How to service and repair a 3 way fridge - Motorhome, caravan or camper van fridge
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- čas přidán 15. 07. 2024
- I show you how to service and repair your camper/caravan/motorhome fridge. My issue was that it wouldn't light easily but the electrical side of things was working fine. My fridge is a Dometic / Electrolux RM212, but the information in this video may be helpful for troubleshooting other makes and models of camper van or caravan fridge. Please ensure that all legislation and regulations in your area are complied with when working on gas systems, and exercise caution and adhere to safe working practices.
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Thanks! - Auta a dopravní prostředky
Thank you. One of the very best tutorial I have ever watched.
Thank you very much! That's high praise!
Hullo - you really deserve a medal for making this video. This is the second time I’ve had to attack my 3-way as I avoided dismantling the gas jet the first time, which was a mistake after a 5km bumpy track showed just how a small amount of crap can block the jet.
Both times your vid has been indispensable and funny.
Many many thanks - and Rgrds for 2023 from Spain.
Chander
Thank you very much for the feedback and I'm glad the video helped. Say hi to everybody in Spain for me! 😀
So I took my fridge out that was not working on gas after watching this video. The jet was completely blocked and I blew it out with an airline.Reasembled as per the vid and fridge lit first time. Thanks again.
Excellent! Delighted that I could help. 😁
bloody great video, I have exactly the same fridge ( e-bay special) and the igniter wasn't working.. your video was comprehensive from start to finish, I copied everything you did to yours....no bollocky music playing, and thanks to that my fridge is now icelandic !!! Thanks for taking the time to make this video.
Delighted to hear that! It's very satisfying to get this feedback.
Thanks for the very helpful video (loved the humour too)
It's good to see the parts & the areas needing testing & cleaning.
Thank you
Good information.
After 3 attempts from other videos this one got it sorted, thank you soooo much 😅
Thanks for the nice and detailed video. I could not find any tutorial for that until now. Really good job!
Glad I could help!
Spot on. Much better than any of the others especialy as u are genuinely doing it as you go along and no poxy background music to do my head in. Keep it up thanks.
Actually a couple of people have said that about the music. I'll be sure to keep it that way so! 😁
Ross that was brilliant. Love the way you chat as you’re going along. So down to earth. And I so relate to oh I should have done that before etc. I do exactly the same. My fridge works on 240v but stopped working on gas on our last camping trip. So I should now be able to fix it. Thanks for taking the trouble to do the video.
You're very welcome, and thank you for your compliment. Best of luck fixing yours. Let us know how you get on with it!
great video. thanks
Great tutorial Gives me confidence to service mine ( runs warm not cold ) Love your two fridge story 😜😜 Thanks ATB
Best of luck with it. Hope you can get it sorted! Oh and yeah, no comment on that one! 😉
Great video thanks, feel much more confident to try and fix my fridge which hasn't worked since I bought the van 4 years ago!
You're very welcome! Glad I could help. Best of luck getting yours sorted.
Ah thanks so much! Just bought a 40 yr old T25 and want to keep the original fridge. I now really understand how they work and so can give it a good service & test so that i can be confident it's safe. Very much appreciated! :))
Glad I could help! Best of luck getting it sorted out.
That worked! Following your excellent video it turned out to be the ignitor. After 35 years there was enough rust to break the earth return path through the mounting bracket. Now to find somewhere open to go camping! Thanks for the video and advice.
Glad I could help!
Well done man, excellent video, up the Dubs 😊
Great video. Thanks!
You're welcome!
Just perfect - exactly what I was looking for. Can't thank you enough. :-)
You're very welcome. Glad I could help!
Great video , much appreciated , keep her lit ✌️🍀😎
Ross, brilliant explanation and excellent video on how to solve that problem with the igniter. Ours is an old Electrolux in a 1997 Elnagh 4 camper. Thanks. Very appreciated. Cheers from Tony in New Zealand.
Glad I could help! Say hi to everyone down there in New Zealand for me! 😉
Perfect thanks Ross, Fridge Sorted. You are doing gods work!!!! :)
Glad it worked out for you!
Thanks from Australia. Mine is a Dometic but I got the gist. Good Man! Great video
Glad it helped
Good info and find your technical terms down to earth.
😂 i love the comments mate :) you helped me a lot with setting my fridge, thank you for video
Α very informativelly video man!Many thanks for your efforts to show us all the parts of the fridge,and how all these work together.
It was an excellent troubleshooting presentation tha yoy have made.Greetings from Athens ,whenever wind 💨 push you here,i would glad to buy you some beers 🍻or drinks🥂in downtown!Have nice days,try to travel when you can,life is going fast!!!
Have fun😎
Thank you very much! Say hi to everyone in Greece for me! Athens is a place I'd love to visit.
Excellent video. Comes in at the right level and we can see producer making the odd mistake but that is fine. Really helpful. My fridge is intermittent. Not sure if it needs re-gassing but certainly this film can set me on the right path.
Glad I could help! Best of luck getting yours sorted.
Only just found this vlog !
Top work brother.After a trip into Wales the other week had mine in bits as didnt work on gas . Took it out gave ita"service " and its never worked or lit as well😁😁😁
Brilliant! Delighted it worked out for you.
Brilliant! Now confident in doing mine....I have the same problem with the gas side,I had a service guy come out and service the van but he would investigate the gas side which does work but takes a lot of clicks:) He just said "not working" and would not look further.I will also do my Gas water heater and clean that out even though that does start quicker after a lot of years I'm guessing there will be muck in there as well. I'm handy with diy and have already put solar on our Caravan because it's far cheaper to stay in a field with just water and waste disposal than go on a full hook site...I've changed my own tyres and the valves which perished through standing and upgraded the valves as the ones they use are poor.lol...I've even dyed all my curtains because they were sun faded. There are a lot of jobs we can all do with people like you taking their time to show us all how we can save a lot of money....Thank you once again.
Fantastic video. Exactly what I needed , right down to putting your spanner down and just like magic, it's gone. Doesn't assume we have a the premium tools, air supply etc. Thanks,
Great video and good explanation if how it works on gas. Yes totally agree with your rant. I am an EE with 45 yrs experience and I have no issue with tightening a gas connection or doing a leak test 🤔. Thank u v much I now must fix my gas fridge, it is 2001 RM20X model. Very similar to what you have. Igniter working but no flame - hopefully a piece of cake after your excellent video.
Thanks very much. Best of luck getting it sorted. Yeah it is ridiculous that you're not technically supposed to touch the gas installation.
Brilliant well informative and entertaining video Ross. Mine is lighting fine but not getting cold anymore. Gonna remove service and turn upside down. Have done this on another fridge and it worked again. You are right, I think by turning upside down maybe gets rid of the air in the liquid. Many thanks 😊
Yeah sounds like turning your fridge over will get you sorted. Best of luck with it!
Yea great video, I’ve just bought a 1988 Toyota hi ace with one of those fridges, probably has never been serviced, I’m inspired to get into it
Glad I could help. Best of luck getting yours sorted.
Brilliant video. I had no idea that butane and propane had different size jets. Until you mentioned it, sense the previous owner had changed the regulator on my caravan to butane, and on butane my 3 way fridge and carver heater wouldn't ignite. After watching this, I tried a propane tank and regulator, lo and behold, my fridge and heating work. 😂 Much appreciated!!
Glad you got it sorted. I do wonder how often this happens to people!
Really good detailed problem solve, thanks for this
You're very welcome! Glad I could help.
That was one bloody good video. Very informative . At times very funny. Thank you so much i just bought a camper van and it has a 3way fridge. This has given me some peace of mind that I will be able to sort it when i need to service it. I just subscribed hope to see more of your content. All the best Paul.
Thank you very much! 👍😎
A Great Helpful Video, Thank You For Posting.
You're very welcome!
Thank you so much for taking the time to show us how to fix these fridges. Mine that came in our old camper won't light. I'll try following what you did, thanks mate. Unicorn farts 😂😂😂😂 brilliant.
Good educational video Endfloat.
I ripped out my Electrolux RM212 series fridge, not because it was a shit fridge ( it was and still is a good fridge) but because I have done away with LPG in my van.
I do have a new compressor fridge and can justify the cost and it will run on solar power alone and it will cool stuff to -22 decrees C in a matter of minutes. it will not flatten my battery ever, uses 0.4ah/h,
now back to the 212. Heres the science why turning the fridge upside down for a day may get it working again.
The coolant in the fridge crystalises at the top of the circuit when the fridge has not been switched on over a period of time.
Turning it over allows the liquid refrigerant to glug its way through the pipe circuit disolving those crystals.
Turned upright the next day, the refrigerant glugs its way back to the resevoir at the bottom taking the now disolved crystals with it.
Worked for me after the van was stood for 8 years, fridge has worked perfectly for 5 years since that time.
now, on earlier 212 fridges the igniter for the gas didn't require a 12v supply, it was a piezzo ignition. it worked but was a fucker pushing the button 20 times to get it to light :-)
The 12v supply was ( an still is) to keep the fridge cold while the engine is running, this overrides the thermostat and just keeps it cool. it also draws 12ah/h
These fridges also stop operating if the van is out of level by as little as 3 degrees. make sure your van is level when you are camped out.
These fridges cannot cool anything more than 20 degrees C below ambient temperature. Great fridge in Norway, fecking useless in Morocco.
Hope some of that helps.
That's great info! Thanks! Interesting about the crystals. I'm going to pin this post at the top if you don't mind.
Fantastic, thank you for taking the time to show us this! It was voodoo until you do.
As in like the Voodoo who do what you don't dare do? 😁😎
Excellent tutorial Thanks
Enjoyed watching this video, i am fairly confident with most things, knowing now after seeing what you did taking the thermo ect apart i can do it if needs be, i now listening to you know the principles of how the system works especially the 12v side which was puzzling me why the fridge did not go cold, thanks for sharing this video very helpfull 😊
Glad I could help! Thanks!
thank you for that demo very useful
Thankyou sooo much for this sometimes comedy and very helpful video. I used this knowledge to service mine and although I havnt got the 12v set up to test the ignition yet, after giving it the same treatment im sure this will have done the trick. Also, thankyou!! Can of unicorn farts!! I always wondered what the smell of gas reminded me of but I just couldn't put my finger on it!!
Glad my video helped! And yes, humour goes a long way!
I now consider myself somewhat of an expert thanks to you! Only kidding! Brilliantly explained, thank you very much.
It worked out for you then I take it?
@@Endfloat The one I just bought for £30 is working a treat, I do have one question tho, Is there usually a thermostat? Im guessing not as it couldn't adjust the gas flow if it needed to. The reason I ask is I wondered if I could boost its performance using some ice packs, Iv just tested mine on gas and it's working great, I'm letting it cool before I flip it over for 24hrs as I doubt this has been done for some time. Thanks again for your help.
I use ice packs from my home freezer to initially cool it myself actually. The fridge does work well though, yes. There should be a gas control valve but it's not a thermostat. Turn it down and it lowers the flame. And there's the other knob for the electrical element if yours is a 3 way fridge.
@@Endfloat Iv been looking at adding external fans to draw the heat from the condenser. Popular in the US, They even do kits. Iv noticed the more expensive fridges get colder from ambient, I mean that's why you pay more, Duh.. I wondered if you might know how they achieve this by any chance, All running on gas? More gas perhaps? Im determined to get the most out of my unit so I can sit in glee on hot days with an ice cube I made. Thank you again for all your help, I do hope you managed to solve your getting a certificate for your fridge in van sorted. What a nightmare. Take care and stay safe.
Thank you man, this help me before i buy a caravan 😃
You're welcome!
Spare fridge, nicely done. Thank you for video. Very helpful. As a gas engineer I would use specific leak detection fluid (as soapy water causing corrosion) and gas joining compound but you seem to know what your doing
As a gas engineer I don't doubt you know more than me about these. I don't claim to be an expert though, which is sort of the point of my videos. The kind of "if I can do it, so can you" approach.
Brilliant video. Our fridge stopped working on gas so I'll follow your vid to see what the problem is. Thanks.
Glad you approve! Please do let me know how you get on.
@@Endfloat Got the fridge out. Can you tell me how you connected it to a gas bottle out of the van to test it?
Just had a look at 38m 41s and it seems you made up a short copper pipe connector. Can I ask how you did that and what size fittings you used. Cheers.
@@iangrimshaw1 I used a piece of gas pipe with a fitting on the end attached to the rubber tube that went to the regulator. Maybe you could take one of the connections from in your van to do this?
Thank you, helped me loads there! 😎
Glad I could help! 😁👍
excellent video, very helpful, thank you.😁
You're very welcome!
Great video . We have a 28 year old caravan with the same fridge . .
It's a bit hit n miss if the fridge works . No idea when it was last serviced .
Thank you feel confident I can sort it .
Best of luck. Let us know how you get on!
Excellent. Early part of the video when you are testing the resistances, we can see the red probe but have no idea where the black probe is because your hand is blocking the view holding the red probe.
The probes go onto each wire to the heater element. Basically, you're just checking for continuity through the heater element.
Great vid and commentary! i have a nice flame but no coldness. Have had fridge out before but just sort of blew over everything and it just worked, now know what to do. Cant find your Lister vid but will be watching your T25 conversion, mine's ready for one. Just need to find a bottle of that unicorn farts.....
If you have a good flame, make sure that swirly yoke is down inside the flue and that it's not blocked, then leave the fridge upside down for at least 24 hours. If that doesn't work I'm afraid it's likely new fridge time.
The tape its useless on the compression nuts join
Good job for al the work and advice! 👍
Thanks! I tried tightening the unions without the PTFE and there was a leak. The PTFE stopped it, so I did find it necessary. I think it's just because of the age of the pipes, but you are right in saying that it shouldn't normally be needed.
Great video…..I like the way you mentioned with causing about laws and safety advice you are a very wise man. You solved the problems and achieved your goal….nice one.
As you made it clear safety is so important and must be strictly adhered to for the sake of Life and Limb…….Well done.
After watching this, it set my mind at rest to remove my fridge, have flame but not getting cold will try the upside-down test.
Let me know how that goes for you.
Thanks for a very interesting video. I have a Dometic RM7270 very much like the one you worked on. The problem I have is that the the gas is still flowing even when the flame goes out (say because of a draught) so I have no thermocouple action. This would cause a build up of gas around the burner and possibly a safety issue. I suspect a faulty thermocouple but I would appreciate your comments on this problem. I have also fitted a new burner and gas jet which cost £84.
Hi. Just come across your video. Great thanks. Have you got any info about replacing the thermocouple? Also you mentioned you could still get spares for this fridge quite easily. Any suggestions as to where? I'm in Scotland. Looking for a replacement lazy elbow, the piece at the top of the flu. Thanks again. Dave.
Just cracker mate, a very sensible and straightforward explanation. After 4 mins watching I reckon I know the problem with my identical fridge: it's not connected to the mains, NOR is it connected to a battery. And the ignition sounds like an ekectro-pieza sparker, but "relies on power to work".
So tomorrow I'll put the battery back in and see if it then starts. You've given me hope at least to be able to have a cold beer tomorrow night!
We need to support people like yourself who take the time, make the effort and show the rest of us what can be done with patience and dedication. 2022 05 29 22:08 France
Hi Brilliant video. Greetings from Dublin 16! Have a problem with almost identical fridge. Works on gas and 12 v. Have checked mains. Power getting to fridge. Checked ohms as you described on heater described as 125w 240v. Came up with 350ohms. So heater appears OK thankfully. Any suggestions welcome. Will check all connections at switch etc. Thanks very much for your video!
Think I may have found a cause, the rotating mains temperature setting switch! It appears that it may be shutting off the machine occasionally. If I turn it all the way off to zero and turn it back on it starts working again. Perhaps a failing thermocouple?
Hi Ross,quick question my electrolux 400 doesn’t cool down very well one day it was ok the next it wasn’t on on hook- up works fine on gas could it be the thermostat if so how would you test it.thanks buy the way loved the video 😊
Thankyou,
You're very welcome!
Thanks for that. I've just bought a small Autosleeper with a 3way electrolux. It works fine generally but on gas, in any kind of a breeze, it wont light or stay lit. I've noticed that the flame looks orange thru the inspection window. So I'm guessing that the burner/Flue may be blocked and also that the shield may be missing. This video gives me hope that I can sort it, so thanks again.
Yeah an orange flame definitely indicates a problem there to do with air fuel ratio. Just be careful to ensure everything is present and correct and that you're using the correct gas for the jet you have fitted.
@@Endfloat Cheers. It's running on the red propane but I haven't a clue what jet it has. I thought I might be able to get at it from the outside, through the vent but it's down too low to reach so it'll have to come out. Urghhh! Wish me luck.
@@bobi2582 good luck! 😉 Most of these fridges are jetted to run on butane propane mix such as the overpriced camping Gaz bottles that I showed in the video.
Found it Ross. It comes in to the fridge itself from the back and attaches on to the metal chiller with a clip.
Ah excellent. That's good to know. Did you get it working?
Thanks Ross, i will follow your advice but I also need to change the thermostat on mine as its either on or off and I’m unable to control the fridge temperature. I wondered where I need to install the sensor head of the thermostat capillary (long wire) on the rear of the fridge? Thanks in anticipation, Shaun
Honestly I can't remember. It must go in somewhere near the evaporator but I can't be sure and with the fridge installed I'm not in a position to check for you, sorry.
The knob on my 3way van fridge, when you turn the gas up it gets to halfway then flame goes down a bit as you turn it up past halfway..? And the gas wont stay on which im guessing thermocouple until i test it. Ive taken everything at the back and cleaned it all, get a good spark and first time ignition but no cooling even when bypassing the thermocouple by holding the knob in
It’s your property do as you wish .
I wish the powers that be saw it that way. You're not allowed scratch your bollocks without a permit these days. It's gone from one extreme to another!
I have a similar issue. The Dometic fridge in my touring caravan stopped working shortly after I bought it. It's on a seasonal pitch and I cant find anyone to go look at it. It's putting a downer on the new caravan experience. I think it's thermostat related. Doesn't work on gas or electric. Do you work on these at all? It's in Clare.
Good video, great detail. I am wondering what the material the insulation is made from? My concern is that its asbestos, and perhaps this is a reason companies will are refusing to service this type of fridge? Just a thought that some care maybe needed when handling this section of the unit.
I don't believe it's asbestos. The insulation blanket around the flue is fibreglass.
The dohicky in the flue is to hold the heat at the same place as the two elements instead of the heat going straight out the top. Makes the gas more efficient
Thanks for the info. I did kind of figure that after I made the video.
@@Endfloat It's to make the exhaust swirl, making the flow more efficient!
Thanks for the video. In terms of getting someone to service the fridge - have you tried Daniel O Donnell?😊😊
@Endfloat this is excellent. Thanks. Have you done one on the control side of the fridge? Mine is cooling, just not very well, performs the same on both gas and electric, only gets down to about 9deg. Any pointers?
I didn't do anything with the control side, no. Did you leave the fridge upside down for 24 hours? Also, have you enough ventilation at the back?
@@Endfloat not yet but I will. Just need to figure out how to get it out . I'm also tempted to put a 12V fan on the ventilation side to see if it helps but otherwise it all appears OK. Thanks again for the excellent video
@@richardcaldwell445 you're very welcome, and yes, do both of those things and it should come good for you.
Hi great video, just wondering when testing the elements for resistance does the power need to be connected and turned on? Cheers.
No they need to be disconnected. The meter passes a small current through the element to test it's resistance.
@@Endfloat ok thanks very much.
Thank you so much for making this video. I got a camper van with this fridge in back in March and didn't have a clue what I was doing! It seems like it wasn't used with gas and the pipe you attached your orange line to has been cut off on mine. Is it possible to get it going with gas again? Thanks again
It might be possible but without seeing it I can't say for sure. If the pipe has only been cut before the valve then it should just be a case of remaking the connection and giving it a good service.
I like your style but hint: if your hand is in front of the camera we cannot see where you are sticking the multimeter probes, so the electrical bit was no help.
Useful with the burner and the spark thing though. When I take my burner apart I'll be turning the fridge upside down first so all the bits are not falling on the floor!
I'd like to think I've come on a lot since this video but your feedback is appreciated, thank you.
If getting anyone to service your gas is so difficult, I suggest that you get the qualifications as there will be plenty of work out there for you!
Time is my biggest problem there!
@@Endfloat book some time off work for holidays as they will pay off I am very sure
Endfloat, I have an ammonia smell coming out of my electrolux RM212. Is this a leak? Have only tried it on electric. My fridge was working before winter, on leccy and also on gas. Superb video. or is it just becuase its settled in the bottom? If I do the upside down trick, will this put it right?
I'm not sure to be honest. It could well be a leak, yes. I can't really advise you on that. I never had that problem myself.
@@Endfloat its a coolant leak.
the trouble that i have with mine is i need to know how to wire up the igniter unit as was taken off and not sure where wires go any help would be great xx
I'll try and have a look at some stage cause I honestly can't remember myself. I'll get back to you on it.
I have the same fridge in my 1993 T4 Vision camper van, one minute the ignitor switch was clicking I switched it off to set off driving, arrived at my site and the switch is now not clicking so obviously not igniting.
Do you think I need to do all this to get it sorted ?
Thanks for this video. From the UK
You sure it's not just the switch itself that's damaged?
@@Endfloat no idea. It may be worth me getting that checked first I guess 😅
@@angelamelville67 hopefully it's that simple. If not, I'll try and help.
@@Endfloat thank you.
Quick question...the freezer part of the fridge which is a separate part to the main fridge if you get me (its a 2 piece fridge)...well the freezer gets amazingly cold but the main fridge takes hours and hours..sometimes over 24 hours for it to get cold...is the right? any advice would be much appreciated...cheers
It definitely shouldn't take that long to get cold. It will never get as cold as a compressor fridge but within a couple of hours it should be at a usable temperature. Did you try leaving it upside down for a while?
@@Endfloat I didn't take it out tbh..its massive. ...its like a double fridge...the freezer is seperate to the fridge. ..but all one unit.
@@thekoshplays2207 it'll be worth the effort to figure out how to remove it. The only solution is to turn it upside down for 24 hours. Plus, when it's out you can check everything and make sure it's safe.
Try putting a small circulation fan inside the main compartment. That will help
how about driving your van into the north and servicing it there. You would be outside the jurisdiction.
How did you get the fridge out? I cant find any fixings?
Mine had dirty big self tappers going through the sides of the cabinet into the sides of the fridge! Less than ideal!
I had no idea there were even gas fridges! sounds like a really annoying catch 22 you have there. perhaps you could drive somewhere that you are allowed to service yourself, then do the job, then drive back...not sure if that'll work if vehicle still ROI registered. Is the NI regime different for example?
I have the same type of fridge but mine has a push button to ignite but it's not igniting
It's a similar process to follow then. It's just a different ignitor setup. Check and see if you're getting a spark first when you press the button and go from there.
What if refrigerant leaks? How to refill?
I don't believe there is a way to refill it, but anyway it shouldn't leak and if it did I'd say it means the fridge has had it and it's due a replacement.
Common sense in short supply..
Unicorn farts 😂 🦄💨
drive to England and get it serviced
There's the little problem of the Irish sea in between! The ferry can cost around €550, and then you've the exchange rate.
I only hope this aircraft engineer doesn’t maintain my RyanAir 737!
I don't, but ok. I've had a hand in the repairs of many aircraft without issue.
Such a ridiculous regulation, shame on this country.
Yes it is ridiculous.
Just drive the van over the border... Or say it was done abroad
hard to listen you 57 minute.....
Nobody's forcing you!
yee i got decent guys
You cannot comply with "the Law" if these "Laws" are ridiculous and anti human.
Correct!