Will my fridge work with the 12v polarity reversed?

[Itsmcb]

I've been looking at some photos I took a couple of years ago of some renovations I did to my van and one of the photos was of the electrical connections so that I could reconnect correctly. Recently when looking for a charging fault I found a wiring diagram and now have a better knowledge of the wiring colours. I have now noticed on the photo that the positive red/yellow cable and the negative orange/white cable supplying the fridge element have been connected the wrong way around. Will this still be working? We haven't done a long journey for a couple of years so haven't noticed if the fridge is holding temperature when on 12v. It's a pig to remove just to swap the cables around if I don't need too?

 

[Figaro]

Next time you go for a drive pop a thermometer in the freezer and see what happens, even a short drive should see it drop a few degrees
Other than that, it probably means getting a multimeter on the connections

 

[DavidG58]

I would say , right or wrong, if it works leave well alone

found a similar issue with our toilet pump, negative connected to positive on board but it works so us staying like it

could be incorrectly coloured or swapped somewhere in the wiring loom

 

[David and Sally]

If the freezer gets hot enough to cook a pasty the wires are the wrong way round.
Some circuits like elements, lights etc don't mind reverse polarity

 

[cmcardle75]

I would say , right or wrong, if it works leave well alone

found a similar issue with our toilet pump, negative connected to positive on board but it works so us staying like it

could be incorrectly coloured or swapped somewhere in the wiring loom

Some pumps will run, but less efficiently, on reverse polarity. A resistive heating element will typically not care about polarity, or even AC vs DC provided the voltage is the same. If it is connected in such a way that one end is not earthed, then it will operate as well "in reverse" as correctly connected.

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[Itsmcb]

I'll try the thermometer in the icebox trick next time I'm out . I know the cable colours are correct.

 

[Lenny HB]

If one side of the element is earthed it will blow the fuse, if not it should work.

 

[Grummyb]

It will get hot instead of cold if its working the wrong way round

 

[bigtwin]

The 12V element will care not a jot to which side the +’ve and -’ve wires are connected.

Ian

 

[Lenny HB]

It will get hot instead of cold if its working the wrong way round

No it won't its only a resistive element.

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[Grummyb]

I may have been joking