How To Replace the Heating Element in an RV Refrigerator (2024)

• August 6, 2024
• Featured, How To, Kitchen, Learn To RV, , RV Maintenance

The last thing you want before a big camping trip is your RV refrigerator not cooling. RV appliances take a lot of abuse, much more than the appliances in your home. Therefore, you’re more likely to experience issues with them.

However, some RV appliance repairs are easy and can be done quickly. Let’s look at how to replace the heating element in an RV refrigerator.

How To Diagnose a Bad RV Refrigerator Heating Element

If you have an absorption-style RV refrigerator that runs on propane and electricity, you may, at some point, experience the fridge running on propane but not electric. If so, one possible cause is a bad fridge heating element. Thankfully, testing your RV refrigerator heating element is fast and easy. Replacement is also relatively inexpensive. However, you will need some RV tools to complete this task.

To diagnose and/or replace a faulty RV fridge heating element, you will need the following:

• Multimeter
• Screwdriver
• Needle Nose Pliers
• Penetrating Oil (Non-flammable)

Once you have everything, start by testing your RV refrigerator heating element.

Access Door Removal

To find out why your camper fridge is not cooling, turn off the breaker for the refrigerator, remove the camper from shore power, and disconnect the batteries. Locate your refrigerator’s exterior access door on the outside wall. Once located, remove. These are typically held on with screws or tabs.

Finding The Element

With the door removed, unplug the power cord. Locate the control board cover and remove it to expose the circuits. Find the two wires for the heating element, which run from the control board to the flue stack. If you have trouble finding the wires, refer to the wiring diagram on the board or cover. Remove the heating element terminals from the control board using a pair of needle nose pliers.

Testing For Continuity

Using your multimeter, place the red probe into one wire and the black probe into the other. Polarity does not matter for most heating elements. Turn the multimeter to the continuity setting and verify the circuit is closed. If there’s an open circuit, this indicates the element or wire is bad and will need to be replaced.

If the circuit is closed, switch to the resistance setting and verify that it is within your unit’s acceptable range. To obtain the resistance range, you must reference the refrigerator’s service manual. If the element is not within the acceptable range, it must be replaced. If the element is within the acceptable range, the heating element is not causing the issue.

How To Replace the Heating Element in an RV Refrigerator

If you’ve determined your heating element is bad, here are the steps to remove the old element and install a new RV fridge heating element:

Technician Tip: Before installing your new heating element, verify the required wattage using the service or owner’s manual.

Step 1: Turn off the breaker for the circuit your refrigerator is on.

Step 2: Remove the refrigerator’s exterior access panel and unplug the fridge from the 120VAC outlet.

Step 3: Identify the wiring running to the heating element and disconnect it from the circuit board.

Step 4: Remove the heating element cover by bending the tabs out and away.

Step 5: Spray penetrating oil into the cavity where the heating element is located.

Step 6: Grab the element and wiggle back and forth while pulling up until free.

Step 7: Install the new element into the socket and push it down until it bottoms out. Check fitment of cover to ensure proper insertion depth.

Step 8: Resecure wiring and attach to the circuit board.

Step 9: Plug the refrigerator back in, reapply power to the breaker, and use a multimeter to check for current to the element.

Step 10: Secure the heating element cover, circuit board cover, and access door cover.

Why Is My RV Refrigerator Not Working On Electricity?

If the heating element is in working order but your refrigerator still only works on propane, you might simply have a tripped breaker or bad fuse. Check the RV refrigerator control board and the RV’s control center for tripped breakers or bad fuses. If all else fails, you can bring your RV to one of our nearby service centers for assistance.

If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of repairing your refrigerator, there’s always a replacement. Check out some of the articles below if you’re in need.

• RV Refrigerator Basics: Types, Buying Guide, and Maintenance
• How To Choose The Best 12-Volt Refrigerator for Your RV

In the comments, please let us know if you’ve ever had issues with your RV refrigerator and what you did.

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