RV Refrigerator Service
When you made the transition from tent camping to the luxuries of an RV, one of the most comfortable changes that you made was to ditch packing melting ice in a cooler to keep your food and drinks cool, and relishing in the convenience of a refrigerator. When these refrigerators begin to malfunction or completely stop working, it can be incredibly frustrating. When you need your motorhome refrigerator installed, repaired, or replaced, you need an RV service shop that knows what they are doing! For RV refrigerator service in Denver, contact us at Mericle RV.
Just to start things off on the right foot, let's clarify upfront that RV refrigerators are very different than your residential refrigerator. Your refrigerator at home uses electricity to run your refrigerator's compressor, which cools the interior. Your RV refrigerator, however, does not use a compressor and is, instead, an absorption refrigerator. This is because your RV does not have a continuous power supply to run a compressor or other moving parts and must rely on AC power, DC power, or LP gas instead.
Repairing vs. Replacing a Non-Working RV Refrigerator
The decision to repair a current non-working motorhome refrigerator or to just replace it will depend on finding the right RV repair service to diagnose the problem. More often than not, issues with motorhome fridges are due to decreased use or no use over a down season, or not being level. Absorption refrigerators use ammonia as part of the cooling mechanism, which can settle and cause sediment buildup when not in use. Fixing this can be as simple as turning the refrigerator upside down for some time or it may require being taken apart and the internal tubes cleaned to remove sediment buildup. If you smell ammonia, you can be sure that your motorhome refrigerator cooling unit has a leak!
If your RV and refrigerator have been in working condition and almost suddenly, you RV refrigerator is no longer cooling or nor cooling as effectively, make sure that you are not parked on a slope. After only 20 minutes of being parked to where the refrigerator is not level can be enough to throw off the cooling system's internal flow and cause it to stop cooling.
If your RV refrigerator runs on propane, it also requires charged 12-volt batteries. If your refrigerator is not running, check propane levels and ensure that the 12-volt battery is charged. If you have plenty of propane and your batteries are fully charged and working, you may have exhausted the life of the cooling element. If your refrigerator works on propane, but will not cool when connected to power, it may be an issue with the circuit breaker, fuses, or the electrical heating element. If the fridge works on power, but not on propane, it could be an issue with the thermocouple or the flue and burner could be dirty.
Leave the diagnosis and repair to the experts to prevent damaging your unit, your RV, or yourself!
If your RV refrigerator just refuses to cool any longer, another option between replacing your RV refrigerator and repairing it is to purchase a cooling unit and installing it on your current refrigerator. You can purchase new or refurbished cooling units to replace your existing one while keeping the main fridge. Be sure to price out a new fridge in comparison to the cooling unit you find, sometimes simply replacing the whole refrigerator is worth it.
As you probably already knew, RV and motorhome refrigerators are quite different than your traditional home refrigerator. Your home refrigerator uses a compressor, which is not practical to power and operate in your motorhome. When your RV is not running, it is not generating electricity. If you had a regular residential refrigerator installed, your RV refrigerator would stop working and all of your food would get warm! Instead, an RV refrigerator is dual powered, so when there is no electricity, an open flame from L.P. gas will heat up chemicals that react through a series of tubes that cool the inside of the refrigerator. When you are searching for the perfect refrigerator for your motorhome, there are a few things you'll want to consider.
Types of RV Refrigerator
While most new motorhome refrigerators are similar, there are some notable differences. Most modern RV refrigerators are automatic, which means that it will sense when there is no longer electricity available and will switch to AC power, and then when electricity becomes available again, it will switch back, rather than requiring the user to switch the power source manually. Additionally, there are two-way and three-way models that are named for how many power sources they use. Two-way RV refrigerators will operate off AC power and LP gas and three-way refrigerators will run on AC power, DC power, and LP gas.
Size and Capacity
Just like home refrigerators, RV refrigerators are available in a variety of sizes and internal holding capacity limits. The size of refrigerator you select will have a lot to do with the space allotted in your RV. If you have a full-size RV with a full kitchen, you will be able to get a much larger model than what will fit in a pop-up motorhome. It is a good idea to measure the space you have available to find something that will fit. Along with size, internal capacity space will vary. Many RV refrigerators are designed to be compact. However, some fridges are built to hold!
Installation and Maintenance
Once you have decided on the right refrigerator for your RV, the next step is installation. Unfortunately, the removal of an old refrigerator and the installation of a new one is the hardest part of the entire process! It is best to have your local RV dealership or RV service center remove your old one and install the new one to ensure proper performance. Unlike a home refrigerator that simply requires unplugging and hauling the old one and then setting and plugging in the new one, your RV refrigerator is screwed in, hardwired to your RVs electrical system, and connected to an LP gas line. Trust your RV service professionals to take care of the removal, installation, and continued maintenance of your RV refrigerator.
For all of your RV refrigerator needs in the North Denver/Fort Lupton area, contact us at Mericle RV. We offer a wide range of RV and motorhome refrigerator services including removal of your old unit, installation of your new one, and routine maintenance.
RV Refrigerator Service in Denver
At Mericle RV, we are a full-service RV maintenance and repair ship. Our RV refrigerator services include routine inspections to check for optimal airflow and burner/flue cleaning to prolong the efficiency and lifespan of your refrigerator.
Our RV refrigerator services include:
- RV refrigerator repair
- RV refrigerator installation
- RV refrigerator cooling unit reconditioning
- RV refrigerator replacement
For more information, an obligation-free estimate, or to schedule your RV service, contact us today!
