RV Fridge Not Cooling? The Thermistor Could Hold the Answer
You might be wondering, “what on Earth is an RV refrigerator thermistor?” And you wouldn’t be alone. Many RVers have never heard of this essential component that helps with RV temperature regulation. However, RV thermistors are used in all absorption style RV fridges. They’re very simple devices that can easily be adjusted without tools. That said, knowing what an RV refrigerator is and how it functions could help you to avoid an expensive RV tech service call.
What is an RV Refrigerator Thermistor?
An RV refrigerator thermistor is a temperature sensing resistor that’s mounted onto the evaporator/cooling fins located at the back of your RV refrigerator. The thermistor is a crucial component that regulates refrigerator cooling based on the freezer’s temperature. It ensures that your RV fridge remains at the correct temperature, not getting too hot or too cold. The thermistor is mounted onto a plastic clip that slides up and down on one of the fins. The closer it is to the freezer, the colder the refrigerator will be. A thermistor is a simple device that frequently provides an easy solution to RV fridge temperature issues.
How Does an RV Refrigerator Thermistor Work?
An RV fridge thermistor is a resistor that changes its electrical resistance value in response to temperature. In most RV fridges, a Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) thermistor is used. This means its resistance decreases as the temperature inside the fridge increases. And its resistance increases as the temperature decreases inside the fridge.
The refrigerator’s control board sends a low-voltage electrical current through the thermistor and measures the resistance. Then it reads the resistance, and uses it to determine the exact temperature inside the refrigerator. Then, based on the temperature inside the fridge, the control board decides whether to turn on or shut off the cooling unit. If the temperature in the refrigerator gets too warm, the refrigerator’s control board activates a cooling cycle. When the thermistor increases electrical resistance in response to a lower temperature, the control board turns off the cooling cycle.
Refrigerator Not Cooling Properly? Try These Tips
- Park and level your RV. RV refrigerators need to be mostly level to work properly.
- Slide the thermistor up or down on its cooling fin. You can usually “fool” the control board into thinking it needs to turn the cooling system on or off by moving the thermistor to a warmer or cooler location on the fin. So if you move the thermistor downward, the control board will think the refrigerator is cold enough and shut the cooling system off. Conversely, if you move it upward, it will run the fridge more, cooling the fridge more. This is because the thermistor senses the temperature of its immediate environment and the control board reacts accordingly.
- Make sure that the door is shut tightly and that seals don’t have any gaps.
- Make sure refrigerator vents are clear: Check the roof vent to ensure it has good airflow. This is critical for heat dissipation.
- Add a small, battery-powered fan to help circulate the air inside the fridge.
- Ambient temperature considerations. Absorption RV refrigerators can struggle when it’s hot outside. Adding ice packs or ice to your refrigerator and/or freezer on hot days can help it to stay cool.
Key Takeaways
The RV thermistor is so small that you might not even notice it, but it’s a vital part of your RV refrigerator’s cooling system. It helps your RV refrigerator’s control board to regulate the temperature inside your RV refrigerator by increasing electrical resistance when it gets colder and decreasing electrical resistance when it gets warmer. It’s easy to use the thermistor to regulate the temperature inside the fridge by sliding it up and down.
The post RV Refrigerator Not Cooling? Check the Thermistor appeared first on RV LIFE.