Dometic fridge thermal fuse

**Grand_Gord** · 04-30-2021, 01:41 PM

2nd trip with our GD and the thermal fuse on the fridge fried. Stopped a number of RV dealers and nothing available. For now bypassed it (because we had a fridge and freezer full of food). Send GD a message but no assistance. (No surprise there). Has anyone had a problem with the fridge fuse? We are pretty remote for the next month.

BTW...first trip the thermal fuse in the water heater fried. Bought 5 replacements on Amazon.

**NB Canada** · 04-30-2021, 02:00 PM

Originally Posted by Grand_Gord

2nd trip with our GD and the thermal fuse on the fridge fried. Stopped a number of RV dealers and nothing available. For now bypassed it (because we had a fridge and freezer full of food). Send GD a message but no assistance. (No surprise there). Has anyone had a problem with the fridge fuse? We are pretty remote for the next month.

BTW...first trip the thermal fuse in the water heater fried. Bought 5 replacements on Amazon.

“Send GD a message but no assistance. No surprise there”
What does this even mean?
Did you talk to someone?
What did you ask?
How could they help you differently than a dealer?

2021 Imagine 2400 BH
2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 crew

**Grand_Gord** · 04-30-2021, 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by NB Canada

“Send GD a message but no assistance. No surprise there”
What does this even mean?
Did you talk to someone?
What did you ask?
How could they help you differently than a dealer?

2021 Imagine 2400 BH
2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 crew

I've never got through to a human calling GD. Sent an email explaining the problem and asking if they can supply me the part (willing to pay for the part). The reply was they only sell parts to dealers. Go get it diagnosed. No dealers close where I am and definitely no GD dealers for warranty issues. So...trying to figure out where I can get one. But before I do want to understand if its a problematic part.

**SGT ROC** · 04-30-2021, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by Grand_Gord

2nd trip with our GD and the thermal fuse on the fridge fried. Stopped a number of RV dealers and nothing available. For now bypassed it (because we had a fridge and freezer full of food). Send GD a message but no assistance. (No surprise there). Has anyone had a problem with the fridge fuse? We are pretty remote for the next month.

BTW...first trip the thermal fuse in the water heater fried. Bought 5 replacements on Amazon.

I am surprised as I have called them and always gotten a fast reply. Same with Emails, after I established a contact. Don't know how old your rig is but Try giving Grand Design a call again and explaining the issue.

**Grand_Gord** · 04-30-2021, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by SGT ROC

I am surprised as I have called them and always gotten a fast reply. Same with Emails, after I established a contact. Don't know how old your rig is but Try giving Grand Design a call again and explaining the issue.

Rig is just a few months old and had the usual RV build quality issues so far. Worst been it needs a new floor installed due to screws too long securing recliners to the slide. Gouged deep cuts into the vinyl. Nice. Anyway the only contact I've ever had is by sending an email. Usually get a reply day or more later. By phone have only ever got voice mail and never got a call back.

**bjlakatos** · 05-02-2021, 08:27 AM

Just went through the water heater thermal fuse failure/repair (1st trip). We’re u unable to read the value on the fridge thermal fuse? Which Dometic fridge?

**Overtaxed** · 05-02-2021, 09:14 AM

Which fuse was it (there are a few)? If it was the 5A fuse (a glass tube fuse) the problem is likely you have a failed fan. Been there, done that. You can safely replace it with a 7.5A fuse (per Dometic) to get you through, but the real solution to the problem is to change out the fan that failed and, IMHO, move them out of the path of 12V power for the fridge (so a fan failure doesn't take out the entire fridge). I bought a thermal controller and took my fans off the circuit board (ran them direct to the controller). Put in a few more fans (on the grills) and wired them up so a failed fan won't take out the whole fridge again.

If it's another fuse that's blowing, disregard, but if it's that little 5A fuse, it's almost certainly failed fans.

**gbkims** · 05-02-2021, 09:36 AM

Frig Thermal Fuse:
What is this, reefer, no power https://www.mygrandrv.com/forum/show...eefer-no-power
Dometic Thermal Fuse Thermocoupler https://www.mygrandrv.com/forum/show...-Thermocoupler
Dometic fridge with no power https://www.mygrandrv.com/forum/show...-with-no-power
Refrigerator in slide out https://www.mygrandrv.com/forum/show...l=1#post296997

Dometic frigs have a thermal fuse that is set to open at 152°C.
The thermal fuse works together with the resettable thermal switch on the chimney.
The thermal fuse has to be replaced once it opens.
High ambient temperatures and maybe wind when traveling seem to sometimes blow it.

**Grand_Gord** · 05-02-2021, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by Overtaxed

Which fuse was it (there are a few)? If it was the 5A fuse (a glass tube fuse) the problem is likely you have a failed fan. Been there, done that. You can safely replace it with a 7.5A fuse (per Dometic) to get you through, but the real solution to the problem is to change out the fan that failed and, IMHO, move them out of the path of 12V power for the fridge (so a fan failure doesn't take out the entire fridge). I bought a thermal controller and took my fans off the circuit board (ran them direct to the controller). Put in a few more fans (on the grills) and wired them up so a failed fan won't take out the whole fridge again.

If it's another fuse that's blowing, disregard, but if it's that little 5A fuse, it's almost certainly failed fans.

Not the small fan fuse. That was first thing I checked. Also not the chimney overheat module. That was second thing I checked. Was the small thermal fuse held in the clip on rear of fridge. Just bypassed it to get underway. This is a new 17mke with rear fridge and we were in some strong wind conditions and wondering if some weird air directions on rear of the trailer while driving caused some less than ideal flame path.

**SCWilson525** · 06-01-2022, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by Grand_Gord

2nd trip with our GD and the thermal fuse on the fridge fried. Stopped a number of RV dealers and nothing available. For now bypassed it (because we had a fridge and freezer full of food). Send GD a message but no assistance. (No surprise there). Has anyone had a problem with the fridge fuse? We are pretty remote for the next month.

BTW...first trip the thermal fuse in the water heater fried. Bought 5 replacements on Amazon.

I had the same problem on my second trip in my 17MKE. I had to call a mobile RV repair guy and he happened to have several of the fuses. He said this is common in hot weather. If the unit is running on gas (which mine was during the night to ensure it was cold before I loaded it in the morning) and the outside temperature is also hot (the sun was shining on the rear of my trailer all day) then the temperature inside the fridge motor compartment gets too hot and the fuse blows. Before calling the mobile guy I had tried calling GD with absolutely no response, not even to my voicemail messages. I also tried calling Dometic and all they did was refer me to the nearest Dometic dealer which was 75 miles away. I was extremely disappointed with the lack of service from either. I was just happy I found someone who recognized the problem and fixed it quickly. It was about a $49 part. He suggested I order several on Amazon and keep handy in case it happens again. That, and I won't run the fridge the night before I leave on a trip if the weather is hot.