Domestic Refrigerator

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MarcAndTeresa

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Jul 14, 2017
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We are in a 2005 Coachman Santara. We've read through refrigerator chats and not seen our issue. Fridge stopped working when on our first trip. We turned it off for two days and it started working on electric. Two weeks later it stopped working again and we turned it off for 12 hours and it then started working again. It's currently not working again (on electric or propane). We are full timers so this has become a real problem. Any tips or guidance is appreciated!
 
Your "Dometic" refrigerator has probably started to clog up the tubing with solidified sodium chromate crystals that are blocking the normal coolant flow. When you shut off the fridge for several hours, enough of the crystals may settle out to allow near normal operation for a period, but eventually they will begin to plug up again until the blockage is permanent and irreversible. Sodium chromate is used as an anti-corrosive in the liquefied ammonia and hydrogen gas mixture that creates the circulating cooling fluid. The sodium chromate crystalizes and sticks to the tubing walls when it is overheated, usually due to the refrigerator being operated out of level for too long a period. There is no cure for the blockage except replacing or rebuilding the cooling unit and coils or replacing the entire fridge.
 
MarcAndTeresa said:
We are in a 2005 Coachman Santara. We've read through refrigerator chats and not seen our issue. Fridge stopped working when on our first trip. We turned it off for two days and it started working on electric. Two weeks later it stopped working again and we turned it off for 12 hours and it then started working again. It's currently not working again (on electric or propane). We are full timers so this has become a real problem. Any tips or guidance is appreciated!

See if you can find the model number of your RV refrigerator and post that information. That will be more helpful than just the model of your RV. Service manuals and troubleshooting guides are available on the internet.
 
Some further explanation of "stopped working" would also be helpful. What info is displayed on the control panel? Any fault lights or codes? When it stops, is it just one mode (LP or electric) or both? Is it partially cold, or  room temperature?  Freezer temp cooling some but not the fridge?  Whatever details you can supply will help get an answer.

It's fairly common practice that a major fault of some sort requires that the fridge be turned off and back on again to reset. The one most likely to do that is an overheated boiler on the cooling unit. That may mean a failing cooling unit, but perhaps could be as simple as a blockage in the air flow over the cooling unit (behind the fridge & outside).
 
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