RV Refrigerator Troubleshooting: Thermistor

RV refrigerators, designed to make the best use of available storage space in an RV, have many different systems that are used to make sure everything is running smoothly and the refrigerator is at the desired temperature.

There is, however, a list of things that could go wrong with your RV refrigerator, as they have some unique quirks about them, and you may at some point need to do some RV refrigerator troubleshooting. Keep in mind that the RV refrigerator operates entirely different from a home refrigerator and it is important to understand the characteristics of your RV refrigerator if you want to make sure your food and drinks stay cool.

One of the most popular RV refrigerator troubleshooting questions involves the RV part called a thermistor. The thermistor, or temperature probe in your refrigerator, is a very important piece of your RV refrigerator as it helps to regulate the temperature in order to make sure it is where it should be.

In this informational RV video, watch as this common RV refrigerator troubleshooting topic is discussed. Learn more about where the thermistor should be located and some basic things to look for when checking your own RV refrigerator thermistor. Make sure you are prepared the next time something goes wrong with your refrigerator and you need to do some RV refrigerator troubleshooting of your own.

6 Responses to “RV Refrigerator Troubleshooting: Thermistor”

1. robert mitchell October 22nd, 2019

   Way too short to be useful. No idea how to adjust position on the thermistor. seems more like a “loss leader” to suck you into buying more videos (all over and above the “premium” subscription).

   Reply

2. Terry Withrow June 10th, 2019

   We have a 2011 Puma travel trailer. The refrigerator works pretty good on electric, but still does not get really cold if it’s hot outside. On gas it works better. But when we are traveling to and from camp site, the refrigerator is on gas, but does not stay cold. In a 6 hr trip, the refrigerator inside temp gets up to 60. What do I need to check? Thank you.

   Reply

   • Customer Service June 13th, 2019

     Dear Terry,

     Thank you for your patience. In response to your question-

     Well first, the ambient temperature does play a factor in the cooling of an RV fridge. If it is really hot outside the fridge will only cool so much. Some things that can effect this are blocked vents so you want to make sure everything is free and clear for the heat to escape. The same can be said for operating while traveling. You have to make sure the vents are clear to allow good air flow. Do not use any type of screen on the vents to prevent bugs and critters, these will reduce the cooling of the fridge. They do make fans that can be installed on the back of the fridge to help move air across the fins to remove the heat faster. They are a helpful add on. If the fridge normally works fine on gas when parked but doesn’t while traveling there could be a problem with the flame going out and re igniting a lot. It can’t keep a good temperature when this happens. I would make sure the covers of the burner are in place and secure. You can also try adding another piece of sheet metal in front of the burn chamber to help block heavy winds blowing the flame out. This won’t block the air flow across the fins so it won’t effect the cooling. You can also check and make sure the burn chamber is clean and free of debris. There could be things like rust or bugs blocking part of the system making the flame weak. These would be the best things to check. I hope this helps!

     Sincerely,
     Dan
     RV Repair Club Technical Expert

     Reply

3. Tim July 19th, 2018

   the add is as long as the video

   Reply

4. Roberta L Hamilton May 24th, 2017

   Need to know how do I fine out why my fridge will not work on gas. Tanks are full,turned on right,(stove will light on gas)….where do I start next as to what is wrong……..??? Thank you for any help.

   Reply

   • Customer Service May 31st, 2017

     Hello Roberta,

     To troubleshoot your refrigerator, start by checking to see if it works on 120-volt electrical first.  This will tell you if it’s the entire refrigerator, or just the gas operation?  If it does not work on either, check the status of your house batteries, they need to be at 11-volts for the control panel or eyebrow board to work on either gas or electric.  Also, check to make sure the high humidity switch usually located between the refrigerator and freezer section is not on “storage” which shut the entire unit off. If it works on AC, and you have checked your batteries for at least 11-volts DC, then check the fuse at the distribution center and the fuse in the module board on the back of the refrigerator.  There is a black plastic box you will need to remove and an in-line 12-volt fuse there as well.  If you have 12-volt power coming in, verify the in-line gas valve is open which is usually a lever that should be in line with the gas pipe.  Open the sight hole on the burner assembly and turn the mode switch on the eyebrow board to gas or LP and listen for a sparking or clicking sound to see if it’s trying to light.  If not, you will need someone to test the module board.  If it’s clicking, but not starting it could be a plugged burner assembly which you could try blowing out with an air compressor, otherwise it would need to be removed and cleaned.  It could also be a misaligned spark ignitor or cracked ceramic portion of the ignitor.  If it’s misaligned, the spark would be shooting away from the LP coming into the burner assembly.  If it’s cracked, the spark follows the crack and doesn’t make it to the LP as well.  You should be able to see the spark through the site hole.  Check out the videos on the site for all these operations.

     Thanks,
     Dave RVRC Video Membership

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