RV Refrigerator Troubleshooting: Tips for 120 Volt Systems

If your absorption refrigerator is not working, your first troubleshooting step should be to verify that both the LP gas and 120 volt electrical systems are operating properly. Meaning you will want to verify that you have power coming into the RV before continuing any further RV refrigerator troubleshooting.

You need to make sure there is enough power running through the electrical system of the RV. Start this step of RV refrigerator troubleshooting by checking the outlet. There are a couple of different ways to check the outlets, including using a manual volt meter. When plugged in, the meter should read more than 110. You can also use a digital meter which will display how many hertz and volts are coming from the outlet.

If the outlet looks good, the next RV refrigerator troubleshooting step is to verify the 12 volt battery is getting enough power to the control module. A total of 10.5 Volts of battery power is needed to run the valves. To check the battery power use an ohmmeter connected to the negative and positive leads to see if there is enough power coming through the wire.

As you continue your RV refrigerator troubleshooting you will want to look at the control module to see if the fuse is blown. Remove the 12 volt lead from the module and cover it with electrical tape to ensure it does not blow a fuse or cause a spark. Check the continuity by testing both sides of the fuse.

If the LP gas system, 120 volt electrical system and the 12 volt battery power are all working properly, there may be something wrong with the actual refrigerator. You may have to continue your RV refrigerator troubleshooting to the actual refrigerator itself.