Dometic Fridge just clicks - won't light on propane

We have a 2016 Keystone Cougar Travel Trailer.
Beginning at the end of last year (it was 6 months old), the refrigerator 'check' light would randomly light up while on propane.  We would turn it off, turn it back on and the issue would resolve itself.  We took our camp trailer into the RV shop and they said nothing was wrong; they couldn't recreate the issue.  This year, we took it out for the first time and the fridge won't work at all now on propane.  It just clicks over and over and then stops trying and lights the 'check' light.  A few times we were able to manually light the fridge using a lighter through the outside control panel but at other times, it didn't respond to that either.

The refrigerator works perfect when plugged into power, just not propane. 

The elevation of where we were camping was around 4,000ft - the dometic manual says it would be fine without changes up to 6500 ft... any advice on what we can check or fix?

We don't camp in RV parks - we camp in the forest without hookups so we would really like to get this resolved.  Any help would be appreciated! 

Sometime when turning the Valve ON at the tank too quickly, the tank valve will not permit the propane to flow properly. In this case, turn the tank off and then reopen it again but SLOWLY.

Ass_u_ming the propane was turned on and you got the check light on each time it failed to light and you shut the fridge OFF each time, then a probable cause is air in the propane lines. Try lighting a stove burner for a few minutes to get rid of the air in the lines. (The stove is not nearly as fussy about air in the lines as the fridge is....)

The remarks on 4000 feet and 6500 feet may not be too accurate so perhaps some adjust may be necessary in your case. High winds have also been known to extinguish the flame.

Thank you, Alfa38User.

Any idea what/how to adjust for elevation? 

thundermtn said:

Thank you, Alfa38User.

Any idea what/how to adjust for elevation?

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None whatsoever  :-[ but the manufacturer might help. The problem may be a lack of oxygen (air) at the higher elevations. I would suggest that you not be too specific about the altitudes should you talk to them.

x2 on air in the propane lines, or at least to check for that first.  The same thing can happen with gas water heaters that won't light after they've been powered off for a period of time.

Light all your stove burners and let them burn on HIGH for a minute or two.  Shut them off, then try your fridge again.  If needed, try your other propane appliances too (water heater and furnace) to see what is and is not working on gas.

Thank you too scottydl - we did turn on the stove burners to bleed out any possible air - no issues whatsoever with the stove or furnace.  The hot water heater was giving us problems but it started to work, however, the fridge still insisted on being a pain....

The "click" means the igniter is sparking, but it may not be right in the path of the gas flow. Can you remove the cover over the actual burner to see where the spark actually goes? And also make sure there is no insect nest (e.g. mud dauber wasp) or spider web in that little enclosure? It doesn't take much to disrupt that tiny flame.  Rust flakes can also build up in there and cause problems, but probably not on such a new trailer.

Gary Ex-RVer said:

The "click" means the igniter is sparking, but it may not be right in the path of the gas flow. Can you remove the cover over the actual burner to see where the spark actually goes? And also make sure there is no insect nest (e.g. mud dauber wasp) or spider web in that little enclosure? It doesn't take much to disrupt that tiny flame.  Rust flakes can also build up in there and cause problems, but probably not on such a new trailer.

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Yeah, if you hear the ignitor click and there's no gas, then no heat and no fridge so it must not be getting gas.. air, blockage, solenoid valve, cockpit error on settings or empty tank.  I guess if the water heater works, gas is ok though.  Might wanna blow out the line with some air pressure?  Be sure there's no propane leak though.

I have 2003 Bonair 14C camper and have been reading the issues posters have had with their propane fridge not lighting. I also am experiencing the same issue. I lit my propane stovetop to bleed the line and it started without delay. However, when I went to start the propane refrigerator, it clicked a few times, then the 'check' light came on. In the manual it suggested doing this several times, which I did, to no avail. I even tried it after switching propane tanks, same result. I want to check the propane line to see if any spider nests might be blocking the flow, but I am unable to get the bolt loose as it is on there fairly tight. With the camper being 16 years old, I am afraid to force it further. Should I spray the bolt with lubricant, first? Or with that cause a separate issue? The fridge works beautifully when electrically connected. Thanks!

onesmartchick said:

I have 2003 Bonair 14C camper and have been reading the issues posters have had with their propane fridge not lighting. I also am experiencing the same issue. I lit my propane stovetop to bleed the line and it started without delay. However, when I went to start the propane refrigerator, it clicked a few times, then the 'check' light came on. In the manual it suggested doing this several times, which I did, to no avail. I even tried it after switching propane tanks, same result. I want to check the propane line to see if any spider nests might be blocking the flow, but I am unable to get the bolt loose as it is on there fairly tight. With the camper being 16 years old, I am afraid to force it further. Should I spray the bolt with lubricant, first? Or with that cause a separate issue? The fridge works beautifully when electrically connected. Thanks!

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The gas lines will have nothing in them.  However the orifice tube from the gas nozzle to the burner stack could and often will get spiders or something in them.  A bottle brush should clean it out pretty well.  You can also take the orifice out, soak it in something like brake cleaner for a few hours, blow it dry and reinstal it.  They can over time get partially clogged.

PLEASE: Always give the fridge make & model when asking for help on fridges. 

For starters just remove the shield from around the burner orifice (where the flame would be) and clean the area well. It takes very little rust, dust or insect nest to disrupt either the igniter spark or the LP/air mix and either will prevent ignition.

If the fridge LP line has a shutter to adjust air/fuel mix, make sure that area is clear as well. It's the only place where something light get into the burner feed line.

Verify what the clicking sound is. It could be the gas valve opening or it could be the ignitor trying to ignite the gas. Also check to see if gas is getting to the chamber or not. If it is getting gas, you can manually lite it with one of those butane lighters used for outdoor grilles. If it lites but does not stay lit, bad flame verification. If it lites and stays lit, bad ignition. If you find no gas getting to the chamber, valve problem or possibly a clogged nozzle. These systems are quite simple but require good diagnostics to resolve problems

Hi altitude also suggests cooler temperatures. If the gas line to the fridge has an oil P trap it would be more viscous and block gas flow at cooler temperatures.