Check Light On RV Fridge – What are the Causes and Solutions

Check light on RV fridge solutions are essential if your RV check light keeps coming on. You may need to check the fridge’s power supply, Freon level, or coils to ensure they’re not the cause of the problem.

As an RV owner, seeing a warning light appear can be annoying, but there’s a solution to this problem. This article explores the causes and fixes for a defective domestic refrigerator, so continue reading!

What Causes Issues With the Check Light on Your RV Fridge?

The causes of issues with the check light on your RV fridge are interrupted power supply, low Freon levels, and faulty coil. Bad wiring, cooling unit leaks, and even a faulty compressor are other common causes of a fridge warning light.

Most RV refrigerators are very durable, lasting between 10 to 25 years. Yet, how long your fridge lasts depends, to a large extent, on how often you maintain and operate it. With this in mind, let’s look at some of the reasons why your fridge’s check light is on.

– Interrupted Power Supply

An RV’s refrigerator works with power from three main sources. These are AC power (electricity), propane, and a DC battery. If your fridge warning light comes on, you should check that it is getting the right amount of power to function. For instance, your AC power supply may stop because of a blown fuse, damaged wires, or a faulty reset button.

If using propane, your gas may have finished, so the fridge cannot work as it should. It could also be an ongoing issue with your pilot light or ignitor. Your vehicle’s DC battery being low can also cause interrupted power. Your fridge warning light will likely come on when anything compromises two or all three power sources.

– Low Refrigerant Level

Low refrigerant levels are also responsible for RV refrigerator problems. Refrigerants help to keep your fridge cool. You can have a low refrigerant level when the tank is empty or there’s a leak in its system. A leak can occur when there’s a puncture hole in the system, but it’s quite rare since refrigerants are stored in a closed system.

It could also be that its installation was wrong and it was defective at the factory. All these can affect your RV refrigerator cooling unit and cause it to malfunction. Symptoms of low refrigerant levels include a warm refrigerator and an overheated compressor.

– Faulty Control Board

As the name implies, a control circuit board controls other components of your fridge and ensures they work well. It consists of components like capacitors, diodes, and semiconductors. If any of these should go bad, it will affect the performance of the control board, which in turn disrupts the flow of electrical currents.

Your RV’s fridge warning light will come on the dashboard to show this problem. In this case, you may notice that your fridge cools in an irregular pattern or beyond normal, or it may not work at all. You will also notice frost buildup and a weird burning smell.

– Dirty Evaporator Coil

The evaporator coil absorbs or removes heat from the outside air to help cool your refrigerant and keep your fridge cold. This coil can become dirty due to a buildup of grime and debris. The dirt affects the airflow that gets into the evaporator coil. Thus, the coil is unable to absorb or remove enough heat.

Your compressor will start overheating, leading to total failure in the future. At this point, your RV warning light will come on to signify a problem. You may also detect that your fridge runs without issues, but the inner compartment is warm.

– Compressor Issues

A faulty compressor is also a common cause of an RV’s refrigerator warning light coming on. This important component can start to malfunction due to natural wear, power surge, or lack of maintenance. It can also become faulty due to bad condenser coils or a defective fan motor.

In the case of natural wear, a compressor may get locked mechanically because it can’t turn well. If the issue is due to a bad fan motor or dirty coils, your compressor may start overworking itself, leading to premature failure.

When your compressor starts to malfunction, your warning light will come on, indicating it’s time for a replacement. You will also notice that your compressor makes a loud humming noise when running . At other times, you may detect that the compressor is coming on and off over and again. At this point, your refrigerator will not be as cool as it used to be.

– Dirty Condenser Coils

The condenser plays an essential role. It removes heat from the fridge and keeps your refrigerant cool. This action ensures your fridge works well by maintaining its temperature.

Over time and with constant operation, the condenser coils can become clogged with lots of dirt, dust, and other particles. In turn, your refrigerator will not be able to function as well as it used to.

First, it will be less cool than it used to be, which can damage stored food items. Sometimes, the fridge will take a lot of time before it gets cold. A dirty condenser coil also causes other components, especially the compressor, to work harder. This increased pressure leads to premature wear or failure.

– Broken Thermostat

A broken thermostat can also stop you from having a cold refrigerator. A thermostat regulates and maintains the perfect temperature within your fridge. The perfect temperature is between 32 degrees Fahrenheit to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. A slight fluctuation from this range can affect the cooling temperature.

The thermostat can break due to natural wear, especially as it’s not a very durable component. It could also suffer damage from a buildup of dirt and debris. When this happens, your compressor either overworks itself or stops working. Your fridge also becomes cold or warm beyond normal.

– Faulty Refrigerator Fan

A faulty refrigerator fan can also contribute to an RV warning light appearing on your dashboard. If it’s used inside the refrigerator, the fan works by circulating air into the fridge to maintain its temperature. When used outside the refrigerator, this fan helps improve heat exchange through the vent cover during the cooling process.

The fan can get faulty if ice buildup is obstructing the fan blades. It could also get faulty when it has a damaged wiring or low voltage. In this case, your fridge won’t be as cool as it used to be.

What Are Some Solutions for Check Light On RV Fridge

Some solutions for check light on the RV fridge include checking your power sources and replacing a damaged control circuit board. You should clean dirty coils and replace a broken thermostat if needed. In some cases, you may need to replace your compressor.

– Check Your Power Sources

The first step to RV refrigerator troubleshooting is to check your power sources. You’ll first have to check electrical components like the reset button, fuses, wires, breakers, and shore power connections. If any of these have suffered any damage, you’ll need to replace them immediately.

You also need to check your propane tank to be sure it isn’t exhausted. If it is, it will help if you take your fridge to a professional technician to refill it. Finally, you should check to be sure your DC automotive battery doesn’t have a low charge.

– Increase Refrigerant Level

You also need to increase the fridge’s refrigerant if you diagnose it as the cause of the warning light, but it isn’t recommended to attempt recharging the refrigerant level yourself. This is because these refrigerants harm the environment. Hence, you may need to get an EPA certification before refilling your refrigerant unit.

The best option is to consult an expert technician who can help with the refilling process. If the refrigerant is reducing due to a leak, you need to find the leak and seal it immediately. Refilling the refrigerant without fixing the leak will be a waste of time.

– Replace the Damaged Control Circuit Board

If you’re certain your control circuit board is spoilt, you need to replace it immediately. But you should note that the control circuit board is one of the most costly refrigerator components to replace. A total circuit board replacement costs between $80 and $800. If your RV is the latest model, you will likely pay more.

It is also very difficult to repair by yourself because it requires precision and technical expertise. It would be best to leave it to a technician, as attempting a DIY repair can damage components that were fine at first.

– Clean Dirty Coils

You must clean your condenser and evaporator coils to ensure the warning light turns off. Thankfully, cleaning dirty evaporative coils is quite easy. The coils are typically located at the back of the fridge, right at the bottom.

 

Take off the coil panel, vacuum the coils with a crevice or refrigerator coil brush, and dust off any debris. Ensure you clean out the area surrounding the coil as well. Once you’re done, replace the coil panel and turn on your fridge to check if it works better.

– Replace Faulty Compressor

Replacing a faulty compressor is one way to stop the warning light on the RV’s refrigerator. But you first need to inspect it with a multimeter to be sure it is working. If it reads infinity, it means you need to replace your compressor. Just like the circuit board, replacing a compressor is expensive.

Depending on the model, it can cost between $250 to $700. To replace the compressor, locate it at the bottom of the fridge and unplug its power cord. Use a screwdriver to remove its mounting bolts and pull it out of the fridge.

Place the new compressor where the old one used to be and screw the mounting bolts back on. Reconnect the power plug and turn on the fridge to check if the installation was successful.

– Replace Broken Thermostat

You may need to replace the thermostat if it is faulty, but you should test it to be sure it’s the cause of the problem. Test it by comparing the temperature of the fridge from when you first turned it on and how it is at present. If the fridge doesn’t seem cool at all, you need to replace your thermostat.

You can also utilize an infrared thermometer to test the fridge’s temperature at different points. If the readings differ from your thermostat’s settings, you should adjust or replace the thermostat. Replacing a thermostat is rather cheap, so you don’t need to worry about spending much cash.

Frequently Asked Questions

– Why Won’t Your RV Fridge Run on Electricity?

Your RV fridge won’t run on electricity because of a problem with your electrical circuit board. A power surge is most likely the cause of this problem. You should check your wires, fuses, breakers, conductors, diodes, and capacitors to be sure they are working as they should.

– Does the RV Refrigerator Have a Fuse?

Yes, the RV refrigerator has a fuse. The RV fuse is a 120-volt component in the control circuit board. It is the part of the appliance that protects the wires that connect most of the electrical components in the fridge, including the propane circuit wiring.

– Why Did Your Dometic RV Refrigerator Stop Functioning?

Your Dometic refrigerator has stopped functioning because your RV isn’t level. It could also be because your fridge is bulging with food items, which can prevent air from circulating through the fridge.

You may also need to check the circuit board to be sure it’s not faulty.Your Dometic refrigerator could also stop functioning due to an interrupted power supply.

Conclusion

If the warning light on your RV’s fridge comes on, you don’t need to panic.

Here is a summary of the main points discussed in this article:

• Check light on RV fridge troubleshooting is important in helping you figure out why your RV’s fridge isn’t functioning well.
• The main causes of a warning light on an RV refrigerator include an interrupted power supply and dirty coils. A faulty compressor, dirty coils, and low refrigerant are other causes.
• You can fix the problem by checking your power sources and cleaning your dirty coils. You can also refill your refrigerant and replace the thermostat, damaged circuit board, and compressor.

With all the points discussed in this article, you should know which components to check before going for repairs.