I purchased a new van 6 months ago (not my first) and it's fitted with a Dometic RMDX25 fridge.
Whether it's a hot day or cool day, whether it's running on LPG, 240v or 12v, it will not cool below 8 degrees, measured with a min/max digital thermometer.
It has to be the fridge, not the power source and I am thinking the thermostat. Anyone else had similar problems or can come up with a solution?
The Travelling Dillberries said
05:31 PM Sep 3, 2019
These suggestions are from the book Captain. I would check with another temperature probe firstly. Then get a dealer to have a look.
The refrigerator does not cool sufficiently. The ventilation around the cooling unit is not sufficient. Check that the ventilation grille is not obstructed. The evaporator is iced up. Check whether the refrigerator door is properly closed. Defrost the refrigerator. The temperature is set too high. Set a lower temperature. The ambient temperature is too high. Remove the ventilation grille for a while so that warm air can escape quicker. Too much food at once was placed in the refrigerator. Remove an item. Too much warm food at once was placed in the refrigerator. Remove the warm food and leave it to cool down before putting it in again. The refrigerator has not been operating for very long. Check the temperature again after four or five hours.
Aus-Kiwi said
07:18 PM Sep 3, 2019
Ours has a piece of insulation full in on vent through roof . Maybe this has happened also . Seal off any cavities between top Rear of fridge to roof so it keeps good draught like a chimney . This time of the year it should work well ? Door seals in good nick ? I got sick of making excuses for mine and went to compressor fridge. Its like Fuel Injection Vs carb. On Cars . We just added an extra solar panel.! Are you on level ground ?! .
-- Edited by Aus-Kiwi on Tuesday 3rd of September 2019 07:20:18 PM
Mamil said
10:46 PM Sep 3, 2019
Don't know if yours has the same problems Captain, and mine is a different model to yours, but I managed to get my Dometic fridge working much better (fridge portion down to 2 degrees) by doing the following things...
1. Added two cooling fans to help circulate the air over the rear of the fridge. I wired the fans to a switch inside so that I could select them off, on permanently, or under thermostatic control
2. Upgraded the DC wiring from 4mm2 to 10mm2 to solve voltage drop when running on DC
3. The wife had put nice foam padding on each shelf to stop the contents rattling around as we travelled. Turned out this prevented the necessary circulation of cool air inside the fridge, so stuff next to the cooling fins and temp probe were fine, but everywhere else in the fridge was too warm. Removing the foam and making sure each time we packed the fridge there were air gaps down the back to assist natural air circulation solved this.
Hope that's of some assistance...
denmonkey said
11:51 AM Sep 6, 2019
at 6 months old, I'd be taking Dill's advice, double checking and taking it back to the dealer.
Whilst all the other advice applies, if it was a used unit to try and trouble shoot it and fix it yourself.
Since it's a warranty issue, there is no way I'd be trying to fix it myself or even diagnose it.
Straight back to the dealer to sort it. its their problem, not yours.
good luck with it
Brett
reglynn said
12:38 PM Sep 6, 2019
Like you Captain, we put a new fridge (RMDX21) in our van about the same time in WA. It was doing the same as yours, took it to Dometic. The problem was that the air vents for the fridge were too small and had to put bigger ones in (top & bottom) as well another one for the flue for the fridge. Hope this helps you. cheers reg
-- Edited by reglynn on Friday 6th of September 2019 02:05:01 PM
-- Edited by reglynn on Friday 6th of September 2019 02:12:32 PM
Peter_n_Margaret said
09:29 PM Sep 6, 2019
Almost certainly not installed to the fridge manufacturer's specifications.
Van builder's problem.
Cheers,
Peter
Tony LEE said
11:37 AM Sep 7, 2019
Exactly. The installation instructions are available on line and need to be followed to the letter, especially regarding confining the air flow up past the cooling coils and eliminating dead space above the fridge
I purchased a new van 6 months ago (not my first) and it's fitted with a Dometic RMDX25 fridge.
Whether it's a hot day or cool day, whether it's running on LPG, 240v or 12v, it will not cool below 8 degrees, measured with a min/max digital thermometer.
It has to be the fridge, not the power source and I am thinking the thermostat. Anyone else had similar problems or can come up with a solution?
These suggestions are from the book Captain. I would check with another temperature probe firstly. Then get a dealer to have a look.
The refrigerator does
not cool sufficiently.
The ventilation around the
cooling unit is not sufficient.
Check that the ventilation grille is
not obstructed.
The evaporator is iced up. Check whether the refrigerator
door is properly closed. Defrost
the refrigerator.
The temperature is set too
high.
Set a lower temperature.
The ambient temperature is
too high.
Remove the ventilation grille for a
while so that warm air can escape
quicker.
Too much food at once was
placed in the refrigerator.
Remove an item.
Too much warm food at once
was placed in the refrigerator.
Remove the warm food and leave
it to cool down before putting it in
again.
The refrigerator has not been
operating for very long.
Check the temperature again after
four or five hours.
Ours has a piece of insulation full in on vent through roof . Maybe this has happened also . Seal off any cavities between top
Rear of fridge to roof so it keeps good draught like a chimney . This time of the year it should work well ? Door seals in good nick ? I got sick of making excuses for mine and went to
compressor fridge. Its like Fuel
Injection Vs carb. On
Cars . We just added an extra solar panel.! Are you on level ground ?!
.
-- Edited by Aus-Kiwi on Tuesday 3rd of September 2019 07:20:18 PM
1. Added two cooling fans to help circulate the air over the rear of the fridge. I wired the fans to a switch inside so that I could select them off, on permanently, or under thermostatic control
2. Upgraded the DC wiring from 4mm2 to 10mm2 to solve voltage drop when running on DC
3. The wife had put nice foam padding on each shelf to stop the contents rattling around as we travelled. Turned out this prevented the necessary circulation of cool air inside the fridge, so stuff next to the cooling fins and temp probe were fine, but everywhere else in the fridge was too warm. Removing the foam and making sure each time we packed the fridge there were air gaps down the back to assist natural air circulation solved this.
Hope that's of some assistance...
Whilst all the other advice applies, if it was a used unit to try and trouble shoot it and fix it yourself.
Since it's a warranty issue, there is no way I'd be trying to fix it myself or even diagnose it.
Straight back to the dealer to sort it. its their problem, not yours.
good luck with it
Brett
Like you Captain, we put a new fridge (RMDX21) in our van about the same time in WA. It was doing the same as yours, took it to Dometic. The problem was that the air vents for the fridge were too small and had to put bigger ones in (top & bottom) as well another one for the flue for the fridge. Hope this helps you. cheers reg
-- Edited by reglynn on Friday 6th of September 2019 02:05:01 PM
-- Edited by reglynn on Friday 6th of September 2019 02:12:32 PM
Van builder's problem.
Cheers,
Peter