dometic 3 way fridge issue

[JEWIENEWIE]

So getting ready early for a Christmas break, which has turned out to be a good idea! put up camper and turned fridge on so i could start cleaning things up, do a stock take etc. opened the fridge yesterday to find it is not cold, not even operating. have the camper plugged into 240v and dial set where it should be but no joy. I then noticed on the cover of the fuse box a red light on which indicates a fault. checked fuses and all seem good. ? I grabbed the multi-meter to start checking things out to have that fail also!!! Very happy i started getting things sorted now and not a few days before departing as normal procedure..A question i hve is if the fridge is plugged into to 240 and the control knob on the fridge set to AC, this should have nothing to do with this red light saying fault, am i correct in saying this? If the fridge was set on 12V I would understand but I think I may have 2 seperate issues here. Anyone up to speed with this type of stuff.??
Jewie

[TheGurn]

Hi mate. If you haven't figured it out already yet, i reckon the heating element has given up and the red light is the result of that. Maybe gone open circuit. You can buy spares. I'd suggest you try putting it on 12v. (I guess you already know it will kill a battery real quick). I think they are 2 seperate elements (windings?).
I'd give it a run on gas too just to make sure everything else is okay. They're pretty unbreakable units as far as how they work.
My 240v element shat itself years ago but I only use it on gas anyway.

Cheers
Gurn

[TheGurn]

Just read your post again. If the red light is on your camper, (my fridge doesn't have one) disregard the above. Plug something else in the circuit and see if that works. Might be the camper wiring after all.
Cheers

[JEWIENEWIE]

Thanks mate,
a few things don't make sense but I have it sorted now. I spoke to a repairer to see if the 12v system is related to the 240v system in any way and was told no,completely different and independent.I plugged in a phone charger into the 240v power plug and confirmed the camper is getting 240v power. I tested the battery and it was shot due to me leaving a switch on and draining the battery. I put the battery on charge hoping it would come back to life which surprisingly it did. Wile this was charging, put the fridge on gas and she went no worries but is in need of a service due to the fumes its giving off, presuming the jets/pipes needing a good clean out to get rid of the soot build up as like you, mainly use the frdige on gas.. Once I put the battery back in, the red light saying fault near the 12v fuse box went out which to me is telling me the fault was a dead battery. What i don't get is that I then turned the fridge from 12v back on to 240v and she went as good as gold , which contradicts the repairer telling me the two systems are completely independent.....??? Bit of a head scratcher but fridge now going strong on all 3 power sources....
Thanks heaps for your input mate and was beginning to think no one reads the camping chat anymore??
Jewie..

[TheGurn]

Good to hear you got it sorted.
The jet is an easy fix/clean.
The gas pipe doesn't usually get build up in them, although my brother says he's had a bit of an issue with it.
Only problem I've ever had (besides the element) is bugs and mud wasps blocking the burner and grill affair. And the gas connection before I started covering that when not in use.
Never had a soot issue, but would be a sign the gas isn't burning properly. If you haven't already, I'd check the burner closely before anything else.

Cheers
Gurn

[JEWIENEWIE]

Yeah I have a Dometic 3 way apart form the one in the camper which was also putting out terrible fumes, turned out exactly what you were saying, the burner wasn't performing correctly and needed replacing andi am pretty sure you are on the money as the smell is a cross between fumes and gas, I have to be honest, my camper, Jayco Penguin Outback, and all my gear cops a flogging mate. I go to some pretty harsh places and drag that thing through stuff alot of people would be not very keen to put it through but hey, that what you need to do some times to get away form the crowds and have a bit of comfort! But it certainly get smashed with dust, sand, mud and gets the crap shaken out of it. Sometimes its the journey not the destination, isn't thats what they say!!
Now that i have the main issues sorted I will just book it in somewhere to service the fridge just to make sure i don't have any gas leaks, I dont mind at having a crack at fixing certain things but when things like the possibility of a gas leak is possible, want to make sure it is sorted before retiring the family to sleep and either not waking up or blowing us all up when making the morning coffee.!!

[TheGurn]

Haha. Good call.
I got mine serviced once and the bloke told me it would never freeze anything again.
Got it home and made ice in it.
Might have been doing the hard sell on a new unit methinks.

Happy travels
Gurn.

[shortthenlong]

Not suggesting you don't get it checked for a leak but I have found our gas camping gear gets a bit "fumey" smelling when the gas bottle is getting towards empty.

Cheers Matt

[JEWIENEWIE]

Good call mate. Before I put it on gas I shook the bottle and thought mmmm...hopefully enough in there for me to see if she is working.