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Old 10-07-2013, 04:25 PM   #1
jimcol
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Fridge springs leak

Returned to the rig from a day of sightseeing in Northern Vermont, retrieved beer from fridge, popped the top. Wasn't quite cold. Linda's coke was the same. Go to the back of the RV, remove fridge vent panel and see the dreaded green fluid on the floor of the compartment accompanied by the smell of ammonia. Now I have always said if that unit shots crap it will be replaced with a regular household 110 vac unit. (Probably around $400) We just don't camp off grid anymore. But being the inquisitive type I at least had to explore all possibilities. Complete new RV fridge about $1500. New cooling unit from RV Cooling Unit Warehouse $635. Reconditioned cooling unit from RV Cooling unit Warehouse $425 after coil exchange.
The warehouse, Dave Force, provided me with a pdf file with directions for changing the cooling unit. He also suggested watching a couple of YouTube video's showing the process. It just doesn't look that complicated. Dave has been great in answering all my questions.
I'm sure I heard about this company off this forum but a search has yielded no results. Questions to fellow MOC'ers. Has anyone used this company? Has anyone done the cooling unit replacement and what has your experience been? I'm also interested in what others have done when their refer goes south. Thanks, Jim C
 
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Old 10-08-2013, 02:15 AM   #2
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I know two couples at our park in florida who did their repairs with reconditioned cooling units. Do not know who the seller was, but both failed within a year. I helped with one replacement, Winebago Motor home, and it was an all day job, and we had to pull the entire refrigerator out from the wall. For the amount of work it took, I would recommend going with a new cooling unit, not the rebuild.
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Old 10-08-2013, 05:23 AM   #3
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For what it is worth RV Cooling Unit Warehouse has an A- rating from the BBB. Friends of ours had a new cooling unit put in theirs and the tech used a special mastic between the coils and the aluminum cooling plate in the back of the compartment.

If you look inside your fridge you will see some fins. These are attached to a aluminum plate. The cooling coils on the back of the unit transfer the cold to that plate and the mastic or whatever it was improves the conductivity
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Old 10-08-2013, 01:38 PM   #4
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I had a fridge that went bad, just like you. I replaced the cooling unit with a new one and it worked great. I used a new unit because I thought it would last as long as the original had lasted. The coil had a hole come in it and I could see how more holes could come in it in a short time.
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Old 10-10-2013, 09:31 AM   #5
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Thanks all for your response. As usual I learned far more than I wanted as I investigated this subject. Here is what I learned for what it is worth. Sometime around 1995 both dometic and norcold started using thinner tubing in their evaporators. After 6 or 7 years they started developing leaks right at the boiler. Exactly where mine did. This is the issue that prompted the recall 4 or 5 years ago many of us were involved in. The recall did not fix the problem but put a safety in place that when the leak got bad enough it would shut off the 12volt supply to the unit thus reducing the chance of a fire. It basically just added a thermal shut off switch and a piece of sheetmetal to act as a flame block. I also was told the more the unit was used the less likely it was to fail because the solution was always moving inside the evaporator rather than just sitting in one place. RV Cooling Warehouse partnered with a company in Shipshawana(SP) Indiana who was already building cooling units for residential and commercial refrigiration and got them to start referbishing these old units. Sometime later they developed a new improved unit with thicker wall tubing and some other enhancements that make the unit cool faster and last longer. (At least we hope it does both) Anyway after exploring a 110 volt residential unit it was going to cost about $450 and require some cabinet modifications that will never look original. (at least not if I'm doing it) The remanufactured unit was going to cost $525 ($425 after returning the coil) and would still be the thin wall tubing. I opted for the new cooliing unit like Mike suggested for $685 delivered to my door. Charlie you absolutely right a mastec is required to bond the tubing to the wall and fins of the box and is furnished with the new unit. Took about an hour to get the fridge out of the 5'er and about 1.5 hours to remove the old evaporator unit from the fridge. Would have gone faster but I stopped to take lots of pictures and notes to be used for the reassembly. Just ordered the unit and it will be here Tuesday. I'll update you then with the progress and hopefully the completed project. Jim
P.S. Sure beats $1500 for a new dometic!
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Old 10-10-2013, 10:39 AM   #6
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Thanks for the update Jim, keep us posted
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Old 10-10-2013, 01:24 PM   #7
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jimcol

Keep us posted on the out come, and some pix of your work, and no happy hour until ( DONE ).

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Old 10-10-2013, 03:04 PM   #8
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I will Larry. Happy hours postponed until I can chill the beer! (and I know you believe that) Jim
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Old 10-10-2013, 03:04 PM   #9
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Please, please post pics of this project!
I suspect more of us will encounter this issue.
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Old 10-11-2013, 03:29 AM   #10
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mine went out two weeks ago. Since unit was ten years old decided to to replace. Fridg went out on Wednesday, was leaving on trip on Sunday. Could not find unit locally. Camping world located one in Myrtle Beach.
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Old 10-13-2013, 05:45 PM   #11
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Jim, where are you guys at the moment? When I got my new cooling unit in Jan. out in Vegas they left two tubes of mastic behind when they finished the job. I still have it if you need any more. We will be in KC by mid week.
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Old 10-14-2013, 02:39 AM   #12
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Dave, We are at home in KC. The new unit is suppose to be here today and mastic is included. The rep assured me it will be enough. Give us a shout anyway when you get into town. We need to try and find time for a meal! Jim
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Old 10-14-2013, 04:45 AM   #13
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Will do Jim, we already contacted Oz and will try to plan a casino luncheon again.
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Old 10-17-2013, 03:49 PM   #14
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The new unit showed up Tuesday UPS. Unboxed it and was a little disappointed as the side frame rail was bent and the facing tape was not consistent when they foamed the coils. In fairness the directions said bent side rails were common due to shippers. (This was not caused by the shipper as the box was in perfect shape. The manufacture rep said it probably got bent at the factory. Oh well!) I was able to straighten it enough to use and manipulated the facing tape to where it was at least consistent and proceeded with the installation. Went pretty much as expected per the instructions. Took 5 hours to install the unit including remounting the electrical box, re terminating the wires, installing gas burner, and electric heater. Since the 5’er is in storage I used a battery for 12v needed for the control board, plugged the 110 into garage outlet. Inside both frig and freezer temp was 68.5F. Left thermometers in both boxes and closed the doors. Turned the unit on, set for auto as I didn’t have the right fittings to hook up a gas bottle and walked away. Two hours later I opened the freezer door and thermometer read 0.4F degrees. Check the frig box and it read 32.5F. WOW, the old unit never cooled that fast. I changed the setting from 5 coldest to 4 next to coldest. One hour later the frig was reading 36.1 and the freezer was reading 2.0. Based on these #'s 4 will be my preferred setting. I’ll let it run all night to see how it holds. I won’t be able to test it on gas until I put it back in the 5’er but I did check the electronics by selecting gas. I could hear the igniter clicking so hopefully that will be OK.
This was not a bad job. Wish I could do another one as I know I’d be much faster. Directions were good and Dave Forest provided excellent technical support. I’ll try to post some pictures but I watched several YouTube videos by searching on “Amish Built cooling unit’s” They will give you the best idea of what you are getting into. Jim
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Old 10-17-2013, 04:07 PM   #15
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Thanks for the update Jim, glad it went well for you.
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Old 10-17-2013, 04:11 PM   #16
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I agree, success stories are always a pleasurable read. Photos are always good to assist us "tinkerers" if we ever get as brave!! Good job on the fix!
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Old 10-17-2013, 05:02 PM   #17
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Jim, there is another potion also, Good Sam Extended warranty. Our 12 cubic ft cooling unit took a dump in January and within a few days I had a new unit and mobile repair service out to the rig and it would have cost us 2600 bucks. But it ended up costing us 260.00. 200.00 deductible and 60 shipping. That savings paid for 8 to 10 yrs of the service.
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