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Frig Not Cooling on Propane

Printed From: R-pod Owners Forum
Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: I need HELP!!!
Forum Discription: Perplexed/need help with a problem - ask here
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=14004
Printed Date: 25 May 2025 at 2:29pm
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Topic: Frig Not Cooling on Propane
Posted By: ampete
Subject: Frig Not Cooling on Propane
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2020 at 7:58am
2014 171
3 way Dometic frig works great on shore power and on battery when towing. It is not cooling on propane, or maintaining an already cold frig. The propane setting worked great about 2 months ago. 
Camper is level. 2 burner kitchen stoves burns well with a blue flame. Furnace runs well. We are opening the propane tank slowly once we are parked. 

Original issue was when frig would not switch over to propane, just clicked, wouldn't light.  No visible debris, so we took it in for service. They found a mud wasp (dauber?) nest, but where exactly I don't know.  We brought the camper home, thinking it was fixed. It lit without issue but it did NOT cool, at all.  Back to the service guys, kept it for days, no luck.  We picked it up and tried the following on our own:

Disassembled the burner assembly and cleaned the tiny orifice with iso and air. NO Luck
Replaced the regulator and propane tank. NO luck
Disassembled the burner assembly more thoroughly from the valve connection at the Solenoid to the flue. Used iso and air throughout. Used bottle brush in the flue from top to bottom (can't get to the whole length, ideas?)

The latest cleaning helped! BUT not enough.  The frig was already cold at 35 degrees from shore power, cleaned the assembly as described, switched the frig to propane for overnight.  Frig temp is now 48. That's better than before when it would raise to 65 degrees overnight. 

NEXT? Any and all ideas are appreciated. Thanks



Replies:
Posted By: ampete
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2020 at 8:01am
Additional Info:  The flame looks stronger, and we can "hear" the flame with a slight roar that wasn't there before.


Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2020 at 8:48am
Is your gas flame blue or yellow? Should be blue.  It might help if you post a picture of it here. 

-------------
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold


Posted By: ampete
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2020 at 9:59am
The chimney is hot to the touch. When opening the upper panel, the right side of tubing is hot, the fins and all to the left are room temp--not hot,not cold? Normal?


Posted By: ampete
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2020 at 1:32pm
There is a strong blue flame following the more thorough cleaning. It's a bigger flame and has a slight "roar" that I can hear through the outside panel cover.  This is a noticeable improvement from earlier.


Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2020 at 1:50pm
If the trailer is level, it sounds like there may possibly be a blockage in the tubing. If the tubing on the right is hot, the tubing to the left of it should taper off in temperature and not have an abrupt change in temperature. This might apply:

https://www.trailerlife.com/tech/rv-maintenance-absorption-refrigerators/ - "If the refrigerator is operated off level, then the heating of the boiler is uneven, creating hot spots where the sodium chromate can begin to precipitate out of the solution and form crystals or flakes in the solution. Once formed, the flakes always remain and can create a blockage. Once the blockage forms, the cooling unit becomes damaged and must be replaced at considerable expense."


-------------
StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS


Posted By: ampete
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2020 at 2:12pm
Dang!  It's level right now and has been level whenever we are camping. Maybe not while in winter storage, but the fridge isn't running then.  Would that matter?


Posted By: ampete
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2020 at 2:14pm
Is that still relevant if the fridge cools really well on shore power and battery? Only trouble is with the propane.


Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2020 at 2:56pm
We have two threads going on the same issue, let's close this one so we can better help you by focusing on the other one. 

-------------
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold


Posted By: ampete
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2020 at 3:11pm
Okay. How do we close this thread?



Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2020 at 4:28pm
Nothing formal. Just by stopping discussion on this one, and referring future discussion to the other one. Done!

-------------
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold


Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 14 Sep 2020 at 7:09am
Or you could request the moderator to combine the two topics. 

-------------
StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS



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