The Care and Feeding of RV Refrigerators
Your gas powered RV refrigerator is hard to understand because it has no fan or other moving parts, and uses heat to cool the inside.
It has ammonia in the cooling unit, and uses water and hydrogen gas with ammonia for circulation.
The ammonia is heated with gas or liquid propane, and rises in the cooling unit coils.
It then mixes with the hydrogen and evaporates, cooling the inside of the refrigerator.
Trust me, it works! Maintenance of your refrigerator will extend its life.
Cleaning is easy.
Simply wipe the interior and door with a soft dry cloth.
If more cleaning is needed, use a cloth moistened with warm water and mild detergent.
Do not use hot water to clean your refrigerator! Dry with a clean soft cloth.
Be careful when wiping the gasket.
Too much moisture here can cause a temporary loss of insulation.
The shelving and bins can be removed if needed and washed in soapsuds.
Dry before reinstalling.
Always leave door open during storage to avoid mold and mildew.
Did you know that it takes one hour for your RV refrigerator to recover each time you open the door? So, it makes sense to use a cooler for frequently used items such as bottled water and soda.
There is a limited amount of troubleshooting you can do if you are having a problem with your refrigerator.
First, know that it takes approximately 3 hours for the ammonia to circulate enough to be able to feel it cooling.
The freezer compartment will cool first.
Your refrigerator should be up to temperature in about 24 hours.
An RV refrigerator will default to electric when plugged in, if it is set on auto.
When no electric is detected, it will try to light on gas.
Remember, you will not hear the refrigerator working, because it has no motor or moving parts.
If you are problems with cooling, check the simple things first.
Is your RV level? A completely level RV is not as critical now as it was with the older models, but your refrigerator will work better if the RV is level.
Check the settings.
Sometimes the gas is turned off at the bottles, or the camper is not plugged in.
Then check your fuses and breakers.
There may be a PC board located on the back of the refrigerator that has a fuse, so check that one.
Make sure that the air flow from the side vent to the roof vent is not blocked, and the rear of the refrigerator is not clogged with dust.
Feel the cooling coils.
Be careful to avoid burns.
If they are hot to the touch at the bottom but cool at the top, it means you have a blockage.
If you smell ammonia, you have a leak.
If ammonia is detected, close the refrigerator door and ventilate the camper.
Ammonia is not toxic, but the smell is unpleasant, and is known to make people sick.
You can not fix a cooling unit problem yourself.
In most cases, it is more economical to replace the entire refrigerator than to have a repair facility replace the cooling unit.
New RV refrigerators come in lots of sizes and styles.
You can get anything from a 4 door model that measures approximately 63" x 32" x 24" with a built in ice maker, to a small 17" x 19" x 31" cooler type refrigerator - freezer.
Most new RV refrigerators come with a 3 year warranty.
When replacing a RV refrigerator with the same size unit, the front door panels are interchangeable.
A different make and model can be used with little or no problems.
Remember to get your new door panels at the same time you order your refrigerator if you are changing size, make, or model.
You can expect your RV refrigerator to last between eight and ten years, but there are many units 20 years or older out there still working away.
It has ammonia in the cooling unit, and uses water and hydrogen gas with ammonia for circulation.
The ammonia is heated with gas or liquid propane, and rises in the cooling unit coils.
It then mixes with the hydrogen and evaporates, cooling the inside of the refrigerator.
Trust me, it works! Maintenance of your refrigerator will extend its life.
Cleaning is easy.
Simply wipe the interior and door with a soft dry cloth.
If more cleaning is needed, use a cloth moistened with warm water and mild detergent.
Do not use hot water to clean your refrigerator! Dry with a clean soft cloth.
Be careful when wiping the gasket.
Too much moisture here can cause a temporary loss of insulation.
The shelving and bins can be removed if needed and washed in soapsuds.
Dry before reinstalling.
Always leave door open during storage to avoid mold and mildew.
Did you know that it takes one hour for your RV refrigerator to recover each time you open the door? So, it makes sense to use a cooler for frequently used items such as bottled water and soda.
There is a limited amount of troubleshooting you can do if you are having a problem with your refrigerator.
First, know that it takes approximately 3 hours for the ammonia to circulate enough to be able to feel it cooling.
The freezer compartment will cool first.
Your refrigerator should be up to temperature in about 24 hours.
An RV refrigerator will default to electric when plugged in, if it is set on auto.
When no electric is detected, it will try to light on gas.
Remember, you will not hear the refrigerator working, because it has no motor or moving parts.
If you are problems with cooling, check the simple things first.
Is your RV level? A completely level RV is not as critical now as it was with the older models, but your refrigerator will work better if the RV is level.
Check the settings.
Sometimes the gas is turned off at the bottles, or the camper is not plugged in.
Then check your fuses and breakers.
There may be a PC board located on the back of the refrigerator that has a fuse, so check that one.
Make sure that the air flow from the side vent to the roof vent is not blocked, and the rear of the refrigerator is not clogged with dust.
Feel the cooling coils.
Be careful to avoid burns.
If they are hot to the touch at the bottom but cool at the top, it means you have a blockage.
If you smell ammonia, you have a leak.
If ammonia is detected, close the refrigerator door and ventilate the camper.
Ammonia is not toxic, but the smell is unpleasant, and is known to make people sick.
You can not fix a cooling unit problem yourself.
In most cases, it is more economical to replace the entire refrigerator than to have a repair facility replace the cooling unit.
New RV refrigerators come in lots of sizes and styles.
You can get anything from a 4 door model that measures approximately 63" x 32" x 24" with a built in ice maker, to a small 17" x 19" x 31" cooler type refrigerator - freezer.
Most new RV refrigerators come with a 3 year warranty.
When replacing a RV refrigerator with the same size unit, the front door panels are interchangeable.
A different make and model can be used with little or no problems.
Remember to get your new door panels at the same time you order your refrigerator if you are changing size, make, or model.
You can expect your RV refrigerator to last between eight and ten years, but there are many units 20 years or older out there still working away.