Refer won't light

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Refer won't light

December 22, 2016, 08:17:42 pm

Went to turn the refer on for a trip and no spark ignitor works. Manually lit the flame to cool off the box once.

My guru will look at it tomorrow afternoon.

The 7832 Dometic has a compressor in the freezer side that runs off the plug in the compartment that has a white and a black duplex plug.

As far as I have seen one is inverted power the other is straight shore power 110v.

My real question is how much of a draw would running the 110 volt side of the refer off the inverter?

My memory says the refer has two 230 watt heating elements.

To my limited electrical knowledge it sounds like 5 amps of 110 volt.

If the box is already chilled down I wonder how many amp hours of battery power would be consumed a day?

Cool weather. 50's

Anyone used a similar draw refer? Sounds similar to a residential refers use?

Good emergency info either way.

Re: Refer won't light

Reply #1 – December 22, 2016, 08:20:05 pm

Running the 120 volts off the inverter will kill the batteries very quickly.

Re: Refer won't light

Reply #2 – December 22, 2016, 08:31:09 pm

I have 675 amp hours with three 8g8d's in the coach.

Normal overnight Diesel Aqua hot down to the thirties and lighting runs around 170 amp hours overnight max. I have another 170 to be at 50% DOD

Dry camped in front of folks house in Vegas.

Re: Refer won't light

Reply #3 – December 22, 2016, 08:56:40 pm

420 watts is over 30 amps at 12 volts. Propane/electric fridges are far more efficient on gas. Your electric element will be on for a much longer time that your gas would be. This is the reason Foretravel did not wire the fridge part into the inverter circuit. Your small compressor in the icemaker uses only about 50 watts so can run off the inverter. This is why Foretravel put a separate inverter plug for it alone.

Re: Refer won't light

Reply #4 – December 23, 2016, 10:25:10 am

When I was considering a residential I tried the Dometic on inverter power. With 3 8d's (charged by 360w solar) the genset auto started after 3 1/2 hrs. This was started at sundown and inverter was in invert & charge mode. Same setup with the Samsung residential the fridge ran all night and into the next day without the genset starting.

Re: Refer won't light

Reply #5 – December 23, 2016, 10:44:48 am

Quote from: Caflashbob – December 22, 2016, 08:17:42 pm

My real question is how much of a draw would running the 110 volt side of the refer off the inverter?

There is no need to guess. Buy a Kill-A-Watt meter, insert in the shore power outlet, plug in the fridge, read the exact power draw.

P3 P4400 Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor - Low Temperature Alarms -...

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Re: Refer won't light

Reply #6 – December 23, 2016, 10:58:11 am

It will be hard on the inverter, In my opinion. Have you tried cleaning the burner of rust? If it is dirty, the igniter won't spark...I would bet lunch it's dirty
CW

Re: Refer won't light

Reply #7 – December 23, 2016, 11:52:20 am

I agree with the last post. Get a can of compressed air at local walmart or similar. Then remove flat metal shield. Then remove rectangular cover over burner. Blow out all rust round burner. Tap on flue pipe and blow again. Then try relighting using gas it should lite. Put covers back. And the clean as a matter of routine.

Re: Refer won't light

Reply #8 – December 23, 2016, 12:18:18 pm

I was going to suggest you make sure the flue and the burner are clean. One little speck of rust will prevent it from lighting (guess how I know that) I have a can of compressed air with a long thin tube (for keyboards). Worked great. LP refrigerator is gone, air can is in my parts box.

Re: Refer won't light

Reply #9 – December 23, 2016, 01:07:57 pm

Quote from: Roger & Susan in Home2 – December 23, 2016, 12:18:18 pm

I have a can of compressed air with a long thin tube

Yup, we carry air too, great for furnaces and thermostats, as well.

Re: Refer won't light

Reply #10 – December 23, 2016, 01:19:12 pm

I clean the burner orifice every trip. The screw fall out when I get near them.

We live sort of near the beach in so cal and the Rv storage lot is adjacent to our house. Lots of nice marine air.

Probably the wires to the ignitor. I pulled them off and pushed them back on yesterday as I manually lit the flame.

My guru buddy already strengthened the grounds in the area and cleaned the ignitor contacts four years ago.

Thanks for everyone's help. The 3 1/2 hour till auto start on three full 8'ds shows a larger draw than a emergency use only operation.

With the alternator on and the inverter running should be ok while driving in an emergency.

Typical foretravel with backup/alternate ways to get home.

Plus we have a good chest freezer/refer in the bay that can run on either 110 or 12 volt.

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Refer won't light

December 22, 2016, 08:17:42 pm

Re: Refer won't light

Reply #1 – December 22, 2016, 08:20:05 pm

Re: Refer won't light

Reply #2 – December 22, 2016, 08:31:09 pm

Re: Refer won't light

Reply #3 – December 22, 2016, 08:56:40 pm

Re: Refer won't light

Reply #4 – December 23, 2016, 10:25:10 am

Re: Refer won't light

Reply #5 – December 23, 2016, 10:44:48 am

Re: Refer won't light

Reply #6 – December 23, 2016, 10:58:11 am

Re: Refer won't light

Reply #7 – December 23, 2016, 11:52:20 am

Re: Refer won't light

Reply #8 – December 23, 2016, 12:18:18 pm

Re: Refer won't light

Reply #9 – December 23, 2016, 01:07:57 pm

Re: Refer won't light

Reply #10 – December 23, 2016, 01:19:12 pm

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