Another refrigerator problem thread. Not propane though.

Ted

Ted

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We have a 2014 Hawk with the Dometic CR1110, an all electric, Danfoss compressor refrigerator. We have camped regularly since purchasing the camper new and the fridge has worked ok. But recently we went four months without camping due to my health issues. Having camped again two weekends now the fridge will not chill below 50 degrees.

We have tried both on shore power and camper battery power with no difference. So it is not a lack of power.

If we pack it with ice I can get it down to 43 degrees but it cannot maintain that once the ice melts. When it is down to 43, I can turn the thermostat down and the fridge stops running. Turn it up and it turns back on. So the thermostat is working properly.

I have two questions but have not been able to get answers from service locations. They just want me to make an appointment to bring it in:

Can these refrigerators have coolant recharged or is it a sealed system?

I know on the ammonia based propane refrigerators the old trick was to remove the fridge and turn it upside down overnight, then reinstall it. Does this work for electric refrigerators with Danfoss compressors as well?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
 
Two phone #'s...AAP inc in Virginia 1-804-633-9454 Tina should answer.They are the parts distributor for Dometic.

!-804-746-1313 ask for Rob in the Truck Division ( for RV refrigerators) I believe Tina can transfer you to Rob who is extremely helpful and will answer questions. Truck Division is the key to finding the info you want. Good Luck!
 
As a "fix", turning a Danfoss compressor fridge/freezer upside down, I''m not sure about.

However, they get shipped in small boxes and we would never know if they were upside down or not in the transportation process.
I know when I opened the shipping boxes, there was a note to that effect, and it said place it up right for at least 48 hours before starting the fridge up.

So, from that perspective saying don't turn it up side down seems to not be correct. It most likely gets turned and sits in all kind of orientations in the shipping process. Do the shippers really care? Probably not.

Weather turning a Danfoss compressor fridge/freezer unit upside down will "fix" anything is something I don't know about.

Getting an expert in compressor refrigeration to test it seems like the best option.

I like "marine" experts in compressor refrigeration more than "RV" experts in compressor refrigeration. They seem to be better experts as their customers have more expensive toys and from personal experience failure is really not an option for a boat owner.

My two cents.
 
Noticed that the Indel/Webasto compressor fridge that I'm currently installing in our Cuchara has test/recharge ports in the system.

Household fridges can be turned on their sides, backs, or upside down in transport. Like noted above they all want to be upright for some period of time before being plugged in. Doubt it would help anyway.

What you might do is simply let it run for a while. Like a week, maybe more. Plug into shore power, set it on it's coldest setting and fill it with bottles of water (leave enough room in the bottles should they freeze). If you have a remote temp monitor renew it's batteries and see what it does. The worst thing that any system can do is sit and not run.
 
I'm not finding a manual specifically saying it applies to the CR1110. This one says it applies to the Waeco CR series and I see page 13 shows there are two LEDs next to the thermostat, one green during normal operation and the other flashes a code if there's a fault detected. Does yours have the LEDs and if so, have you seen an error code? (you may need that info when talking to tech support)

Also- I see this manual for the CR1110's replacement, the CRX110, says not to transport it horizontally because of the potential for spilling oil from the compressor (page 16). It says you can lay it on it's side to mount the optional water drain (p21) so apparently it can take some time on it's side but I'd want to be pretty sure turning it upside down would do some good before I'd chance it.

Searches for turning a propane fridge upside down suggest several possible ideas why it (sometimes) works for a propane fridge. This thread, for instance, says an air bubble can form in the gas mix of a propane fridge that sits for a while. This one, on the other hand, has a post suggesting rust or ammonia crystals can block an orifice and turning the fridge upside down can dislodge them.

.
 
Alley-Kat said:
As a "fix", turning a Danfoss compressor fridge/freezer upside down, I''m not sure about.

However, they get shipped in small boxes and we would never know if they were upside down or not in the transportation process.
I know when I opened the shipping boxes, there was a note to that effect, and it said place it up right for at least 48 hours before starting the fridge up.

So, from that perspective saying don't turn it up side down seems to not be correct. It most likely gets turned and sits in all kind of orientations in the shipping process. Do the shippers really care? Probably not.
Click to expand...
They want you to keep it upright for 48 hours to make sure all of the oil in the compressor settles back into the sump. If the compressor has been upside down or even sideways, the oil can/will get above the piston(s) and bad things can happen if you start it then. Just a good idea to keep one upright.
 
Lots of good info coming in, thank you all. Will not turn it upside down. Will check the LED's and in back to confirm ports to test/recharge the system. And since I live near the delta, it isn't too far to find a marine service location instead of an RV service location.
 
Interesting videos.

For some reason, I’m craving fish & chips with malt vinegar, an ESB, and a desire to sit at the telly watching black knights & attacking rabbits. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Paul
 
If your compressor is running (making noise) and your evaporator is not getting cold the list of realistic potential problems is pretty short.
In no particular order:
1. Your condenser fan has died.
2. Your coolant has leaked out.

I'm pretty sure that your unit does not have a low pressure shut off so it will run without coolant. All Dometics I've seen are sealed because there is not need for "test and fill ports" as the systems are filled by weight or volume and they either work or don't once filled. They seal the lines as part of the filling process.
There are a jillion other reasons your fridge isn't working but since you have diagnosed the thermostat and you say it's running (making noise from the compressor) the most likely answer is the condenser fan has died or is stuck. Very common problem in all modern fridges.

I don't see that you've mentioned having a pet but if you have one it's possible that your condenser is covered with pet hair. Also kind of common and you'd see the same symptoms as a dead or stuck condenser fan.
 
Checked the fridge more closely this weekend. As roverjohn said, no check or fill ports on Dometics, so no way to refresh coolant.

Only a solid green light, no flashing red error indications. I can see the fan and it is running.

Called Virginia as straydog recommended. I said I'm in CA but they still called back at 6am this morning. My phone is still off at that time. Maybe they will try again.

It looks like it is new fridge time. Frustrating as this is the second major appliance to fail in our 5 year old FWC, and an expensive one to replace. Sigh.
 
Ted said:
—snip—.
It looks like it is new fridge time. Frustrating as this is the second major appliance to fail in our 5 year old FWC, and an expensive one to replace. Sigh.
Click to expand...
On the positive side, no longer will you have a power hungry Dometic fridge to worry about. You could, of course, develop a taste for ambient temperature Pliny the Elder. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Sure hope you’re continuing to mend. Illegitimi non carborundum.
Paul
 
Actually you do not need fill ports, right now, to fill them back up. You just cut off the clamped 'fill port' and replace it with either a little more tubing to be clamped later if you need it or just sweat on a normal fill port which then allows filling. Larger concern is where the coolant is going and so you really need a Freon detector to find the leak. I've worked on dozens of these things and almost can't believe that a 4 year old fridge is 'worn out' or that the coolant has leaked out frankly because any leak would have shown up way faster than this unless the leak is very new. Are you absolutely sure that the
1. compressor is running
2. condenser is free of obstructions?

Perhaps the fan noise made you think the compressor was running?
Just asking because the compressors are quieter then the condenser fan but if you put your finger on the compressor when it fires up you'll know if it's running. It's perfectly safe to stop the condenser fan with your finger and then the only noise will be from the compressor.

A lot of leaks will result in oil coming out of the system and so far you have not mentioned an oily film anywhere on your unit.

One other thing. Just because your fan is running now doesn't mean it was when you had your problems. When you have the chance to look at it again, and if the fan and compressor are both running, let it run for a while to see if it cools.
 
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