Fridge issues

[Lucan]

Hi All,

Wondered if anyone can help.

I switched the fridge on yesterday (whilst on hook up). I’ve come to it today and the red light was flashing once and the fridge was not cool. I started the van and the fridge appeared to work as normal with no flashing light.

I’ve now switched the van off and with it plugged into the hook up still, it appears to be struggling.

Could this be the leisure battery needed to be changed? I’m not sure why when it’s on hook up it’s doing this as it shouldn’t really affect it but I’m not at all electrically minded

Any advice is gratefully received

 

[DXX]

There’s a steady stream of fridge / battery problems, it’s nearly always the battery and occasionally wiring.
I suggest you Google for a specialist battery shop and get them to load test it, just having 12v isn’t an indication of a healthy battery.

 

[Pete C]

Do you have a way of measuring your leisure battery voltage, and how is it charged when you are on hookup i.e. What sort of mains charger do you have ?

Pete

 

[True Romance]

EHU will usually just give you 240v plugs. The fridge will more than likely still be powder from the leisure battery. This will need a mains changer connected to keep it topped up.

What set up do you have? As above what (of any) battery charger do you have fitted?

 

[Lucan]

I think this shows my naivety and utter stupidity. I assumed hooking up the EHU would charge it, what a nob. And the answers above now help things to make sense why being on hookup is making no difference to the operation of the fridge.

I’m currently away but as soon as I’m back I will measure the battery but I think I already have my answer.

Could anyone advise what is a good charger to get please . Kicking myself

 

[Pete C]

Before you go and buy something, do a check to see what you have, and post some pictures here.
You may have a charger, but it’s not turned on.

Pete

 

[4WheelsFromCanvas]

Don’t feel bad - I too had assumed my EHU would charge the leisure battery and then I found there actually wasn’t a charger installed and that, as above, my EHU was only giving me mains power to my 240v sockets.

We did however have a dedicated rectifier (converts 240v to 12v to feed the dometic fridge directly when on hookup) from a 240v socket hidden in a cupboard. Worth a search to see if there’s anything like that in your setup. Looks like this black ribbed box :




Sometimes when fridge power switches from leisure battery to rectifier (and back again) we suffered the renowned flashing orange light issue. Eventually found good advice here that taking the blade fuse out and replacing it helped the fridge reset and then orange light would switch back to blue and the compressor would start. Making assumptions on what your fridge is but this tip is worth a try.

Ultimately it’s all to do with power and voltage which is frankly witchcraft to me but I’m learning with help from the community here!