No Fridge on 110v

MA

Mark2cars

Advanced Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2016
Messages
80
Location
Sanderson Texas
Our 2002 19L has a Dometic RM2353 3 way fridge. We know it runs on propane just fine. Will not run on 110v. I have reset the circuit breakers inside to no avail. BTW none of the six breakers is labeled as fridge supply. I removed the outside cover and tested the outlet that the fridge is plugged into......no juice !! Yea !... at least I have a starting place for no 110 fridge! Anyone have any idea which breaker might supply the fridge? I am going to remove the outlet itself to make sure there is not a loose or broken wire/s. All help appreciated !!
 
Mark, the wiring digram for the 2006 model year shows a 20 Amp circuit breaker for the fridge. I'm sure it's on the converter box.

If your breakers are all good, then I think you are on the right track in checking the wiring.

Does it work on DC (battery) power? There's a 30 Amp inline fuse on that circuit.

- Jack
 
Your HiLo problems

Mark; On my 2005C The fridg circuit breaker is #4. The top CB #1 is the 30 amp master, #2 is 20 amp to the AC, #3 15 amp to the converter and #4 20 amp fridg, #5 15 amp hot water heater, #6 20 amp GFI outlets.
 
Updates

Our breakers are labeled like your's Jim except #4 says "open". Here is an update. I removed the outlet and opened it up. There is 110 on the supply side...good news ! I believe this indicates the outlet is bad. As the picture indicates I have plugged the fridge directly into the 110 coming from our house and turned it on. We will see in a few hours if it is cooling. Interestingly enough with this outlet out of the circuit there is no 110 to any other parts of the coach. So perhaps this indicates the outlet was good enough to complete a circuit for 110 supply to the trailer. Still do not understand why there was no 100 showing on my tester prior to taking it apart. Time will tell.
 
Picture

Here is the pic I left out !!
 

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Fridge Update

I trouble shot the 110 plug in the back of the fridge compartment. I used three different testers and none showed the outlet the fridge plugged into having power. Soooo...I removed it. The romex feeding the outlet had juice on the leg coming into the receptacle. Based on my testers showing no power to the outlet I figured .....bad outlet. So (here I may have made a BIG mistake) I took apart the outlet. The outlet pictured is a new one that came in the trailer. I have spent two hours attempting to get the wiring back into this receptacle to no avail !! Has anyone had any luck re-wiring one of these (pictured below) ? In the interim I have wired in a standard household GFI outlet. With no outlet in this circuit there was no 110 supply to the trailer. Arrggg...still no fridge on 110, however it runs just fine on propane. Please shower me with great ideas on re-assembling the outlet and why no fridge on 110.
 

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Mark, that outlet is like nothing I've ever seen. What does the plug from the refrigerator look like? Would an ordinary 20 Amp, 110V outlet work?

- Jack
 
JackandJanet said:
Mark, that outlet is like nothing I've ever seen. What does the plug from the refrigerator look like? Would an ordinary 20 Amp, 110V outlet work?

- Jack
Click to expand...

I think if you take your outlets apart you will find the same thing. The absolute cheapest.
 
Guys...I thought these were RV specific. They certainly keep the wires from vibrating loose. They are all that are installed in the trailer ! I do currently have a 110 GFI installed w/o a box. I will have to find a slim line receptacle and box to fit the area as it is VERY tight !
 
Of course, you can use a standard household outlet. I've HAD to use them in a couple situations. Once even used a shallow box due to space constraints. I prefer to screw the wire in a "C" shape to standard outlets. The refer outlet in my 24'er powered only one outlet, the lower outlet was never hot. Used a standard outlet and box so if needed I could plug in a droplight when working back there. By the way, when using a GFI, the line (power) must go on the bottom lugs to be effective.
Tree
 
As a bit of advice that is probably worth exactly what you are paying for it (nothing), I would NOT use a GFI outlet on any circuit that needs to remain live. GFI's are notorious for tripping due to a sensed ground fault that is really of no consequence and is not dangerous on a refrigerator circuit. They are only a good idea to protect you from ungrounded circuits that are near water (outlets near the kitchen sink or bathroom sinks or showers/tubs).

- Jack
 
Treeclimber...thanks for the heads up on the GFI outlets. We recently finished restoring a 93 year old house and I learned that lesson early on !! LOL. Now to try and discover why no fridge on 110 !!
 
If you haven't tried already, plug directly into shore power. Keep in mind it may take a couple of hours to notice a cooling. If you have 110v at the outlet and the fridge switch is in the ac mode, then perhaps a bad cord. Check for brittleness along the cord. just a thought.
Tree
 
After three days on shore power ....no freezer or fridge. We will just get by on propane as the cost to diagnose and repair is too expensive. The yahoo I bought this from had shore power plugged in when I arrived and told me the fridge was running on 110V. There was a frozen bottle of water in the freezer....probably put there before my arrival. You know if someone sets out to trick you they probably will !!!
 
Mark, I wouldn't be too quick to give up on it. The A/C power function on these refrigerators does nothing more than activate a heating element, which vaporizes the ammonia coolant. (It does the same thing a propane flame does).

Now, I don't know for sure if A/C power heats the SAME element as D/C (battery) power does, but I'd bet that's the case. While plugged into shore power, try running your fridge off D/C. You shouldn't have to run it too long to see if it's working. A relatively easy way to find out is to take off the outside ventilation panel (the one that's held on by a million screws on the top half) so you can feel for warmth easily behind the fridge. If you DO feel warmth, the heating element is working.

If it works, then the problem could be in your power cord to the fridge as Tree suggested. Or the cord is not connected properly to the fridge. Or, and this would possibly be hard to repair) the A/C function in the circuit board is faulty.

However, the MOST efficient way to run the fridge is on propane, so be glad that works.

- Jack
 
from Jack "Now, I don't know for sure if A/C power heats the SAME element as D/C (battery) power does, but I'd bet that's the case. "

In my Dometic there are 2 elect heating element rods. One for 12v and the other for 120v.
They are located in the base of the flue for the propane vent. The heating happens at same place for all and are in contact with ammonia piping.
There are wires that feed both 12v and 120v elements.

Easy diagnosis of problem, 1. is there is power to the element when selector to 120v, and 2. if element heats.(it does this rapidly, be careful). this can be done while the element is still in the flue holder and minimal heat shield disassembly required.
Also test the 12v element while you are there.
 
Renoites...thanks for the testing info. I am busy the rest of this week and weekend but will get on this next week. I am also going to attempt to contact Dometic themselves.
 
Thanks, Renoites, tor the correction and clarification. Your testing procedure sounds simple too.

- Jack
 
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