Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » Dometic "basics" on an original fridge (Basic Dometic Information)
| Dometic "basics" on an original fridge [message #256645] |
Sat, 26 July 2014 21:05  |
77Royale
Messages: 461
Registered: June 2014
Location: Mid Michigan
Karma: 6
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Senior Member |
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Hello all,
Im wonding if someone can give me some basic pointers on my Original Dometic fridge. I may not be giving it enough time.
Its in a 77 Royale rear bath.
When I bought the coach a month or so back, The PO didnt know if it worked on Electric, but lit the LP to show me how, and after a day or so when I was home the fridge cooled down, I wasnt paying all that much attention as I was listing out everything else that needed to be done. Since then I have had the LP shut off as I worked through a million other issues.
Now on to the fridge in the interim. I have had the shore power plugged in for several hours at time, but not overnight yet. I set the fridge to Electric, after several hours the chimney was super hot. Like burn skin instantly hot. However the fridge and the feezer were not cold at all. I unplugged the fridge via the access panel and the dedicated outlet and have not plugged it back in yet.
I then set the fridge to Gas, and lit the burner, Its been lit for probably 6 hours today. Same deal with the chiminey, super hot, but I know now that the LP flame is making that heat. Still no cooling at all it seems.
I dont have anything in the fridge so I understand it will take longer to cool down. Im just trying to see if it will work again.
The coach is level sitting in my driveway. I have a bubble level and it is level.
I have a good power source and I know there is gas in the propane tank.
I can hear what sounds like pinging in the fridge if that makes any difference.
1. How long on average should the fridge take to actually cool down? Its not very hot here, 70-80, and the coach and driver side are not in direct sun.
2. Both the temp knobs are broken and stripped out. So I have to turn the temp dials with pliers. Is Clockwise colder? If its all the way clockwise does that shut it off?
3. Should that chiminey be super hot when its set to electric?
Thanks in advance and sorry for the newbie questions.
If anyone happens to have two good complete temp knobs, please let me know. I need the knob and the tubes which go into the base of the fridge.
77 Royale, Rear Dry Bath. 403, 3.55 Final Drive, Lenzi goodies, Patterson carb and dizzy.
Mid Michigan
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| Re: Dometic "basics" on an original fridge [message #256650 is a reply to message #256645] |
Sat, 26 July 2014 21:43  |
Chris Tyler
Messages: 458
Registered: September 2013
Location: Odessa FL
Karma: 7
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Senior Member |
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The fact that initally cooled is good. How cold did it get?
Obvioulsy, first maje sure it is on coldest setting.
Can you see the brner? Is it a nice blue flame, not yellow or intermittant?
Hopefully you have a blockage in the flue. I would try pulling the vent and running a shotgun brush or similar down the flue. Could be a lot of ust scale or spiders/wasp nests in there. Blow it out with compressed air.
May also need to clean the orifice. You may need to grind down a cheap socket to get it out
Hopefully it isnt a coolant blockage. If it is, sometimes you can pull it out, invert and "burp" it.
76 Glenbrook
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| Re: Dometic "basics" on an original fridge [message #256671 is a reply to message #256645] |
Sun, 27 July 2014 07:21 |
77Royale
Messages: 461
Registered: June 2014
Location: Mid Michigan
Karma: 6
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Senior Member |
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THanks for the info. I will start there.
When it was initially cool I want to say the thermometer in the fridge was near 30 degrees. The freezer was super cold as well.
I left the gas on last night. Its a good blue flame.
I checked this morning and the fridge and freezer were both actually warm inside. Like warmer than the inside of the coach. SO something is certainly at issue here. I turned the gas off to let everything cool down .
When you say pull the vent are you talking about the vent on the roof and running a brush down that, or from the side access panel?
Since I have owned the coach I have only shut the gas off to it. and rotated the knobs or what is left of them. Its been on level ground and not messed with.
77 Royale, Rear Dry Bath. 403, 3.55 Final Drive, Lenzi goodies, Patterson carb and dizzy.
Mid Michigan
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| Re: Dometic "basics" on an original fridge [message #256714 is a reply to message #256645] |
Sun, 27 July 2014 14:42 |
77Royale
Messages: 461
Registered: June 2014
Location: Mid Michigan
Karma: 6
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Senior Member |
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Well I cleaned up the burner area and shook out about a teaspoon of rusty powder from the burner itself. Shop vac'ed everything and lit it again. There is a nice blue flame from all slots on the burner. No yellow or sparks flowing up from any rusty stuff. I could not get the orifice out of the braket, but did remove it from the bottom of the burner with the two screws. Then removed the electric ignitor to get a bit better access and invert the burner tube to get the rust out.
I ran compressed air through everything I could, and blew out some more rusty material from the bottom of the flue. Then shop vac'ed it again. I took the vent cap off the top and its clear, No nests of anykind, but I did not pull the fridge out yet. to get at the chimney or Flue. I could not tell from the look I had through the access panel if it was clogged.
Its lit now, and lighted a whole lot easier, so we will see in a few hours. I have the temp knob cranked nearly all the way clockwise, which from my stripped out temp knob I think is to the coldest setting.
Open to any other thoughts or suggestions.
77 Royale, Rear Dry Bath. 403, 3.55 Final Drive, Lenzi goodies, Patterson carb and dizzy.
Mid Michigan
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| Re: [GMCnet] Dometic "basics" on an original fridge [message #256727 is a reply to message #256714] |
Sun, 27 July 2014 17:13 |
Ken Henderson
Messages: 8726
Registered: March 2004
Location: Americus, GA
Karma: 9
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Senior Member |
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Wayne,
There's no use letting the refrigerator cook "for hours" -- if it's not
feeling very cool in the freezer within and hour, you're wasting fuel to
continue. If the refrigerator is in good condtion otherwise, you can get a
better than new cooling system installed near Elkhart, IN for 1/2 or less
of the price of a new refrigerator. Someone here will provide contact
information -- or you can probably find it at bdub.net in the vendors
listing.
Ken H.
On Sun, Jul 27, 2014 at 3:43 PM, Wayne Rogewski wrote:
> Well I cleaned up the burner area and shook out about a teaspoon of rusty
> powder from the burner itself. Shop vac'ed everything and lit it again.
> There is a nice blue flame from all slots on the burner. No yellow or
> sparks flowing up from any rusty stuff. I could not get the orifice out of
> the
> braket, but did remove it from the bottom of the burner with the two
> screws. Then removed the electric ignitor to get a bit better access and
> invert
> the burner tube to get the rust out.
>
> I ran compressed air through everything I could, and blew out some more
> rusty material from the bottom of the flue. Then shop vac'ed it again.
> I
> took the vent cap off the top and its clear, No nests of anykind, but I
> did not pull the fridge out yet. to get at the chimney or Flue. I could
> not
> tell from the look I had through the access panel if it was clogged.
>
> Its lit now, and lighted a whole lot easier, so we will see in a few
> hours. I have the temp knob cranked nearly all the way clockwise, which
> from my
> stripped out temp knob I think is to the coldest setting.
>
> Open to any other thoughts or suggestions.
>
>
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Ken Henderson
Americus, GA
www.gmcwipersetc.com
Large Wiring Diagrams
76 X-Birchaven
76 X-Palm Beach
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| Re: [GMCnet] Dometic "basics" on an original fridge [message #256729 is a reply to message #256727] |
Sun, 27 July 2014 17:23 |
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Leon Herschberger, owner
National RV Refrigeration
5660 N SR 5
Shipshewana, IN 46565
http://www.fixyourfridge.com
Byron Songer
Former Owner - 78 GMC Royale
ATTENTION: This reply is in reference to what is provided below
> Wayne,
>
> There's no use letting the refrigerator cook "for hours" -- if it's not
> feeling very cool in the freezer within and hour, you're wasting fuel to
> continue. If the refrigerator is in good condtion otherwise, you can get
> a
> better than new cooling system installed near Elkhart, IN for 1/2 or less
> of the price of a new refrigerator. Someone here will provide contact
> information -- or you can probably find it at bdub.net in the vendors
> listing.
>
> Ken H.
>
> On Sun, Jul 27, 2014 at 3:43 PM, Wayne Rogewski wrote:
>
>> Well I cleaned up the burner area and shook out about a teaspoon of
>> rusty
>> powder from the burner itself. Shop vac'ed everything and lit it
>> again.
>> There is a nice blue flame from all slots on the burner. No yellow or
>> sparks flowing up from any rusty stuff. I could not get the orifice
>> out of
>> the
>> braket, but did remove it from the bottom of the burner with the two
>> screws. Then removed the electric ignitor to get a bit better access
>> and
>> invert
>> the burner tube to get the rust out.
>>
>> I ran compressed air through everything I could, and blew out some more
>> rusty material from the bottom of the flue. Then shop vac'ed it again.
>> I
>> took the vent cap off the top and its clear, No nests of anykind, but I
>> did not pull the fridge out yet. to get at the chimney or Flue. I could
>> not
>> tell from the look I had through the access panel if it was clogged.
>>
>> Its lit now, and lighted a whole lot easier, so we will see in a few
>> hours. I have the temp knob cranked nearly all the way clockwise,
>> which
>> from my
>> stripped out temp knob I think is to the coldest setting.
>>
>> Open to any other thoughts or suggestions.
>>
>>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
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--
Byron Songer
Full-timing to enjoy the USA
Former owner but still an admirer
GMC paint schemes at -
http://www.songerconsulting.net
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| Re: Dometic "basics" on an original fridge [message #256758 is a reply to message #256645] |
Sun, 27 July 2014 20:35 |
77Royale
Messages: 461
Registered: June 2014
Location: Mid Michigan
Karma: 6
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Senior Member |
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Thanks for the info. I will be giving him a call.
I shut the gas off after 2 hours re lit and still no cooling. I did find a troubleshooting manual and it does appear to be the cooling unit.
77 Royale, Rear Dry Bath. 403, 3.55 Final Drive, Lenzi goodies, Patterson carb and dizzy.
Mid Michigan
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