Dometic fridge not working on gas

Dec 27, 2021
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Hi guys. My dometic fridge doesn't seem to be cooling at all on gas. It seems to ignite ok but no go. And the display doesn't even show the red fault light or says it's working fine I pulled the side cover off and the cowling that covers the igniter is hit so I assume the flame is lit. Any thoughts? Cheers
 
Mar 14, 2005
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Hello Phil.

I notice you have also reported a problem with a Truma Boiler in a separate thread.

The fact that both are gas appliances could mean there is a could be a common problem.

I wonder when both appliances were last fully checked or serviced? It would be safest to seek professional help.
 
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Possibly. But I would have thought since the pilot light on the fridge is lit it can't be a gas flow issue? Also the heater and the hobs are working fine? Cheers 👍
 
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Are all the gas isolation taps open?
Hey. Yes they are. I just took the cover off again and the flame is definitely lit so surely it's not a gas issue? Also forgot to mention our fridge door broke off on the way here. Is there any switch or sensor that would shut the fridge down for such a thing ?
 

Mel

Mar 17, 2007
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Hi Phil. We had an issue with our bulkhead gas regulator. A bit of gas was OK but as soon as you increased the load, then the gas supply died. Maybe relevant?
mel
 
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Nov 6, 2005
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Hi Phil. We had an issue with our bulkhead gas regulator. A bit of gas was OK but as soon as you increased the load, then the gas supply died. Maybe relevant?
mel
That can also be the symptoms of using butane at low temperatures - propane is necessary at this time of year
 
Jun 20, 2005
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How long have you left it on gas? It takes a while to cool down . Overnight I would expect a significant difference .
 
Sep 22, 2020
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With a flame present it would point to the fact that there could be an air lock in the refrigerant circuit. Does it cool down on mains electric?

if it’s the same irrespective of the power source then it suggests it could be an air lock.

This might sound horrendous, but a proven method to correct is to remove the fridge - turn it up side down. Give it a few gentle shakes then rest it for a minute or so. Turn back to its up right position - shake again then rest. Repeat the above then re install the fridge.
Carried this out on a friends fridge several years ago and it work forever after. Other friends had the same problem and visiting mobile repair guy did the same with success.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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Removing any gas appliance required breaking the gas connection. Removal or installation and test of any gas appliance must be carried out in accordance with the regulations to ensure the safety of everyone.

You must use a qualified gas fitter for any such work in domestic installations.

Its unlikely that DIY'ers will have the full knowledge or equipment to complete the task in a touring caravan.
 

Parksy

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Removing any gas appliance required breaking the gas connection. Removal or installation and test of any gas appliance must be carried out in accordance with the regulations to ensure the safety of everyone.

You must use a qualified gas fitter for any such work in domestic installations.

Its unlikely that DIY'ers will have the full knowledge or equipment to complete the task in a touring caravan.
While it's strongly recommended to use a qualified gas fitter to work on any gas installation, a touring caravan when not used for purposes other than for leisure use is not a domestic property, and the gas regulations don't in fact apply to touring caravans.
Whether the Gas Safe regulations should apply is another matter. Removing and re-fitting any caravan gas installation without the knowledge and tools to do so safely and correctly is best not attempted.
 
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Yes I agree somewhat with this but conversely when changing over a gas bottle or it’s hose connection in bulk head mounted regulator installations, you are working on connections that have gas pressure that is far in excess of that after the regulator itself - ie the connection to the fridge, cooker, water heater etc.
No body seemed to worry about that facet of gas handling when they decided to change from gas bottle mounted regulators to those now commonly fitted on the bulk head firewall.
Self preservation and common sense is all that’s required- you don’t need to be gas safe approved to have that. A can of aerosol leak detector, which I always carry on the caravan, to check connections like the gas bottle etc are all that’s required in my opinion.
Like anything in life if you are not 100% confident in what you are doing then seek professional help.
 
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While it's strongly recommended to use a qualified gas fitter to work on any gas installation, a touring caravan when not used for purposes other than for leisure use is not a domestic property, and the gas regulations don't in fact apply to touring caravans.
Whether the Gas Safe regulations should apply is another matter. Removing and re-fitting any caravan gas installation without the knowledge and tools to do so safely and correctly is best not attempted.

I stand by my comment which is factually true.

But for clarity when you mention "the gas regulations" and "the Gas Safe regulations" neither of those actually exist. The document you should be referring to is the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations (GSIAUR), which does make out a special case for the owners of
private caravan or motor home, that is for their own use only.
It must not be lent or hired to any other persons - not even family members.
Provided that tight restriction is observed. then the owner and nobody else is permitted to undertake work on the gas system without being qualified to do so.

However and importantly, what the exemption does not exclude is how the work must be carried out . It still has to follow the approved work methods and testing regimes set out in the approved codes of practice.

It is therefore very unlikely that a DIY'er will have either the full knowledge of what is legally required, and or the tools to complete the job properly.

Having had to compile a forensic report about a gas appliance that caused near fatal injuries to a whole family for a formal enquiry where it was found it was a result of illegal tampering with the gas appliance by the father, the judge made it very clear that had the alarm not been raised when it was, he would have been facing a criminal Health & Safety charge, and if found guilty a court could impose a fine and or custodial jail sentence.

Gas systems should never be treated flippantly.
 
Jun 20, 2005
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We all know LPG in the wrong hands is dangerous. A leaking joint is bad enough but the silent killer from CO leaking from an incorrect assembled flue is a main concern of mine . No gas leak spray will tell you the answer😥,
It’s crucial to have both a smoke detector and CO monitor in the caravan operational at all times.
Now the “bad or good” news. I do fix my own gas appliances. Over 40 years I feel confident I know what I am doing , how to correctly reassemble, how to test all is well. Plus son is a Gas Safe registered engineer who always checks my work.
I am not convinced turning a fridge upside down and shaking it is a good thing. I’d be looking for signs of ammonia leakage. Re charging a fridge is a very technical job requiring specialist equipment.
IMO there is a balance on no you don’t or yes you can. However this is a public forum and any fool can be reading it so I have to mostly agree with the Prof today bar what I say above
 
Nov 11, 2009
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We all know LPG in the wrong hands is dangerous. A leaking joint is bad enough but the silent killer from CO leaking from an incorrect assembled flue is a main concern of mine . No gas leak spray will tell you the answer😥,
It’s crucial to have both a smoke detector and CO monitor in the caravan operational at all times.
Now the “bad or good” news. I do fix my own gas appliances. Over 40 years I feel confident I know what I am doing , how to correctly reassemble, how to test all is well. Plus son is a Gas Safe registered engineer who always checks my work.
I am not convinced turning a fridge upside down and shaking it is a good thing. I’d be looking for signs of ammonia leakage. Re charging a fridge is a very technical job requiring specialist equipment.
IMO there is a balance on no you don’t or yes you can. However this is a public forum and any fool can be reading it so I have to mostly agree with the Prof today bar what I say above
Actually having your son check your work is fine providing there’s some record of the check.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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A record? Never have
If there was an accident with the gas system that for example injured are damaged a third party how would you prove that your son had checked your work? GSIAUR requires the work to be done to those regulations. So basically you would be required to demonstrate that your workmanship/ competence and materials were not the cause of an incident.

Its just one of those areas where to a lot of people it is grey. I’ve done the same as you re some domestic gas involving a wall mounted sealed gas fire. But that was thirty or so years ago.
 
Nov 6, 2005
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I stand by my comment which is factually true.

But for clarity when you mention "the gas regulations" and "the Gas Safe regulations" neither of those actually exist. The document you should be referring to is the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations (GSIAUR), which does make out a special case for the owners of
private caravan or motor home, that is for their own use only.
It must not be lent or hired to any other persons - not even family members.
Provided that tight restriction is observed. then the owner and nobody else is permitted to undertake work on the gas system without being qualified to do so.

However and importantly, what the exemption does not exclude is how the work must be carried out . It still has to follow the approved work methods and testing regimes set out in the approved codes of practice.

It is therefore very unlikely that a DIY'er will have either the full knowledge of what is legally required, and or the tools to complete the job properly.

Having had to compile a forensic report about a gas appliance that caused near fatal injuries to a whole family for a formal enquiry where it was found it was a result of illegal tampering with the gas appliance by the father, the judge made it very clear that had the alarm not been raised when it was, he would have been facing a criminal Health & Safety charge, and if found guilty a court could impose a fine and or custodial jail sentence.

Gas systems should never be treated flippantly.
Whilst I agree totally with your last sentence that "Gas systems should never be treated flippantly" there's no guarantee that a qualified workshop is actually competent to deal with gas appliances - "got the T-shirt" when a dealer handed back our caravan after an oven repair which leaked - unless and until workshops can be guaranteed to perform at least as well as a competent DIYer then the exceptions will continue to occur.
 
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Whilst I agree totally with your last sentence that "Gas systems should never be treated flippantly" there's no guarantee that a qualified workshop is actually competent to deal with gas appliances - "got the T-shirt" when a dealer handed back our caravan after an oven repair which leaked - unless and until workshops can be guaranteed to perform at least as well as a competent DIYer then the exceptions will continue to occur.
Yes but if the van had had a gas incident it would be the workshop responsible had it occurred through their shortcomings. Your comment could equally be directed at your domestic gas servicing agent, electrical installer, car serviced, etc. Hiw would you ensure all workshops/ technicians perform as well as the “ competent” DIY er?
 
Nov 6, 2005
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Yes but if the van had had a gas incident it would be the workshop responsible had it occurred through their shortcomings. Your comment could equally be directed at your domestic gas servicing agent, electrical installer, car serviced, etc. Hiw would you ensure all workshops/ technicians perform as well as the “ competent” DIY er?
I can't fault your theory - but it's my life that was endangered, not the workshop staff - and it wouldn't have happened if I'd done the job, despite me only being a competent DIYer.

The standard of a competent DIYer is a low bar - any workshop that can't easily beat that standard should be drummed out of the industry.
 
Jun 20, 2005
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I have to wind back here . I joined this forum years ago to learn how to look after my own caravan and resolve running repairs when no where near home or a recognised engineer.
The give away is in the title” Practical Caravan”.
We should be helping how it’s done, with all the riders of course, but not just saying go to a dealer etc. If that is what we have become then I think I’ve done my time on PCv😥😥
 
Sep 22, 2020
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This thread is making for an interesting read with some “conflicting” opinions to the fore. Not sure if it’s given Phil Boyd an answer as yet to his fridge not cooling sufficiently?

Fridges operating on gas has always been up there on the list when it comes to problems. I recall the number of caravans I saw on rallies fitted with Thetford fridges, that had soot blacking to the caravan-side above the top vent. Most of these proved to be caused by improper installation by the caravan manufacturers eg exhaust chimney not positioned correctly etc.

Comparing the fridge manufacturers recommended installation instructions and what exists in practice can prove an anomaly. Typically the lower vent ends up higher up the fridge than the installation recommends. Yes good idea to fit the fridge close to the axle but the curvature of the wheel arch dictates the lower vent position higher than it should.

sorry I’m getting off the subject - but very interested to receive a reply from Phil once his problem is sorted.

I hope Phil has got his caravan level - hasn’t been mentioned as yet?
 
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Parksy

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I stand by my comment which is factually true.
Your statement is factually true with regard to domestic installations Prof.
  1. The query is about a gas appliance which is fitted to a touring caravan that is used for leisure purposes.
You wrote:
'You must use a qualified gas fitter for any such work in domestic installations.'
That is factually true, but the OP was not about domestic installations.
The inference to be drawn from your statement could be taken to mean that your statement applies to touring caravans.
It doesn't.

But for clarity when you mention "the gas regulations" and "the Gas Safe regulations" neither of those actually exist. The document you should be referring to is the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations (GSIAUR), which does make out a special case for the owners of
private caravan or motor home, that is for their own use only.
It must not be lent or hired to any other persons - not even family members.
Provided that tight restriction is observed. then the owner and nobody else is permitted to undertake work on the gas system without being qualified to do so.
I didn't notice any statement from the OP in which he wrote that he intends to lend out or to advertise his caravan for hire.

However and importantly, what the exemption does not exclude is how the work must be carried out . It still has to follow the approved work methods and testing regimes set out in the approved codes of practice.

It is therefore very unlikely that a DIY'er will have either the full knowledge of what is legally required, and or the tools to complete the job properly.
No one is arguing with that point Prof.
If you had read what I have written earlier you would see that I acknowledged and reinforced this point.
If we want to stick to factual accuracy however, muddying the waters by introducing regs about qualified engineers when the fact is that it's not applicable to touring caravans used for leisure purposes serves no useful purpose here.
Gas systems should never be treated flippantly.
I haven't seen any evidence on this forum of anyone treating gas systems flippantly.
When a question is asked on this forum, the question usually receives helpful replies even though some replies might not be what the OP wants to hear.
Fridge removal and refitting safely and correctly can be a difficult and complex job.
It's best done or at least checked by a professionally competent fitter.
We don't need to scare people away from this forum with warnings about domestic installations when the OP was nothing to do with domestic equipment.
 

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