This drawing is a classic Dometic cooling unit. Our family used a Dometic fridge for 35 years almost trouble free. All systems require maintenance, and it is only by maintaining your RV that you can enjoy years of pleasure without having to deal with troubles.

The Norcold & Dometic troubleshooting pages and videos in this series will break down your RV fridge in to its components. Thus, if you are having an issue with the LP gas portion of your fridge, it is our hope that the LP gas portion of these web-page's combines with videos will help you perform your RV fridge repair.

We invite you to share your RV fridge troubleshooting with us. Please take photos and write a little about your problem and how you fixed it. We want this site to be helpful to all folks that are on the road and need help then and there. Thanks in advance!

Introduction to RV Fridge Repair -- Looking Around

Plugged Dometic Evaporator

This photo shown is an example of performing annual maintenance by just looking around. This photo is of a plugged Dometic evaporator. The evaporator collected lent or cottonwood seeds over the years in its fins. Just by shining a flashlight up the refrigeration compartment this issue may have been seen. By pulling the roof vent one could have blown this problem away with compressed air. This fridge most likely failed due to the overheating of the boiler, which the Fridge Defend by ARP would have prevented. Although the Fridge Defend could have prevented the boiler from overheating, the user would still have had to find the issues that lead to the boiler overheating.

Norcold & Dometic Troubleshooting Basics

Most RV fridge fixes are just basic issues that common sense can solve. In my years of teaching in the automotive industry I found that it is often the case that folks jump to the most complex problems rather than looking into the basics. It is human nature to suspect problems exist in systems that they really do not understand. For example, the photo above, one can assume that the performance of the fridge suffered over the years. Because cooling units and their function can be hard to understand, the owner may have decided to not look around for a problem. But, in this case, being adventurous may have save this camper a lot of money, please; if you are having problems just look around for something that does not look right. Often, this will solve the problem!

Just Look Around -- It Can Save Money!

1 - RV Fridge Essentials

VIDEO: This video shows the components on an RV fridge. This is the index for the remainder of the Complete RV Fridge Repair Series. This video shows the back side of the fridge including propane (LP Gas) components such as the Gas Control Valve (SOV), Burner, and Boiler Assembly, along with other cooling unit components such as Electric Heaters. Also, inside the fridge the thermistor and cooling fins are shown.

2 - Thermistor Temperature Regulation

VIDEO: The RV refrigerator has a device called a ‘thermistor’ that regulates the temperature within the RV fridge. This video teaches how to troubleshoot and repair the thermistor RV refrigerator temperature controller.

TEXT: Norcold Thermistor & Temperature/Ω Values

TEXT: Dometic Thermistor & Temperature/Ω Values

3 - Troubleshoot Heat and Boiler

VIDEO: This video helps teach how the Dometic and Norcold RV refrigerators are driven by a boiler. The video shows basic instrumentation need to checking the boiler and information about the electric and gas heaters.

Click for Data Interface Controller for Advanced Diagnostics

4 - Troubleshoot Electric Heaters and Fuses

VIDEO: This video teaches how to troubleshoot and repair RV refrigerator electric heaters and the controller fuses for No AC type errors and trouble codes.

TEXT: Norcold Electric Heaters

TEXT: Dometic Electric Heaters

5 - Troubleshoot LP System Pressure and Filter

VIDEO: When the fridge does not cool when in the propane (LP Gas) mode, there may be issues with the LP filter and or the regulator pressure. This video teaches how to troubleshoot and repair these problems.
VIDEO: Safe Operation of Liquid Propane Gas
TEXT: Norcold LP System Pressure and Filter
TEXT: Dometic LP System Pressure and Filter

6 - Troubleshoot LP Gas Burner, Igniter, Jet, and Flue

VIDEO: This video teaches how to troubleshoot and repair the propane (LP Gas) burner and igniter system including the gas jet and flue cleaning procedures.

TEXT: Norcold Burner & Igniter  &  Norcold 'Popping-Burner' Solution

TEXT: Dometic Burner & Igniter

7 - Troubleshoot Gas Valve

VIDEO: This video shows how to troubleshoot and repair the RV fridge burner gas valve including ohms and voltage checks.

8 - Troubleshooting Poor Cooling Performance

VIDEO: This RV fridge has a problem that came from the factory, not enough thermal mastic. This video shows how to troubleshoot and repair the fridge for this particular poor or not cooling issue.

9 - How to Remove Cooling Unit

VIDEO: This video shows how to remove the cooling unit from a Dometic or Norcold RV refrigerator.

10 - How to Properly Apply Cooling Unit Evaporator Thermal Mastic

VIDEO: This video shows the critical cooling unit replacement step of properly applying the evaporator thermal mastic.

11 - How to Properly Install Dometic or Norcold Cooling Unit

VIDEO: This video shows how to properly install a Dometic or Norcold cooling unit, including the critical step of sealing the evaporator.

12 - RV Fridge Fan Facts

VIDEO: This video clears up some misconceptions about RV refrigerator ventilator and defrost fans. Fans increase efficiency, but do not prevent the cooling unit boiler from overheating.