Fridge & Heater Went at Same Time?

[bestbowl]

Any connection? They were both working great on Friday night and on Saturday morning the fridge stopped working on both gas and electric modes and makes a constant gurgling sound and the coach heater blows cold air even if left on for an hour. Any connection? Any ideas what gurgling and/or cold heater air could mean?

Thank you

1993 Warrior

[waiter]

My first thought is your out of propane, does the stove work?

I'm not sure if your frig does an automatic changeover from gas to elec, and back. You might get the model # and find the manual on line. Same with the furnace.

My frig is manual, I have to turn a knob to select GAS or ELEC, then I must manually light the frig if its on GAS. Kind of like lighting a pilot light, I need to hold one button in while pressing (clicking) the other until it lights, then release the button after a few seconds.

Regardless, The frig must be level in order to work on gas or electric, if its not level, it won't work. gurgling sounds is not good. ALSO - keep in mind its not like a home frig, it can take 15 - 30 minutes to start getting cold (feel the fins inside the freezer)

Furnace - Not sure what model you have. but on mine - the furnace will make only one attempt to light when it gets a call for heat , if it fails, the blower keeps running and runs down the battery. The only way to reset it is to turn the thermostat down so the blower stops, then try again. The blower will stop in about 30 seconds after the call for heat is removed. i.e. the thermostat turned down.

Again, make sure the stove lights, this is a good indicator if you have propane.

I always light my stove for a few seconds to "purge" the propane line anytime I change tanks, or if I've had the propane off for more than a few days.

John Mc

88 Dolphin 4 Auto

[Totem]

^ what waiter said. If your fridge like a Dometic for example says "AES" this stands for automatic energy selector. In theory the fridge will select its source based on 1.) safety 2.) highest output availability and 3.) energy availability. Thus it will seek to pezo ignite the propane heating element first UNLESS the engine has just started or stopped in 3 minutes or less. This is important for folks to remember as it burns you if you are unaware and will switch to 12 volt and erode capacitance of your 12 volt coach battery during gasoline fill ups and if you are running an inverter while driving for sure will kill the battery. (unless of course you have that sexy beefed up alternator I have been wanting so badly). So if you are plugged into shore power it will STILL seek propane first and if fails to ignite then will go to 110 and if that goes out to 12 volt (which will give you about 10 minutes before battery dies below what the converter allows service for.) symptoms of a dead battery are: 1.) water pump wont cycle, lights are dim, cigarette lighter socket in coach (not dash lighter which is off the engine battery) has no service etc.

As for the furnace blowing cold air; you have few reasons: 1.) no propane, 2. ) failure to ignite from pezo bad ignitor or wiring 3.) no fresh air to burn (bees nest in air flute etc)

I personally think you have several problems (due to the age of the vehicle). I would focus on whats good Does your stove top burners light? Yes, scratch of reason 1 and check for 2 & 3 on furnace. No, then that explains it; you are out of propane.

[bestbowl]

My first thought is your out of propane, does the stove work?

I'm not sure if your frig does an automatic changeover from gas to elec, and back. You might get the model # and find the manual on line. Same with the furnace.

My frig is manual, I have to turn a knob to select GAS or ELEC, then I must manually light the frig if its on GAS. Kind of like lighting a pilot light, I need to hold one button in while pressing (clicking) the other until it lights, then release the button after a few seconds.

Regardless, The frig must be level in order to work on gas or electric, if its not level, it won't work. gurgling sounds is not good. ALSO - keep in mind its not like a home frig, it can take 15 - 30 minutes to start getting cold (feel the fins inside the freezer)

Furnace - Not sure what model you have. but on mine - the furnace will make only one attempt to light when it gets a call for heat , if it fails, the blower keeps running and runs down the battery. The only way to reset it is to turn the thermostat down so the blower stops, then try again. The blower will stop in about 30 seconds after the call for heat is removed. i.e. the thermostat turned down.

Again, make sure the stove lights, this is a good indicator if you have propane.

I always light my stove for a few seconds to "purge" the propane line anytime I change tanks, or if I've had the propane off for more than a few days.

John Mc

88 Dolphin 4 Auto

Thank you for the advice Waiter. I've been in these vehicles for nearly 20 years so I am very familiar with all that you stated. You listed all of the obvious causes all of which I checked 20 times over right off the bat. I think I'm searching for the less obvious causes.

[bestbowl]

^ what waiter said. If your fridge like a Dometic for example says "AES" this stands for automatic energy selector. In theory the fridge will select its source based on 1.) safety 2.) highest output availability and 3.) energy availability. Thus it will seek to pezo ignite the propane heating element first UNLESS the engine has just started or stopped in 3 minutes or less. This is important for folks to remember as it burns you if you are unaware and will switch to 12 volt and erode capacitance of your 12 volt coach battery during gasoline fill ups and if you are running an inverter while driving for sure will kill the battery. (unless of course you have that sexy beefed up alternator I have been wanting so badly). So if you are plugged into shore power it will STILL seek propane first and if fails to ignite then will go to 110 and if that goes out to 12 volt (which will give you about 10 minutes before battery dies below what the converter allows service for.) symptoms of a dead battery are: 1.) water pump wont cycle, lights are dim, cigarette lighter socket in coach (not dash lighter which is off the engine battery) has no service etc.

As for the furnace blowing cold air; you have few reasons: 1.) no propane, 2. ) failure to ignite from pezo bad ignitor or wiring 3.) no fresh air to burn (bees nest in air flute etc)

I personally think you have several problems (due to the age of the vehicle). I would focus on whats good Does your stove top burners light? Yes, scratch of reason 1 and check for 2 & 3 on furnace. No, then that explains it; you are out of propane.

Thanks for the advice Ya Babe. Again, all of the obvious were went thru with a fine tooth within the first 5 minutes of the problem. I think it is more like a freon/elemental/wiring issue. I was wondering if they share some sort of same circuitry of heating element (although they are on different sides of the coach. I think this may be a bit harder to track than a dead battery or an empty propane bottle. ;-)

P.S. I did go for the sexy 1 million amp alternator. It was actually my first purchase the same day that I picked the RV up. Ive been running it for two years. I haven't actually noticed a huge difference. I may need to install some sexy 1 gauge wire for the thing to see the difference. I still kill batts right and left. I do run a really sexy 5000 watt stereo/sub system though. ;-)

[waiter]

The boiler on the frig is powered by electric or propane. I would say, put your hand on the boiler, if its hot, and the coach is level, you may be in line for a new frig. Mine may be different, but its the large tube thing on the right.

I suspect with the "gurgling" sounds, you might be up a creek.

However, it is coincidental that the furnace seemed like it went belly up at the same time.

FURNACE

yours may be different, but this is how mine cycles

do a call for heat (crank up the thermostat), the blower should come on (combustion chamber purge cycle) and run. About 10 - 15 seconds after the blower starts, you should hear a "click" of the gas valve opening and then the igniter will start sparking for a few seconds. If it doesn't suceed in lighting, it will turn off the igniter and gas, but the blower keeps running.

A couple notes, There is a "sail" switch that tells the furnace controller that the blower is running, if the 12 volts is low and the blower isn't running fast enough to energize this switch, OR, as Totem said, if the intake or exhaust are restricted and there isn't enough air to energize the sail switch, then the furnace will not open the gas valve or try and ignite.

Good luck with it.

John Mc

88 Dolphin 4 Auto

[bestbowl]

The boiler on the frig is powered by electric or propane. I would say, put your hand on the boiler, if its hot, and the coach is level, you may be in line for a new frig. Mine may be different, but its the large tube thing on the right.

I suspect with the "gurgling" sounds, you might be up a creek.

However, it is coincidental that the furnace seemed like it went belly up at the same time.

FURNACE

yours may be different, but this is how mine cycles

do a call for heat (crank up the thermostat), the blower should come on (combustion chamber purge cycle) and run. About 10 - 15 seconds after the blower starts, you should hear a "click" of the gas valve opening and then the igniter will start sparking for a few seconds. If it doesn't succeed in lighting, it will turn off the igniter and gas, but the blower keeps running.

A couple notes, There is a "sail" switch that tells the furnace controller that the blower is running, if the 12 volts is low and the blower isn't running fast enough to energize this switch, OR, as Totem said, if the intake or exhaust are restricted and there isn't enough air to energize the sail switch, then the furnace will not open the gas valve or try and ignite.

Good luck with it.

John Mc

88 Dolphin 4 Auto

The fridge boiler is hot when on gas. Haven't felt it on electric yet. It gurgles the entire time though. I will check out the sail switch. Where do I find it or check if its functioning? Ive tried the heater on and off 20 times and let it run for a minute to 20 minutes. All same result. Cold air.

[waiter]

Listen carefully when you turn on the furnace to see if you can hear the gas valve clicking.

The sail switch is up inside the blower. I was looking for a picture but couldn't find one. the closest I found on mine was a picture to show you where its at.

The two white wires connect to the sail switch. If you had a small jumper wire you might try doing this: AT YOUR OWN RISK

After the the blower comes on to do the combustion chamber purge, take a jumper wire and short across the sail switch on the controller board to simulate that its made. Use caution, if that jumper touches anything else, it will probably destroy your controller board.

Before you do this, I would go outside with a flashlight and remove the furnace intake/exhaust cover, look up in there and make bugs or small animals haven't decided to set up housekeeping. if the air flow is impeded, this will prevent the sail switch from making.

Google RV Furnace Sail Switch, and look at the images.

John Mc

88 Dolphin 4 Auto

[bestbowl]

Listen carefully when you turn on the furnace to see if you can hear the gas valve clicking.

The sail switch is up inside the blower. I was looking for a picture but couldn't find one. the closest I found on mine was a picture to show you where its at.

The two white wires connect to the sail switch. If you had a small jumper wire you might try doing this: AT YOUR OWN RISK

After the the blower comes on to do the combustion chamber purge, take a jumper wire and short across the sail switch on the controller board to simulate that its made. Use caution, if that jumper touches anything else, it will probably destroy your controller board.

Before you do this, I would go outside with a flashlight and remove the furnace intake/exhaust cover, look up in there and make bugs or small animals haven't decided to set up housekeeping. if the air flow is impeded, this will prevent the sail switch from making.

Google RV Furnace Sail Switch, and look at the images.

John Mc

88 Dolphin 4 Auto

Thank you. Got the heater to work. Don't know how. Just kicked on. The fridge is beat I think. Tried everything. Is there some part on the fridge that is infamous for going first or do I just need pull the entire thing and spend a few thousand to get an entire new one?

[waiter]

If the boiler is hot and the frig is level, it should be cool inside if it doesn't cool and you have gurgling noise. its probably the cooling unit has crystallized (operating the frig for long periods without being level)

If there is ANY hint of an ammonia smell - cooling unit is bad.

OPTIONS

1) I've seen discussion where people have removed the frig, rotated it slowly several times (so its upside down) and have been able to break up the crystallization. ( Personally, If I goto the trouble of pulling the frig, I'm going to replace the cooling unit or the entire frig)

2) You can look at a rebuilt cooling unit, about $400 (do it yourself - not hard to do)

Heres two people that do cooling unit rebuilding CLICK HERE or CLICK HERE

3) I've also heard of people remove the frig and install a small dorm frig ($79 vs $700). You need shore power (110 vac) to run the frig.

4) Of course, if you want the full functionality and are able to do it yourself, a new frig runs about $650 ( This is the model in my MH). CLICK HERE

If I was having problems with mine, I would consider Option #2. if my frig was basically in good condition; i.e., make sure the door is not warped and the rubber seals are in good shape, the shelves are all good, (not missing), no broken or missing plastic parts or knobs, and did the unit seem to be working OK on ELEC and GAS.

Otherwise, for about twice the price of a rebuilt cooling unit, I can get a brand new frig. Again, this is Do it Yourself. (many people on this site have replaced their frig)

If I had to make this decision today, a cooling unit can be had for $400, a new frig for about $650. I would probably opt for the new frig.

John Mc

88 Dolphin 4 Auto

[Totem]

Remember to run the fridge right up to before flipping upside down; heats up the liquid ammonia so it can eat through the plaque crystals.

If dropping the cash, I would go for a 3 way AES fridge, that alternator would run it great. Always a cold beer.

with a good alternator and a 12 volt fridge and motor running 'yes you can' make ice cubes also I run the old Frigidaire aluminum antique ice cube makers in mine. Have been known to have 12 v make cubes on a 8 hour drive pull in and drink scotch on the rocks after setting up campsite. . I prefer like waiter and others though to run propane while driving, but on the yellowstone trip the gusting winds kept blowing it out so i just shut off the gas and ran 12.