dometic 3 way fridge 10 year old (1 Viewer)

possar

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does anybody know how to make the fridge compartment colder as i have to put my beer in the freezer compartment for two hours to enjoy a nice cold pint, (yes i do have a fan at the top ) anyone done it. possar
 

Lenny HB

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If you are running on gas the chimney & burner probably need cleaning worth replacing the jet at the same time.

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mike mcglynn

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A long time now
I have had a similar age fridge on a previous van and although it seems odd ,I was told by an engineer who was doing a service on the fridge to turn the min/max control to 3/4 position and the fridge did indeed go colder(y)
 

funflair

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Ours is older than that and works a treat so I would go along with the give it a service suggestion.

Martin
 
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possar

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the fridge had a service last year by a dometic engineer at a show,i will try putting it on 3/4 at lincoln

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Ivory55

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How long was it on for. I was told when we had ours serviced the freezer gets cold first before the fridge
 
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possar

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it was on all the time when i was at malvern

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Oct 30, 2010
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Got me thinking as to how long do these Dometic fridges last?
Even simple domestic fridges seem to have a short life
I have a mains only Electrolux 2 Cu.ft. fridge in my garage that I keep my beer in.
It’s basicly the same absorbtion unit but without the gas and 12v and similar to the fridges they used to fit in caravans.
Electrolux became Dometic some years ago. That unit must be 40 yrs old now and is still going strong.

Richard
 

scotjimland

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Got me thinking as to how long do these Dometic fridges last?
Even simple domestic fridges seem to have a short life

Just recently sold, 2001 Hymer, so fridge 17 years old.. still as good as new.

Current caravan is 2005, so fridge 13 years old and still good as new..

using out of level will shorten their life.. quiet considerably

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Last edited:
Sep 28, 2015
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Our 8505 works better turned down to two bars, max being five. Been away five weeks so far this trip, mostly on leccy but some on gas and ice creams are nice and hard with everything cold in the fridge.
We are always level though with having jacks, that may make a difference.
 

scotjimland

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Our 8505 works better turned down to two bars, max being five.

Correct..

Dometic recommend mid position.. or thereabouts.

The cooling unit’s performance is influenced by ambient temperatures. At ambient temperatures of +15°C up to +25°C, set the knob B to the

middle position. The cooling unit works with optimal performance.
 
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possar

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will try this at linco;n
thanx for the replies

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Aug 18, 2014
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Mines a Truma(?) T800 & is 29 years old. 220v forms blocks of ice on the fridge vanes when on permanently, gas keeps it down with freezer box around -11º. Never use the 12v. Keep meaning to try it.
 
Feb 24, 2013
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not long enough
our 10 year old Dometic tech tower fridge freezer is officially dead, appears to have lost all of its chemical

we would appear to need a new unit, but now obsolete, and some dumb ass at Dometic decided to put the oven controls on the fridge bit, so we now need new fridge freezer and oven o_O

new thread on its way as I start the search for new (y)
 
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Basildog

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Just recently sold, 2001 Hymer, so fridge 17 years old.. still as good as new.

Current caravan is 2005, so fridge 13 years old and still good as new..

using out of level will shorten their life.. quiet considerably
I think you’ve just been lucky as our fridge freezer in a new Laika died at 5 years old due to refrigerant leak. (n)

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scotjimland

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I think you’ve just been lucky as our fridge freezer in a new Laika died at 5 years old due to refrigerant leak. (n)

or you, or the previous owner may have used it out of level .. the damage isn't immediate but it will shorten the life.. even if only used like that for a few hours..

there could be other factors, just a few ideas
  1. hours of actual use; some people only use for a few weeks a year.. others use them full-time..
  2. off road travel.. some never go off road, others travel to places with rough roads, pot holes or gravel roads.. this could cause premature cracks in the condenser.
  3. latest models may not be as robust or well made .. a common complaint with many white goods.. eg. domestic washing machines used to last for 10 - 20 years .. lucky if they last 3 now
 
Feb 24, 2013
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not long enough
or you, or the previous owner may have used it out of level .. the damage isn't immediate but it will shorten the life.. even if only used like that for a few hours..

I have seen this quoted a few times recently, including on my own threads ref failed fridges

Is this a proven fact?

loads of people on here say they never use levellers and almost certainly have fridges, most sites that I have used do not have level pitches, frustratingly even the hard standings, I would have expected far more failures if it had been proved to affect fridges
 

scotjimland

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I have seen this quoted a few times recently, including on my own threads ref failed fridges

Is this a proven fact?

loads of people on here say they never use levellers and almost certainly have fridges, most sites that I have used do not have level pitches, frustratingly even the hard standings, I would have expected far more failures if it had been proved to affect fridges

why your fridge lost the gas may have nothing to do with it being used off level.. it may be a fracture in the condenser due to poor workmanship, or bad welding .. we don't know until you have it looked at ..

as for proven facts.. ? I don't have them..
I only follow advice from Dometic, they say they should be level otherwise they don't work correctly and damage can occur .. that is good enough for me..

what "loads of people say" ? personally, not interested, they won't be paying for my repair.. nor yours I suspect.

Dometic say they should be level , and they are tilt tolerant up to 6deg (fore and aft)

An absorption fridge/freezer cooling system works on gravity to return the liquid to the boiler.. (no pump to push the liquid around) so being near level is critical for working correctly and longevity ..

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Last edited:
Feb 21, 2016
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That’s why fridges have a means of levelling on their “feet”,one would presume?
 
Feb 9, 2008
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Absorption fridges have no moving parts so are more likely to last longer than compressor fridges. Its either corrosion or a fractured pipe will cause failure, as mentioned above, or the ammonia separating out.
 
V

vicdicdoc

Deleted User
Disconnect the fridge & turn it upside down for 24hrs then let it stand right side up for few hrs before reconnecting it - that usually does the trick

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V

vicdicdoc

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Hmm- why funny ? It's worked for me & is (I thought) a well known option
 

Basildog

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Hmm- why funny ? It's worked for me & is (I thought) a
Because the upside down trick doesn’t work on fridges that have leaked their coolant, as I found out after convincing myself it could be cured ! (n)
Just £500 to replace complete cooling unit as the boss wouldn’t let me sell it with the fridge not working (y)
 
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Nothing more unpredictable and unreliable than an absorption leisure fridge.

*4c one minute, 14 the next.
*Almost silent
*3-way are great for travel
*Expensive
*Almost impossible to get re-charged with NH3 - BER if you could find somewhere
*A Bitch of an eye watering pungent stench if you release it
*Spares are expensive and often obsolete after a short time.
*Use then to keep cool rather than to cool!
*When stationary, they have to be reasonably level
*known to kill batteries

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