Dometic DM2882 Fridge not staying cold!

[kcgaz]

Hello, I'm new to this forum and was hoping to get some ideas as to why my Dometic DM2882 has an ice cold freezer, but the fridge goes from low 40's to 60 as the day heats up. Does anyone know if this refrigerator has electric fans on the backside below the coils? I can't see any, but its pretty tight in the compartment. I'm thinking this could be an air circulation problem, but would appreciate any advice and guidance. Thanks in advance for your help!
Best,
Kevin

[Cate&Rob]

Hi kcgaz,

Welcome to our owners technical forum. When you have a chance, have a look at our welcome post. https://gdrvowners.com/forum/main-fo...to-new-members . This will help you set up your signature and navigate the forum.

Your Dometic fridge does have an air circulation fan . . . and since it is midway up the back of the fridge it is almost impossible to see. You should be able to hear the fan come on, if it is working. The thermal switch that controls this fan is accessible through the upper outside panel, on the right end of the heat exchanger. If you pull off that electrical connector and connect the two terminals of the wiring, you should be able to hear the fan go on and off. (Thermal switch shown in attached picture.)

Typically the fridge compartment will have better temperature regulation than the freezer compartment because the temperature sensor is in the fridge compartment (it should be clipped to one of the cooling fins. Make sure that it is properly fastened there. Another thing to check is the fridge door seal around the entire perimeter This can be done with a slip of paper (or a dollar bill).

See these threads for current discussion of fridge cooling and adding circulation fans. https://gdrvowners.com/forum/operati...f-fridge/page5 https://gdrvowners.com/forum/operati...emp-regulation

Rob

[kcgaz]

Thanks for that information. My fridge only has the one compartment, so I can't see anything behind the fridge. Do you know if those fans blow air down the back of the fridge or pull the hot air out? I am not hearing any noise from the fans, so mine are either dead or they weren't installed on my model. I am thinking of installing aftermarket fans just below the vent. I have done this in all my other rigs and seems to help, especially on our hot AZ days.

[Country Campers]

Your fridge is not in a slide, the one pictured above is in a slide and has an upper and lower vent. You should have a vent on the roof above the fridge, check to make sure it is clear for air to move.

Guest , Jim any help on the fridge cooling for this 2600RB owner you could add.

Brian

[kcgaz]

Thanks all for your helpful responses, the fridge is not in the slide as Brian noted. I checked under the vent cover on the roof and cleaned out some pine needles, but it did not make a difference. The rig is a 2021 model, so all should be new. I checked the door seals and they are good. Its as though the fridge is in defrost mode with moisture dripping from the fins inside the refrigerator. The freezer is at -6 and the fridge ranges from 40-60 degrees. I'm going to install fans below the roof vent cover and maybe on the wall cover. Any other ideas?

[Jlawles2]

I think they only put fans on fridges that have 2 wall vents. With a roof vented fridge natural convection can carry the heat up and out the vent. With the dual wall vents, natural convection is hindered by the cooling coils being above the venting (partially) and not allowing for all of the air to move over the fins.

I might consider adding fans. however I may be looking at the squirrel cage type vs the axial. I think the squirrel (centrifugal) ones move more air and may be a lot quieter.

[AZMike]

Thanks all for your helpful responses, the fridge is not in the slide as Brian noted. I checked under the vent cover on the roof and cleaned out some pine needles, but it did not make a difference. The rig is a 2021 model, so all should be new. I checked the door seals and they are good. Its as though the fridge is in defrost mode with moisture dripping from the fins inside the refrigerator. The freezer is at -6 and the fridge ranges from 40-60 degrees. I'm going to install fans below the roof vent cover and maybe on the wall cover. Any other ideas?

My 2600RB is also a 2021, with the DM2882, and it does have a fan(s). There may be two, I can't see them, but I can hear them when the sun swings around to that side of the trailer! My fridge works perfectly, so it does sound like you have a fan issue.

[Tigger1]

We have the DM2882 also. Make sure the white plastic temperature slider hasn’t fallen down or too low. It’s located in the back of the fridge, attached to the metal fin on the right side. It should be close to the top. I put a clip on mine to prevent it from sliding down.

[kcgaz]

So I have done everything that I know what to do but I still have a cold freezer (-5) and a warm fridge (40-60). I didn't have any fans behind the fridge, so I added two exhaust fans in the stack and two under the fins. I changed out the thermistor and the control board, but don't know what to do next. Any ideas?

[Country Campers]

I am not sure what you mean by "two in the stack".

Brian

[kcgaz]

Two exhaust fans. I'm now suspecting the heating element because it cools down to 40 degrees, but can't maintain it. Any thoughts?

[Country Campers]

So you put 2 fans in the stack for the heating element? I do not think that is a good idea.

There is a drain tube on the back of the fridge that drains water from inside produced by the fins in the fridge compartment. This tube should have a downwards bend to trap water to keep the outside air from coming into the fridge, just like a trap on the bottom of the sink. There should also be a screen at the end of the tube, just something to check.

Brian

[kcgaz]

Update...We have left the extreme heat of Arizona to the reasonable heat/higher humidity of Oregon for the next six weeks. I have replaced the thermistor, circuit board and heating element and have installed four fans on the back of the refrigerator and four inside the refrigerator and we still have considerable swings in temperature of the fridge from 28-42 degrees. The temperature really seems to go up when we open the fridge for only a matter of seconds. I am at a loss as to what to do next. I've tried everything I know to do and the fridge is only just over 2 years old. Any other ideas would be much appreciated.

[TucsonJim]

Those rapid swings when opening the door may indicate a measurement problem. How are you actually measuring the temperature inside the refrigerator? According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, you want to keep your food at 40°F and not let it exceed this temperature for more than two hours.

One way to verify that your food is staying at a safe and stable temperature is to measure the interior temperature of the food. I did some experimenting where I found an ideal way to measure the food temp over time.

Use an instant read thermometer with a sharp probe. place the probe tip in the center of a stick of margarine or butter. Place the butter in the center back of the refrigerator and let it stabilize for several hours. Now take a reading. If the interior of the butter remains below 40°F, you're fine. If not, then more work is needed.

JIm

Jim

[Yoda]

Hello, I'm new to this forum and was hoping to get some ideas as to why my Dometic DM2882 has an ice cold freezer, but the fridge goes from low 40's to 60 as the day heats up. Does anyone know if this refrigerator has electric fans on the backside below the coils? I can't see any, but its pretty tight in the compartment. I'm thinking this could be an air circulation problem, but would appreciate any advice and guidance. Thanks in advance for your help!
Best,
Kevin

Kevin
On thing to check.
In the fridge compartment where is the temp probe attached to the fins????????? It needs to be on the outside fin with the tip as far up as it can be to get max fridge cooling.. I have found the probe can slip down the the plastic carrier. Double check this and use a spring clip to keep it in up potion if needed. I had contacted Dometic on my fridge cooling issues and they said to check this. I found mine had dropped to the bottom inside the plastic sleeve (Alaska rough roads) . I am currently running test on how the probe position effects the cooling and so far it really makes a difference where it is attached and the placement on the fridge fins.
Hope this helps

Keith