12 h progress of cooling after switching from propane to 120 v (Dometic RM 2310)

[GallenH]

Sounds like a plan. When mine starts acting up I'll do the same or replace with a compressor type. Good luck

[RT1997]

Thank you. I wish your fridge to live as long as possible )): but hope one day to hear your story of upgrading.

[RT1997]

To GeorgeRa.

Sorry,I missed your post.
You always give a good advice.
Links for replacing thermostat are helpful to those who can do it themselves.Otherwise hours of labor and huge hassle of taking out the fridge ...
In my case it is better to get a new 2354.
But meanwhile I include 2310 in my prayers )):

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by RT1997

To GeorgeRa.

Sorry,I missed your post.
You always give a good advice.
Links for replacing thermostat are helpful to those who can do it themselves.Otherwise hours of labor and huge hassle of taking out the fridge ...
In my case it is better to get a new 2354.
But meanwhile I include 2310 in my prayers )):

I would suggest to test the refrigerator with an electronic thermostat such as this one https://www.amazon.com/Temperature-C..._detail_1&th=1
It needs 12V, and the sensor can be placed near the back wall of the refrigerator. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to install one by a competent RV technician. I think a statement that it is easier to install a new fridge than replacing a thermostat is an exaggeration.

[GallenH]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

I would suggest to test the refrigerator with an electronic thermostat such as this one https://www.amazon.com/Temperature-C..._detail_1&th=1
It needs 12V, and the sensor can be placed near the back wall of the refrigerator. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to install one by a competent RV technician. I think a statement that it is easier to install a new fridge than replacing a thermostat is an exaggeration.

Hey George. I don't quite understand. Is this sensor intended simply to test the fridge? If not is it intended for a fridge newer than the RM2310 that he and I have. Because on ours, the LP line goes through and is controlled by the thermostat. There isn't a separate LP valve.

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by GallenH

Hey George. I don't quite understand. Is this sensor intended simply to test the fridge? If not is it intended for a fridge newer than the RM2310 that he and I have. Because on ours, the LP line goes through and is controlled by the thermostat. There isn't a separate LP valve.

Agree, this would be just a test. If the fridge would work correctly on 12/120 Volts it should work with a replaced thermostat controlling propane flow. Replacing fridge is expensive and if modification is required to fit current cabinet it could be not trivial. I recently replaced my capillary thermostat with the electronic one (compressor fridge) and understand that replacing a capillary thermostat most likely would require fridge removal (cappilary bulb needs to be insrted into the fridge and peopane connection is in the back) but likely easier than modifying the compartment to accept a new fridge.

[RT-NY]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

replacing a capillary thermostat most likely would require fridge removal (cappilary bulb needs to be insrted into the fridge and peopane connection is in the back)

There is a video online of someone who did a replacement without removing the fridge -- he worked from the back and threaded the capillary tube through the coils into the hole in the back of the fridge. But that was some kind of a truck camper not a roadtrek -- it might also be possible on a roadtrek but there is not much access space from the port in the side of the van.

But, on the other hand, a 2-way or 3-way lpg fridge can remain perfectly usable even without a thermostat. My thermostat has not worked for several years and I use it all the time (I will replace the thermostat one of these days!).

That being said, I suspect the OPs problem with 120volt operation is not the thermostat (or capillary tube) but a bad switch or bad 120 volt element. He says it works on propane but his observations about 120volt operation are unclear -- he says it is not cold enough to freeze after 12 hours on 120 volt but it was a little cold, which seems odd to me -- surely if the 120v is working at all it would be at freezing temps after several hours! So perhaps it isn't cooling at all and it just felt a little cold subjectively: put a thermometer with a remote probe in there and we could be sure.

[RT1997]

RT-NY, thank you for the valuable information. It is quite possible that the fridge is not working on 120 v at all.
Is replacing the 120 v element also requires taking the fridge out ?

[GallenH]

Originally Posted by RT-NY

There is a video online of someone who did a replacement without removing the fridge -- he worked from the back and threaded the capillary tube through the coils into the hole in the back of the fridge. But that was some kind of a truck camper not a roadtrek -- it might also be possible on a roadtrek but there is not much access space from the port in the side of the van.

But, on the other hand, a 2-way or 3-way lpg fridge can remain perfectly usable even without a thermostat. My thermostat has not worked for several years and I use it all the time (I will replace the thermostat one of these days!).

I saw that video also before I did my thermostat. Even though mine is a Pleasureway and has similar back access there's so little room there that it's nearly impossible. So I just removed the fridge, which is relatively easy. That way I could work on my workbench. What I did find was that the best way to have access was from the back and the bottom.

I replaced my thermostat because even on it's lowest setting ("1") I was often freezing the contents of the refrigerator section. Getting up in the morning I'd find it was in the mid-20s. So that made the fridge unusable in my situation.

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by GallenH

.......................So I just removed the fridge, which is relatively easy. That way I could work on my workbench. What I did find was that the best way to have access was from the back and the bottom.
......................

It takes a few minutes to remove my fridge, four screws in the front and cables are long enough so fridge can be removed than cable be disconnected. It is a compressor fridge so there are no propane connections, it is certainly more complex with propane.

[RT-NY]

Originally Posted by RT1997

RT-NY, thank you for the valuable information. It is quite possible that the fridge is not working on 120 v at all.
Is replacing the 120 v element also requires taking the fridge out ?

If it isn't working at all on 120v but it is working on propane then it is probably either the 120v element or the switch (this is diagnosed by measuring the voltage at the terminal block in the back of the fridge). Replacing either might be possible without taking the fridge out, but it is a very tight space. In other words, it is a kind of job that if I was going to do it on my van I would try it with the fridge in, but I think that most RV shops would just take the fridge out.

[RT1997]

Thank you.You are so right about most RV repair places.Hours of labor ($$$) on the 27 old fridge with no guarantee on much better performance ...