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Dometic chest type freezer/refeig
- Thread starter Roy & Dixie
- Start date
Just to add my experience with Dometic (WAECO) CF50. Although I posted the whole story on a separate thread, some will not read thru it to see the final result.
10 days after I first contacted customer service, I finally got a phone response from a supervisor in tech/warrantee division. I described the issues in detail. Even though we had decided to "tough it out", and there was some question in our minds about how well our unit was working in hot weather, and the LED read out was significantly different than the measured temperature in the unit, she offered us a new unit to be shipped to our home at no cost. We have to ship back the serial number/model number tag, but will be keeping the old unit.
Once we got to a supervisor, the issue was solved to our satisfaction.
10 days after I first contacted customer service, I finally got a phone response from a supervisor in tech/warrantee division. I described the issues in detail. Even though we had decided to "tough it out", and there was some question in our minds about how well our unit was working in hot weather, and the LED read out was significantly different than the measured temperature in the unit, she offered us a new unit to be shipped to our home at no cost. We have to ship back the serial number/model number tag, but will be keeping the old unit.
Once we got to a supervisor, the issue was solved to our satisfaction.
Thanks for the flollow up (I did just go ahead and buy one of these). So now we CF-50 owners want the part number for the repair kit you'll be getting and the name of your supervisor/contact. Sounds like they really came through in the end - especially that supervisor (too bad about all the hoops and time you had to go through to get there, though).
Sunbeam, the supervisor says there is NO replacement thermistor kit. She has been in the division which deals with the Dometic (WAECO) chest/refrigerator series for 10 years. I talked to the tech who came by the house yesterday, and he insists that Dometic tech support told him that there was a kit, but he had not ordered it yet. There are a number of sources of a replacement Thermistor on the internet. I will be happy to link to those if anyone needs one. The tech had not yet ordered the "kit", I will probably order one of the ones off the Internet.
I will give out the name or number of this supervisor to anyone who is having problems with their Domestic chest type freezer/refer, after they have gone thru the usual diagnostic protocol. This means:
Be sure the unit is not running on "Emergency" setting. This puts the compressor on full time, and is a switch near the power cords input.
After people have checked to see if the compressor is running and cooling, by measuring temps as below:.
Checking the actual temps of the inside of the unit on various settings, with a thermometer (and IR on the surface of a pan of water, is close to the measurement of alcohol, with a probe thermometer.
All of my testing has been on the mains power so far. Since I have a constant 30 amp power supply at 13.8 volts, I will measure it on that, and will measure on the same battery I had eased at Powell, with the same changing protocol (range of voltage 12.8 to 12.2.) (Interestingly the Tech who came by insisted that "12.5 volts is a battery half discharged"--and he considered 12.2 almost a dead battery. Even mentioned that I didn't know what I was talking about when I made the comment that I never allowed the voltage to drop to less than 12.2, which I considered to be 50% discharged. I did not argue with him, but he deals with RV's where there is often a "converter" running, which keeps the voltage from 13 to 13.8 volts. Thus it is most likely that all of the claimed current draw was at 13.8 volts, rather than 12.2 volts (and there will be a difference).
During this testing I will also set the system up so I can measure the amp draw on start up, as well as running for the compressor at various voltages.
I can also measure the run time, and compare the "new" unit and the unit I have with temperature measurements.
Even though it is cooling off in Pensacola, I can get temps close to what we had at Powell, in the interior of the C Dory 22 with windows shut, during the day. I will try and do some of these tests next week, on a new thread.
I will give out the name or number of this supervisor to anyone who is having problems with their Domestic chest type freezer/refer, after they have gone thru the usual diagnostic protocol. This means:
Be sure the unit is not running on "Emergency" setting. This puts the compressor on full time, and is a switch near the power cords input.
After people have checked to see if the compressor is running and cooling, by measuring temps as below:.
Checking the actual temps of the inside of the unit on various settings, with a thermometer (and IR on the surface of a pan of water, is close to the measurement of alcohol, with a probe thermometer.
All of my testing has been on the mains power so far. Since I have a constant 30 amp power supply at 13.8 volts, I will measure it on that, and will measure on the same battery I had eased at Powell, with the same changing protocol (range of voltage 12.8 to 12.2.) (Interestingly the Tech who came by insisted that "12.5 volts is a battery half discharged"--and he considered 12.2 almost a dead battery. Even mentioned that I didn't know what I was talking about when I made the comment that I never allowed the voltage to drop to less than 12.2, which I considered to be 50% discharged. I did not argue with him, but he deals with RV's where there is often a "converter" running, which keeps the voltage from 13 to 13.8 volts. Thus it is most likely that all of the claimed current draw was at 13.8 volts, rather than 12.2 volts (and there will be a difference).
During this testing I will also set the system up so I can measure the amp draw on start up, as well as running for the compressor at various voltages.
I can also measure the run time, and compare the "new" unit and the unit I have with temperature measurements.
Even though it is cooling off in Pensacola, I can get temps close to what we had at Powell, in the interior of the C Dory 22 with windows shut, during the day. I will try and do some of these tests next week, on a new thread.
Four years later I have an update on the Dometic CF 50. We have used it on 6 trips to Calif. several years in the RV and about 8 months in the boats. Two days ago it failed in the same fashion as the last one, and I believe it is the thermistor. We will finish out this trip with a freezer temp of 26.5 degrees. Then perhaps replace the Thermister, but will never buy another Dometic product! This thermistor issue is a well documented failure.
Either a ABR or Engle will replace the Dometic. Thataway has an Engle on slides under the front dinette seat which works well as a reefer.
Either a ABR or Engle will replace the Dometic. Thataway has an Engle on slides under the front dinette seat which works well as a reefer.