Alarm on Dometic Refrigerator

Gamma1966

2013 Chassis /14 Unity MB
Yesterday, while dry camping on the coast just below San Francisco, Ca. I decided to clean out my refrigerator using Windex solution. The refrigerator was cooled down overnight to about 40 Degrees before I started the clean up. After cleaning the walls, racks and storage bins, I reloaded the food back into the refrigerator.

Then is started, every 2 minutes the alarm sounded for 15 seconds. After going thru the manual for the refrigerator it said this is meant to tell you the Light inside the refrigerator is still ON! Actually this alarm is meant to remind you to close the refrigerator door, when it is running. I assumed there was a problem with the switch which closes when you open the door and "Opens" when the door latch pushes into the switch assembly. I mechanically held the switch pushed inward, and the light was off. However every 2 minutes the alarm again sound for 15 seconds. There were no other alerts or warning lights being displayed on the refrigerator control panel.

I thought maybe the Windex solution was in the switch assembly. I used a small hair dryer to blow out the switch assembly, and make sure it was dry. However, it had no effect, the alarm continued to go off every 2 minutes for 15 seconds.

After just letting the alarm run thru dinner and in preparation for going to bed, I finally removed the plastic cover over the switch and removed the switch power connector. The trick to removing the plastic cover is to pry off the upper and lower front plastic faces of the switch cover and then pull the cover off from rear edge. That of course turned of the light, but it also stopped the bogus alarm.

Has anyone else run across this problem? I assume I will have to replace the switch assembly when I am back home?
 

Gamma1966

2013 Chassis /14 Unity MB
I have a 2014 Unity MB on a 2013 sprinter chassis. I failed to mention, I did a final wipe down with mild soap solution as well.
 

Gamma1966

2013 Chassis /14 Unity MB
Well I removed the door switch assembly from the Dometic RM8555 refrigerator and found the Micro switch was not working as required. I found a replacement part on the Radio Shack web site p/n 2750016 for 3.49 each ( 3/4 x 1/4 x 3/8" SPDT Switch without roller ) When it comes in I will re-solder it back into the circuit in the door switch assembly.
 

Don Horner

2012 Unity IB
Well I removed the door switch assembly from the Dometic RM8555 refrigerator and found the Micro switch was not working as required. I found a replacement part on the Radio Shack web site p/n 2750016 for 3.49 each ( 3/4 x 1/4 x 3/8" SPDT Switch without roller ) When it comes in I will re-solder it back into the circuit in the door switch assembly.
Another minor problem well solved! Let's hope they stay at that level...
 

MWarren

2015.5 Unity CB
Well I removed the door switch assembly from the Dometic RM8555 refrigerator and found the Micro switch was not working as required. I found a replacement part on the Radio Shack web site p/n 2750016 for 3.49 each ( 3/4 x 1/4 x 3/8" SPDT Switch without roller ) When it comes in I will re-solder it back into the circuit in the door switch assembly.
Could you tell me if your Dometic Refrigerator RM8555 is now working without the 2 minute alarm and flashing light from the replacement part at Radio Shack? We have had our 2015.5 Unity 3 weeks and on the 3rd day the alarm started and light flashing indicating door was open (which it was not). Took it back to dealer and they ordered micro-switch on the door replacement and temporarily disconnected the wiring to the light behind it to stop the alarm which worked. Five days later part came in, they installed it and on our way home 2 days later the alarm and flashing light were back. We have now disconnected the light again to stop the alarm and plan to call Dometic this week to see if this new micro-switch is bad or is it just something else defective in the door latch??
 

alichty

2014 LTV Unity TB
Curious - I had a similar alarm about a week ago (after I went to bed of course) and decided to just switch from shore power to the propane feed after the door ajar sanity check. Sure enough - it went off again a couple of minutes later so I just shut the unit off for the night and crawled back in bed. I turned it back on the next morning and haven't heard a peep out of it since (knock on wood so I will get uninterrupted sleep tonight). :hmmm:
 

Dacar

2015.5 Unity TB
MWarren
did you ever get a response from Dometic to resolve the alarm issue? trying not to waste a trip to the dealer for my refer.
thanks
Dave
 

Gamma1966

2013 Chassis /14 Unity MB
Could you tell me if your Dometic Refrigerator RM8555 is now working without the 2 minute alarm and flashing light from the replacement part at Radio Shack? We have had our 2015.5 Unity 3 weeks and on the 3rd day the alarm started and light flashing indicating door was open (which it was not). Took it back to dealer and they ordered micro-switch on the door replacement and temporarily disconnected the wiring to the light behind it to stop the alarm which worked. Five days later part came in, they installed it and on our way home 2 days later the alarm and flashing light were back. We have now disconnected the light again to stop the k and plan to call Dometic this week to see if this new micro-switch is bad or is it just something else defective in the door latch??
Yes it has comtinued to work since I used the Radio Shack micro.
 

Francois

Member
Ditto... I my case the alarm was still on after removing the connector ...blow air on it, and it stop, suspect the condensation short the connector
 

Ed Hickl

New member
I too had the open door alarm on my 2015.5 Dometic frog/freezer. Was on a trip next to the Texas Gulf Coast. High humidity. I found that there was moisture at the connector-circuit board point. I disconnected the wiring connector and the alarm went off. I started looking into the alarm on web site and even talked with some repair shops ( they only said to bring it in and they would check it out. After turning off the unit and opening the door for a few day, the unit dried out. If you look at the circuit board and connector contact points, there is no protection for moisture collecting between the contacts. Weak design by domestic. Not that i figured out the cause, I can deal with it. I bring along a can of the dry compressed air for the next time the alarm starts up in the middle of the night. Francois nailed it too. Not saying there couldn't have a bad switch but try the air drying or at least the switch wire disconnect first. Also check to see that the door seal is working properly too. Could save you a few hours waiting at a service center while they try to figure it out and can't really fix cause the design is not that good- replacing the switch with another one of the same design is not the right answer. Has anyone try to apply a silicone or some other sealer on the connector to prevent moisture getting to the connections? I not sure what kind to consider as I don't want to void the warranty or cause corrosion because of some chemical in the sealer.
 

Peter Tourin

2020 Unity RL, ex 2012 Unity MB
I have a similar problem. Jean just called me and said that every few minutes the fridge beeps 33 times, then stops. Temps are good, fridge is a replacement that's about a year old. No lights flash on the brow board - what light are you talking about that you see flashing?

What's more important - is there any kludge that will turn the alarm off? Since the RV is in Massachusetts and I'm home in Vermont, I can't do much to help. What's the story with blowing air? Are you blowing it on the brow board? I don't remember how you get the cover off and get at the board, but I'm thinking Jean could do that with a hair drier if you can remind me how to get to the board.

Can she unplug the door switch at the board?

Any suggestions welcome!!
 

Peter Tourin

2020 Unity RL, ex 2012 Unity MB
There a a lot of posts on various forums about this problem. Most are asking for help, very little useful info offered <s>... But it appears that usually it's moisture, either at the door switch light or at the connections on the brow board, that drop the resistance of an open connection so that current flows - symptom: the door is shut but the LED light inside just glows a slight bit and the alarm goes off - apparently it senses current flow. So hitting the bulb area or the brow board with compressed air sometimes moves moisture away and solves the problem.

The text on this YouTube video is helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV7mJ1sbLEQ
 

WayneinPD

New member
This may or may not help, but it's working so far. Door alarm: defrosted, uncovered the switch and blew out a lot of moisture. Happened again. In the same time frame the freezer door stuck so defrosted again on the theory to melt the ice on the seals. Made sure seal heater elements were on. In a week, freezer door froze again. Defrost again. With latch covers removed throughly sprayed uncovered latch boxes with silicon lubricant amd well as the latch hole on the freezer door Put the lubricant on seals too. In a couple of days it happened again, the freezer door was sticking but with the button depressed and an upward jerk, it opened This was several weeks ago, no problems since. Suspect the silicon spray is excluding water between latch surfaces and in the circuit board. 2015 MB
 

Dacar

2015.5 Unity TB
Peter. You can disconnect the light and door sensor by removing the cover on the inside left of the fridge. The connection will pull out towards the rear. You have to remove the cover first . My had been off all summer and going in for repair next week.
 

Peter Tourin

2020 Unity RL, ex 2012 Unity MB
Jean dried out the fridge - left it open for a day - and no more alarms so far. But are you saying that there's a single connection that disconnects both the light and the door sensor, and that when unplugged, the alarm doesn't go off and the fridge still cools? I hope that's true - and if it is, I'm surprised that none of the many fridge threads mentioned it. When you're wakened at 3 am by an alarm, what's the one thing you want to do? Make the alarm stop without losing all your food, and go back to bed!
 

Dacar

2015.5 Unity TB
my dealer last week installed a "high humidity sensor" for the door alarm. hoping this solves the problem. thinking maybe Dometic should do a recall if this is the true fix. it will take until the first trip in spring down should to test it
 

Peter Tourin

2020 Unity RL, ex 2012 Unity MB
What did they mean by "high humidity sensor" - is it a replacement sensor but one that doesn't get screwed up by moisture/condensation? If it works, I expect some of us will want to know the part number <g>...
 

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