Elecrolux Fridge not cold

I'm the new owner of a 1997 Transit Duetto, with the usual Electrolux 3 way fridge. The fridge runs, on 12v & gas, & if you touch the inside of the ice box it's cold, but stuff in the fridge doesn't get much colder than outside. Is it just past it's sell-by date, or is there anything I can do to improve it's performance. Gas supply seems good. Vents seem clear. Door seal is good. Perhaps they just wear out, it is 17 year old after all. If I replace it, do I just get another one the same? All advice appreciated. Thanks

What model is it, ours is an RM4217, it froze a litre bottle of water and a 2 litre bottle of milk solid on our way to France while on 12V.   

I had to replace the igniter last year but apart from that it's very good.

Not boasting but indicating that it's not necessarily normal for them to be mediocre.

If the heater elements are working, test with a multimeter thermocouple or infra red thermometer if you have one, then it suggests that either the door seal is poor or that the coolant has mostly escaped.
Does it have a 230V option, does that work any better?

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Not wishing to bring bad news, but I have just had to replace my fridge for the same reason. Ice would appear on the back of the freezer but the ali' fins below would not get cold. I done all that was advised. Improved the airflow at the rear, removed fridge and shook it, removed and left overnight upside down. Still the same. Ours was a dometic rm4271. WARNING! The recommend replacement model (rm4271 unavailable) was model 5330. This was suppose to be the replacement, but once in was not deep enough to reach gas flu etc. Removed and back to supplier &, now have now fitted rms8400. I did not buy this in the first place due to the curved door. Now we have no décor panel! All electrics and gas on old fridge were working correctly. Fitting the new fridge not as easy as I thought, but that's another story. Hope you get yours sorted OK, but I have learnt that sealing the rear correctly and getting the heat out asap is important.

Fluff

Mine is model RM 4123

There is a very good chance that the fridge has failed and will need replacing. If you have a good heat source (and gas is best) and its not getting cold enough then the coolant has escaped or the cooling coil is blocked. Either of these mean a new fridge.

As always I recommend that you have an engineer fit it or at least gas check it when the job is done.

It might be worth trying the "turn it upside down" trick, which sounds like an April fool's joke, but worked for me last summer when my fridge was suffering from feeble cooling.

The upside down tip is always worth a try, after all it could save you well over a hundred pounds ( working fridges sell easily for that on EBay). Leave it upside down for 24 hours then upright for 24 hours before refitting (repeat if you have the time).

How long have you tested it for? Absorption fridges often seem to take a while to get going. I would generally leave mine on (on mains hookup) for at least 24 hours before going away, and generally it would not appear to be doing much for the first few hours...

A thermometer something like this ...

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... is well worth having is situations like this as you can see the temperature dropping (by tenths of a deg C) within minutes.

Whhhhoooooaaaaaa!!

DON'T BUY A NEW FRIDGE UNTIL YOU HAVE CHECKED EVERYTHING OUT!!

There are a number reasons for an absorption fridge to stop working and loss of refrigerant is only one of them; and still not a definitive reason to dump the thing!!

An absorption fridge will not run properly if:

o  It is not level.  (Check that the fridge is completely level.)

o  There is no heat source.  (Seeing a gas flame is the easiest way to check.)

o  The exhaust from the gas flame heat source is displaced.  (Check that the exhaust is properly installed.)

o  The heat exchangers are not able to evaporate and condense the refrigerant as required. (Everything from a hot sunny day to a mouse's nest can stop one of the heat exchangers from working properly.  Check that they are all free from dust and debris.)

o  The refrigerants are in the wrong place.  (Turning the fridge upside down and then the right way up can correct this.  However, DO NOT try and start the fridge for 24 hours AFTER returning the fridge to the upright position.)

o  A refrigerant component has leaked away.  (They can be repaired and refilled.  Check with your local caravan dealer, preferably one who doesn't sell new fridges, as to where it could be refilled!)

Hope this helps.   

Best regards,