Monday, December 17, 2012

Baffled, Part 3

Kibitka is finally home from the authorized Dometic repair center. We didn't mind that it was gone so long since we had no trips planned and we looked at this as free camper storage off of our driveway for the time.


The repair center consulted with Dometic on the phone and Dometic sent them a fan and baffle to install in the space behind the refrigerator, under warranty. The fan operates on a thermostat and has an on-off switch on the left side of the refrigerator (over the bed) for enabling the fan to operate. The switch is labelled "refrigerator fan switch" which leads us to believe Dometic has repeatedly seen the need for this switch and fan. The Dometic baffle is somewhere near the top back of the refrigerator, although we haven't removed the vent panel to see it. We will not be able to conclusively prove the success or failure of the new fan and baffle system until warm weather. Their purpose is to move more air across the cooling coil than occurs naturally. Great Husband and I are rating our confidence level in this fix at about 50-50.


Update as of 3-28-2013:  We've just finished a long trip with the new baffle and fan, albeit a cold-weather trip. We are reluctant to declare victory until we take a trip in hotter weather, but on this cold-weather trip the refrigerator worked great at all times.