Fridge working but not cooling

Happy Jim

Happy Jim

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Since June 2017
Finally managed to get away for the weekend and the fridge & freezer are not playing!

It's a Dometic RMD8505 AES from 2010, "working" on 12V (driving), and 240V or Gas when parked, nice blue light (no red light alarm). I've got heat coming out of the top vent happily but the fridge and freezer are doing nothing (5 hrs driving, parked up on site for 10 hrs).

Any thoughts gratefully received!

I do have some tools with me and am reasonably DIY capable.

Warm beer though - 👎

Thanks
 
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Geoff, thanks, sadly thermistor is good.
I’m with Michael now….time for a new fridge, old one taken out (via bedroom window!)

RMD8505 is now obsolete and the recommended replacement is now the RMD10.5T……Jeez, how much :eek:. So RRP is £2700, best I’ve found so far is DMS (Direct Motorhome Sevices) at £1980.

I’ll have a ring around the half dozen stockists of that model tomorrow I think.

Regards
Jim
 
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Happy Jim said:
MHFun chalks up another success!

I put a new battery in my Bluetooth temp sensor, 08:30 I turned on the fridge (240V), nothing happened until 10:30 and then the magic started 😀. It's on level 4 of 5 (5 being coldest) currently, and still dropping!

Looks like I owe you all some Virtual pints of thanks 😊
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Which bluetooth sensor do you use?
 
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Before you replace the fridge have you thought about a compressor fridge, I have looked at it and I would have to add a second leisure battery and increase the solar, but it would be less than a 3 way fridge. Compressor fridges are a lot less fuss than a 3 way
 
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A compressor kit would be a lot cheaper if suitable. You keep your existing fridge, remove the absorption plant and fit the compressor kit. You'd probably have to fit some insulation and cladding where the old evap was but the new one would cover it.

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Happy Jim said:
Finally managed to get away for the weekend and the fridge & freezer are not playing!

It's a Dometic RMD8505 AES from 2010, "working" on 12V (driving), and 240V or Gas when parked, nice blue light (no red light alarm). I've got heat coming out of the top vent happily but the fridge and freezer are doing nothing (5 hrs driving, parked up on site for 10 hrs).

Any thoughts gratefully received!

I do have some tools with me and am reasonably DIY capable.

Warm beer though - 👎

Thanks
Click to expand...
Hi

Had this problem a couple of years ago on the fridge on my autotrail cheyenne they over heat in this weather so took the vents off and cooled it down with a fan/hair dryer had no problems after that. It worked for me give it a try hope you get it sorted.
 
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These ammonia fridges are so frustrating at times. As the temperature increases so their cooling effect decreases until you get to around 30 degrees and there is very little cooling left.
I always change my fridges to a compressor type. I know that they are expensive (around £700) but they are so much better when the temperature gets high.
 
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The Ex-Gasman said:
The fluid can get in the wrong part of the circuit, by inverting the fridge it gets back to the boiler, it doesn't always work, but if you have tried everything else it's worth a try.
Click to expand...
When I contacted Dometic about this thing of turning the fridge upside down, they said that they hear it a lot, but it cannot do anything other than remake connections. Those connections may not have been good and reconnecting them can remake the connection. They also said that as the units work from heat exchange, you can't get an air lock and the gas will mix as soon as heat is supplied.
 
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Jagtazman said:
Which bluetooth sensor do you use?
Click to expand...
It’s a little round one from eBay. Can’t work out how to get a link but if you paste this in it should be the first one:
Wireless Thermometer Hygrometer, Mini Bluetooth Temperature Humidity Sensor

Regards

Jim

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The Ex-Gasman said:
Before you replace the fridge have you thought about a compressor fridge, I have looked at it and I would have to add a second leisure battery and increase the solar, but it would be less than a 3 way fridge. Compressor fridges are a lot less fuss than a 3 way
Click to expand...
Hmmm, I kind of dismissed them on the basis of only 240V and noise…..but will go have a mooch around now!
 
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Richard n Ann said:
Looks like dometic use 10k NTC thermistors then, for future references, and anybody else reading, don't pay their prices. Get the eBay version 😏👌

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Bought! At that price it would be rude not to have some spares (yes, I know that I will never need them now….that’s the point :cool:)

Good find!
 
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George S said:
Hi

Had this problem a couple of years ago on the fridge on my autotrail cheyenne they over heat in this weather so took the vents off and cooled it down with a fan/hair dryer had no problems after that. It worked for me give it a try hope you get it sorted.
Click to expand...
Good Idea. I have never had trouble with Fridge/Freezer models in hot conditions but under work top models always had to fit a fan.I would wait a few days and let the weather cool a bit before you spend "loads a money". Good luck Bruce
 
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Happy Jim said:
Bought! At that price it would be rude not to have some spares (yes, I know that I will never need them now….that’s the point :cool:)

Good find!
Click to expand...
50 for £6.49 is a much better buy 🤣

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Thedriver said:
Good Idea. I have never had trouble with Fridge/Freezer models in hot conditions but under work top models always had to fit a fan.I would wait a few days and let the weather cool a bit before you spend "loads a money". Good luck Bruce
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Happy Jim. I'm with Bruce on this one, ie, hanging on for a few days if you can.

Cheers,

Jock. :)
 
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I’d wait and see but it’s now at zero cooling, nada, zilch, nowt.

So I’m down to either the Dometic RMD10.5T or the Thetford N4145 (“e” I think) or Thetford N4150A (more likely), been through the installation manuals for both and can’t see any gotcha’s either way so far. Bit more research on the relative merits of each tonight and then phone calls tomorrow for the best deal I guess.

Jim
 
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Thetford N4150A frameless purchased from Jackson’s Leisure for £1310 delivered, I couldn’t find £700 worth of benefit in the Dometic 10.5T to that route.

Hope it fits 🤔
 
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Happy Jim said:
Fridge delivered today, it’s now in the van waiting to be fitted/wired/plumbed….when I get some time!
Click to expand...
Nice please let me know how you get on . Think I can fix mine now but if not this would be my replacement for my Dometic RM7655L.
Mine works on ehu but not on gas, hoping a good clean of flue and new jet sorts ours out.
 
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Happy Jim I have the N4142. 4 months old, doesn't work on gas anymore! :rolleyes: I'm sure yours will be fine though.:LOL:
 
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Jagtazman said:
Nice please let me know how you get on . Think I can fix mine now but if not this would be my replacement for my Dometic RM7655L.
Mine works on ehu but not on gas, hoping a good clean of flue and new jet sorts ours out.
Click to expand...
Finally got some time!

it’s a straight fit into the hole which is handy!

The 240V lead comes with a matching socket for you to wire up your own lead - easy.
The 12V lead doesn’t come with the female half of the socket so had to buy one off flea bay (about £3, millions of them).
I then needed a tiny amount of 8mm pipe plus olives to join old van gas pipe to new fridge pipe (plus copious amounts of washing up liquid & water to do the gas bubble check, many times as I’m paranoid!)

All works beautifully now and auto switches as it supposed to.

Last job is to seal around the fridge (it is not as deep as the Dometic front to back so seals need moving) to prevent the ingress of carbon monoxide into the hab area (once I’m happy I’ll run it on gas overnight (on the drive) with lots of CO detectors in the van (did I mention I’m paranoid 🤪)

If I’m honest the evaporator looks exactly the same as the Dometic one, so from a functional perspective there is no reason to pay the bonkers Dometic price (Aesthetics aside naturally).

Cheers
Jim
 
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