New Amana cooling coils for old Dometic Refrigerators

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New Amana cooling coils for old Dometic Refrigerators

June 13, 2013, 12:53:04 am

I have friends visiting with their "new to them" 2000 U 320. It has the orignal Dometic model 1282 refrigertor and last night it appears to have quit cooling. I am fairly certain that there is a blockage in the cooling coils and they need to be replaced. They want to repair the old unit because they plan to do a lot of dry camping.Do any forum members have any information on the Amana brand replacement coils and do they have a service facility?

Gary O

Re: New Amana cooling coils for old Dometic Refrigerators

Reply #1 – June 13, 2013, 06:48:30 am

Sounds like a trip to Lowes in Nashville, know you will enjoy the challenge.
Had mine changed out this past Jan in the Houston area, via Rudy's buddy,
glad I had it done. Now no need for LP Gas.

Re: New Amana cooling coils for old Dometic Refrigerators

Reply #2 – June 13, 2013, 08:20:15 am

Quote from: Gary Omel – June 13, 2013, 12:53:04 am

Do any forum members have any information on the Amana brand replacement coils and do they have a service facility?

Gary,

Do you have a link for the Amana cooling coils? I couldn't find anything with Google.

I believe some folks have used what are often termed "Amish built" cooling coils from this company Results for Dometic Brand NEW CU ********************* Could that be what your friend is thinking of?

Re: New Amana cooling coils for old Dometic Refrigerators

Reply #3 – June 13, 2013, 08:46:21 am

Michelle, That is possible. I remember someone talking about the new Amana cooling systems for older units and they were supposed to be better built. Maybe it was Amish.
Gary O

Re: New Amana cooling coils for old Dometic Refrigerators

Reply #4 – June 13, 2013, 09:02:19 am

We recently had our cooling unit replaced by the Amish at the factory in Shipshewana, Indiana. We are well pleased with the results.

Residential fridge

Re: New Amana cooling coils for old Dometic Refrigerators

Reply #5 – June 13, 2013, 11:41:04 am

Gary,

Search youtube.com with the following "armish refigerator replacement" no quotes, there are several vids on the subjuect.

Keith

Re: New Amana cooling coils for old Dometic Refrigerators

Reply #6 – June 13, 2013, 12:52:49 pm

I replaced the cooling unit in our 1997 Dometic refrigerator with a new cooling unit from RV Cooling Unit Warehouse LLC Home Page. I made the change by myself inside the coach. The refrigerator has worked well during the 18 months since I replaced the cooling unit.

Re: New Amana cooling coils for old Dometic Refrigerators

Reply #7 – June 13, 2013, 01:05:14 pm

My choice would be a residential fridge, instead of the absorption type rv fridge. Haven't heard of any RV fires being caused by them. And from what I've read, they are easily powered, even when boondocking, by a inverter and battery bank powered by either solar or generator. Many RVers, even on this forum, are going this route!!!

Re: New Amana cooling coils for old Dometic Refrigerators

Reply #8 – June 13, 2013, 01:08:58 pm

I replaced the cooling unit in my Dometic 7832 (1996) two years ago with a new (not remanufactured) unit from RVcoolingUnit.net. When the cooling unit quit working after 5 weeks, they were very good with shipping a replacement unit at no cost to me. They also paid the shipping to return the failed cooling unit. I had to remove and reinstall the refer four times, not an easy job. The second cooling unit failed in five days and after hours measuring temperatures and changing things they could not help in getting the new cooling unit working again. Frustrated, I contacted Steve at Hillside Propane in Enderby, British Columbia. Steve solved this frustrating dilema in a 20 minute phone conversation. The problem was that the horizontal "U" pipe near the top of the freezer compartment was not level. It was 2 inches lower at the door than at the back of the freezer compartment, causing a vapour lock inside the piping. I used considerable force (a jack) to bend this horizontal "U" pipe up until it was level. After three attempts to restart (required to clear vapour lock), this cooling unit started working again and is still working well today. I shipped the OEM cooling unit to Hillside Propane, where it was rebuilt and sold. I do not know why the folks at RVcoolingUnit could not provide the good advice that Hillside Propane did.

The other, critical item, which is glossed over in the RVCoolingUnit instructions, is the importance of having a "PERFECT" seal between the cooling unit and the refridgerator box. Even a very slight leak will cause high temperatures in the fridge and freezer. RVCoolingUnit instruction indicate that replacing a cooling unit is easy. IMHO, it is not easy, but it can be done.

By the way, if you drive your motorhome to Enderby, BC, Steve will rebuild your cooling unit by moving the fridge about half way into the hallway to allow access behind. The original cooling unit/refer is left intact. Steve will do the same thing to the new Dometic refers which seem to have cooling unit failures in only a couple years. Steve told me that these new Dometic cooling units have partially blocked piping at the joints, such that the cooling unit boiler runs too hot causing early failure, go figure. Steve can fix these new cooling units so they last for decades.

Re: New Amana cooling coils for old Dometic Refrigerators

Reply #9 – June 13, 2013, 01:23:44 pm

I do not agree that powering a residential refer with an inverter is easy. My guestimates are that when outside temperatures are over 100F, a residential refer will require 150 amphours over 24 hours. I have 150 amphours availabe each day with 850 watts of solar panels. I normally use about 50 amphours during the night, so could not keep up to a residential refer without adding more solar or running the genset. However, a Sunfrost refer, which is manufactured for "off grid" would only require about 75 amphours a day. Yes, the sunfrost refer is twice as efficient as an energy star refer, however, they cost $ 4000.00 and will not fit in a foretravel without extensive cabinet modifications. So, I stayed with the very inefficient absorption refer because I dry camp most of the time every winter.

Re: New Amana cooling coils for old Dometic Refrigerators

Reply #10 – June 13, 2013, 01:48:09 pm

Wyatt's experience illustrates why I believe it's wise to have the new cooling unit installed at the factory if it's within a reasonable driving distance. The installation can be done by an individual (with a good helper), but (as with many things) there is a "learning curve" and it's best to let those with significant experience do the installation. In addition, paying for factory installation eliminates the shipping charges--which are significant.

A final "bonus" is that Shipshewana is a very nice area in which to have a short vacation (including delicious food)!

Re: New Amana cooling coils for old Dometic Refrigerators

Reply #11 – June 13, 2013, 02:27:13 pm

Although we have not had to make the decision yet, I am confident that we will stay with the RV Cooling Unit replacement. I just like the idea of having gas as a backup power supply for the fridge. I have spoken several times to the owner of rvcoolingunit.com and he really know his stuff. He may be able to tell your friend how to fix his fridge. It may be a heat supply problem rather than a plugged cooling unit. Give him a call.

Re: New Amana cooling coils for old Dometic Refrigerators

Reply #12 – June 13, 2013, 02:31:37 pm

My first choice would be residential, don't look to be in 100 temps. for my vacations:-). Love my Haier counter depth. Second choice would be factory installed cooling unit, new or rebuilt. Last choice would be DIY, and I am pretty "handy".

Re: New Amana cooling coils for old Dometic Refrigerators

Reply #13 – June 13, 2013, 05:29:28 pm

I would go with the residential as well. If I had to put on the genset for a couple hours that is not a big issue either.
I run it almost all the time in the summer anyway when I am on the road.

Re: New Amana cooling coils for old Dometic Refrigerators

Reply #14 – June 13, 2013, 10:14:52 pm

Thank you all for the quick responses. After doing some research, I believe they are going to RC Refrigeration in Shipshewana , after they go home and officially "move in".
Gary O

Re: New Amana cooling coils for old Dometic Refrigerators

Reply #15 – June 14, 2013, 07:15:31 am

I think you mean "JC Refrigeration." If their experience there was as good as ours, they will be extremely happy with the performance of their refrigerator.

Be sure to advise them to allow plenty of time for shopping and sightseeing in the area (don't miss Yoder's Department Store), including some really good food over in Middlebury (Rise n Roll Bakery and Das Dutchman Essenhaus Bakery)!

Re: New Amana cooling coils for old Dometic Refrigerators

Reply #16 – June 15, 2013, 12:45:18 am

Quote from: PatC – June 13, 2013, 01:05:14 pm

...................Haven't heard of any RV fires being caused by them. And from what I've read, they are easily powered, even when boondocking, by a inverter and battery bank powered by either solar or generator. Many RVers, even on this forum, are going this route!!!.........................

This isn't for everyone. If your Foretraveling consists of short excursions from one 50 amp, 120 VAC receptacle to the next, this won't be of any use to you.
If you don't enjoy dry camping (or the flexibility and safety of being able to do so) and don't care about treating your coach's AC and DC equipment gently and with respect for longevity, you don't need to read any further.

People on this and other forums seem to have trouble sorting out the absorption refrigerator vs.residential refrigerator wheat from the chaff.

As Wyatt has pointed out, done properly, replacing an absorption refrigerator with a residential refrigerator involves much more than just adding a new box and an inverter.

The change in battery loads and the change in battery duty cycle needs to be considered with increased battery capacity generally being required if one wants to keep battery duty cycles and depth of discharge reasonable.

The original wiring and breakers need to be evaluated and may need to be upgraded,

the increased generator run times and costs need to be considered,

the increased wear and tear on the alternator needs to be considered,

the shortened lifetimes of batteries and alternator should be of concern,

the new hardware and installation costs of these and possibly a (large) solar installation (to keep duty cycles down and the "boondocking" capability equal to or better than what you already have) needs to be evaluated.

And, with solar panels, comes a whole new set of operating complexities (additional hardware, instrumentation, parking requirements, storm preparations, insurance, etc.).

I can understand if one feels that all of these increased complexities and the myriad of associated costs are worth it in order to personally gain the benefits of a residential refrigerator. After all, residential refrigerators, through motor driven, forced recirculation, compressors, and electric heaters have three main advantages;

they cool down faster,

they distribute air better, and

they defrost automatically.

And if one wants to spend more in terms of initial hardware as well as ongoing electrical system operating costs, electrical system capacity challenges and maintenance, one can opt for separate freezer and refrigerator compressors/air distribution fans, front door ice and liquid dispensers, rapid cool down compartments, humidors, etc, etc, etc.

What I don't understand is why so many seem to feel that just plugging in a residential refrigerator plus inverter and doing some cabinet work (generally involving overall storage reduction) enhances the value (or ease of use) of their coach. Yes, you do not have to defrost. No, everything else is not automatically better.

Improperly engineered, a residential refrigerator substitution is just like any other poorly researched /implemented design change. If the change hasn't been designed properly, it may look good and operate well on the surface (or not...I've also seen more of those) but the overall impact is to degrade the value and longevity of the motor home.

Most potential buyers should be able to see this, but definitely not all will be savvy enough, if that matters to you.

The favored excuse is the absorption refrigerator fire safety risk (fear-mongering).

However, with 6% or less of ALL RV fires involving absorption refrigerators initiation (from pop-up tent camper bumper-pulls to Prevost custom conversions and all the way in between), the risk is pretty low to start with and can be made ZERO with reasonable expense and effort:

Consider that there are roughly 4000 RV fires a year and roughly 35,000,000 RV's (1 in 8,750 have some type of fire related insurance claim)

Consider that of those 4000 RV fires/year, roughly 6% are attributable to an absorption refrigerator initiation (240 RV fires/year out of 35 MILLION RV's)

Consider that your chances of an absorption refrigerator initiated fire then becomes (1 in 14,600)

Consider then that by doing simple, proper absorption refrigerator maintenance and by installing a good, automatic refrigerator compartment fire extinguisher, your risk of having any damage (from your 1 in 14,600 chance of having an absorption refrigerator fire in the first place) becomes essentially ZERO.

Consider that most (94%) of the fire risk in an RV comes from sources other than an absorption refrigerator, including RESIDENTIAL REFRIGERATORS

Consider that there are more residential refrigerator fire insurance claims and refrigerator recalls than most people imagine (why isn't there equal fear mongering going on over that)? In the last few years, here are but a FEW examples:

Maytag Brand,

Jenn-Air Brand,

Amana Brand,

Admiral Brand,

Crosley Brand,

Magic Chef Brand, and

Performa Brand refrigerators:

More than 1.64 Million Units Recalled

Electrical failure in a solid state start relay (the component that turns on the refrigerator's compressor) causing overheating and posing a serious fire hazard. Refrigerator digital relay ignition occurs, resulting in insurance claims for property damage ranging from smoke damage to extensive fire damage.

Fagor Brand ($2 to $2.5K price range units, if you are not familiar with the brand):

The refrigerator's control board overheating, posing a fire hazard.

Fires, extensive property fire and smoke damage insurance claims.

More than 2 Million units involved

Made in China Haier and Black & Decker brand chest freezers and refrigerators:

Over 40,000 units recalled.

Fires, major property damage insurance claims.

LG Electronics Brand and

Kenmore Elite Brand (Sears, Roebuck and Co.)

About 20,000 units

A faulty capacitor in the condenser fan motor causing a short circuit. This in turn causing a serious shock hazard and the condenser fan motor to overheat, resulting in a documented fire hazard as well as fire damage insurance claims.

I am not trying to nay-say any particular changes or viewpoints of others.
I am just trying to present a balance of viewpoints and perspectives.
I see a lot of emotional gibberish about refrigerator changes and not much logical or fact based discussion of the REAL WORLD advantages and disadvantages, one way or the other. It would be a whole lot better to see more fact based information like Wyatt has provided.
If one enjoys and/or makes proper use of the flexibility and versatility of the original design, they shouldn't be misled into a poorly engineered design change just for the sake of "Keeping up with (the poor decisions of?) the JONES's".

Neal

Re: New Amana cooling coils for old Dometic Refrigerators

Reply #17 – June 15, 2013, 12:57:27 am

good shot Neal !!!

Re: New Amana cooling coils for old Dometic Refrigerators

Reply #18 – June 15, 2013, 08:08:48 am

Neal,

Always good to get input and viewpoints, thanks for yours. You seem to have a lot of passion around this topic. Form my perspective I have a 2000 U-320 with a Prosine 2500 - as has been documented I replaced it with an inexpensive Haier French DOor, counter depth refrigerator. I tend to be plugged in when in storage, driving hard to and from somewhere for a weekend, boon docking a fair amount (NASCAR and WalMart), and plugged in at campgrounds.

My 7 year old batteries and Prosine handle the load fine, and it is plugged into the same wiring that the old refrigerator (with it's compressor for the ice maker and 110 mode on inverter was plugged in. Saw no need to evaluate the wiring, buy new batteries, or add a separate inverter. (The factory does a bunch of these conversions, without changing wiring, batteries, or inverter, they wouldn't do them that way if there was an issue.) SO far, so good on my conversion.

My generator is left on auto start all the time. Does not ever come on overnight when boon docking. Also, I am not too worried re alternator wear and tear or generator. IF and when they break, I will fix, and maybe the residential refer will shorten the useful life of the alternator, or add generator run hours. If so, fine with me, I bought a unit with a nice generator to use. I take no enjoyment from "not" using my generator any more than I would take enjoyment from "not" driving my coach.

No hysteria from me RE fires, but the risk is real and greater than with a residential unit Happy to get rid of the absorption unit, because I am sure that there is a higher risk of fire with my original refrigerator rather than my residential. Less, with residential, but as you point out, anything can catch on fire. I didn't change it out because I was afraid of a fire, that being said I am glad it is gone.

From our viewpoint:

Residential cheaper for me (at the costs I had it done) than replacing with absorption. We LOVE the capacity and performance of residential. Resale is enhanced.

Aesthetics are improved.
Wife likes it. A lot.

The market and manufacturers have spoken. Most all high end coaches are coming with residential and many are all electric. I have not heard of anyone putting in residential and than wishing they had back absorption, or even saying "we love the new refrigerator but miss "xxxxxxxx" about our old refrigerator. Nobody misses their absorption refrigerator.

Anyone that wants to stick with absorption, fix an old absorption, or replace an absorption unit with another absorption unit should do what their brain, wallet, need and emotion tells them to do.

I do consider myself a practical user, not a practicing or couch engineer, and feel that for most people, going residential will be very safe, satisfying and cost effective over the years.

Re: New Amana cooling coils for old Dometic Refrigerators

Reply #19 – June 15, 2013, 09:49:59 am

Well said, from your point of view and in justifying your decision.

both are well thought out artices.

Much the same reasons I spend time and $$ to keep my old RM4804 going

Re: New Amana cooling coils for old Dometic Refrigerators

Reply #20 – June 15, 2013, 11:01:38 am

You are right. I was tired. They already have made arrangements with JC, and will be there later this month. Gary O

Re: New Amana cooling coils for old Dometic Refrigerators

Reply #21 – June 15, 2013, 12:38:35 pm

Opinions are rampant, what fits one does not mean it is the ONLY way, some still have the ability to think out their needed process despite opinionated word smith renderings.
I do not live your life & I am not wanting to live yours. My way is not te only way nor is anyone else's, its what fits individual needs & wants.
Certainly, many seem to need to be lead, I respect everyones opinion, but one still has to do a little thinking on their own. Opinions over the entire line of subjects, tires, batteries, charging, inverters, refrig units, LED, etc. Think!
Enjoy peace
Dave M

Re: New Amana cooling coils for old Dometic Refrigerators

Reply #22 – June 15, 2013, 02:00:21 pm

Good article Neal
I had my Norcold go out on my U270 1998 leaking ammonia all over. No fire. I was leaning toward residential replacement until I did some analysis on my own. 1st the old refrigerator lasted 17 years, MOT installed a new Norcold without removing the door or window, and I did not need to buy another inverter, battery, or cabinet modification. And if the new refrigerator lasts 17 years it will be 2030 making the FT 32years old. I also had MOT install a fire suppression system as added safety. And after reading Neal's detailed article I made the right decision for me.

Re: New Amana cooling coils for old Dometic Refrigerators

Reply #23 – June 15, 2013, 05:53:47 pm

Hi John,

Would you share the price (parts and labor) of your refrigerator fire suppressant system.

Jim

2002 U320

Re: New Amana cooling coils for old Dometic Refrigerators

Reply #24 – June 15, 2013, 06:54:47 pm

I got it from RV Cooling Unit Warehouse LLC Total: $192.00 and it is so easy to install I would have done it myself. But I was at MOT for maintenance and refrigerator replacement so I had them do it with me watching.

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