Dometic Refrigerator Not Working

Topic: Dometic Refrigerator Not Working (Read 3355 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Dometic Refrigerator Not Working

Reply #25 – June 04, 2017, 04:03:26 pm

Have built a boat, an airplane and participated in 25+ habitat builds My wife would say I'm handy.

Absorption went out in my 1989 11 years ago. Set out to replace cooling unit as DIY. Took refrigerate out of coach. Removed cooling unit. Decided above my desire and pay grade to install rebuilt cooling unit.
Trashed old refrigerator and put in new absorption refrigerator in that coach Motor blew 6 weeks later OREG. Sent away on new tires with new batteries and refrigerator, and a junk motor

Re: Dometic Refrigerator Not Working

Reply #26 – June 04, 2017, 05:50:28 pm

My tech buddy mentioned hearing the fore and aft mounted compressors run oil through the system they were not designed for while driving.

Does not seem to be a big issue here. Or does it?

Plus the refer was designed to be in a temp controlled area and exhausts to the interior

Re: Dometic Refrigerator Not Working

Reply #27 – June 04, 2017, 06:41:28 pm

Scroll style compressors are in almost all heat pumps, geothermal units, AC compressors, refrigerators, freezers, you name it in last 20 years. They do fine in pitching seas, turning trucks and all manner of mobile applications.

Keep positive gravity of 1G or so and spend your worry dollars elsewhere.

Copeland scrolls are at about 70% market share worldwide

http://www.emersonclimate.com/en-US/about_us/news/news_releases/Pages/emerson_climate_celebrates_shipment_of_its_150,000th_scroll_compressor_to_the_global_refrigerated_marine_container_industry.aspx

Re: Dometic Refrigerator Not Working

Reply #28 – June 04, 2017, 07:08:23 pm

So a Samsung residential refer has/had a scroll style compressor?

Buddy mentioned hearing the compressor making banging and knocking noises while being driven from the lubricating oil going though the compressors piston. Obviously not a scroll?

Normally the oil settles and does not directly go through the piston in a non moving use.

Interesting that the transport industry changed their design to work in a moving use.

Re: Dometic Refrigerator Not Working

Reply #29 – June 04, 2017, 08:00:41 pm

Recips and rotary compressors not as energy efficient, few in use today. In general what you'll find is either a scroll compressor or an inverter based system into days newer refrigeration units.
Easiest thing to do is look in the manual for the specifications or parts list you can figure out if it is scroll or not from parts list description or specifications

Re: Dometic Refrigerator Not Working

Reply #30 – June 04, 2017, 09:27:47 pm

Scrolls were developed in the 80's to deflect, in order to prevent damage from slugs of oil or liquid from poorly installed ref piping commonly found in residential installations or under adverse operating conditions or in a moving RV. The ultra efficient inverter units are back to rotary compressor in a/c units.

Re: Dometic Refrigerator Not Working

Reply #31 – June 05, 2017, 07:06:41 am

It appears that recips are still in significant use in appliances (freezers and refrigerators) since the tend to be about as wide as they are tall and that packaging is efficient in a refrigerator design , but I can not find any reference that a Hermetic recip compressor should not be used in a mobile application.
I suspect the roof airs in our RVs are recip, since scrolls tend to be taller vs their width. They seem to survive linear and non linear g forces in everyday use.
Have had no issue with my residential, thousands others on the road. I would suspect of problems or showing up manufactures would stop putting residential refrigerators in RVs.
Does your buddy have any documentation relative to his concern regarding acceleration forces in residential refrigerator applications. This has piqued my curiosity.

Re: Dometic Refrigerator Not Working

Reply #32 – June 05, 2017, 07:34:46 am

Other than he can hear the oil going through the piston while driving customers coaches? My memory of his comments were that some newer compressors are mounted horizontally while some older ones were vertical.

The horizontally mounted ones package better and can result in more internal refer volume.

No household refer was designed to be a non climate controlled moving application.

Why would you as a appliance manufacturer?

He mentioned the coach heating issue as they vent inside.

I think he mentioned some kind of refer venting into the bays on some SOB brands because of the additional interior heat loading otherwise?

Re: Dometic Refrigerator Not Working

Reply #33 – June 05, 2017, 08:10:52 am

Quote from: Caflashbob – June 05, 2017, 07:34:46 am

He mentioned the coach heating issue as they vent inside.

I think he mentioned some kind of refer venting into the bays on some SOB brands because of the additional interior heat loading otherwise?

In my opinion, "heat loading" is a non issue. We've enjoyed our Samsung for several years, in warm and cold weather. Our original fridge vents are both closed, so our Samsung does its thing in a "closed environment". Heat coming off the fridge is never noticeable in any way. If it adds a little heat in the summer, so what? We are probably running our A/C units anyway. Heat gain from the windows, roof and walls of the coach are a much bigger factor. In the winter, any extra interior heat generated by the fridge would be welcomed.

Lots of Samsung installs out there - very few problems. As stated above, make your fridge choice based on your camping lifestyle and what works best for you.

Re: Dometic Refrigerator Not Working

Reply #34 – June 05, 2017, 10:30:28 am

Bob

Every luxury boat and most luxury coaches today go out the door with Residential Appliances. IF it was unsafe or not good for the appliance, manufacturers would simply void all warranty if used in a mobile application AND PUT NOTICE NOT TO USE IN SUCH APPLICATIONS IN ALL CAPS (and bold) LIKE THIS IN THE OWNERS MANUAL AND INSTALLATION GUIDE. :-)

(We used to tell customers about our services agreement, if it is in BOLD face, don't bother to bring it up for negotiation - pesky lawyers wouldn't let us change a comma - but I digress!)

I am not the least about heat load in the coach or house. IS there more heat load transferred from an open flame (vented to the outside but producing heat in the proximity of the interior of the coach) vs. the small amount vented when the compressor is running in the residential? Who knows, neither is a significant factor in real life.

Sounds like your GURU doesn't like residential - no problem there - but there are hundreds of thousands of these units in mobile applications, RV's, boats, Blood labs, you name it, without significant problem other than they don't burn propane, which for many is a benefit and for some a disqualifier. I fall on the benefit side of that spectrum.

Now if your GURU buddy could just find that pesky air leak I have!!!!

Does he work independent? What part of CA?

Your buddy may be a GURU - but he has this one wrong re residential refrigerators.

BTW, studied more diagrams/parts lists out of curiosity last night - only saw vertically mounted compressors in the ones I looked at - most of the form factors were such that the Hermetic recipe compressors were about as tall as they were in diameter - so there would not seem to be an incentive to lay it on it's side for packaging purposes.

Re: Dometic Refrigerator Not Working

Reply #35 – June 05, 2017, 12:02:37 pm

All I said was that he commented about possible future damage to SOME refers from the oil going through the compressor motor.

He is a purist and was Vogues quality control guy when in ca. And designed their heating and a/c systems and was one of the three original founders of coach net.

He walked me up to a older vogue and opened the electrical boxes lid and his signature was on the inspection plate

17 years at his ca. location.

I understand that there are thousands of refers out there.

If the info is not a help or you do not agree ignore it.

Re: Dometic Refrigerator Not Working

Reply #36 – June 05, 2017, 12:47:46 pm

When I had my cooling unit replaced in 2009, I asked the guys at the shop that had the remaned cooling units what they charge to install it- $80.00 . I was there the next day, 2 guys took out the old unit, installed the remaned unit, checked my electrical, etc. We have been using it non stop since then and very happy with it.

Someone asked me who the remanufacturer was and when we looked in our records and called found they are no longer in business. A shame but I am glad I have my unit with ARP & fan.

Cya down the road.....................

Re: Dometic Refrigerator Not Working

Reply #37 – June 05, 2017, 01:12:29 pm

The only problem I've had with our Dometic 1492 Amish cooling unit is ice build-up on the fins, which was easily fixed with the fans pictured. I run our unit on setting #3 in 90 degree weather and my beer is ice cold.

We spent around $70.00 for the door hinge kits which is cheap insurance that one or more of the hinges won't break
out of the plastic door and make the reefer obsolete. I painted the hinge kit and spacers the color of the reefer trim.
I also keep the chimney and LP orifice clean, and when the box isn't level or in use it is shut it off, and we couldn't be happier
with our Dometic/Amish 1492.

Re: Dometic Refrigerator Not Working

Reply #38 – June 06, 2017, 10:18:24 am

FYI, Here is info on R600a which is Butane.
Gary B

R600a (CARE 10) Isobutane | Linde Industrial Gases

Re: Dometic Refrigerator Not Working

Reply #39 – June 06, 2017, 10:37:00 am

Quote from: Travelin' Man – June 05, 2017, 01:12:29 pm

We spent around $70.00 for the door hinge kits which is cheap insurance that one or more of the hinges won't break
out of the plastic door and make the reefer obsolete.

What is the source for the hinge kits? Thanks!

Re: Dometic Refrigerator Not Working

Reply #40 – June 06, 2017, 11:05:23 am

Dometic Refrigerator Beige Door Hinge Repair Kit - Refrigerator Parts -...

Don't ask me why, but the black ones are almost twice as much money.

Dyer's worked with me when I asked for better pricing on two kits.

Re: Dometic Refrigerator Not Working

Reply #41 – June 06, 2017, 11:08:34 am

There is a small difference on our Dometic 7832's cooling ability between gas and a/c.

A/c cools a few degrees better.

Need to verify the propane pressure at the refer. Then verify no corrosion on the jet itself. The burner grid does get corroded and I clean it regularly.

Might be tempted to enlarge the jet a extremely tiny amount. Like one number on a set of numbered drill bits type mod.

Want the same cooling on a/c and gas.

I understand the off level flame issues. Probably why it's not slightly larger burner wise. For off level loading use might replug the refers power into the inverter circuit for a while.

Re: Dometic Refrigerator Not Working

Reply #42 – June 19, 2017, 01:55:40 pm

After a long wait and discussion, the Carmen and I decided on the cooling unit upgrade to our existing fridge. My wife wanted to keep the look of our current and neither of wanted to go with a residential fridge. We do boondock when we travel and our absorption fridge is the way to go. The entire installation was completed by JC Refrigeration in Shipsawana, Indiana. Total cost with cooling unit, installation, cooling fans and taxes was $893 out the door. We were lucky with our fridge. We only had an ammonia leak, no hydrogen.
John M

Re: Dometic Refrigerator Not Working

Reply #43 – June 19, 2017, 02:10:55 pm

Quote from: John Morales – June 19, 2017, 01:55:40 pm

We do boondock when ee travel and our absorption fridge is the way to go.

Yes, I agree, but had a "re-built" fail after a year. Let us know how your fridge is doing after a while.

Re: Dometic Refrigerator Not Working

Reply #44 – June 19, 2017, 02:58:29 pm

Do not drill jet, it is not round inside, has tiny shoulders inside to improve flame pattern.

Re: Dometic Refrigerator Not Working

Reply #45 – June 19, 2017, 03:03:34 pm

If the ammonia leaks out, so does the hydrogen. Fortunately, the hydrogen did not find a spark or flame, as mine did.

Re: Dometic Refrigerator Not Working

Reply #46 – June 19, 2017, 03:26:34 pm

Mike our unit was a brand new cooling unit. Nothing from the old unit was used. The new unit was made from a heavier gauge tubing. They did a great job on the install and too a lot of precaution in keeping things clean. We were very satisfied with the install and the people were great.

Tom, the leak was in the burner location. It had a yellow residue at the base of the burner. They told me that it was only ammonia no hydrogen otherwise we could of had a fire.
John M.

Re: Dometic Refrigerator Not Working

Reply #47 – June 19, 2017, 11:37:08 pm

Avanti RA7316PST 2-Door Apartment Size Refrigerator, Black with Platinum Finish Amazon.com: Avanti RA7316PST 2-Door Apartment Size Refrigerator, Black with...

This one should work for your opening. Replaced my dometic a couple weeks ago. So far so good.

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