Dometic 2 way refrigerator

[philly_air]

So our Dometic refrigerator started acting up. It works great on electric. But when we turn it on to gas you can hear it click and light initially but after 2 min you hear it click click click like its trying to light and then it just beeps. Any suggestions.

[azflycaster]

Sounds like propane is not getting to the fridge. Mine will do this when I have not used the trailer in a while. Have you run the range to get the air out of the lines?

[SSquared]

Do the other propane appliances work?

Can you tell which appliances are "downstream" on the propane line (meaning the gas flows past the fridge on the way to the downstream thing)? Run the downstream thing for a couple minutes to make sure there are no air bubbles in the line, then try again.

Can you smell gas at the back of the fridge when the clicking is happening? That would confirm that you are getting gas, so you can skip the downstream business.

Can you see the spot where the flame is supposed to be burning? If so, start the click-click-click and then reach in with a long-nosed BBQ lighter and see if you can ignite the flame with that. If so, you know you have a problem in the igniter system.

[GCinSC2]

In addition to above good comments.

It is possible that a small piece of debris is blocking the gas flow thru the orifice. If you're handy with tools not difficult to remove the orifice and inspect for debris. The hole is VERY small, you cannot poke something thru it, very low PSI air backwards thru it might clear it. Check thermocouple position and condition. It confirms a flame and keeps the gas supply on. Also can't hurt to turn off AC and DC and check any accessible connections, push on and see if fully seated etc.

Gary

[Lily&Me]

Turning on your burners will also help insure you are not actually out of propane.

And, there are those pesky wasps that like to build nests in propane lines, so that is another thing to check.

Maggie

[drbrick]

When this happened to us the thermocouple had failed - happens see my blog write-up refrigeration-issue-resolved-finally/

[NickWP]

We have the same issue and running the range like azflycaster said works for us.

[Halford1]

I turn on stove and wait until the flame comes on. then I turn on fridge. I cannot hear any clicking so i open the rear compartment where I can feel if the the propane is lit or not. You may wonder why I cannot hear any clicking... I am profound deaf.

[philly_air]

Thank you everyone. I will try all the suggestions and let you know what works. I will not be in the Airstream until Friday.

[Streamracer]

One thing you can do is use a q-tip to clean out the burner tube or compressed air. Also as a preventative measure I have a couple of aluminum 35mm film canisters that I drilled holes in the top and keep it filled with moth balls. Keeps spiders out. I have one in the refrigerator compartment and one in the hot water compartment.

[Its4kito]

My 2018 Basecamp fridge never cooled below 45-50. The RV tech said I’m supposed to measure the fridge temp in a glass of water? Then the tech detected faulty circulation of ammonia. Now, starting my fourth camping season, the fridge won’t work on propane when the battery voltage goes below 10.5 V. I don’t rely on the Airstream refrigerator for food safety. I now renamed it the wine and beer cooler.

[Dennis C]

I’m surprised that anything electric works when the battery is below 10.5 V. What kind of batteries do you have in your Basecamp?

[Dennis C]

This is the information that I tend to use to understand the state of charge for my AGM batteries.

[Its4kito]

Thank you for the chart, and understanding of my frustration. My tech couldn’t find a parasitic draw. But when it warms up, I’m going to check all the fuse circuits again for a parasitic draw. My 1-year old batteries are the Blue marine AGM. The three 100 W solar panels is the best addition to my RV but I still have an unreliable fridge because the batteries can go to 10.5 if I use the heater or if I have a few cloudy days. The first interstate batteries, that came with the 2018 Basecamp, only lasted 1-1/2 to 2 days.

[Dennis C]

I’m no battery expert, but I’ve read here and in other places that running lead-acid batteries (including AGM) down to a very low state of charge causes irreversible damage. This damage negatively impacts the ability to fully recharge the battery, as well as the longevity of a charge. AGMs are deep cycle batteries, meaning that they are designed to slowly discharge over a period of hours or days, as opposed to something like a automotive battery that’s designed to provide a strong discharge over a short period of time, when you use your starter. I tend to believe that if you’ve had your battery down in the 10.5V range on more than one occasion, you’ve potentially damaged it. This could explain the performance that you’re experiencing.

[philly_air]

Wanted to let everyone know what happened. We happened to luck out and an rv repair guy was driving through our campground. He took a look and fixed the problem in 2 seconds by moving the igniter closer to the burner. He said on our domestic model that’s where the sensor is. It’s now working great so far.

[Halford1]

Originally Posted by philly_air

Wanted to let everyone know what happened. We happened to luck out and an rv repair guy was driving through our campground. He took a look and fixed the problem in 2 seconds by moving the igniter closer to the burner. He said on our domestic model that’s where the sensor is. It’s now working great so far.

both you and RV repairman are lucky dogs. You got the fridge up working and the repairman got paid.

[Its4kito]

Originally Posted by Dennis C

I’m no battery expert, but I’ve read here and in other places that running lead-acid batteries (including AGM) down to a very low state of charge causes irreversible damage. This damage negatively impacts the ability to fully recharge the battery, as well as the longevity of a charge. AGMs are deep cycle batteries, meaning that they are designed to slowly discharge over a period of hours or days, as opposed to something like a automotive battery that’s designed to provide a strong discharge over a short period of time, when you use your starter. I tend to believe that if you’ve had your battery down in the 10.5V range on more than one occasion, you’ve potentially damaged it. This could explain the performance that you’re experiencing.

Thank you. Then instead of putting $600 on new AGM batteries, I’ll go to the casino where I won’t loose the money so fast.

[Kvsterling]

Glad there is a solution for the fridge, but still sounds like there is an electrical problem. Likely there is an existing battery problem since they have been discharged so low

May be interesting to pull the batteries and hit them with a charger. See if they hold 100% charge with no load for a couple days. If they discharge without a load, start with battery equalization cycle vs replacement

Do you have a battery manager? Could see amp draw if so, and start pulling fuses to narrow where the parasitic draw may be occurring.

Keep us in the loop!

[kittmaster]

Originally Posted by drbrick

When this happened to us the thermocouple had failed - happens see my blog write-up refrigeration-issue-resolved-finally/

Just as an FYI, if you disconnect the thermocouple from the unit....typically a 2 pin plug or 2 screw terminal connection, you can use your multimeter and measure for a resistance...if it is OL (open) vs any other reading you can tell right there. If you can see the sensor and put your finger over the sensor endpoint....you'll see the resistance change in real time as your fingers warm the sensor up....easy way to verify the sensor.