Ford RV Refrigeration Training Center

Procedure 4:

Make sure the refrigerator is level. I recommend using a small pocket torpedo level. Place the level on the shelf in the freezer compartment. It should read level side to side and front to back. If not, adjust camper level to accommodate freezer shelf level. Perfectly level was very critical on older models and is still desired on today's models. Newer units have a small amount of tolerance. If a unit is not perfectly level they will still work as long as they are reasonably level.

In my twenty-two years of experience, the most common customer complaint is that the freezer temperature is sufficient, but the refrigerator temperature is not. When troubleshooting while running on 110V; I recommend the use of a temperature probe in the refrigerator compartment. This will give an accurate temperature while eliminating the need to open the door to the refrigerator. The ideal temperature is 35 degrees. If you are using a standard refrigerator thermometer, place it in a bowl of water before beginning your testing. That way when you remove it from the refrigerator to read it, you won't lose degrees too quickly, allowing you time to get an accurate reading.

Procedure 5:

Open the access door exposing the back side of the refrigerator. This area should be free of debris to enable good airflow. Air enters the access door, rises up the back of the refrigerator taking the heat away from the coils and is exhausted through the roof vent in the camper. In addition, you should be able to view daylight when looking up to the roof vent. If daylight is not present, most likely a squirrel, insect, or bird has made a nest.

In summer conditions where the temperature is 90 plus, it is a good idea to install a 12V fan behind the refrigerator. It will help move air across the cooling unit core. Sometimes propping the access door open will increase air flow enough to improve cooling.

Excessive dust and lint build up on the coils and fins can diminish the I
efficiency of absorption refrigerators. This is of greater significance in extremely high ambient temperature.

Procedure 6:

Check freezer and refrigerator compartment door gasket for signs of wear. Often the lower part of the door gasket is the trouble spot. If visually the gasket looks good, check the seal by using a dollar bill. This is done by opening the refrigerator door and inserting a dollar bill between the gasket and the cabinet. Close the door and pull the dollar away from the gasket. There should be some resistance showing a good seal. If there is little or no resistance, this indicates a poor door seal in this area. Repeat this step around the entire door gasket. Replace the door gasket if necessary.

Procedure 7:

Some refrigerators have a condensation drain. This consists of a tray located in the refrigerator compartment under the evaporator fins. When condensation forms on these fins, it drips into the tray. Some trays have to be manually emptied. Some have a drain hose attached near the bottom of the tray that passes through the back wall of the cabinet and down to another container where it evaporates. The backside of the cabinet, where the hose passes through, should be sealed with putty or caulking. If this seal is poor, replace with a new one. Also, the end of the drain hose (that empties into the second container on the back of the refrigerator) should be pinched together so the water is just able to slowly drip out. Some newer models have the drain hose protruding thru the access door with a small cap inserted into the end of the drain hose. This cap has many small holes. Both styles of drain tube terminations are designed to prevent ambient air from reaching the cooling fins by coming up the drain tube, which causes frost build up. Neither style system should be altered.

After changes have been made using any of the above procedures, do not open the refrigerator door for a period of at least six hours. Then check the refrigerator temperature. If possible, let the refrigerator run overnight before checking the temperature. If cooling is insufficient, follow procedures in RV Technician Summer 2003 issue for troubleshooting the cooling unit core.

Remember, it's all about EDUCATION. It's easy when you know how. For further education on RV refrigerators read future issues of the #1 RV Tech magazine, RV Technician.

Source: The Ford Procedures Manual by Roger D. Ford courtesy of Ford RV Refrigeration. For more information, go to www.rvrefrigeration.com or contact me at 1746 Big Bear Hwy, Benton, KY 42025. 270-354-9239 or email info@rvrefrigeration.com.