after changing out the element things still didnt work.

Had to pull the board as the unit when turned on had the green light then started flashing red after several min of trying to light the propane section with the gas off.

What we found on the board was dispickable. Because the element shorted it pulled a lot of current on the circut board... and burnt the trace copper ... and relay points.

Called dometic and they wanted 300 bux for a new board... but here is the problem and the fix.

The engineers who designed the thing DIDN"T put a fuse in the 120 v side of the thing we have... so when the element shorts.. and it will... you also get to buy a new board all because they didn't put a 25 cent fuse in.

Thankfully their are aftermarket boards which do have fuses. (some of the newer boards have the fuse in them too...now)

I went with that instead of the OEM board....

but. their is a simple fix... before the element shorts...
All you have to do is discon one of the push on leads going to the element... find a 3.5 amp automotive style fuse or inline fuse holder that is insulated... and make a short pigtail with two female 1/4 push on terminals... put in series with the elements wire and your good to go...

Now when the element shorts.. it will blow the fuse instead of taking out the more expensive part... and after you replace the element... you only have to replace the 25 cent fuse.. and your back good to go... no damge to the control board. sweet...

Too bad Airstream didn't figure that one out.. but as the guy at dometic said.... airstream should have fused the refrig on the 120 v side with what they recommended... airstream didn't so its their problem... as the whole trailer is working off one 20 amp breaker in the box... go figure...

Thanks airstream engineering... for not putting in the 25 cent fuse... that you know about the problem... as when we called they said.. yep it happens down the road... really!!!!