Okay, about the fridge

Back in December I reported the fridge’s error light kept coming on overnight but would go off in the morning.

A while later I learned (from reading the manual, duh) that the automatic battery protection shutoff could be set for different levels, depending on whether you wanted it to activate when there was still plenty of charge in your battery or when you were willing to live dangerously and wait until the charge was low. And there was a medium setting. HI, MED, LO. The fridge was set on HI. I switched it to LO. Problem solved.

Then, about the middle of June, the situation flip-flopped. The error light would come on when the batteries were full from solar charging, then the error light would turn off when it was dark and the fridge would resume cooling until the sun came up. It was like it was freaking out from too much voltage, as if a voltage control circuit had failed. I didn’t think it was a temperature issue since the air was only in the sixties and low seventies.

So, what to do?

I would replace it rather than deal with a totally failed fridge sometime in the future. I had spare money and there were friends reasonably close who could accept a shipment for me. Now would be a good time.

I researched a bunch of other fridges. There were larger ones that cost less than the Dometic CF-25 I have. However, I had built an insulated box for the Dometic. It also served as a place to mount my fuse panel. If a different fridge couldn’t fit in the box (and none would) I’d have to build a new one, or at least find a place to mount the fuse panel that wouldn’t require a lot of rewiring. A new CF-25 wouldn’t be a bargain, but it would be plug-n-play. So that’s how I went. It arrived yesterday and I made the swap today.

Different color and logo but otherwise the same

Surprise, there was condensation and a little mold between the fridge and box. Oh yeah, that happens with cold things in humid climates.

Wet bottom

There was also dust buildup at the intake fan, just like with my computers back in the day. I don’t know if either contributed to the fridge’s malfunction, but I’ll keep tabs on it with the new fridge.

I plugged it in and there was no error light. Within a half hour it had cooled from 54°F to 31°F. Here’s hoping for another five years of service. Or more.

Now, anyone want a free finicky fridge with an uncertain lifespan?