Dometic 2 way Fridge operation???

[Canuckrdp]

Please chime in with some advice for how the 2 way fridge works.

The manual says that pushing in the Gas button tells the fridge to select either A/C or gas and will pick A/C over gas as a priority.

If the propane tanks are turned off will a check light come on if the gas button is pressed in?

We are trying to cool the fridge down before our trip tomorrow and we have turned the Fridge ON, we have pressed the Gas button in and I have turned the propane tanks open.  The Auto light is illuminated which makes me think all is fine.

I believe the fridge should select A/C but to be honest I am not sure?  To be clear, I have the unit plugged into an extension cord plugged into the house and attached to the 30 AMP power cord connected to the trailer.  The light on the 30 AMP cable shows a blue light so I am sure power is going to the trailer.

If I close the propane tanks I believe a Check light comes on and I don't think the fridge will cool down.  I can reset the check light when this happens by turning the fridge OFF and then ON but will it run off the A/C only or will it still try to find a propane source?

There isn't any 800 number for Dometic I can find otherwise I'd call them for help.

Thanks for any input anyone can pass on.

[djsamuel]

If you're in Auto, and are hooked to an AC supply, you will be operating on AC, not gas.  If you want to check if the gas operates correctly, just unhook the AC and you should hear the gas valve open and the igniter clicking prior to the flame.  On my Dometic in my 21BHS, there is Auto mode and gas mode, which would run the refrigerator on gas even in the presence of AC.  However, I believe the fact the Auto light is on indicates you are still in Auto mode.

[DavidM]

Also be aware that if your gas was previously shut off it may take 3-4 cycles to get the gas burner running. When you open the gas valve on the tank and push the gas button, the fridge goes through 30 seconds or so of trying to light the burner. You can hear the spark igniter clicking.  If it doesn't light it shuts off that cycle and you have to hit off and then gsa for it to cycle through again. It typically takes three gas cycles for mine to run.

How do you know if the burner is lit? Well if the wind isn't blowing you can put your ear up to the bottom of the outside vent and you can sometimes hear it going. Either my hearing is shot (definitely) or the wind is blowing so I open the outside vent cover. It is sometime possible to see the blue flame but not always. Wait a few minutes and feel the chimney. If it is warm it is lit.

David

[Canuckrdp]

So DjSamuel & DavidM,

What input do you have about this question...

To keep the fridge cooling on a trip I assume that I need to be having the propane tanks open and when I disconnect from a site power connection, the fridge will switch over to gas because it would be on AUTO, as you have said after a couple of tries to get it started off of gas.

Do you agree with the assumption?

Clearly if I turn the tanks off while driving the fridge will not stay cooling in my mind.

Thanks for your input.

[DavidM]

As noted above, when the control is in auto and power is available it runs on power. I have never shut off power to see if it switches to gas while it is in auto. I always disconnect the power and then switch it to gas. Like I said, it takes doing this about three times to get all the air out so it will light.

If the unit is set to gas and you shut off the propane valve then it will stop. If is is set to automatic and you shut off the gas and there is no AC power it may revert to 12V DC (if it has  that 3 way capability). The DC function will at best hold the existing temperature and will use a lot of power and quickly run down the batteries unless the TV is hooked up and running.

David

[djsamuel]

So DjSamuel & DavidM,

What input do you have about this question...

To keep the fridge cooling on a trip I assume that I need to be having the propane tanks open and when I disconnect from a site power connection, the fridge will switch over to gas because it would be on AUTO, as you have said after a couple of tries to get it started off of gas.

Do you agree with the assumption?

Clearly if I turn the tanks off while driving the fridge will not stay cooling in my mind.

Thanks for your input.

That is exactly how I always do it.  When I am home, I hook up the electric and turn on the refrigerator to let it cool.  When I press the on/off button, it turns on in Auto mode. I load the refrigerator up and then when I unhook the electric, I make sure it switches to gas; which it does automatically.  When I get to the campground and hook up to electric, the gas automatically turns off and the refrigerator switches to electric.  Works the same way for the trip home; I unhook and the gas burner lights until I get home and turn off the refrigerator.

[Kinty1991]

In two-way refrigerators, the "Gas" button is used to select the power source as A/C (electric) or gas (propane). When pressing the gas button, the refrigerator will prioritize using A/C as the power source if basket random is available. If A/C power is not available or not available, the refrigerator will automatically switch to gas mode if the propane source is turned on.

[SaltyBill]

I just came from an 8,500 mile trip around the US. Used the refrigerator the whole time. A couple fast things. The refrigerator does work well on automatic. I have a three-way. It would change by itself from AC to gas when I would plug it in or unplug it when traveling. Please note that on gas the refrigerator does not stay as cold. At least mine does not. After running for several days on gas you noticed that it is not as cold as it was on AC. It is also very good to cool down the refrigerator plugged in to AC about 24 hours before your trip. That way when you go from campsite to campsite you'll have a nice cold refrigerator.