Remember it can take 24hrs or more to get to operating temperature.
------------- XVI yes?
As well is two words!
How does a sage know everything about everything? or does he? or does he just think he does?
Remember, if you buy something you bought it, not brought it.
Firstly - patience! I take it, it's a typical caravan 3-way (240v/12/gas) fridge. They take 8-12 hours to get down to proper working temperature, so don't be too eager to declare 'not working'! Noticeable chilling of the cooling fins inside the fridge and/or icebox should be detectable after an hour or so, but not a lot of sense of the general cooling of fridge compartment, not any great change in a thermometer reading. 3-way fridges are silent, so you won't hear the whirring of a compressor as in a fridge at home.
Secondly no matter what power source you are powering it by, it needs 12v supply to operate the controls, so ensure the van 12v system is turned on. That said, it cannot refrigerate on 12v from the onboard system, it ONLY refrigerates on 12v supplied by the tow car with the engine running.
Gas can be slow to ignite properly as air often needs purging from the system, and fridge uses very little gas so slow to purge, usual trick it light a gas ring on the cooker to get gas into the pipework.
240v (mains) perhaps obviously needs a EHU supply, and for the control panel to be on, sometimes the mains breakers need resetting after powering off, so ensure they are 'ON'.
3-way fridges are VERY sensitive to being operated 'off level', only a few degrees of tilt can stop proper operation, ensure the van is well levelled.
Bit obvious perhaps, but ensure the door is actually fully closed, many fridges have a 'ventilation' setting on catch to stop smells developing when out of use.
The refrigeration side is common to ALL power sources, so if it's not working on one, try on a different power type, 240v and gas being the most easy alternatives to try. If it works on one, it tends to indicate it should work for all, and fault lies elsewhere.
Most fridges have a degree of self diagnosis, either a number on any display, or lights will flash in a particular sequence (bit like morse code!), your user manual should tell you what the 'error code' means.
After that you are into faultfinding and looking for something amiss, which is a bit of saga in some cases. It's a sometimes tedious process of eliminating one potential fault at a time, and electrical testing, before moving on.
So rather than write 'War and Peace' epic on faultfinding, lets see if any of the above resolve the issue, if no luck, get back to us and we'll launch into faultfinding in earnest!
Hi, also, is the van level? May seem daft, but these fridges are fickle and won't work well unless near level.
Some say it doesn't matter but we have found out it does make a difference.
You’re probably sorted by now, with ice for the G&T and enjoying your trip away.
If not, check the front panel. On ours, it’s set at A (automatic), so it’s running off EHU when we’re plugged in, with a plug symbol (our gas is turned off). Or off the engine when the MH is being driven (that’s pretty ineffective: best to put the fridge on the chill the day before).
Oh, make sure the vents aren’t covered: that’s for winter only.
Thanks for the 'thanks'. Always good to know we've been of some use in rectifying issues, but be nice to know what the 'problem/fix' was, as that can help others just by reading past posts.
One other thing. There are vents on the side of the caravan where the fridge is. One low down and another a couple of feet or so above it. Some of these can have hit and miss arrangement to close the vent to prevent water ingress or over cooling etc. Make sur these re open.
When the fridge is running you should be able to feel warmth coming from the top vent. Heat is given off by the fridge to cool down and if this route of air flow is not free, the heat cannot escape so the fridge cannot cool.
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Topic: Can`t get my fridge to work
via mobile 28/6/2026 at 1:42pm
