Gas/Electric Dometic Fridge On/Off in Storage

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Gas/Electric Dometic Fridge On/Off in Storage

October 31, 2018, 11:25:25 pm

After 5 mos and 9000 miles our FT will sit with limited use next 4-6months hooked to 50 amp at house.

On or off?

Thanks

Re: Gas/Electric Dometic Fridge On/Off in Storage

Reply #1 – October 31, 2018, 11:36:36 pm

hooked up - I say on

Tim Fiedler

Sure Start Soft Start - home of SureStart soft starters TCER Direct - home of Generac Approved Aluminum and Copper TCER Composite cable generator-gas-prod - home of X-Riser Gas Risers for PE installation Call me at 630 240-9139
Gen-Pro

Re: Gas/Electric Dometic Fridge On/Off in Storage

Reply #2 – October 31, 2018, 11:39:52 pm

If it is not in use then off. Just reduce risk. Keep an open box of baking soda inside.

Re: Gas/Electric Dometic Fridge On/Off in Storage

Reply #3 – October 31, 2018, 11:47:59 pm

ROger

May be old wives tale, but I was told at some point - by someone who redid the cooling units, that constant use would keep the internal corrosion down that rots the cooling units - vs. turning on and off -

Not sure if the guy new what he was talking about, but I did have one let go in my 1989 OREG - ammonia smell was overpowering in the refrigerator, but luckly no fire. Replaced with an expensive propane 3 way unit and sold coach a few months later.

But may be as I say just so much BS

Tim Fiedler

Sure Start Soft Start - home of SureStart soft starters TCER Direct - home of Generac Approved Aluminum and Copper TCER Composite cable generator-gas-prod - home of X-Riser Gas Risers for PE installation Call me at 630 240-9139
Gen-Pro

Re: Gas/Electric Dometic Fridge On/Off in Storage

Reply #4 – October 31, 2018, 11:50:16 pm

If you decide to turn it off, prop the door open so it doesn't get funky inside.

Re: Gas/Electric Dometic Fridge On/Off in Storage

Reply #5 – November 01, 2018, 12:01:48 am

Tim, that may be true or urban legend. I don't know. Our prior RV had a 12 Vdc /120Vac refrigerator. The LP refrig in our 2001 was not working as well as we thought it should and after Tom Lang's fire there was no question it was coming out and soon. If you have an LP refrig do everything you can do to reduce all fire risk. Make sure your smoke detectors are working. I suggest turning it off if it is not in use. Consider a safer refrigerator.

Re: Gas/Electric Dometic Fridge On/Off in Storage

Reply #6 – November 01, 2018, 12:39:55 am

My thoughts after Roger & Susan's post "If you have an LP refrig do everything you can do to reduce all fire risk. Make sure your smoke detectors are working. I suggest turning it off if it is not in use. Consider a safer refrigerator."

I leave the re-frig off with the doors open to avoid odor issues. If closed, I leave inside two boxes of baking soda.

Years ago when I left my rv in a body shop, I wanted to leave it plugged in to keep the batteries topped off. I was told no rv's can remain in the body shop plugged in, to avoid any cause of fire from electrical. Again, that was the body shop, not the repair shop of the same company, where often rv's were left plugged in overnight.

Last month I installed a Samsung residential refrigerator. This won out over new flooring, more solar, strut bushings replacements, and shock replacements. Safety at night was my prime motivator. We cannot protect against everything, just some should be a priority. In my short 48 year career around the retail sale of rvs, the several fires I was near, and I clearly remember, were caused by propane. I heard stories of battery and electric fires, none that I remember though. I was never near a battery or electric fire, unlike the several propane refrigerator fires I was near. I remember clearly every one of those.

Re: Gas/Electric Dometic Fridge On/Off in Storage

Reply #7 – November 01, 2018, 01:27:53 am

Always fridge off with door 'blocked' open. Always...

Re: Gas/Electric Dometic Fridge On/Off in Storage

Reply #8 – November 01, 2018, 09:04:07 am

I turn mine off at night . Run the gen set or plug in during the day . I hate the thought of fire between me and the door .
Plus the lack of real insurance and having so much time invested in the old girl.
Yes, I store the unit off with open doors.

Re: Gas/Electric Dometic Fridge On/Off in Storage

Reply #9 – November 01, 2018, 09:51:16 am

My fridge is off when stored. Doors left open. It's a Norcold that was replace around 2014. I think many of the fridge fires are due to old units. I love the propane unit as I mostly boondock. It has a built in overheat sensor, i think. I have 3 smoke detectors in the RV. Easy to add more, just velco them to the ceiling.

Fridge fires occur, but there are also thousands (if not millions) of fridges that don't catch on fire. I've seen cars catch fire too.

Re: Gas/Electric Dometic Fridge On/Off in Storage

Reply #10 – November 01, 2018, 09:57:28 am

Roger - totally makes sense - LIke I said - urban legend probably

After my 89 GV had an ammonium leak (and it was turned on when I discovered it!) I put in residential in every coach I have owned and not looked back. I boondock all the time at NASCAR and have recently added solar to my roof, but I boondocked all over country and at NASCAR events for 10 years before I added the solar - just ran the generator, figured that is what it was there for.

Tim Fiedler

Sure Start Soft Start - home of SureStart soft starters TCER Direct - home of Generac Approved Aluminum and Copper TCER Composite cable generator-gas-prod - home of X-Riser Gas Risers for PE installation Call me at 630 240-9139
Gen-Pro

Re: Gas/Electric Dometic Fridge On/Off in Storage

Reply #11 – November 01, 2018, 10:03:58 am

X2 on what Krish said. I just replaced our 20 year old cooling unit that was working just fine.

Re: Gas/Electric Dometic Fridge On/Off in Storage

Reply #12 – November 01, 2018, 11:04:41 am

Fridge off with doors open. If you leave the doors closed, especially in high humidity, mold will grow and even get behind the gaskets where it's very tough to get it off. I forgot once but not again.

Pierce

Re: Gas/Electric Dometic Fridge On/Off in Storage

Reply #13 – November 01, 2018, 11:11:46 am

Think it's an old wives tale,no moisture should be in the system,with that thinking then every new frig would be corroding while
sitting on the shelf.

Re: Gas/Electric Dometic Fridge On/Off in Storage

Reply #14 – November 01, 2018, 11:17:42 am

Randy,

Since you are in a humid area and near saltwater, one of the issues is corrosion/rust on the cooling unit tubes.

Yes, every time the tubes (metal) temperature is down to the dew point, it will be WET. Wet, particularly with any salt content= rust.

If in the desert SW, a completely different matter.

Re: Gas/Electric Dometic Fridge On/Off in Storage

Reply #15 – November 01, 2018, 01:16:00 pm

Brett is there a minimum outside temperature that lp refrigerator will operate?

Re: Gas/Electric Dometic Fridge On/Off in Storage

Reply #16 – November 01, 2018, 01:25:00 pm

Quote from: John/Pat – November 01, 2018, 01:16:00 pm

Brett is there a minimum outside temperature that lp refrigerator will operate?

Interesting question.
My experience with the old coaches was the colder it got the better they worked. Had to turn them down to keep from freezing in the refrigerator section. Never was below the teens though.

Re: Gas/Electric Dometic Fridge On/Off in Storage

Reply #17 – November 01, 2018, 02:21:26 pm

Quote from: John/Pat – November 01, 2018, 01:16:00 pm

Brett is there a minimum outside temperature that lp refrigerator will operate?

I suspect so, but (thankfully) have never tested it. I do know that some place a 100 watt lightbulb in the refrigerator outside area in very cold conditions.

Re: Gas/Electric Dometic Fridge On/Off in Storage

Reply #18 – November 01, 2018, 02:55:58 pm

Quote from: bbeane – November 01, 2018, 10:03:58 am

X2 on what Krish said. I just replaced our 20 year old cooling unit that was working just fine.

Our country is run by actuaries and lawyers. If propane fridges were that dangerous, nobody would make them. They'd be outlawed....like lawn darts LOL

Re: Gas/Electric Dometic Fridge On/Off in Storage

Reply #19 – November 01, 2018, 05:21:46 pm

My Dometic fridge has been on since I bought it. Jr, of JC Refrigeration told me it's best to leave it on. He said the Amish have been doing this forever and they will last longer this way.

Re: Gas/Electric Dometic Fridge On/Off in Storage

Reply #20 – November 01, 2018, 09:35:13 pm

Quote from: John/Pat – November 01, 2018, 01:16:00 pm

Brett is there a minimum outside temperature that lp refrigerator will operate?

I've had mine down to -9º overnight and no problems. I had heaters in the bays but nothing behind the refrigerator.

I don't recommend trying this.

see ya
ken

Re: Gas/Electric Dometic Fridge On/Off in Storage

Reply #21 – November 01, 2018, 09:59:46 pm

I have had a propane regulator freeze up from water vapor in the propane tank over years. Minus 30. Added alcohol to the fill hose after putting it indoors long enough to thaw,

Re: Gas/Electric Dometic Fridge On/Off in Storage

Reply #22 – November 02, 2018, 02:20:57 am

Quote from: krush – November 01, 2018, 02:55:58 pm

Our country is run by actuaries and lawyers. If propane fridges were that dangerous, nobody would make them. They'd be outlawed....like lawn darts LOL

The following, plus, having been near, as close as 50 feet, from 3 refrigerator fires, having had an ammonia leak (yellow residue after tube break near the bottom) 14 years ago with my Monaco Signature with a 1 year 2 month old Norcold (two months out of limited warranty, not on the current recall list, they refused any help to me). I learned from pursuing a resolution from Norcold (they farm out the handling of the recall to prevent further liability) and learning about our recall laws (not a fix, only a solution the government accepts) I know actuaries and lawyers do not always "do the right thing".

I asked for some "good will assistance", going up the chain at Norcold, and was told by a concerned and sympathetic Norcold employee "Because of the sensitive nature of these rv fires, we cannot help, we are bound by contract with our subcontractor to refer all issues regarding these failures to them, a sub contractor that could care less, only doing what they had worked out with our government.

As a new car dealer for over 15 years I followed the actuaries, lawyer, mfg's., solutions, testimony to the govt, etc, it mad me sick. The Pinto is only one shining example of the actuaries and lawyers at work (more currently, the tobacco industry consumer protection laws). I experienced the, what should have been illegal testimony by Lee Iacoca and Volkswagen regarding our safety laws (head restraints, steel side safety beams, passive restraint systems, etc in the 1970's and 80's). Dometic Corp of Sweden recently had world wide sales of $1,374,664,000.00 United States Dollars each year this past couple years yielding approximately a 10% profit on sales. If they factor in the small number of law suits going to trial, (most loses by consumers are paid off by their own insurance company and if it goes to trial against the mfg, product liability insurance (a business deduction), not the product mfg.) Factor in insurance covering these suits, I know this is something I cannot change, that is the behavior of these huge corporations to chase the last dollar of profit, I can only do what I believe is best, from my own experience and that told to me by others I respect.

One of those things I have learned from all of this, is to have a residential refrigerator in any diesel pusher class A, that I own. Another is to never think our mfg laws of holding corporations accountable, will ever insure having safe products, and for sure not expecting our government to protect us, with our consumer protection laws often written by big corporation lawyers and lobbyists.

Anyone else notice how each year, more serial numbers are added?
https://www.thetford.com/customer-support/norcold-cooling-unit-recall/

Official Dometic Recall - DometicUSA

Remember, when you call regarding a recall, you are not talking to Norcold or Dometic, you are talking, in my opinion, to a sub contractor hired to keep their loses to a minimum.

One of the many, many, problems with these recalls is that in the past they paid so little time to a dealer to do the repair, many chose not to do them at all. Subsequent liability to the dealer installing the recall "fix" is a lot, future failure of say the "eyebrow" was not reimbursed by the refrigerator mfg. often had to be "absorbed" by the dealer doing the recall for the subcontractor of the refrigerator manufacture. Charge backs to the tech for his labor, had to be often be eliminated, or the techs refused to do the recall.

As I've said before, we can not protect ourselves against everything. We can however, educate our selves, and make good choices (such as always blocking the air bag system when crawling under an air bag rv). We all have a budget, even if not in dollars, in amounts we are comfortable with. I understand this and I respect all those that choose to not go residential because of how they use their rvs, or just their seat of the pants beliefs. Do your research, do not always worry about worse case scenarios, but do be smart. Take the time to read the many opinions of our blog contributors with years of experience in varied areas from engineering, to rv techs, to captains of industry. And then, go have fun!

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