# Dometic 2812 2-way Refrig Problem...



## Al Barrs (Apr 21, 2005)

APR 21, 2005

Our Dometic Model 2812 2-way refrig works sometime and doesn't work sometime. I replaced the electronic module with a Dinasour unit and it did cool better, but after sitting for a while on outside 120v electric current it will stop freezing or cooling. I have leveled the refigerator perfectly both ways, but can't understand why it has to be so perfectly level to work. Any suggestions or help? Thanks, Al and Sue


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## river rat (Apr 28, 2005)

Dometic 2812 2-way Refrig Problem...

When you say 2-way, does that mean propane gas and 120v AC or maybe 120v off a generator or DC power off a battery?  Could be your 120v heating element is going bad.  An electrician with an ohm meter can check this quickly by measuring the resistance.


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## Kirk (May 1, 2005)

Dometic 2812 2-way Refrig Problem...

It sounds as though the cooling unit is begining to fail. You don't say how old the refrigerator is. The electric heater does not supply as much heat as does the propane so it is quite normal for the refrigerator to work best on propane. But if the unit begins to leak just a little, the ammonia will slowly evaporate and leave it short on coolant. Your refrigerator uses a mix of water and ammonia as coolant and when low it does not cool as well and will in time, quit. Have you ever smelled ammonia in or around the refrigerator?

It is also possible that the 120V heating element is failing, but it usually will not start working once it has failed. On occasion it could work when cool but fail when hot. If you have a meter it is very easy to check the element for both voltage and a proper resistance. It should read 120V across the terminals when on 120V and demanding cooling, and it should read around 50 ohms when you measure across the element with the leads lifted.


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## Al Barrs (May 1, 2005)

Dometic 2812 2-way Refrig Problem...

Kirk;

Just a not to let you know that the problem with my Dometic 2812 RV refrig turned out to be an intermitent 120v heater element. The Tech Service from ASPS Electronics, who sold me the Dianasour Control Board, helped me troubleshoot it over the phone. I ordered a replacment heater element from PPLMotorhomes in Texas and it is holding at +3 degrees F. now. Thanks for the suggestions...Al


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## Kirk (May 3, 2005)

Dometic 2812 2-way Refrig Problem...

Al, thanks for coming back to let us know how it turned out. And it is great to hear that the issue was the "cheap" part and not the expensive one. What fooled me into thinking it might be the cooling unit was the leveling issue. I would suspect that the leveling was coincedence. 

It is nice to win one from time to time!


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## Al Barrs (May 3, 2005)

Dometic 2812 2-way Refrig Problem...

Hi Kirk;

I knew it wasn't the cooling unit because it worked fine on LP gas.
Thanks,
Al


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