Topaz fridge

Hi all,

Just got back from an enjoyable 3 week plus jaunt to Wales and the North.

Towards the end of the trip we noticed that the green mains indicator light on the fridge was so bright that it effectively lit up the interior of the van during the night.

Strange we thought. Then we noticed that it had gone very dim so that it was difficult to see in daylight. Then it went out completely and the fridge stopped being a fridge.

Changed over to gas and all was well. On the road the 12 volts also worked (we don't use 12 volts when parked up on site).

Has anyone else had this problem, and if so what was the solution?

The van is an Autosleeper Topaz on the 2.4 TDI Volkswagen, and the fridge is a 240v, 12v, and gas Dometic RM4213 S.

Any pointers gratefully received.

Jack

jackplug1949 wrote:Then it went out completely

One point to note about the way the 240V side of a typical 3-way fridge is wired: the light indicates that there is a 240V supply present and it is switched on. It does not indicate whether the element is working or not. If the element had failed but there was still 240V present, the light on the switch would still light up.

The two most likely causes of the switch not lighting are firstly a faulty switch, and secondly a lack of mains power to the switch.

Have you checked to make sure that the relevant MCB is switched on? With an EC 328 it is not easy for them to be knocked because of the transparent cover, but still worth checking to be sure...

Roopert,

Thanks for the reply.

Yes I have checked the breaker, and as above the boiler and charger which are powered by the same breaker are fine.

I think I may have to check the wiring to the fridge, just in case. It is looking as though the element may have failed, although the couple of days with a

very dim light is intriguing. :-)

Jack

You could be right but, as already said, the light going out does not indicate that the element has failed.