Fridge & Freezer Not Cooling

[fullydeuce]

Recently we run into the issue with our fridge and freezer not cooling. We currently live in our fifth wheel and have experienced very low outdoor temperatures over the past week, -35C lows. The fridge has been working fine all winter and just before crapping out, it was overcooling the fridge section and freezing food.

Yesterday I tried to troubleshoot it and found the following.

1. LP Mode: Sustained flame but coils not heating up.
2. AC Mode: Heating element warm but coils not heating up.

I am thinking what might have happened, is that the low temperature caused the ammonia/water mixer to thicken to the point the heater is not able to start the refrigeration cycle.

Any idea's what the issue could be?

My pregnant wife is very keen for me to sort this out.

[allen8106]

You need to add a low temp heater kit to the back of the unit.

[femailyetti]

refer is like a heat pump , it wont work below a certain temp as the coils don't allow for proper heating to enable the phase change of the chemical process to work.

[Ralph_Cramden]

Yes sir, efficiency drops exponentially with an absorption fridge as ambient temps drop. Won't hurt anything though.

Look for a small 12 volt ceramic heater @ 150 watts made for defrosting car windows, and wire it into the 12V power that is already in the compartment on a thermoswitch set to turn on at about 40 degrees. Much better than the light bulb trick.

[Mike_LeClair]

Well, I guess I should put in my .2 cents as well. We froze up our Dometic in the Cougar a couple of years ago. We wired in a 40 watt bulb to provide a little bit of heat and we blocked off 2/3rds of the louvres on the bottom access. We left it for a full 48 hrs. and defrosted the freezer. It came back to life just fine and we considered ourselves very, very lucky.

Cheers!

Mike

[SDcampowneroper]

You need to block the louvers on the outside lower fridge vent. Foam pipe insulation is ideal. No need to place a light bulb, not enough heat anyway as cold as you are in.
Place a remote thermometer that you can monitor inside against the outside wall above the vent door, adjust blocking of the louvers to maintain temps there above freezing, below summertime Its Hot!
Pianotuna, Bobs your Uncle & I have been there!

[Old-Biscuit]

YEs you want to place a heat source in lower section of fridge via the access cover......60W to 100W

But you do not want to block off the louvers in that lower access panel----need air flow from lower cover up across backside of fridge and out the top

You just want to add a bit of warmth to that air flow


(FYI.....Fridge is the Whole appliance made up of a freezer & a food compartment :B )

[Ivylog]

You need more heat so the above post is spot on. Once it gets back up to -10 you can probably turn the light bulb off but keep the vent covered.

PS: no make or model # needed.

[fullydeuce]

I will give it a go tonight and see how it goes.

Thanks for the feedback!

[Chiefcpo]

Put a 40watt bulb into the compartment and using NON FLAMBLE material close off the vent (bottom) and it will add heat to the area . Try before condemning the frig, for 24 hours and be sure to defrost the freezer section.

[donn0128]

Plugged coils.

[fullydeuce]

It is a Dometic Double Door. I am to sure of the exact model.

John

[Trackrig]

People will want to know the make & model of the refer to best answer your questions.

Bill