NOTHING RUINS A CAMPING TRIP FASTER than a fridge that received’t keep chilly. In case your RV fridge isn’t working—failing to chill, making unusual noises, or refusing to activate—don’t panic. We’ll break down the commonest RV fridge issues and present you the best way to troubleshoot them like a professional. Stick round, and let’s get that fridge operating because it ought to.
Key Takeaways
- Perceive Your Fridge Sort: RV fridges function in another way—12V, 2-way, and 3-way fashions every have distinctive energy priorities. Figuring out how yours works is important for correct troubleshooting.
- Diagnose Frequent Points: Issues like not turning on, solely engaged on gasoline or electrical, poor cooling, or unusual noises/smells can typically be resolved by checking energy sources, propane circulation, airflow, thermostat settings, or door seals.
- Know When to Name a Professional: Ammonia smells, gurgling noises, or yellow residue close to the burner are indicators of a severe cooling unit failure—shut the fridge down and phone a licensed RV technician instantly.
Fortunately, you possibly can troubleshoot most fridge issues with these easy instruments:
Frequent RV Fridge Operation
Earlier than diving into widespread the explanation why your RV fridge isn’t working, let’s make clear how most camper fridges function.
- 12V fridges depend on battery energy
- 2-way RV fridges choose 120VAC first and LP gasoline second. If energy goes out when operating on 120VAC, it’s going to swap to LP gasoline and again to 120VAC when energy is restored.
- 3-way RV fridges select 12VDC first. If that fails, they go to LP gasoline; if that fails, they go to 120VAC. When you aren’t conscious that your new 3-way fridge chooses battery energy first, it’s possible you’ll get up to useless batteries. Even the engine battery may very well be affected in a motorhome, leaving you stranded.
Technician Tip: When you personal a 3-way RV fridge, use handbook settings as a substitute of computerized to forestall such points.
Frequent RV Fridge Issues
Listed here are the commonest points new campers will expertise with their fridge.
- Not turning on
- Solely engaged on a single supply (gasoline vs electrical or vice versa)
- Not getting or staying chilly
- Emanating odd sounds or smells
RV Fridge Troubleshooting
For every widespread drawback, we’ll present suggestions for 12-volt fridges and gas-electric fashions.
Fridge Isn’t Turning On
Does the fridge have energy? Test this primary. Most RV fridges require 12V energy (apart from residential-style 120VAC compressor-style fridges). Even if you happen to specify LP gasoline operation with a multi-way fridge, it’s going to nonetheless require 12VDC energy to spark the burner and open the gasoline valve.
For a fast energy test, reply the next questions:
- Is your battery related? Is it adequately charged? A cost under 10.5VDC will probably be inadequate for fridge operation.
- Is your battery disconnect swap engaged if geared up?
- Are circuit breakers within the On place?
- Are all fuses current and in good situation?
As well as, you possibly can affirm that the fridge has turned on by checking the fridge mild if you open the door. Make sure the bulb merely hasn’t burned out earlier than assuming a scarcity of energy to your complete fridge.
You must also monitor the fridge to make sure it cools down in an affordable timeframe. Place a fridge/freezer thermometer inside (if not geared up with a digital show, however it may be a pleasant backup in any case). Wait at the least 2-3 hours. Test that the temperature is lowering and the fridge is cooling.
Fridge is Solely Working On a Single Supply
In some instances, RV fridges could solely work on LP gasoline or electrical, however not each. This drawback is exclusive to gas-electric fridges, however there are some easy troubleshooting steps you possibly can take.
If It’s Solely Engaged on Propane:
If the fridge is cooling on propane, we will fairly remove points with the cooling coils or your 12VDC distribution system. This narrows our focus to your 120VAC energy system. Confirm that you just’re related to an appropriate AC energy supply—30 or 50 amp—in your RV.
Then test that your circuit breaker hasn’t tripped and all fuses are current and in good situation. If utilizing a surge protector, guarantee it hasn’t tripped and shut off energy to your RV.
If all these exams are full with out resolving the problems, the problem could lie with the 120V electrical aspect or the 120V and 12V fuses on the fridge’s circuit board. In both case, contact a Tenting World Licensed RV technician for additional troubleshooting.
Technician Tip: Campground knowledge may advise you to unplug the electrical aspect from the board and join it on to a 120VAC extension twine to isolate the problem. This technique bypasses the fridge’s security options and might result in a fireplace or electrocution. By no means try this.
If It’s Solely Working On Electrical:
If the fridge is cooling on AC or DC energy, we will fairly remove points with the cooling coils, your 12VDC distribution system, and the 120VAC distribution system. This narrows our focus to the LP provide and supply system. Guarantee that you’ve got enough propane in your LP containers, that the container valves are totally opened, and that there isn’t a regulator stopping gasoline from flowing into the LP strains.
When you turned on an RV equipment earlier than opening the container’s valve, an extra circulation valve could have triggered to forestall the circulation of propane from the container(s) to the equipment(s). That is generally often called a lockout, and also you’ll have to observe these steps:
- Flip off all home equipment and shut the valve on the container(s).
- Wait a couple of minutes earlier than opening the container valves, then mild a stovetop burner to purge air out of the gasoline strains and show that the RV’s gasoline system delivers gasoline as designed.
- As soon as the cooktop is operating nicely, flip it off and check out the fridge once more.
- In case your fridge has unsuccessfully tried to mild 3 times, it could go into lockout.
- Flip the fridge off, wait a couple of minutes, and switch it again on to restart the ignition course of.
If lockout points persist, contact a Tenting World Licensed RV technician for assist diagnosing and addressing potential points like a grimy burner meeting or corroded electrode.
Fridge Isn’t Getting or Staying Chilly
In case your RV fridge isn’t getting or staying chilly, your RV will not be degree. Fridge cooling coils are positioned at a particular angle for correct operation. Even when a fridge seems to be working, working it in an unlevel RV will increase put on and might result in a dearer restore.
RV fridges additionally take time to chill down. 12V fridges are sometimes faster, requiring 2-3 hours to chill. Fuel-electric absorption fridges can take 6-12 hours to chill totally. Some advocate turning them on the night time earlier than your journey begins so the fridge has loads of time to chill earlier than loading your perishables. Guarantee your RV fridge has sufficient time to achieve its set temperature.
Temp Changes & Sensible Loading
Talking of that set temperature, it’s possible you’ll strive adjusting the thermistor/thermostat to vary the inner temperature. Maybe one other RV visitor adjusted the thermostat with out your data. In RVs with ‘Colder to Hotter’ thermistor changes, it may be simple to bump and transfer the setting when loading and unloading the fridge.
The thermistor appears to be like like a small piece of plastic clipped to one of many fins on the again of the fridge. You possibly can modify the temperature setting utilizing the thermistor or, for fridges with a hard and fast thermistor, the management panel.
Moreover, RV fridges depend on enough airflow to supply even cooling as a result of they don’t have an inner fan to flow into air. Keep away from overloading it or putting heat leftovers inside earlier than they’ve cooled.
Seals & Exterior Airflow
The fridge’s door seals can even trigger inefficient cooling. They have to be freed from gaps or residue that would trigger an incomplete seal. A fast and straightforward strategy to check the seal is “the greenback invoice check”. Take out a greenback invoice, shut the door on it, after which pull it out. There must be reasonable resistance when attempting to take away the greenback. Repeat this all the way in which across the door seal.
Most fridges additionally require enough airflow across the exterior. Air should have the ability to transfer from the decrease entry panel up the bottom and over the condenser coils. To test, open the outside fridge entry compartment and search for attainable particles which will impede airflow.
An excessive amount of area behind a fridge could be as dangerous as not sufficient. Most producers of gasoline/electrical fashions advocate lower than 1″ from the again wall of the fridge compartment to the coils. This ensures the air flows via the coils and never previous them.
Technician Tip: If used for RV storage, bug screens must be eliminated earlier than working the fridge, or they’ll forestall enough airflow.
Lastly, you test that the fridge’s drip tube cap is in place. A lacking cap permits heat air to maneuver again into the fridge compartment, leading to much less environment friendly cooling.
Fridge is Producing Odd Sounds or Smells
Lastly, there are some clear and apparent indicators that your fridge must be professionally inspected.
- Do you discover a powerful ammonia odor?
- Is it making odd gurgling sounds?
- Is there a yellow-green powder (copper corrosion) across the burner meeting, seen when the outside entry panel is eliminated?
These are all indicators that your cooling coil could also be defective. Your greatest motion is to contact a Tenting World Licensed RV technician for a whole analysis.
Technician Tip: The ammonia odor is the refrigerant leaking out of the cooling unit, and the yellow crystalline powder is the sodium chromate—added as a rust inhibitor—leaking out with the ammonia. A small quantity of extremely unstable hydrogen can also be within the cooling unit, and if the cooling unit leaks and the hydrogen ignites, it may possibly result in a fireplace. As a result of hearth hazard, the fridge must be shut down instantly within the occasion {that a} leak is suspected.
The place Can I Have My Fridge Mounted or Serviced?
Having RV home equipment like fridges professionally cleaned and inspected yearly retains them acting at their greatest and is an effective way to catch minor points earlier than they require main repairs. Schedule a whole diagnostic with a Tenting World Licensed RV Technician throughout the offseason to scale back the possibilities of DIY troubleshooting throughout tenting season.
We hope you’ve remedied your fast fridge challenge with the following tips! Listed here are a number of extra helpful RV troubleshooting guides:
Is your RV fridge nonetheless not working? Tell us the indicators and signs you’re experiencing.
