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How To Exchange the Heating Factor in an RV Fridge I Tenting World Weblog


The very last thing you need earlier than an enormous tenting journey is your RV fridge not cooling. RV home equipment take plenty of abuse, way more than the home equipment in your house. Subsequently, you’re extra prone to expertise points with them. 

Nevertheless, some RV equipment repairs are simple and might be accomplished shortly. Let’s have a look at how one can substitute the heating component in an RV fridge.

How To Diagnose a Dangerous RV Fridge Heating Factor

testing an rv refrigerator heating element
Picture by Tenting World

When you have an absorption-style RV fridge that runs on propane and electrical energy, you could, sooner or later, expertise the fridge working on propane however not electrical. In that case, one doable trigger is a foul fridge heating component. Fortunately, testing your RV fridge heating component is quick and simple. Substitute can also be comparatively cheap. Nevertheless, you will have some RV instruments to finish this process. 

To diagnose and/or substitute a defective RV fridge heating component, you will have the next:

  • Multimeter 
  • Screwdriver
  • Needle Nostril Pliers
  • Penetrating Oil (Non-flammable) 

After you have all the pieces, begin by testing your RV fridge heating component. 

Entry Door Elimination

Exterior access panel for RV refrigerator
Picture by Tenting World

To search out out why your camper fridge will not be cooling, flip off the breaker for the fridge, take away the camper from shore energy, and disconnect the batteries. Find your fridge’s exterior entry door on the surface wall. As soon as situated, take away. These are sometimes held on with screws or tabs.

Discovering The Factor 

RV fridge circuit board
Picture by Tenting World

With the door eliminated, unplug the ability wire. Find the management board cowl and take away it to show the circuits. Discover the 2 wires for the heating component, which run from the management board to the flue stack. When you have bother discovering the wires, discuss with the wiring diagram on the board or cowl. Take away the heating component terminals from the management board utilizing a pair of needle nostril pliers. 

Testing For Continuity

Testing continuity for refrigerator heating element
Picture by Tenting World

Utilizing your multimeter, place the purple probe into one wire and the black probe into the opposite. Polarity doesn’t matter for many heating parts. Flip the multimeter to the continuity setting and confirm the circuit is closed. If there’s an open circuit, this means the component or wire is unhealthy and can have to be changed. 

If the circuit is closed, swap to the resistance setting and confirm that it’s inside your unit’s acceptable vary. To acquire the resistance vary, you should reference the fridge’s service handbook. If the component will not be inside the acceptable vary, it have to be changed. If the component is inside the acceptable vary, the heating component will not be inflicting the problem. 

How To Exchange the Heating Factor in an RV Fridge

If you happen to’ve decided your heating component is unhealthy, listed below are the steps to take away the previous component and set up a brand new RV fridge heating component:

Technician Tip: Earlier than putting in your new heating component, confirm the required wattage utilizing the service or proprietor’s handbook.

Step 1: Flip off the breaker for the circuit your fridge is on.

RV circuit breaker panel
Picture by Tenting World

Step 2: Take away the fridge’s exterior entry panel and unplug the fridge from the 120VAC outlet.

Security tabs on RV refrigerator access panel
Picture by Tenting World

Step 3: Determine the wiring working to the heating component and disconnect it from the circuit board.

Disconnecting fridge wiring from circuit board
Picture by Tenting World

Step 4: Take away the heating component cowl by bending the tabs out and away.

Step 5: Spray penetrating oil into the cavity the place the heating component is situated.

Step 6: Seize the component and wiggle backwards and forwards whereas pulling up till free. 

Step 7: Set up the brand new component into the socket and push it down till it bottoms out. Verify fitment of canopy to make sure correct insertion depth. 

Step 8: Resecure wiring and connect to the circuit board.

Step 9: Plug the fridge again in, reapply energy to the breaker, and use a multimeter to test for present to the component. 

Checking for current to RV refrigerator heating element
Picture by Tenting World

Step 10: Safe the heating component cowl, circuit board cowl, and entry door cowl.

Why Is My RV Fridge Not Working On Electrical energy?

If the heating component is in working order however your fridge nonetheless solely works on propane, you would possibly merely have a tripped breaker or unhealthy fuse. Verify the RV fridge management board and the RV’s management heart for tripped breakers or unhealthy fuses. If all else fails, you possibly can convey your RV to certainly one of our close by service facilities for help.


If you happen to don’t need to cope with the effort of repairing your fridge, there’s all the time a substitute. Try among the articles beneath in case you’re in want.

Within the feedback, please tell us in case you’ve ever had points together with your RV fridge and what you probably did.

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