Electrolux 3 Way Fridge Trips RCD

[Fredastra]

Newbie here. Just bought a Hymer Camp 1998. It has an Electrolux 3 way fridge. If I hook it into home mains it immediately trips the Home RCD (not the MCB) Is this a common fault ? where is the first place to look ? I am OK with basic electrics/electronics, but no experience with vehicle electrics or Fridges. The Fridge seems to work OK on 12 volts with engine running but not yet checked it on Gas.

Grateful for any advice or info !

 

[Winger]

I have one, pretty basic but bulletproof, it may be a burned out element.
Lots of info on YouTube and an element costs about £25, try and fix it because the newer electronic ones seem to be a bit of a nightmare.
If your not confident to repair try and source a mobile caravan repair person

 

[autorouter]

The expensive and difficult to repair bit is the cooling circuit, with the various pipes and coils, filled with a complex gas/liquid mixture. If it works on any one of the power sources, then it's not the problem. It will work on them all if the appropriate heater is working.

You say it works on 12V, but not on 240V. The fact that it trips the RCD as well is pointing to a burnt out element, assuming it's not just a bad connection/mouse nibbles. The mains heater should have a resistance of around 200 ohms. If it's much less or much more, it's shorted or blown. There should be a very high resistance between either of the element wires and the element casing.

The heater elements are at the back of the fridge, usually in the lower right corner. You'll see the gas pipe and wires leading to the base of an insulated flue. Often you can remove the lower external vent for access.

 

[Fredastra]

thanks Autorouter

Can you (anyone) advise what element I might need ? If I am going to take it all apart I would like to have all options immediately available. Do you have a part name/description that i can google ?

 

[Krill88]

Hi, I have had the trip problem so bought a new element, no more trip but the fridge doesn't get cold, just checked the element and there is no reading between the 2 brown wires (should have checked this before fitting ) as I fitted it from the outside I cut the wires so can't return it as faulty, does anyone know of anything that can be done please? Also where is a good place to buy another if I need to please

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[Richard n Ann]

Hi, I have had the trip problem so bought a new element, no more trip but the fridge doesn't get cold, just checked the element and there is no reading between the 2 brown wires (should have checked this before fitting ) as I fitted it from the outside I cut the wires so can't return it as faulty, does anyone know of anything that can be done please? Also where is a good place to buy another if I need to please

Do you mean there's no resistance reading between the wires?

 

[Krill88]

Do you mean there's no resistance reading between the wires?

Yes there's no reading across the brown wires or between the browns and earth

 

[Richard n Ann]

Yes there's no reading across the brown wires or between the browns and earth

The element is faulty then if you're sure the meter is set right, that's very unusual on new heater elements. I used to fit big ones on commercial fridges and I don't think I ever had a faulty new one.

 

[autorouter]

When you say there's no reading, what exactly do you mean? I ask because a 200W 12V heating element has a resistance of about 0.7 ohms, which is near the lower limit of measurement for many multimeters, and might be mistaken for a short circuit. Switch to the lowest ohms range, and touch the probes together and note the reading. That's the meter lead's resistance. Then measure the heater element,and subtract the meter lead resistance.

 

[Krill88]

At the lowest ohms setting there is no reading across the heater element, I will strip back insulation and try nearer the element in the hope that the problem is in the cable but I think its doubtful