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Old 11-06-2014, 07:07 AM   #21
SkiSmuggs
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The OP never returned to say what the problem was. However, a Group 24 battery is barely adequate. Measure your battery box and you may find that it is large enough for a Group 27 which is what I upgraded to for my first boondock camping. I have since gone with a pair of 6-volt GC2 batteries.
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Old 11-25-2014, 04:14 PM   #22
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J've read the entire thread and haven't figured out what the climate control feature does. Somebody help me....
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Old 11-25-2014, 04:22 PM   #23
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There is a heated cable between the frames of the freezer and fridge, that is drawing all of the time. Originally, the manufacturer had a switch to shut this off if you were camping without hookups (it draws a lot of juice), but they got cheap on us and did away with that option.

The side effect is that in hot and humid areas you may get a bit of condensation on the plastic trim between the fridge and freezer.
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Old 11-25-2014, 05:19 PM   #24
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J've read the entire thread and haven't figured out what the climate control feature does. Somebody help me....
gearhead -
Here's what it says in my Dometic manual about the Climate Control Feature -----

"During the summer months of high humidity and temperatures, the metal frame between the freezer and the fresh food compartments may have water droplets forming. The number of droplets forming may increase if the vehicle is not air conditioned during these months.
The climate control feature will evaporate the droplets when they form. The control can be left on continuously or used only when the temperatures require it. When on, it will draw 12v power continuously so you should turn it off when a charging source is not available."

In other words, if this feature is available on your fridge and left ON, it will drain your battery IF you don't have any means of charging it.
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Old 11-25-2014, 05:23 PM   #25
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Festus2 is spot on.

On some of the newer model fridges, however, this is not an "option" as far as having a switch; they removed the switch, and made it automatic, which means it is drawing all the time. Mine has a blank where the switch would normally be, yet they re-routed the wires so there's no easy way to put a switch in to control it, other than below the fridge light, where I put mine.
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Old 11-25-2014, 08:21 PM   #26
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I had bought a new Springdale trailer about a month ago and was finally able to take it out last weekend. It came new with only 1 battery (my 2011 Springdale came with 2...Keystone getting cheap..er). The battery voltage was going down quicker than I thought it should during the day. I attributed this to only having 1 battery.

After reading this post, I don't think it was only having 1 battery that was the problem. Looked at the wiring diagrams, and there it is! Coming off the circuit board power (A) at post J2, there looks to be a single red wire that goes to the refrigerator lamp switch (H). From that switch, another red wire goes to the dreaded "Heating Cable" (K), then onto the back side of the refrigerator lamp (G) and to a black ground wire. As has been said before, that means this heating cable is always on! Wonder how many amps it draws?

I'm seeing the same thing in the wiring diagrams for many other models. According to my operating instructions (Form No. 3313240.016 6/11) the NDM1062 is the only refrigerator with an on/off switch.

KMH, I'd love to see a pic of your on/off switch installation. Looks like I'll be adding a switch, too.

Rick

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Old 11-25-2014, 08:35 PM   #27
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Here is a side view of the wire used.. There are two wires there, one of them is thicker. In my setup, (and most if not all of the same model) the thicker red wire is the one to put a switch on.


I have an LED bulb in the fridge; if you don't be mindful of how close the bulb is to the wire, because the bulb does get hot if it's not an LED.






For those not sure what this switch does.. Here is the slight condensation present on a trip this summer, after doing the mod and having the switch in the "off" position. If you have it on, or have not yet done the mod, feel the back trim between the fridge and freezer after the fridge has been switched on for a day or so; it will be very warm..


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Old 11-25-2014, 08:42 PM   #28
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Also, I had read somewhere that it drew as much as .5a. This may not seem like much, but setting aside all other variables for a second, that this draw would be about 12ah per day. If the average deep cycle has 100 or so usable Ah (if drawing down 50%), a 4 day weekend would use up half of your capacity, before using furnace, lights, or anything else.
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Old 11-25-2014, 10:00 PM   #29
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KMH -
On our Dometic (DM2652), which does have the Climate Control feature, the switch for it is located outside the fridge beneath the decoration panel that houses the control panel. The switch, which cannot be seen unless you either feel it or stoop, is a small, black rocker-type switch.
We've never been in any areas yet where the temperature and/or humidity is high enough to warrant turning the Climate Control feature on. So in our case, it's always been in the OFF position.
Are you certain that in some of the newer fridges, that there is a Climate Control feature that is always ON, cannot be turned off, and therefore would always draw from the battery? The fridge then would actually have a double draw on the battery - one for the control panel/board and another for the Climate Control? Or are they both all part of the control panel/board?

In any case, the fridge depends upon the battery to operate and will draw on it regardless of whether or not the Climate Control function is on or it is not a feature of the fridge.
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Old 11-25-2014, 10:23 PM   #30
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Festus,
Not all 2652s had the switch; mine has a blank, and 4 other 2012+ of the same model that friends of mine have do as well. The fridge itself draws .08-1a, but a big part of that is the climate control option, when switched on.

The switch shuts doen only the heat cable that is installed in that frame between fridge and freezer, not the entire unit.
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Old 11-27-2014, 09:24 AM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KMH View Post
Festus,
Not all 2652s had the switch; mine has a blank, and 4 other 2012+ of the same model that friends of mine have do as well. The fridge itself draws .08-1a, but a big part of that is the climate control option, when switched on.

The switch shuts doen only the heat cable that is installed in that frame between fridge and freezer, not the entire unit.
Sir,

Excellent post and pictures

My 2013 Cougar 21RBSWE does not have the rocker switch as depicted in your pictures. Nor is there one below the control panel. I removed the lamp lens and have the 2 red wires as described. One small and one large.

Did you install the rocker switch as shown in your pictures? If so, could you please provide a part number? What holds the door switch/lamp assembly to the side of the fridge? I would like to remove it to install the rocker switch.

Thanks
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Old 11-27-2014, 10:01 AM   #32
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Yes, I installed the rocker switch, that is a "mini" rocker out of an extra overhead light that I had. Radio shack should have them, or Ebay... I believe this would be considered a single pole, single throw?

Not sure how the housing mounts to the fridge, but it would have taken me longer to figure that out than it did to drill the pilot holes on the edge of the hole and then dremel the pattern out. Just shut off all power to the camper (could just shut down the fridge probably, but no sense in chancing it, imo) And go slow.

Good luck!
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Old 12-04-2014, 10:40 AM   #33
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I just added a toggle switch to my fridge for the heating strip. It's a SPST and cost like 5 bucks at Radio Shack. As I can never remember which is the on position for those I/O switches, I chose a lighted switch.

I figure the heating strip will use more power than the switch light, so what the heck. I may add a label on the bottom of the clear lens describing what the switch does (Refrig. Heat Strip). That'll help the next owner.

It's a pretty tight fit in there and not much spare wire to work with. My switch is deeper than KMH's, so with the wire connectors on the switch the festoon refrigerator light won't fit.

I've ordered a LED bulb, but don't know if I'll use it. As the refrigerator isn't that deep, that light really doesn't do anything and I have a ceiling light right over it. If I do decide to use it, I'll remove the wire connectors, then trim the terminals and solder directly to them. That'll give me the room I need.

The whole refrigerator light/switch assembly is held on by what looks like 2 plastic rivets (you can see 1 in KMH's pics). I don't recommend removing this assembly as you'll probably break those rivets in removing it and have no way to re-attach the assembly, other than using a screw.

Here's the answer on the I/O switches-
"It has to do with binary numeral system. 1 for on, 0 for off. This way it's understandable for everyone around the world, since not everyone understands English (ON/OFF)."

That's great IF you understand the binary numeral system.


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Old 12-04-2014, 10:58 AM   #34
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I always associate "O" with "Off". It hasn't failed me yet.
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Old 02-25-2015, 05:37 PM   #35
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Is anyone familiar with the Atwood He refrigerators? The manual says that the "Moister Divider Heater" is automatically controlled. Do they mean...

1) They were smart enough only to run it when on AC.
Or
2) It runs all the time.

It seems to be wired similar.

Thanks,
Chris
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Old 02-25-2015, 08:22 PM   #36
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Per an Atwood operating manual - "The refrigerator’s electronic controls require 12 volt DC to operate". Both the divider heater and refrigerator interior light share the same black ground wire (J10-5). Power's supplied by the blue wire (J10-6).
So, it's #2, whether you're plugged into shore power or only using batteries, the result is the same...it's always on.

Rick
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Old 03-17-2015, 02:21 PM   #37
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Just did some voltage testing and, interesting enough, as per the Atwood operating manual- "the Moister Divider Heater is automatically controlled" is correct. Whether the refrigerator was running on AC power or just on the batteries/propane, the blue wire (J10-6) never had power during the 1/2 hour that I monitored it. I am not sure what determines when the heater gets power, but it is not continuously on.

I will likely still add a switch (probably right on the cover of the power board) so that while we are dry camping the heater can not draw precious battery power.
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Old 06-29-2015, 12:35 PM   #38
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Sorry to resurrect an old thread again, but it appears that my RM1350 4 door fridge has this uncontrollable function as well. Has anyone done the switch mod on a fridge like mine? If so, where did you access the (in my case) green wires?
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Old 06-29-2015, 02:26 PM   #39
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cfoxtrot View Post
Just did some voltage testing and, interesting enough, as per the Atwood operating manual- "the Moister Divider Heater is automatically controlled" is correct. Whether the refrigerator was running on AC power or just on the batteries/propane, the blue wire (J10-6) never had power during the 1/2 hour that I monitored it. I am not sure what determines when the heater gets power, but it is not continuously on.

I will likely still add a switch (probably right on the cover of the power board) so that while we are dry camping the heater can not draw precious battery power.
You might want to check the black wire for power?

The problem might be isolating the heater strip from the lamp.

-Brian
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