Refrigerator problem
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Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: I need HELP!!!
Forum Discription: Perplexed/need help with a problem - ask here
URL: https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13939
Printed Date: 21 May 2026 at 3:21pm
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Topic: Refrigerator problem
Posted By: JoeSaint
Subject: Refrigerator problem
Date Posted: 23 Aug 2020 at 8:56pm
| My 2020 171 refrigerator has always worked fine until today. I always run it on battery as I drive to the campground and switch to ac when I arrive. Today when I switched it, the panel was blinking on and off as well as the red reset button and continually beeped. I tried it several times but no change. I checked the breakers and fuses and all were good, and it worked all weekend on battery. Any ideas.. thanks |
Replies:
Posted By: marwayne
Date Posted: 23 Aug 2020 at 11:11pm
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I'm having a problem starting a new thread. so I ask my ? here, To the gurus here, can anyone tell me the size of the hole in the orifice, here is why I ask. We went out for 4 nights, once we reached the campsite I noticed the flame on the fridge got smaller and smaller until the flame went out. I took out the orifice cleaned it put it back together, worked great for a while and then the whole thing started over again. I had to do that 3 to 4 times a day just to keep the fridge going. When we got home we searched for an orifice without any luck of coarse. The earliest was 3 to 5 weeks maybe, I said by that time camping season is over in our neck of the woods, so I thought I have nothing to loose by making the hole in the orifice slightly larger, even tho people say don't do that ,it's dangers, it could even blow up, blah, blah, blah. Well as I said I had nothing to loose. So I drilled out the hole with a 0.025" bitt. Put it all back together turned the fridge on and guess what it didn't blow up, the flame was a tiny bit larger. Started the fridge at 1 pm set it on 2 lights, fridge was empty, temp was 23* C in the fridge, by 8 in the morning the temp was 5* C. The other thing I noticed is that the top grill never got as hot as it normally did. By the the way the fridge is a Dometic RM 8501. ------------- If you want something done right, do it yourself. 2011 RP172, 2016 Tundra 5.7 Litre, Ltd. |
Posted By: Badweissenbier
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2020 at 8:34am
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Joe, I am wondering about the campsite power supply, it could have been a low voltage problem. Do you have a surge protector that checks incoming power? Can you plug in at home and check to make sure it's still not working or maybe a generator to hook up to?
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2020 at 9:43am
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Marwayne, I couldn't find an orifice size for the RM8501 but I did find this generic chart: https://www.joppaglass.com/burner/lowp_chrt.html - https://www.joppaglass.com/burner/lowp_chrt.html which shows what btu/hr you can deliver at a standard 11 inch water column LP gas pressure for a given orifice size. So how many btu/hr does the fridge need? No info on that specifically either but most folks go several weeks on a cylinder if all they're doing is running the fridge. A cylinder contains about 400,000 btu so if it lasts say 3 weeks then thats 800 btu/hr. Since the smallest drill size (0.021) given is already supposed to provide 3000 btu/hr I think your 0.025 is probably more than big enough. If everything was working right your 0.025 orifice should go through a cylinder in less than a week. How does the flame look compared to what it used to when running right? It seems like you probably have some contamination in your propane lines if the orifice is continually clogging, might want to blow it out and also check your regulator, it might not be producing enough pressure. You can make your own manometer like this if you want. http://www.rverscorner.com/manometer.html - http://www.rverscorner.com/manometer.html ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: Austinrpod
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2020 at 3:38pm
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Joe, Just got access to the forum. I had the identical problem with my 2019 191 Dometic fridge. My dealer diagonsed it in mid june, still under warranty, the heating element. I have been waiting ever since for the part to arrive from Dometic. Last told 2 weeks ago, that Dometic said it would be 2 to 4 weeks before my dealer would receive it. Dometic would not respond to emails from my dealer for 4 weeks, finally my dealer was able to talk with someone, spent several hours on hold before a response. I am in a wait and see mode right now, using my Yeti as my fridge. Propane works, but in Texas right now it takes about 6 hours to get below 40. So only using it when staying multiple days in the same spot. About to go on a trip to the NW for a month and sincerely hope it is fixed.
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Posted By: fwunder
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2020 at 4:45pm
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From what I can find... The jet measures .3125 in. diameter I think. Based on this image from the part number #289048300 and a little image analysis...I come up with orifice diameter of 0.011 in. or about half what you drilled. May be wayyy off, but it was fun to try. See what you come up with.  ------------- 2014 RPod 178 => https://goo.gl/CV446f - MyMods and Buying Habits 2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6 Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks! |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2020 at 5:58pm
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The 0.011 sounds about right or maybe a little on the high side based on the btu/hr chart. So I think if you have a 0.0125 orifice now and you’re not getting a good flame then you have a regulator or plugged/kinked line issue. If you can get back to the 11 inches water column you’re suppose to have then be careful, you might wind up with too big a flame. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2020 at 6:46pm
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I may be having similar issues as Marwayne, regardless who do you recommend as far as purchasing this orifice? I have unsuccessfully tried to remove mine out of the housing w/o destroying it. If I were able to purchase a replacement I wouldn't be as timid in getting the old one out. I have replaced both propane lines from the tank to the orifice. Regulator may have to be replaced. Our 177 was purchased January 2011 and has been used a lot. ------------- God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
Posted By: fwunder
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2020 at 6:53pm
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https://www.dyersonline.com/dometic-burner-jet-kz-65.html%20 - https://www.dyersonline.com/dometic-burner-jet-kz-65.html
------------- 2014 RPod 178 => https://goo.gl/CV446f - MyMods and Buying Habits 2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6 Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks! |
Posted By: JoeSaint
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2020 at 8:42pm
| Hi, I have a surge protector on. It seems like all other outlets work. I will be using it Labor Day and will see if it works on this sites power. |
Posted By: JoeSaint
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2020 at 8:44pm
| Please let me know if you find that was it. Pretty disappointed that I used it about 10 times and it would be bad already. |
Posted By: Austinrpod
Date Posted: 05 Sep 2020 at 6:28pm
Posted By: Austinrpod
Date Posted: 05 Sep 2020 at 6:29pm
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Joe, I will as soon my dealer gets the part and gets it installed. Still 2 weeks out as of this past Monday
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Posted By: JoeSaint
Date Posted: 07 Sep 2020 at 5:04pm
| Well, I brought my tools with me camping so I could check into the refrigerator problem. Thankfully it was the electric plug was almost out of the socket! That was it! Plugged it back in and it worked fine. |
Posted By: Austinrpod
Date Posted: 07 Sep 2020 at 7:56pm
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that is great. I wish mine had been so simple. Hope you had a good trip, glad it turned out well. |