Dometic fridge stopped working

[Bill and Tammy]

I have a 2023 295rl with a Dometic fridge that has stopped cooling in both gas and electric modes. We’ve been coming up weekends all winter turning all power/propane off when we leave. The fridge has worked as needed up until a couple weekends ago when outside temps dipped to -26f. That’s when we noticed it warming up. Temps are in the 30’s now and it’s just not cooling. The lights in the fridge come on when door is open, the control panel is lit up and both 120v breaker and 12 v fuse are intact and functioning. I’ve adjusted the thermistor to the highest position on cooling fin and set cold-coldest setting to 5, with no results. I’ve also checked the 3 and 5amp fuses located at the back of the fridge and they appear to be intact. I also pushed the reset button located on the shroud that houses the propane burner. It didn’t seam to have any movement so I poked a small metal pin into the hole in the button and got a spark. Nothing tripped but still not cooling. Any suggestions?

[IBEW Sparky]

@Bill and Tammy


Since you said that the fuses "seem to be intact", how did you check the fuses?
Are these the fuses you checked on the control circuit board in the exterior compartment?

[Viper02]

Since the eyebrow panel is lit up and interior lights in fridge are on the 12 volt fuse is good.. The small black button located on the flue stack is the Hi Limit fuse.. It would be popped out has it tripped.. at (-36) degrees the chemicals in the fridge line are not able to get hot enough to do their job... with the flu burner or elect heating elements.. I would down load the service manual for your Dometic fridge and TS accordingly...

[SSROSS]

If the trailer has been sitting in one place all this time it is possible you have gotten an air bubble in the ammonia line because of the temperature extremes. I know there is a way to use a rubber mallet and gently tap on the cooling coils and move it along. The best way is just hook up and take it down the road for a little bit and re-park it and it should work again. I know mine did the same thing over the winter but the minute I moved it out of the storage building it started right up.

[Bill and Tammy]

Mine looks a little different. I have a 3 and 5 amp fuses and both appear intact

[IBEW Sparky]

Mine looks a little different. I have a 3 and 5 amp fuses and both appear intact

Appearances can be deceiving... always remove the fuse and check continuity with an Ohm meter. If you are checking voltages across a fuse with the fuse inserted on a circuit board you could possibly be getting false readings from a backfeed through another path.

[Bill and Tammy]

I agree. Looks can be deceiving. Unfortunately I didn’t have a meter or a service manual at the time. Im heading up next week with both to get to the bottom of it. Thanks for your insight.

[IBEW Sparky]

I agree. Looks can be deceiving. Unfortunately I didn’t have a meter or a service manual at the time. Im heading up next week with both to get to the bottom of it. Thanks for your insight.

You're welcome.... and let us know what you find. Hopefully it gets resolved soon.