THETFORD N112 FRIDGE ISSUE

[breeze1470]

Hi just spent the week in our Bailey Ranger which has a Thetford Fridge with a small freezer compartment , yesterday we noticed the freezer had defrosted the food and i`m sure the light inside seems dim not encountered this previously.....any ideas if you can please?

regards

 

[Mr Plodd]

On gas or 230 volts?
Was it very cold outside and if so did you have the external winter covers on because absorption fridges don't work very well if the ambient temperature is low, that's what the covers are for, they are NOT to keep rain etc out but to keep the back of the fridge a bit warmer. Sounds daft, but a Google search will educate you.

 

[breeze1470]

On gas or 230 volts?
Was it very cold outside and if so did you have the external winter covers on because absorption fridges don't work very well if the ambient temperature is low, that's what the covers are for, they are NOT to keep rain etc out but to keep the back of the fridge a bit warmer. Sounds daft, but a Google search will educate you.

was on 230 volts no wasnt cold tbh but didnt realise these could be removed

 

[Jcloughie]

Does the exhaust get warm to the touch? If not, suspect a fuse or dead element.

John

 

[Mr Plodd]

Does the exhaust get warm to the touch? If not, suspect a fuse or dead element.

John

Heat is provided to the internal outlets so the heater I working, its the front outlets that are not delivering hot air.
See post #2

 

[Jcloughie]

Heat is provided to the internal outlets so the heater I working, its the front outlets that are not delivering hot air.
See post #2

Confusing.

What internal outlets?

The OP has not reported any heat anywhere.

I am talking about the fridge exhaust. When operational this will get warm when working regardless of fridge operational fuel.

John

 

[Buckman]

A common fault is for the element to go open circuit. We had this happen twice within the space of about 3 years. Done under warranty.

 

[Mr Plodd]

Confusing.

What internal outlets?

The OP has not reported any heat anywhere.

I am talking about the fridge exhaust. When operational this will get warm when working regardless of fridge operational fuel.

John

Brain fade on my part !

 

[Mel]

Does your fridge have a removable freeze compartment? If so check that it has been pushed all the way back. They have a habit of wiggling forward with use and the then the freezer compartment basically just becomes a fridge. It has happened to us and is sufficient to defrost frozen food.
A simple thing to check

Edit BTW, where were you yesterday and the night before? You said it wasn’t cold but it was freezing and well below in a lot of the UK. Certainly cold enough to impact on the performance of some caravan fridges.
(And before the general cry of “ I have never needed fridge vent covers” goes up; we have had a few vans over our 20 years of vanning and caravanned in varying temperature and it was only on one van that we really noticed an impact in very cold weather- so it does happen.)
Mel

 

[Dustydog]

+ 1 for Mel’s suggestions

From the books
Dometic and Thetford advise fitting fridge winter vent covers when the outside air temperature is below 10 and 8 degrees Celsius, respectively.

 

[RogerL]

+ 1 for Mel’s suggestions

From the books
Dometic and Thetford advise fitting fridge winter vent covers when the outside air temperature is below 10 and 8 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Which is about 5 months a year, here in the Midands where the average annual temperature is just over 10 degrees - so a bit less in the south and a bit more in the north and Scotland.

 

[Buckman]

Which is about 5 months a year, here in the Midands where the average annual temperature is just over 10 degrees - so a bit less in the south and a bit more in the north and Scotland.

However at the moment is a big fat zero!