THETFORD FRIDGE

[Lavender1]

Intending to go away for few days in our AS Kingham. only used once from first registered in October 22. We have just bought from a broker. Didn’t think to see fridge working. Just gone to switch on. Blue light on but neither electric or gas working. Showing a fault on electric code 10 indicating mains not available but electric is ok in van.
Gas showing code 3 indicating no gas but there is as cooker works.
Of course it is a Friday so cannot speak to Thetford. Any ideas please?

 

[IRHP]

First thing to do is check 240v supply at the back of the fridge. You should have an isolater valve for the fridge, is it open?

 

[Spriddler]

Showing a fault on electric code 10 indicating mains not available but electric is ok in van.

Have you checked the fuse for the element?
Have you tried the fridge on gas in non-mains mode as if there wasn't mains available?

Gas showing code 3 indicating no gas but there is as cooker works.

The fridge will have its own gas supply valve on a manifold - something like my manifold with manual valves for fridge, cooker and hob. (My water heater has a separate gas supply valve located elsewhere):

 

[tonka]

If the gas has been off for a while it may need the air bleeding out the pipes, assuming they are turned on
It was an issue I found after buying my current van. I now just turn it on and off a few times and it always fires up after a while. My fridge is opposite side from my gas bottles. On my previous van the fridge always lit first time on gas but was only a few feet from the gas locker.

 

[Lavender1]

First thing to do is check 240v supply at the back of the fridge. You should have an isolater valve for the fridge, is it open?

That sounds complicated. The blue light comes on which would show that there is an electric supply to the fridge?

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[Lavender1]

If the gas has been off for a while it may need the air bleeding out the pipes, assuming they are turned on
It was an issue I found after buying my current van. I now just turn it on and off a few times and it always fires up after a while. My fridge is opposite side from my gas bottles. On my previous van the fridge always lit first time on gas but was only a few feet from the gas locker.

It’s not coming on on electric either!

 

[tonka]

It’s not coming on on electric either!

That could be another issue, maybe off at electric socket, fuse, trip switch...
You could have a genuine problem with the control panel but worth investigating if the gas might work and eliminate that

 

[Spriddler]

That sounds complicated.

If you have a test meter you'll find the mains supply to the fridge element by removing the fridge's outside bottom vent. Don't try if you aren't familiar with mains voltages as obviously the mains supply needs to be switched on.

The blue light comes on which would show that there is an electric supply to the fridge?

I'm not familiar with your m/h and you don't give the model of the fridge but most/all control panels operate on 12v not mains voltage. It's only the 230v element that runs on mains.

As tonka has said it may be off at electric socket, fuse, trip switch...

 

[GeoffnDee]

Fault 3 on gas means that the gas has failed to ignite so , as has been suggested , it may need a few attempts to get the gas through if the fridge has not been used for a while.
As Spriddler has said the control panel with its blue light is 12v and the fridge will only operate on 230v when on EHU and with the mains supply to the fridge turned on at the PSU
The 12v cooling will only operate with the engine running

 

[Spriddler]

Fault 3 on gas means that the gas has failed to ignite so , as has been suggested , it may need a few attempts to get the gas through if the fridge has not been used for a while.

True enough. Can the OP Lavender1 hear the gas igniter clicking?

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[Lavender1]

Fault 3 on gas means that the gas has failed to ignite so , as has been suggested , it may need a few attempts to get the gas through if the fridge has not been used for a while.
As Spriddler has said the control panel with its blue light is 12v and the fridge will only operate on 230v when on EHU and with the mains supply to the fridge turned on at the PSU
The 12v cooling will only operate with the engine running

Any idea where the PSU would be? I could not hear the gas trying to ignite.

 

[GeoffnDee]

Lavender1 The PSU is the unit with the 12v habitation fuses in it (and the mains supply switches) I think it will be a Sargent 700 series item and
It may be found in the under seating storage area.
The gas supply to the fridge is through a separate tap (which may be turned off) in a group of 4 x gas supply taps on a gas manifold , I do not know its location in your van but they are sometimes found at floor level under the sink area.

 

[Lavender1]

Out having another look in van. Found gas for fridge, under settee, switch off so got gas going. Still showing fault 10 for electric. Under gas valve another valve, see photo. Does anyone know what that does please? We did not get a handover as such for van as sold by a broker.

 

[GeoffnDee]

The valve in the picture is for the space heater gas supply (If you do not have one , an owners manual for your van can be downloaded from the Autosleepers web-site)

 

[RobbyMClark]

Fault 3 on gas means that the gas has failed to ignite so , as has been suggested , it may need a few attempts to get the gas through if the fridge has not been used for a while.
As Spriddler has said the control panel with its blue light is 12v and the fridge will only operate on 230v when on EHU and with the mains supply to the fridge turned on at the PSU
The 12v cooling will only operate with the engine running

Spriddler Got it bang on even though i cant see his post for some reason, i may be on his ignore list.!

The other valve may be for a gas fire (do you have one ??)
Just seen GeoffnDee reply.

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[IRHP]

That sounds complicated. The blue light comes on which would show that there is an electric supply to the fridge?

The blue light will work from 12v dc, there is a seperate 240 v ac supply when on ehu

 

[Lavender1]

Lavender1 The PSU is the unit with the 12v habitation fuses in it (and the mains supply switches) I think it will be a Sargent 700 series item and
It may be found in the under seating storage area.
The gas supply to the fridge is through a separate tap (which may be turned off) in a group of 4 x gas supply taps on a gas manifold , I do not know its location in your van but they are sometimes found at floor level under the sink area.

The valve in the picture is for the space heater gas supply (If you do not have one , an owners manual for your van can be downloaded from the Autosleepers web-site)

We have a whale heater.
thank you sooo much for your help. Yes, in all my other motorhomes, there was a gas manifold with the individual gas taps on it. BUT in this bl….y Kingham, they are separate. The one for the fridge and whale under settee, the one for cooker in a cupboard. We are also wondering, as we have an underslung gas tank, if we were going on shuttle, we would have to turn all gas off. Normally, we just turned gas bottles off and shuttle staff check that. Can’t find anything in manual which tells me if there is one place to turn gas off.

 

[GeoffnDee]

I do not know if it helps but there is information regarding the shuttle and gas for your underslung tank on page 7-7 of the owners manual that may be useful , it looks like the red taps all need to be turned off .