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Date:         Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:39:47 -0700
Reply-To:     Thomas Jefferson Kitts <thomas@THOMASKITTS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Thomas Jefferson Kitts <thomas@THOMASKITTS.COM>
Subject:      Dometic troubleshooting continues . . .
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes

Hi all:

Back from a 40 mile 4-day hike up the Rogue River which ended with a 4 hour float. Boy am I tired! 40 miles seems a lot farther than it used to . . . Running herd on 5 scouts.

---

Anyway, back to my Dometic not working.

I think the Propane and 110v problem may not be related so I'm focusing on the 110v side of things for the moment.

Here's where I am:

1) The red and gray wire which connect to the three-way switch were transposed by somebody before me. This is according to the wiring diagram located on the metal plate glued to the top of the fridge. I swapped them back to match the diagram. Felt pretty excited at finding the fix.

But darn, no fix. No heat in the back, no cool inside.

2) So I pulled out an old circuit tester, the kind which is basically a wire with a little red light, and started checking for complete circuits in the 110v loop. I found that if I grounded out the black wire that comes out of the three-way switch and goes into the main plastic connectors, my tester lit up full on. (I'm essentially connecting the 110v power source downstream of the three-way switch to the green ground on the back edge of the fridge.)

But if I grounded out the cloth insulated wire (which is a sort of a yellowish weave), the wire which comes out of the 110v core heater and back into the plastic connector, the tester will not light up at all. However, if I pull the same insulated wire out of the plastic connector, and make a direct contact with the end, the tester will light up dimly. Very dimly. So I assumed this implies the circuit has failed somewhere in the 110v heater core loop.

3) I figure the 110v core generates heat by electrical resistance inside the core. So I pulled the core from its heater tube to look for broken wires or loose connections. But found none.

Question: Is it possible that the copper core itself has burnt out and is no longer capable of passing electrical current? Or that the wires going in and out of the core are somehow disconnected? Remember, I do get a weak light when directly connecting the unattached end of the yellow(ish) insulated wire to ground. So some current must be flowing through the core.

What could be causing this failure to heat the 110v core?

Arrrg! I want heat!

regards,

Thomas


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